U.S. Miltary Service: Calhoun, Middleton, Grimes, Rentz

As a tribute to Memorial Day, this post will touch on military service of my family in the U.S.  This blog is in no way complete and tends to stick to my more immediate family.  I welcome any content fellow family members can provide.  This blog will focus on my maternal side.  For my paternal  side, click here.

My mother's side of the family timed out so that the men missed much of the 20th century conflicts and also the Revolutionary war.  The Civil War and the ware of 1812 are prevalent in my maternal family history.

Civil War

My second great-grandfather, James Frank Calhoun fought for the Confederacy.  His record is as follows: Appointed 2d Sergeant of Co. G,  7th Regiment Ga. State Troops November 16, 1861. Mustered  out May 2, 1862. Enlisted as a private in Co. B (Milford Guards), 62d  Regiment Ga. Inf. May 31, 1862. Captured October 1863.  Transferred to Co. B, 8th Regiment, Ga. Calvary July 11, 1864.  Roll for December 31, 1864, last on file, shows he was "In hands of enemy." James made it home to Baker County Georgia and passed away in 1879. 

Lineage from Calhoun to me.  my mother:  Mary Lula Calhoun. Mary's father:  Zachariah Calhoun. Zachariah's father:  John T. Calhoun.  John T's father:  James Frank Calhoun.

Austin B. "Alsey" Middleton, also my second great-grandfather, enlisted as a private in the Georgia 29th Battalion which was ac
tually raised up in Schley County.  Alsey's great, great granddaughter, my mother Mary, would move to Schley County in 1947 when she married Donald Franklin.  Information about the 29th is as follows:

The commanders of the 29th were Lt. Col. Arthur Hood and Major Charles H. Camfield.  Company "D" was raised in Schley County and known as Hood's Cavalry or Schley Cavalry and had as its commander, Captain Jeremiah C. Lasseter, who in the 1860 census listed his profession as teacher.  The 29th Battalion was engaged in battles in McIntosh County, Ga from August 2 through August 4, 1864 and the Savannah Campaign in November and December 1864.

Lineage from Middleton to me.  my mother:  Mary Lula Calhoun. Mary's mother :  Claudia Mae Middleton.  Claudie Mae's father: William Middleton.  William's father:  Alsey Middleton.

In April of 1862, George Washington Grimes joined  the 55th Georgia Volunteer Infantry where the men from Miller County were known as the "Miller Wildcats." For details of their campaigns, click here.  Grimes was sick at the end of 1864 and was sent to a hospital in Knoxville, Tenn.  He made it home and lived until 1931.  G.W. Grimes was also my second great-grandfather.

Lineage from Grimes to me.  my mother:  Mary Lula Calhoun. Mary's mother :  Claudia Mae Middleton.  Claudie Mae's mother: Elizabeth Grimes.  Elizabeth's father; George Washington Grimes.

War of 1812

Joshua Rentz joined up to fight for his country at the age of 14, joining Juhan's Battalion, South Carolina Militia.

Lineage from Rentz to me.  my mother:  Mary Lula Calhoun. Mary's father:  Zachariah Calhoun. Zachariah's father:  John T. Calhoun.  John T's mother:  Arkansas "Babe" Rentz.  Babe's father: Joshua Rentz.

William Grimes. Sr. also fought in the War of 1812 with the : 2nd Regiment (Thomas) Georgia Militia. He joined at the age of 18.

Lineage from Grimes to me.  my mother:  Mary Lula Calhoun. Mary's mother :  Claudia Mae Middleton.  Claudie Mae's mother: Elizabeth Grimes.  Elizabeth's father; George Washington Grimes.   George's father: Williams Grimes Sr.