James Erwin Spradley, (CSA)

      1. James Erwin6 Spradley (James Stephen5, Bryant A.4, James3, Bryant T.2, Andrew1) was born 1 Oct 1846 in Lowndes Co., AL1, and died 17 Jun 1893 in Crenshaw Co., AL2. He married Celia Ann Fuller 2 Oct 1873 in Crenshaw Co., AL3, daughter of Henry Fuller and Catherine (?). She was born Abt. 1853 in AL4, and died Abt. 1943 in Foley, AL.

Notes for James Erwin Spradley:

James Erwin Spradley, Private, enlisted October 30, 1863, Greenville. "He was listed on the regimental medical register while in Mobile on March 21, 1864, with rubeola (a). Two days later he was transferred to the general hospital at Greenville. He was diagnosed with pneumonia on April 20, 1864, and moved to the general hospital the next day. On July 4, he was wounded in the right leg during the siege of Atlanta. He was listed as a farmer and 18 years old. On July 28, he was suffering from acute diarrhea. On August 3, the diagnosis was feb int tert (b). He was diagnosed with acute diarrhea on September 21 and transferred to the general hospital two days later." (1) "He was at the surrender April 26, 1865, at Greensboro, North Carolina." (2)

(1) Register of Sick and Wounded of the 17th Alabama Volunteers 1907. National Archives, Washington, D. C., filed as Chapter VIII, Volume 5, handwritten journal.

(2) "Confederate Veterans Reunion" Greenville Advocate, Greenville, AL. March 10, 1897.

(a) Rubeola: An acute, usually an infectious, disease, either measles or German measles.

(b) feb int tert: An intermittent fever that occurs every three day, probably malaria.

Note: All the above was gleaned from Illene D. Thompson and Wilbur E. Thompson, The Seventeenth Alabama Infantry: A Regimental History and Roster (Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books Inc., 2001).

"Last Saturday evening about 8 o'clock Mr. J. E. Spradley of Patsburg was crushed to death by the train. Mr. Spradley had gone over to the postoffice for his mail, and having obtained it, he, in the company with Mr. Ham, started for home. Just as they were crossing the switch they discovered the train near them & moving with considerable speed. Mr. Ham remarked that they would have to cross hurriedly and leaping from the track, barely made his escape while Mr. Spradley was struck by the rear car and crushed beneath its merciless wheels and he died within an hour after the accident. Deceased was buried at Live Oak last Sunday evening attended by a large crowd of relatives and friends. He leaves a wife and one child, a son to whom he was a kind and affectionate husband and father." (1)

(1) Rutledge Wave, June 21, 1893.

He has an evenly four-sided headstone that comes to a point at the top. Train wheels are inscribed on all four sides of the headstone.

The 17th Alabama Infantry Regiment was organized at Montgomery in August, 1861. In November, it moved to Pensacola and was present at the bombardment there that month and again in January. In March 1862, the regiment was sent to western Tennessee where it was brigaded under J. K. Jackson of Georgia, with the 18th, 21st, and 24th Alabama regiments. The unit fought at Shiloh and

lost 125 k and w. A month later, it was in the fight at Framington, withfew casualties. In the autumn, when Gen'l Braxton Bragg moved into Kentucky, the 17th, weakened by illness, was left at Mobile. It was there drilled as heavy artillery and had charge of eight batteries on the shore of the bay. It remained at that post until March 1864 when it was ordered to Rome, GA. The brigade consisted of the 17th and 29th Alabama regiments, and the 1st and 26th Alabama and 37th Mississippi regiments were soon after added. The brigade was commanded at different times by Gen'l Cantey of Russell, Col. Murphey of Montgomery, Col. O'Neal of Lauderdale, and Gen'l Shelley of Talladega. The

regiment was engaged at the Oostenaula bridge and in the three days' battle of Resaca, with severe loss. The 17th had its full share of the campaigning from Dalton to Jonesboro, fighting almost daily, especially at Cassville, New Hope, Kennesaw, Lost Mountain, and Atlanta. In the battle of Peachtree Creek, it lost 130 k and w, and on the 28th of July, 180 k and w. The entire loss from Resaca to Lovejoy's Station was 586, but few of whom were captured. The regiment moved into Tennessee with Gen'l John Bell Hood and lost two-thirds of its force at Franklin; a number of the remainder were captured at Nashville. A remnant moved into North Carolina and a part fought at Bentonville. It was then consolidated with the 29th and 33rd Alabama regiments, with E. P. Holcombe of Lowndes as colonel, J. F. Tate of Russell as lieutenant colonel, and Willis J. Milner of Butler as major. The regiment surrendered at Greensboro, NC, in April, 1865.

Field officers: Cols. Thomas H. Watts (Montgomery, resigned); R. C. Fariss (Montgomery, resigned); and Virgil S. Murphey (Montgomery, captured at Franklin); Lt. Cols. R. C. Fariss (promoted); Virgil S. Murphey (promoted); and Edward P. Holcombe (Lowndes, wounded at Resaca); and Majors Virgil S. Murphey (promoted) and Thomas J. Burnett (Butler, wounded at Atlanta).

More About James Erwin Spradley:

Burial: Live Oak Cemetery, Patsburg, Crenshaw Co., AL

Military service: Served in the Company C, 17th Alabama Regiment, Inf. of the CSA.