Submitted by Carl S. Smith
Jonathan Milton Stewart. Oldest son and third child of John F. and Martha Stewart. Jonathan Milton was born Aug. 26, 1834 in Zebulon, Georgia, in Pike County. He may have been named after his grandfather’s best friend, Milton Reeves, who signed John R’s will. He is the father of our Lawrence County, AL Stewarts.
Jonathan Milton served during the Civil War, not for the Confederacy but in the Union.
When he was 28 years of age he joined Company "K" in the Union 1st Alabama Cavalry, on May 4, 1863 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee by a Lt. Hornback for a three-year term. He was mustered in Glendale, Mississippi in Sept. 27, 1863. Military records state his description as six (6) feet ¼ inch; Light complexion; born in Pike County, GA and a farmer.
He was wounded by gunshot in both thighs during action on Mar. 10, 1865 at Monroe Crossroads, NC. He was forced from one hospital to another beginning at Annapolis, Maryland Mar. 15, 1865. From Mar. to Aug. 1865 he was on Hospital Muster Roll at Lovell USA General Hospital, Portsmouth Grove, RI. Transferred to New York July 14 and was later mustered out with company in Nashville, TN on July 19, 1865. He was crippled the remainder of his life and walked with a limp from his wounds.
Notation Book Mark 5713-A-1876
War Department
Adjutant Generals Office
Washington, D.C. Oct 27, 1877
Jonathan Milton Stewart, Co. K, 1st Reg’t Ala Cav was admitted to Hospital of 2nd Div. 23rd Army Corps (Berry House) Wilmington, N.C. Mar. 16, 1865 with gunshot wound both thighs and sent North Mar. 29, 1865. Was admitted to Lovell General Hospital Portsmouth Grove, R.I. Apr. 21, 1865 from Berry Hospital, Wilmington N.C. with gunshot wound both thighs, middle third, wounded at Fayetteville, N.C. Mar. 10, 1865 and transferred over to New York City, July 13, 1865. He was mustered out with Co. July 19, 1865.
Notation Book Mark: 8188-D-1888 with 5713-A-1876
Adjutant Generals Office
Washington, Sept. 28, 1888
Application for Certificate in lieu of last discharge.
One certificate furnished. Service also alleged in Co. E
1st Reg’t Middle Tenn. Cav.
The Civil War seriously divided the Stewart family "brother against brother" since Jonathan Milton, Isaac Newton and Joseph Wiley chose separate sides on which to fight. Jonathan served the Union and the other two brothers for the Confederacy.
Jonathan Milton’s brother, Isaac Newton Stewart, joined the troops but he chose the confederacy as his allegiance. He enlisted into the 31st Ala Infantry in Wedowee, AL. He reported to Chattanooga and proceeded with the army to Knoxville. He took part in the fight at Cumberland Gap, June 18, 1862.
The 46th Ala Infantry was organized at Loachapoka in Lee County a few miles south of Randolph County in May, 1862. Jonathan Milton’s other brother, Joseph Wiley Stewart, joined the Confederates. He served from East Tennessee to Chattanooga and was later transferred to another command and fought at Tazewell on Aug. 6th with the 31st Ala Infantry. Isaac and Joe probably fought together at Chattanooga. Joe was honorably discharged for health reasons in Aug. 1862. On his way home from Kentucky, somewhere in Tennessee, on Aug. 12, 1862 "bushwhackers" who thought he was a deserter shot and killed him.
Family legacy states Jonathan Milton and Isaac Newton met on the battlefield at Bakers Creek in NE Miss, either before or after Isaac was captured on May 16, 1863. They could have met while both were fighting in the "Campaign of the Carolinas" from Jan to Apr 1865. They could have seen each other at any one of the following battles:
- Feb 7, Rivers Bridge, SC
- Feb 8, Williston’s, SC and near White Post
- Feb 11, Aiken, SC
- Feb 14, Gunter’s Bridge, SC
- Mar 7, Rockingham, NC
- Mar 10, Monroe’s Crossroads, NC near Fayetteville
Another old Civil War tale passed on to me by my father and confirmed by other members of the Stewart family stated Jonathan Milton once crossed the Tennessee River near Decatur holding on to a horses tail right after the war when he was in his uniform. This was due to his wounds suffered during battle.
Family legend tells us that Jonathan Milton and his brother, Isaac Newton visited one another after the war and were on friendly terms; however, the two brothers never discussed their war memories with one another.
Prior to the war, Jonathan Milton was listed with a wife, Mary J. in the 1860 Randolph County census with two children and one farm laborer, named Newman. This record stated that Mary J. was born in Georgia ca. 1835 but other records of her daughter, Emily, indicate she was born in Mississippi. I feel Georgia was her correct state of birth.
Jonathan Milton while married, first, to Mary J. ______ ca. 1854 in Randolph County had 7 surviving children. At least three were born in Randolph County; Emily, William and one son who died before moving to Lawrence County:
In 1862 J.M. and his family moved to Lawrence County, AL, probably because of the conflicting point of view concerning the Civil War between him and his brother, Isaac Newton Stewart.
Jonathan Milton, his wife Mary J. and six of their children lived at a Dry Creek P.O. address in Lawrence County near the Clem Hames family. Jonathan Milton’s daughter, Sarrah Martha Stewart married Clem’s son Edmond Robert Hames in 1877.
After Mary J died ca. 1873 in Lawrence County, Jonathan Milton married second, Mrs. Sarah Angeline Wade Cline. Sarah was a widow being previously married to a _____ Cline. She was the daughter of James P. and Sarah Chandler Wade. Sarah Angeline was born Feb. 12, 1844 in Randolph County AL. The exact day and month of marriage is unknown but was in the year 1873. She and J.M. married rather late in life and both were previously married. Sarah bore seven children with only five surviving in 1900 per census records. There was a Henry, Charles, John and Mary listed in the 1880 census in addition to Arminda Jane and Georgia A.; then James and John in the 1900.
Jonathan died on June 28, 1911, just 6 weeks after his daughters’ marriage to Wade Smith of Mt. Hope. Jonathan is buried along side his wife, Sarah Angeline. She preceded him in death on Feb. 24, 1905. They are buried at Fergason Cemetery near Hatton, Lawrence County, Alabama in very unusual above ground stone crypt type graves.
Complete history of this Stewart Family is covered in A New Smith Family History Book Unveiled. A life long project by Carl Smith of Athens, AL resulted in the writing of this classical 900 page family history book that includes, over 5,500 family names, 350 family photographs with not only the history and legacy of the Smith Families, but the history of many related families, namely; Benton, Brinkley, Buttram, Cagle, Counts, Gable, Gentry, Hampton, Martin, McCarver, McCrary, Mitchell, Ricks, Roberts, Skelton, Shelton, Sneed, Stephenson, Stewart, Wade, Wear, and Whitworth, mostly from the Alabama and Tennessee area. Many of these families emigrated from France in 730, to England in 1610, into the Virginias, North and South Carolina and Hawkins County, TN in the early 1700's then later moved into Lawrence County, AL in early 1830's. From there, some distributed their families throughout the US. Many of these families still remain in the north Alabama counties of Lawrence, Franklin, Colbert, Morgan, Lauderdale, Marion and Limestone and in Hawkins County, TN. The Smith Legacy also contains information related to the settlement of Lawrence County and of the place of birth of many original settlers of this county. In addition, the author provides research with details about the Revolutionary War service of these ancestors, reaching back in time as early as the 700s in Normandy France.
Anyone interested in this wonderful family keepsake, Smith Legacy Unveiled, may contact Carl S. Smith at Legacy Publishing, in Athens at 256-233-8336, office 256-216-1373 or write to 1501 Rickwood Lane, Athens, AL 35613, or e-mail csmith@pclnet.net. The price of this 900 page, hard bound book is $73.50 plus $10.00 postage.
Service records compiled by Glenda Todd and used with her permission. This and other information about the history of the First and the men who fought with the unit
can be found in her book, First Alabama Cavalry, USA: Homage to Patriotism.