Reeves, James Marion
Summary
Father: Loftin Reeves (see Research Notes below)
Mother: Nancy Elizabeth Jeans
Birth: 4 Nov 1823, Georgia
Birth Source: Probate documents of Loftin Reeves and Bible of James Marion Reeves
Death:
Death Source: Obituary
Spouse1: Mary Ann Childers, m. 27 Jul 1846, Gwinnett County, Georgia
Spouse2: Mrs. Sarah Fuller Fannin
Narrative
Children of James Marion Reeves and Mary Ann Childers:Littleton Reeves- Thomas Lofton Reeves, b. 21 Feb 1849 Georgia
- Wiley Reeves, b. 20 May 1851 Georgia
- Burgess Ransom Reeves, b. 14 May 1853 Georgia d. 4 Aug 1941 Castor, Bienville Parish, Louisiana
- Elijah Wallace Reeves, b. 13 May 1855 Gwinnnett County, Georgia; d. 6 Jun 1915 Mt. Calm, McLennan County, Texas
- Louisa Emmerline Reeves b. 16 Apr 1858 d. In Youth Marshall County, Alabama
- Martha Jane Reeves, b. c1861 Alabama
Children of James Marion Reeves and Sarah Fuller Fannin:
- Mary Frances Reeves b. c1868 Alabama
- William Henry Reeves b c1869 Alabama
- Francis Marion Reeves b. c1870 Alabama
- Wyett Simon Reeves b. 15 Nov 1871 Alabama
- John Thompson Reeves b. 4 Feb 1874 d. 8 Mar 1949
- Harrison Groce Reeves b. c1877 (His name may be Harrison Timothy Reeves - see 1900 census of Talladega, Alabama.)
- Trion Fuller Reeves b. 1 Jan 1877 Alabama
On July 29, 1861 James M. Reeves joined Company I, 14th Alabama Infantry Regiment at Lineville, Talladega County. Lineville, at that time was on the county line (hence the name) of Randolph and Talladega Counties, later to become Clay County in 1866. His compiled service record shows him missing in action at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. Records show as a prisoner of war, he was taken first to Fort Henry, then on to Fort Delaware the following day, where he signed an Oath of Allegiance on June 14, 1865 and was sent home, probably aboard a steamer to Mobile, on June 15, 1865. His compiled service record shows he joined at Lineville, Talladega County and that when they released him he gave his home county as Randolph.
Reeves' researcher Renee Newman obtained the following information regarding James Marion Reeves from The Fort Delaware Society. Their database contains information confirming that Private J. M. REEVES, Co. I, 14th Alabama Infantry was held as a POW at Fort Delaware.
· J. M. REEVES was enrolled for Confederate service on 29 JUL 1861 at Lineville, Talladega County, Alabama by Captain John T. Bell to serve as a Private for the duration of the war in Captain Bell’s volunteer company, the Hillabee Rifles. This company was enrolled as Company I, 14 th Alabama Infantry.
· Private REEVES was present or accounted for until 2 JUL 1863 when he was listed as missing in action at Gettysburg.
· Federal POW records show that he was captured at Gettysburg on 2 JUL 1863 , confined at Fort McHenry on 6 JUL 1863 and sent to Fort Delaware arriving the next day on 7 JUL 1863 .
· NARA Roll 47, a microfilmed collection of records pertaining to Fort Delaware, shows that he was admitted to and discharged from the Fort Delaware Post & Prison Hospital on four occasions: 5 FEB 64 to 17 MAR 64; 6 APR 64 to an unknown discharge date; 13 SEP 64 to 1 OCT 64; 21 APR 1865 to an unknown discharge date. In none of these instances was the cause for his treatment recorded.
· NARA Roll 45, another set of microfilmed records pertaining to Fort Delaware, tells us that he was housed in Division 10 . Confederate POWs were housed together in administrative groups of about 100 men known as “divisions”. The men were usually from the same states and/or units in the field. Each division was under the supervision of a Confederate sergeant, himself a POW. They ate together and bunked together in the wooden POW barracks outside the fort on Pea Patch Island. Officers and enlisted men were housed separately in the wooden barracks for security reasons. Aside from this, no records have survived to tell us where any numbered division was located within the large barracks complex.
The surrender of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department dated 26 MAY 1865 at New Orleans, but not signed by Lieutenant General E. Kirby Smith until 2 JUN 1865 aboard a Federal warship in Galveston Bay, ended the Civil War. There were no longer any sanctioned Confederate armies in the field. President Andrew Johnston announced his Presidential Amnesty Proclamation on 29 MAY 1865. The Federal War Department issued General Orders No. 109 on 6 JUN 1865 directing the release of all POWs holding the ranks of captain down to private against whom no charges were pending. The prisoners to be released were required to take the Oath of Allegiance and government paid transportation was to be provided them to a point nearest their homes which could be reached by water and/or rail. Releases were organized with primary consideration given to destination for logistics purposes, and secondary consideration given to how long each individual had been in prison. General Orders No. 109 was announced in the Fort Delaware prison pen on 10 JUN 1865 and the oath taking and releases commenced. By the end of June 1865, only a hundred or so prisoners remained.
· James M. REEVES, Private, 14th Alabama Infantry took the Oath of Allegiance at Fort Delaware under General Orders No. 109 on 14 JUN 1865 and was released. His place of residence for transportation purposes was given at Randolph County, Alabama. He was described as having a sallow complexion, dark hair, brown eyes and standing 5 feet 8 inches tall. He signed the Oath by making his mark.
Henry Robinson Berkeley, a Virginia private captured in March 1865 and confined at Fort Delaware, kept a detailed diary of his imprisonment. He noted in his dairy on 14 JUN 1865 that the “Alabama boys were called out but did not get off”. He wrote on the following day 15 JUN 1865 that “Taliafero and Mercer left this morning for their homes, also the Alabama boys.” NARA Tape 45 showed James M. REEVES’ release date as 15 JUN 1865. A post-war report to Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs stated that in June 1865, some "3,000 released rebels from Point Lookout and Fort Delaware" were sent by ocean going vessels to Mobile, Alabama. [OR III, Volume 5, p 289]
Our Mountain Home (Talladega, Alabama), 1 Feb 1882
Mr. Marion Reeves, of Eastaboga Precinct, died suddenly last week at his residence of appoplexy. He was an industrious, thrifty farmer, a kind neighbor and a most useful and highly respected citizen. He leaves a large family and many friends to mourn his loss.
Research Notes
Recently information has come to light thanks to Reeves' researcher Renee Newman that James Marion Reeves who was believed to the son of Thompson Reeves was actually the child of his brother Loftin. Thompson Reeves left no will but there is a four (4) page administrator's petition filed in September of 1885 included in his estate file which lists all of his heirs including four who were deceased by the time of his death but James Marion Reeves is not listed among them.The probate documents of Loftin Reeves however, do list a son James M. Reeves whose age in various census documents is the same as that of the James Marion Reeves previously believed to be the son of Thompson. Probate documents for Loftin include his will written on the 30th of July 1878 which does not list all of his heirs, but a petition filed by his son Wiley Reeves who was administrator of his estate in December of 1879 gives a complete listing of them. Among Loftin's heirs is a son James M. Reeves who was living in Talledega County, Alabama at that time.
Tax Digests for Walton County, Georgia name James Marion Reeves, next to Loftin, Burgess and Wiley in Brantley's District. Some years he is listed as J. M. Reeves, some years he is Marion Reeves. He is first named in 1849 tax list, is missing in 1850, but again listed in 1851, 1852, 1853 and 1857. The presumed son of Thompson, James M., was also believed to have lived in Talledega County, Alabama but only one James M. Reeves is recorded in census records there, particularly in the 1880 census when probate documents of Loftin Reeves give that as the address of his son James M.
After viewing all of the records regarding this family, it appears to be evident that there was only one James M. Reeves and he was the son of Loftin Reeves, not Thompson.
Note that comparing later census records etc. shows the son listed as Littleton Reeves (age 2) in the 1850 census appears to be referring to Thomas Lofton Reeves and got the name incorrect.
Source
Marriage1: FamilySearch - Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950Death: Obituary, Our Mountain Home (Talladega, Alabama), 1 Feb 1882
1850 Census: Gwinnett County, Georgia
1860 Census: Talledega County, Alabama
1870 Census: Randolph County, Alabama
1880 Census: Talledega County, Alabama
Estate File of Loftin Reeves, Clay County, Alabama
Tax Digests, Walton County, Georgia
www.fold3.com
The Fort Delaware Society