I know that there are TYR fans from all over the world and that is wonderful!! But I would like to dedicate this page to those people out there that have family members that are related to vetrans of the Civil War. Family trees have always been fascinating to me, and I'd like to hear about the history of your family. Did you by any chance have a great or great-great uncle or grandpa that might have ridden for the Express, or faught for the North or South? I'd love to hear about it! So, I hope that you will share a little bit of your family's history with me! It doesn't have to be long at all, even if it's just a couple of sentences. And if none of your family members faught, because you aren't American, please write in and give your opinion as to which side you would have faught for and why. :-)
My great-grandfather's cousin was Belle Boyd(e?) a spy for the south. She was even in the museum at Gettysburg, I went there for a 7th grade feildtrip. She never told her mother she was a spy, but her mother found out when Belle shot a Union soldier in front of her. Cool, huh? I don't agree with her choice in sides, but being a spy is pretty awesome. She used her beuty and feminine wiles to get the information.
My Great-great-great grandpa Absalom Melson was in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was captured and sent to a Confederate prison camp where he later escaped only to be captured again quite quickly. In the camp he resorted to eating vomit to servive(gross). He like anyone else who survived was lucky. Later my family moved to Oklahoma where they were share croppers until my great grandfather bought the farm that my family lives on to this day. You can now find dozens of Melsons and their cousins in the Chandler, Oklahoma area, even though I live in northern Texas.
Being the first one to post a response (could it be because it's my page?? :):)) I'm going to start out and be completely honest! My family is not known for being courageous, and quite frankly I'm not positive that there hasn't been a 'draft-dodger,' of one of the more recent wars. But I can be quite honest when I say that the Civil War was an interesting time for our family!! For starters my great-great grandfather was a full blooded Cherokee chief down in Georgia. And I might as well go ahead and tell you that my great-great grandpa was a dirt farmer who did own slaves! He faught under General Stand Watie for the Rebs (he was a Major), and that's about all that I know about him. Rumor has it that after the war, when he set his slaves free, but they said that they would stay and work for him for pay. I don't know if I should believe that or not. I'm not completely sure about my other great-great grandpa, but I'm pretty sure he also faught for the South. I have heard say that someone did fight for the North, but I'm not sure who that was (wish I could find out!). There was also 'Page' that rode for the Express, it isn't certain if he is a relation though. The other side of my family is Austrian, who came over to the States before World War II. Then of course there's the Scottish side, and the English side, and the Yugoslavian........so I guess you could say I'm a true American, a Heinz 57!
Please share your family tale or fact! Just e-mail me. :):)