Optional page text here. Issac W. Longley

Issac W. Longley

Issac W. Longley was born in Tennessee about 1828. The first official record is in the 1850 Talladega County, Alabama census. In this census, Issac (age 22) resides in the household of John Coffee (TN) with a relative (probably a brother) George W. Longley (age 24 TN about 1826). The occupation for George is shown as "Carpenter" while Issac is listed as a "Laborer". In this same census is listed a Mathew Wood household which are the future in-laws of Issac. Research indicates that I.W. Longley appears in the 1860 Smith County, Texas Census while George remains in Talladega County (1860 census - township of Childersburg). Apparently, the brothers have each married and continued their separate paths. The 1860 Smith County, TX census lists the household of I.W. "Langley" (age 32) with a spouse Easter (age 24 AL), one child "George W. Longley (I) born June 13, 1860, and two men (J.W. Arnold age 35, and J.F. Woods age 22). Issac lists his occupation as "Carpenter" and also appears in the 1860 Smith County, TX Census of Industry. By looking back at the 1850 Talladega County Census, the household of Mathew Wood lists a spouse named "Mourning", a daughter "Easther", and a son J.F. Wood. Note that Wood and Woods are common misspellings while Easter is spelled differently in each official document that can be found. Smith County Texas district court records indicate that Issac was a plaintiff in several lawsuits about 1857, and Mathew was a juror during the same time period. A marriage record for Issac and Easter has not been located as of this writing, but the search continues. Confederate records indicate that Issac W. Longley joined the TX 22nd Infantry on May 10, 1862 in Tyler Texas as a private. The muster records continue until November 17, 1862 where the record ends with the notation "Died of Fever, Camp Nelson". A review of the excellent J.P. Blessington text written in 1875 indicates this would be Camp Nelson near Cabot Arkansas. A letter is somewhere in the estate of George W. Longley III which was written informing Easter of Issac's death and the horrific conditions in the camp. As an adjunct, J.F. Wood was researched and found to have joined the TX 7th Infantry in October 1861 in Marshall TX for a period of 3 years. The following month, the muster card indicates James Frank Wood is "absent - whereabouts unknown". Further muster records indicate that J.F. joined the TX 22nd Infantry on May 10, 1862 (same time as Issac) in Tyler TX with a rank of Private. In November 1862 (same month as Issac died), J.F. transferred back to the TX 7th Infantry as a Corporal and served his remaining enlistment period. The final resting place of Easter Wood Longley Thurman, Mourning Atkinson Wood and Mathew Wood is Smith Cemetery, (Southwest) Smith County TX.

NOTE: I believe there is a listing for J.W. Arnold in the 1850 Talladega County AL census, but he was married. Since he has no wife in the 1860 Smith County TX census, she either remained in Alabama or perished. There was a J.W. Arnold who joined the George Yarborough Smith County Texas Light Infantry, but I do not have muster cards for his service.

NOTE2: George W. Longley shown in 1850, 1860 Talladega County census is shown by the National Parks Service website has having joined the Alabama 51rst Infantry (also Mounted) Regiment "Partisan Rangers". I do not have his muster records yet.
I would like to credit E.T.G.S. with the documentation they have produced.

Submitted byGary Longley

Texans in the Civil War
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