Thomas W. Hungerford – Private, Confederate States of America Army

To Whom It May Concern:

I’m a genealogist studying the Hungerford family.  I noticed a picture and report of a Thomas W. Hungerford, Private, Confederate States of America Army.  The picture has a caption: Hungerford, Thomas W., Pvt. C 47th VA Inf CW CSA  Date of Death 9/3/1923.  Buried at: Section Confederate Site 160-A

The Hungerford identified as the veteran is the wrong man.  There were two Thomas W. Hungerfords in the Virginia/Washington, DC area at the time.  The correct fellow is Thomas Washington Hungerford, born 1843 (versus 1834.)

I have two sources for you that describe the veteran:

Reference pages 316 & 317 of “Confederate Military History Extended Edition,” Vol. II, Maryland, copyright, 1899, by Confederate Publishing Company.

This bio states: “Thomas W. Hungerford, a resident of Washington, prominently associated with the real estate interests of the city, is a native of the District of Columbia, born at Washington in August, 1843. He was reared and educated at the capital, until he had reached the age of eighteen years, when he was impelled by his conceptions of duty and loyalty to right, to throw his efforts on the side of Virginia in the impending struggle.

He entered the service May 21, 1861, as a private in Company C, of the Forty-seventh Virginia infantry, and throughout the war he continued to serve in the ranks, refusing promotion, of the same company in which he first enlisted, except at intervals when he was employed in the commissary department with his brother.

He participated in the hard fighting of May 31st and June 1, 1862, at Seven Pines, before Richmond, with his regiment, which was a part of General J. J. Pettigrew’s brigade, in the left wing under command of Major General Gustavus W. Smith. At this engagement he was severely wounded in the side. At the battle of Sailor’s Creek, during the retreat of Lee toward Appomattox, he was among the captured, and was sent to Point Lookout as a prisoner of war, and held there for two months. On being released and paroled he returned to his home at Washington, D. C., and engaged in business, and as a real estate broker has taken an active part in the city’s wonderful advancement and improvement since peace was restored.” (This was reprinted 1987, New Material Copyright 1987, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC 28405.)

Reference “The Virginia Regimental Histories Series, 47th VA Inf., 1st Edition, Homer D. Musselman, copyright 1991, H. E. Howard, Inc., page 132.

It reports: “Hungerford, Thomas W.: born 24 August 1843 in Washington, D.C. Enlisted 21 Jun 1862 in Co. C; 19 year old student in Westmoreland County. Present on all rolls thru 31 Dec 1864 final roll. In March 1865, he requested a discharge based on not being a citizen of the CSA. Captured at Sayler’s Creek on 6 April 1864; released from Point Lookout on 4 June 1865. Transportation furnished to Westmoreland Co. Listed as a Marylander in Hartzler.”

This fellow can be traced via the census records as living in Washington, D.C. from 1850 to 1920.

I hope this error can be corrected on your great website.  If you need anything else please let me know.

HUNGERFORD, THOMAS W
PVT C 47TH VA INF CW CSA
DATE OF DEATH: 09/03/1923
BURIED AT: SECTION CONFE  SITE 160-A

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard