My relationship to Nathaniel Perry:
Me
Virginia Marie Stalls (mom)
James Paul Stalls, Jr (granddaddy)
Minnie Virginia Richards (great-grandmother)
Jerome Edward Richards (2nd great-grandfather)
Caroline McQueen (3rd great-grandmother)
Nathaniel Perry (Caroline McQueen's half-brother, my 3rd great-grand-uncle)
(note: this is kind of a Part One for Nathaniel Perry. there are a lot of Civil War records that won’t be in this post, but are saved for future posts!)
Nathaniel A Perry was born about 1846 in Crittenden County, Arkansas to parents Claiborn Perry, Sr (about 1814-?) and Elizabeth Freeland (about 1804-?). He, like his brother, had a very short life.
The first record I have found of Nathaniel is the 1850 census. He is listed as 5 years of age and living in Jasper Township, Crittenden County, Arkansas with his family: Claiborn (listed as Charles, father, age 36 years), Elizabeth (mother, age listed incorrectly as 37 years) and Claiborn (brother, age 8 years). Also on this census is the mysterious Mary McQueen (age 37 years).
The next record of Nathaniel is the 1860 census. This is also the last census record of him. He is listed as Nathan, 13 years of age and living in Hot Spring County, Arkansas with his family: Claiborn (listed as Clayborn, father, age 46 years), Elizabeth (listed as Elisabeth, age 56 years), a mystery Sarah McQueen (possibly Elizabeth’s daughter due to placement of name on list, age 25 years) and Claiborn (listed as Claiborne, brother, age 18 years).
On November 20, 1863 Nathaniel, his father Claiborn and his brother-in-law Edmund Richards voluntarily enlisted in the Union Army at Benton, Saline County, Arkansas. Nathaniel’s muster-in and descriptive roll have him listed as Nathan A Perry, age 18 years, mustered in on April 6, 1864 at Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas as Private in Company F, 4th Regiment Arkansas Calvary. He was 5 feet 6 inches tall, black hair, black eyes and fair complexion.
Less than a year later, on January 15, 1865 Nathaniel died in the post hospital at the Calvary Depot in Devall’s Bluff (De Valls Bluff), Prairie County, Arkansas. The cause of death was typhoid pneumonia.
Some records say that he died on January 16, but his belongings were handed over to his father on January 15, 1865. These belongings consisted of: one great coat, one pair of trousers, one pair of boots, one woolen blanket and one poncho.
NOTE:
I was just about to post this when I noticed that Ancestry had a “Historical Record” concerning his death and grave. According to the record U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca. 1775-2006 Nathaniel died on January 3, 1865 and was also interred that same day.
This is very different from what the actual Civil War records have. I called the Little Rock Memorial Cemetery where Nathaniel is buried and was told that they only have that date for him. They don’t actually have an interment date. Little Rock Memorial Cemetery, I was told, did not become a national cemetery until 1868, so the records prior to 1868 were given to them. Since Nathaniel died in Devall’s Bluff then he had originally been buried in Devall’s Bluff. When Little Rock Memorial Cemetery became a national cemetery the bodies of about 3000 soldiers’ bodies were moved from Devall’s Bluff and reinterred in Little Rock Memorial Cemetery. I can’t even guess as to why the death date is different from the actual Civil War records to the records the cemetery has, but at least it’s known that he died in January 1865.
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