In March of 1863, my great-great-grandfather, a small-town farmer and blacksmith named John Armstrong Beaman, enlisted in the 34th Regiment to fight in the Civil War. His
brother, Abraham Jackson Beaman, and local friends Armistead Hurley, James Hardister, Clay Morgan, and Joel Cranford, also joined. These men were a part of Company K, nicknamed the "Montgomery Boys".
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John in Civil War uniform
(from my own collection) |
Two months later, the 34th Regiment fought in the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia with General Pender's brigade. On May 2nd, the 34th were at the head of the attack on Orange Plank Road. The next morning, they launched another attack. The attack forced the Union soldiers to retreat.(Taylor, 2004, p. 138).
That day, the sound of gunfire rang out across the battlefield. The rapid firing of guns emitted such harsh shells that they exploded and set the woods on fire (Taylor, 2004, p. 138). The blazing fire spread, engulfing many wounded and fallen soldiers in its path. Burwell Thomas Cotton, Lieutenant of the 34th Regiment, described the scene as "the most horrible sight I ever saw," and Second Lieutenant Thomas Lattimore described it as "sickening." (Taylor, 2004, p. 139).
In the middle of the intense battle that surrounded him, I believe John had a moment of realization. Death seemed to be lurking around every corner. Back home in North Carolina, his wife Malinda and three young daughters – Mary Sirona, Eliza Ellen, and Ruth Abigail were waiting or his return. Would he ever see them again? Would his daughters grow up without their father? The thought was unbearable. In that moment, survival became the only option. In quick-thinking action, John made a desperate decision- he ran from the battlefield.
His quick escape did not go unnoticed. Lieutenant Cotton recalled the moment in a letter, "While I was going back John Beamon run by me without hat, gun or anything in the way of accoutrements. I tryed to stop him and got him to stay with me but he said he was afraid of getting killed." (Taylor, 2004, p. 145).
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Old Capitol Prison, between 1861-1865
(Courtesy of Library Congress) |
Despite the intense fighting on May 3rd, a number of Union soldiers were left behind in the rear (Taylor, 2004, p. 143). These soldiers, who were stragglers, ended up capturing John and others of the 34th. They forwarded them to Old Capitol Prison in Washington, DC. The prison was infamous for its terrible conditions. After signing the Oath of Allegiance, John was released from Old Capitol Prison and sent to Petersburg, Virginia, on May 10. He deserted from Petersburg with Joel Cranford, eventually making the trek back to Troy Township.
John A. Beaman's tale of survival is a reminder of the power of an event and perseverance. An event can be so powerful it can have a different outcome and change the course of history forever.
Michael W. Taylor's book The Cry is War, War, War was extremely helpful for my research. Reading about John and Abraham Jackson in Lieutenant Cotton's letters from 1863 was so interesting. I learned more about what happened to John to construct this story. The book brings the history of the 34th Regiment to life and has lots of vivid details you can visualize.
References:
Taylor, M. W. (2004). The Letters of Burwell Thomas Cotton . In The Cry is War, War, War (pp. 138-139, 143, 145). Morningside.
Exterior view of the Old Capitol prison, Washington, D.C.
Washington D.C. United States, None. [Place not identified: publisher not
identified, between 1861 and 1865] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of
Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2022630588/.
