RARE 11 STAR CONFEDERATE CIVIL WAR BATTLE FLAG CAPTURED
JAMES ALLISON, of Seaman, Adams County, Ohio, is one of the most progressive and successful farmers of Scott Township. He is a man whose excellent judgment, strong common sense and good business qualities are recognized by all. He comes of an old and prominent Pennsylvania family, and was born in that State on the second of October, 1831. His father, David Allison, as well as his mother, whose maiden name was Lucette Andre McKibben, were natives of Pennsylvania. They reared eight children, five sons and three daughters, of whom our subject was the third. David Allison was a farmer all his life and lived to a ripe old age.
James Allison received his early education in the district school in the primitive school building at Cedar Springs, Clinton County, Pennsylvania. He early turned his attention to farming which he had determined should be his life work, and ever since, he has been active and energetic in this occupation, except two years in which he was engaged in the mercantile business.
On October 14, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, as a Private, and was afterwards promoted Second Sergeant of his company, and in May, 1862, was promoted to First Lieutenant. He served with distinction and participated in the battles of Lebanon, Tennessee, and of Stone River, at Murfreesboro. In the latter battle in the cavalry, his horse fell and disabled him so he was sent to the hospital, and while there, were stricken with typhoid pneumonia, and as a consequence, was discharged for disability, May 3, 1863 in one of the charges made by his regiment there was captured a Confederate flag, which Mr. Allison obtained and keeps as a trophy.
He has always been a Republican in his political views, but has never sought or held any office, either in township or county. He is an earnest thinker, however, on political questions, a strong advocate of advanced political thought, and is alive to the interests and welfare of his county and community.
On the twenty-eighth of November, 1865, he was married to Miss Sarah E. McDowell, of Centre County, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Allison is a woman of many fine qualities and ably performs her duties as wife and mother. She is an earnest, consistent, Christian woman, and a faithful worker in the Presbyterian Church of Seaman. She was born in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, January 19, 1845, the second daughter of P. W. and Kathrene McDowell, the latter of whom died November 5, 1897, at the age of seventy-eight. Her father is living and well at the age of eighty-two, is active and energetic, an old-fashioned Jacksonian Democrat and one of Central Pennsylvania's most substantial citizens.
Mr. and Mrs. Allison resided in Pennsylvania for three years after their marriage, and then removed to Adams County in 1869, where he purchased a farm on the West Fork of Brush Creek in Scott Township, which is the very best in the township. It is bountifully supplied with running water and everything about the place indicates that the owner is a man of enterprise and progress. They lived on this farm from 1869 until 1896, when they purchased a home in the village of Seaman, which they remodeled and beautified and reside there in great comfort. Mr. Allison owns another farm of one hundred and eighty acres in Oliver Township. Their children are Kate Conley, wife of Dr. John S. Montgomery, of Huntsville, Logan County, Ohio; David M., who is in the hardware and implement business at Seaman, a very industrious and energetic young man; Nettie Andre, wife of Oscar McCreight. They reside on the home farm. Mrs. Montgomery has two sons, Willard Allison, and John McDowell.
Mr. Allison is highly esteemed in the community and is honored and respected by all.
(Source 1: History of Adams County, Ohio - by Nelson W. Evans and Emmons B. Stivers – West Union, Ohio - Published by E. B. Stivers - 1900 - 675)
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro (in the South, simply the Battle of Murfreesboro), was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Of the major battles of the Civil War, Stones River had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides. Although the battle itself was inconclusive, the Union Army's repulse of two Confederate attacks and the subsequent Confederate withdrawal were a much-needed boost to Union morale after the defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg, and it dashed Confederate aspirations for control of Middle Tennessee.
Union Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Army of the Cumberland marched from Nashville, Tennessee, on December 26, 1862, to challenge General Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee at Murfreesboro. On December 31, each army commander planned to attack his opponent's right flank, but Bragg struck first. A massive assault by the corps of Maj. Gen. William J. Hardee, followed by that of Leonidas Polk, overran the wing commanded by Maj. Gen. Alexander M. McCook. A stout defense by the division of Brig. Gen. Philip Sheridan in the right center of the line prevented a total collapse and the Union assumed a tight defensive position backing up to the Nashville Turnpike. Repeated Confederate attacks were repulsed from this concentrated line, most notably in the cedar "Round Forest" salient against the brigade of Col. William B. Hazen. Bragg attempted to continue the assault with the corps of Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge, but the troops were slow in arriving and their multiple piecemeal attacks failed.
Fighting resumed on January 2, 1863, when Bragg ordered Breckinridge to assault the well-fortified Union position on a hill to the east of the Stones River. Faced with overwhelming artillery, the Confederates were repulsed with heavy losses. Aware that Rosecrans was receiving reinforcements, Bragg chose to withdraw his army on January 3 to Tullahoma, Tennessee.
After the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi abandoned its invasion of Kentucky and withdrew to Harrodsburg, Kentucky, where it was joined by Maj. Gen. Kirby Smith's army of 10,000 on October 10. Although Bragg's newly combined force was up to 38,000 veteran troops, he made no effort to regain the initiative. Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell, the Union commander at Perryville, was equally passive and refused to attack Bragg.
Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden Frustrated with his prospects in Kentucky and low on supplies, Bragg withdrew through the Cumberland Gap, passed through Knoxville and Chattanooga, turned northwest, and eventually stopped in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. His army, joined with Smith's Army of Kentucky and together renamed the Army of Tennessee as of November 20, took up a defensive position northwest of the city along the West Fork of the Stones River. During a visit by Confederate President Jefferson Davis on December 16, Bragg was ordered to send the infantry division of Maj. Gen. Carter L. Stevenson to Mississippi to assist in the defense of Vicksburg. The loss of Stevenson's 7,500 men would be sorely felt in the coming battle. Bragg reorganized his army, and Kirby Smith left for East Tennessee.
Bragg commanded two corps, under Maj. Gen. William J. Hardee (divisions of Maj. Gens. John C. Breckinridge, Patrick R. Cleburne, and John P. McCown) and Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk (divisions of Maj. Gens. Benjamin F. Cheatham and Jones M. Withers, and a cavalry command under Brig. Gen. Joseph Wheeler.[6] Bragg had to deal with a command problem that became typical for him during the war—a virtual revolt of his senior generals, who petitioned Jefferson Davis to relieve him (in favor of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, the commander of all armies in the Western Theater). Davis refused to relieve either Bragg or the rebellious generals.
On the Union side, President Abraham Lincoln had become frustrated with Buell's passivity and replaced him with Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans, victor of the recent battles of Iuka and Corinth. Rosecrans moved his XIV Corps (which was soon after designated the Army of the Cumberland) to Nashville, Tennessee, and was warned by Washington that he too would be replaced if he did not move aggressively against Bragg and occupy eastern Tennessee. However, Rosecrans took ample time to reorganize and train his forces (particularly his cavalry) and resupply his army. He did not begin his march in pursuit of Bragg until December 26.
While Rosecrans was preparing in Nashville, Bragg ordered Col. John Hunt Morgan to move north with his cavalry and operate along Rosecrans's lines of communications, to prevent him from foraging for supplies north of Nashville. The Battle of Hartsville, at a crossing point on the Cumberland River about 40 miles (64 km) upstream from Nashville (north of Murfreesboro) was an incident in Morgan's raid to the north, before Rosecrans had the bulk of his infantry forces on the move. The relatively small battle that followed Morgan's surprise attack was an embarrassing Union defeat, resulting in many captured Union supplies and soldiers. The Union also engaged in a strategic cavalry raid. On December 26, the day Rosecrans marched from Nashville, a small force under Brig. Gen. Samuel P. Carter raided the upper Tennessee Valley from Manchester, Kentucky. Until January 5, Carter's men destroyed railroad bridges and fought a few skirmishes, including a serious one on December 28 at Perkins's Mill (also known as Elk Fort). But none of the cavalry raids, Confederate or Union, had any significant effect on the Stones River Campaign.
Flag size: 44" x 103"
Flag Type: Captured Confederate Battle flag
Star Count: 11
Earliest Date of Origin: 1861
Latest Date of Origin: 1865
State/Affiliation: Confederate States
War Association: 1861-1865 Civil War
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