Sunday, June 23, 2013

Gettysburg survivor?

Martin Luther Sibold (on the left) was my (paternal) great-grandfather.  He was a private in 24th VA Infantry Regiment, Pickett's division, Kemper's brigade, Confederate Army, which made the famous assault on the Union Army 150 years ago, at Gettysburg.

We believe the 24th VA regiment was positioned on the far right of the Confederate assault line, as it advanced E across the Emmitsburg Road, that afternoon of July 3, 1863

Of 395 men available to the 24th VA Infantry regiment at the time, some 165 survived the battle.  However, we descendants don't know for sure that he was on the field with the 24th VA, at that particular battle...we have not yet found a roster/muster list showing survivor names.

Martin survived two more years of war with 24th VA regiment, was captured at Five Forks, VA (April 1865) and later paroled after the war ended.  As a result of his durability and good fortune, in my generation I have 2 brothers (Brian, Stuart) and 3 sisters (Ann, Katherine, Lucy), plus 3 cousins (Tweedie, Woody, Harry) living today.

Martin was born in 1844.  This photo is tagged 1880.

 --  Arthur Pleasant Sibold 3rd

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