Robert David Mead (1824 - abt. 1865)

Born 23 Jul 1824 in Chester County, South Carolina, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ann (Price) Mead — married about 1849 in Chester, Chester, South Carolina, USA

Descendants

Died about 1865 at about age 40 in Antoine Township, Cove, Clark, Arkansas, USA

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This profile is part of the Mead Name Study.

Biography

Robert Mead served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Nov 3, 1863
Mustered out: Feb 29, 1864
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): Wright's 12th Reg Arkansas Cavalry

DNA

Paternal relationship is confirmed by a 93.3 cM match between [[Mead-1791] GEDmatch T154498and his paternal 3rd Cousin GEDmatch A459947

Birth

Robert David Mead was born on 23 July 1824 in Chester county, South Carolina. His father was a mariner from New York, his mother was a uneducated girl from the Upcountry of South Carolina. He was the youngest of three brothers, and the last child born to this couple.

In 1820 South Carolina announced penalties for introducing any written anti-slavery material into the state. In Charleston, South Carolina, slaves are required to wear distinctive identification tags. This law is later extended to free blacks in the city as well. It had only been 31 years since the ratification of the Constitution, and the problems over slavery are still and problem and growing. No record has been found that the Meads or the McKeowns owned slaves, yet everyone was affected by the conflicts. The Upcountry folks continued to be irritated with the political power held in the Lowcountry, especially in Charleston.

William H Mead is said to have tried to stay in Chester County and become a farmer, but he could not. We have no record of exactly when he left his family, but probably shortly after his last child was born. David's mother, not unusually for the time and place, had no eduction in reading, writing, or arithmetic. She did have a large family in the McKeowns to which she could turn for support. It is said that they took full advantage of the young brothers, “educating them in the fields”.

The Mckeowns, descendants of Scotch-Irish immigrants, were “mechanics” and blacksmiths. They are said to have been proficient in barrell and bucket making, and may have passed some of these skills off to Robert, as he later stated in census records that he was a blacksmith.

We have no specific record, but since his oldest brother was born in 1821, it can be assumed that his parents were married about1820. And since Robert was born in 1824, William H. may have been around the family for about 5 years before returning to the Sea as it is said he did. In any case, Robert would not have known his father.

Marriage

No marriage records have been found to date that show the marriage of Robert David to Mary A. Price, but family rememberances put it about 1849. The next year Robert is shown on the 1850 census on Chester County, South Carolina, at age 26, white male, mechanic, b. in South Carolina, with wife M. A. age 15, white, female, b. in South Carolina, and W. S. Mead, 2 months, white, male b. in South Carolina.^[1][2] It is of note that the dwellings on either side of Robert were Samuel Price, and Cuthbert Price(Mary's father), and abt 3 dwellings away is Moses McKeown(Robert David's uncle).

It is said that William H. Mead died at sea about 1848, and that sometime after 1950, his family received an inheirtance. William S. mead who may have been about 5 years at the time, said that they received a bag of gold that he could hardly lift. This made it possible for the Meads to leave South Carolina, and indeed the next record of Robert is the 1860 census of Antoine Township, Clark County, Arkansas, Okolona post office.^[3] That census showed R. D. Mead age 36, male, white, blacksmith, b. SC, with Mary A, age 26, female, white, b. SC; Wm. Age 10, male, white b. SC; R.(?) T.(?)N(? oartially scratched out), 8 years, male , white, b. SC; Mary F. age 6, female, white, b. SC; Nancy J. age 3 female, white, b. SC; and Robt age 9 months, male , white, b. SC.

In November 1860: Captain James Totten and 65 men of the 2nd U.S. Artillery arrive quietly in Little Rock and garrison the previously unguarded Federal Arsenal. Later that month the Govenor asks for a secession convention be held, only 4 representatives show up. More activities later try to stir up more sentiment for secession, finally by 22 Dec the state legislature passes a bill for Arkansas to seceed from the Union. A look at the following exerpts from the Weekly Arkansas Gazette show how the paper's sentiment changed over the 2-3 years: [LITTLE ROCK] WEEKLY ARKANSAS GAZETTE, December 29, 1860, p. 2, c. 1             Christmas.—Since our last, Christmas has come and gone.  While the festive season has brought joy to some it has brought sorrow and sadness to many.  The good old ship of State freighted with our political fortunes, which heretofore, has steered clear of shoals and quicksands, has been driven by the storms of fanaticism into the very breakers of destruction.  That she may escape without being wrecked—that we may escape with our lives and our honor—is the prayer of the patriotic, to which let all say Amen!  [LITTLE ROCK] WEEKLY ARKANSAS GAZETTE, May 11, 1861, p. 2, c. 2             The Ladies still continue their labors at James' Hall, in making clothes for our citizen soldiery.  Their patriotic efforts cannot be too highly commended.  Mr. James kindly furnishes the Hall free of expense, and Mr. Ward, contractor of the Penitentiary, has rendered great aid by placing the tailoring portion of his force in the service, and devoting their time to making soldiers clothes. [LITTLE ROCK] WEEKLY ARKANSAS GAZETTE, August 29, 1863, p. 1, c. 2             Defend Your Families and Homes.—Now is the time for every man who can carry a gun to do his duty.  The enemy, numbering about thirteen thousand, are threatening the Capital of the State.  Our soldiers are brave and true and confident of their ability to defend the place and repel the enemy. 

Civil War

While the Meads were certainly southerners, the did not necessarily support the war. After several calls for additional troops, and then a Confederate Draft, R. D. Mead joined Co. C, 12th Arkansas Cavalry, First Sergeant, in Drew county, Arkansas, with his brother Jesse C. Mead, November 3, 1863, he was 39. Another record shows he was present, February 29, 1864; ^[4]

Ashley County was the site of one minor skirmish, a small Union victory among a whole series of disasters in a major campaign. The background for the battle was set when Union General Frederick Steele, who had occupied Little Rock on September 10, 1863, mounted an expedition to the southwest beginning on March 23, 1864. Steele's forces planned to join Union troops under the command of General Nathaniel P. Banks which were moving up the Red River. Those two armies planned to complete the occupation of southwest Arkansas and the Confederate capital, which had been moved to Washington in Hempstead County with the fall of Little Rock, and prepare for an invasion of Texas aimed at crushing the armies of General Edmund Kirby Smith, the Confederate commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department.

The written report from two Union Lieutenants included:” "When we came to the fork of Long View and Camden Road, which is some two miles from Long View, we took four prisoners, and learned from them that there had been a train of nine wagons and 25 men passed out a short time ahead of us. We sent a party out after them, burnt the wagons, and captured the men. We learned from them that there was a large train crossing, which had come out from Monticello that day. We moved on, and reached their camp just at dark. We charged into their camp, surrounded them, and demanded their surrender, and ordered them to fall into line. We coming on them so unexpectedly, and they being in such confusion, they obeyed immediately. There were 250 men, 7 or 8 officers. We destroyed their bridge, threw about 175 or 200 stand of arms in the river, burnt 30 wagons, which were loaded with baggage and camp equippage, also ammunition; took some 300 horses and mules. We then mounted our prisoners, and returned to our most worthy commander all O. K."

Two of those 250 men taken prisoner were R. D. and J. C. Mead. A ledger of Confederate prisoners of the Union Army shows that R.D. Mead, Sgt. Wright's Arkansas Cavalry was taken prisoner March 29, 1864, in Longview, AR, and that he was released on 24 Oct 1864. Another ledger from Little Rock shows that R.D & J. C. both were transferred to Rock Island on May 17th 1864. A third ledger shows that both were assigned to barracks 10, as prisoner numbered 909 and 918.

Following the war, investigations on the treatment of prisoners in the prison camps of both sides. Rock Island was one of those investigated. The following was part of the testimony given by Charles Wright, of Tennessee:^[5] …..In April, 1864, the sentinels on the parapet commenced firing at the prisoners and into the barracks, and this practice continued while I remained. I am ignorant as to the orders the sentinels received, but I know that the firing was indiscriminate, and apparently the mere caprice of the sentinels. Going to the sinks at night was a most dangerous undertaking, for they were now built on the "dead line," and lamps with reflectors were fastened to the plank fence - the sentinel above being unseen, while the man approaching the sink was in full view of the sentinel. Frequently they would halt a prisoner and make him take off his pants in the street, and then order him to come to the sink in his drawers, (if he had any). I have heard the cocking of a gun presented at myself while going to the sink at night, but by jumping into an alley between the barracks I saved myself the exercise of walking to the sink in my drawers or from receiving the contents of the gun. I find this entry in my diary on June 10, 1864: "Attacked with diarrhoea in the night. Afraid to go near the sink." I cannot say that the sentinels had positive orders to shoot on each occasion, but that they received encouragement to do so, and were relieved of all responsibility for such acts, is certain from the following orders, which were publicly promulgated to the orderlies of barracks by the provost marshal, to wit:  May 12, 1864.- Ordered, that no prisoner be out of his barracks after "taps."  May 13, 1864.- Ordered, any prisoner shouting or making a noise will be shot.  It was noticed and discussed among the prisoners, that the shooting was most violent immediately after a Confederate success. I noted some cases that came under my own observation, but by no means a complete list; in fact, the prisoners became so accustomed to the firing from the parapet, that unless it occurred near his side of the prison, a man would take little notice of it.  .. …..Until June 1st, 1864, no reasonable complaint could be made in regard to the food furnished the prisoners; but from that date until June, 1865, the inmates of Rock Island were subjected to starvation and all its attendant horrors. I know that this charge was denied by the officers of that prison at the very time the atrocity was being perpetrated. God may forgive whoever caused the deed to be done, but surely there is little hope for whoever denies it now……. October 25, 1864 R. D. Mead was released from Rock Island. J. C. Mead was released on November 18, 1864. They both signed the oath of allegiance to the United States.

Death

Family stories say that R. D. walked the entire distance from Rock Island to Clark County after his release. He must have been in very bad shape when he arrived home, as he died the next year. No record of the date of his death exist as yet, nor any information about where he was buried.

Sources

1. ↑ Year: 1850; Census Place: Chester, South Carolina; Roll: M432_851; Page: 41A; Image: 87 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA
2. ↑ Family genealogical records
3. ↑ http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1860usfedcenancestry&h=12903909; Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Antoine, Clark, Arkansas; Roll: M653_39; Page: 60; Image: 60; Family History Library Film: 803039 Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA
4. ↑ Enlisted in Co. C, 12th Arkansas Cavalry, in Drew county, Arkansas, November 3, 1863; present, February 29, 1864; captured at Longview, Arkansas, March 29, 1864; confined at U.S. Military Prison, Rock Island, Illinois, until released on oath of allegiance on October 25, 1864; listed his residence as Drew county. 12th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, National Archives, Service Records
5. ↑ THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS ROCK ISLAND PRISON 1864-1865 By Charles Wright, of Tennessee.
   • SOUTHERN HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS
   Vol. I. Richmond, Va., March, 1876. No.4. April -   Pages 281 - 292