Calaway Stephens (1824 - 1863)

Born 13 Oct 1824 in Pendleton, Anderson, South Carolina, United States

Husband of Sarah Ann (Little) Stephens — married 10 Jan 1841 in Carroll, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 5 Jul 1863 at age 38 in Marengo, Alabama, United States

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Biography

Calawat was born in 1824. He passed away in 1863.

• Fact: Residence (1850) Tallapoosa county, Tallapoosa, Alabama
• Fact: Residence (1860) Northern Division, Lawrence, Alabama, United States
• Fact: _MILT (19 November 1861) He enlisted in Company "C", 23rd Alabama Infantry Volunteer Regfiment fpr 3 years or until the end of the war. The 23rd trained at Mobile and then where sent to Eastern Tennessee to guard the Cumberland Gap and keep East Tenessee in the fold of the confedeacy. He contracted typhoid and was assigend to the hospital in Nashvill for the most of 1862 and first half of 1883. Was furloged and died upon arriving at his fathers house in Marengo County on 4 June 1865. Montgomery, Alabama, United States
• Fact: Burial (1863) Wayne, Marengo, Alabama, United States of America
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch Calaway Stephens was born to Joshua Stephens and and Elizabeth Morgan in the Pendleton District of South Carolina on October 13, 1824. According to the 1850 census, his sister Nancy, the next child born to Calaway's parents after Calaway, was born in Georgis in 1828. We find Joshua Stephens enumerated in Gwinette County, Georgia in the 1830 census meaning that the family removed from South Carolina to Georgia between 1824 and 1828. They were still in Gwinette County when the 1840 census was taken.

He married Sarah Ann Little, daughter of Josiah Little and Martha Steward, on Jan 10, 1841. At the time of this marriage, Josiah Little was reported to be the "overseer" for his father Joseph Little's plantation in Tallapoosa, Carroll County, Georgia. However, in 1840 Josiah purchased (via BLM patent) 80 acres of his own land 15 miles to the west in Benton County, Alabama. The patent document states that Josiah was already a resident of Benton County when he made this purchase. It is most likely that this marriage took place at Sarah's grandfather's plantation home in Carroll County, GA. After the marriage, Calaway and Sarah settled down in Georgia, most likely near his parents in Gwinette County where their first child, a daughter Martha, was born in 1842. According to the 1850 census for Tallapoosa County, Alabama, their second child, a daughter Mary, was born in Alabama in 1844. Thus, Calaway and Sarah likely followed his parents to Tallapoosa County, Alabama about 1843 and were living next door to them there at the time of the 1850 Census. We know that in the spring of 1852, Calaway and Sarah began living on his newly purchased land in Benton County because he was listed as a resident of Benton County when, in December 1852, he made a third land purchase there via BLM patent. We are not certain how long Calaway and Sarah lived in Benton County; however, it is likely that they moved again before 1855 when his next daughter Arletha was born. Later census records are in conflict sometimes showing Arletha was born in Tennessee and sometimes showing she was born in Alabama. However, we do know that by 1860 they are living is Lawrence County, Alabama which lies along the state line with Tennessee and is partly north of the Tennessee River. There might have been some consusion as to whether they were living in Tennessee or not or perhaps they really did live in Tennessee prior to moving to Lawrence County, Alabama...we will probably never know. We do know that at the start of the Civil War, Calaway and Sarah were living in Lawrence County, Alabama where he operated a grist mill and was also a blacksmith. Cal signed on with Company "C", 23rd Alabama Volunteers on November 19, 1861 at Montgomery, Alabama for a three year enlistment or until the end of the war. The 23rd trained near Mobile and then went by train to Knoxville, Tennessee in February, 1862. Confederate troops stationed at Knoxville guarded the Cumberland Gap, made excursions into Kentucky, and served as an occupying army to keep Eastern Tennessee from going over to the Union. Soon after arriving in Knoxville, the 23rd was ravaged by typhoid and reduced in strength by over thirty percent due to a combination troops being confined in the hospital with many dying. Calaway was promoted to Sergant, but apparently he too came down with typhoid and he was sent to the Knoxville hospital missing his muster call for over 6 straight months. The 23rd was sent by train to Vicksburg in January 1863 and fought courageously at the Battle of Vicksburg until they surrendered with General Pemberton's Army on July 4, 1863. We believe that Calaway remained in Knoxville when the Regiment went to Vicksburg. Pay vouchers signed by Cal show that he received 2 from the 23rd quartermaster in Knoxville on May 15, 1863...the very day the General Grant began his final assault on Vicksburg. After the surrender at Vicksburg, the 23rd Alabama Volunteer Regiment was marched to Demopolis, AL and given a furlough for 30 days, after which they were re-mustered and exchanged for Union prisoners on September 12, 1863. The 23rd was re-armed and next fought at the battle of Lookout Mountain with General Hood's Texas brigade. They were still in service in Georgia when Lee surrendered. Over 1200 men served in the 23rd Alabama Volunteers during the war and only 76 were present when the unit surrendered with Lee. Word of the 23rd's surrender and furlough reached Knoxville and its ill members who had been left there (and who were able to travel) were also given furloughs with orders to re-join the 23rd when it was reconstituted on September 12. Since Calaway's parents lived in Marengo County less than 30 miles from Demopolis, Calaway headed in that direction...still suffering the lingering effects of typhoid. His plans were to recouperate there and thus have only have a short distance to rejoin his unit. Instead, he became worse and died soon after his arrival home. He was the first person buried in the Stephens family cemetery at Wayne in Marengo County, AL. His tombstone inscription (errected about 13 years later) shows he died on July 5, 1862. However, we know that he was alive on May 15, 1863 when he received his pay in Knoxville. As mentioned above, the inscription on Calaway's tombstone lists his date of death as July 5, 1862. This inscription is also off a year in his date of birth, showing it to be 1823 when other documented evidence shows he was born in 1824. It appears that the passage of time between his death and the placement of his tombstone may have contributed to these errors. Below are extracts of Cal Stephens pay records for his time in service with the 23rd Alabama Infantry Volunteers, C.S.A. as well as from a photo copy of a pay voucher actually signed by Cal. Here are the details from The Confed. Arch., Chap. 5, File No. 79, page 426: a. Enlisted: Co. "C", 23rd Regiment Alabama Infantry When: October 1, 1861 Where: Montgomery, Alabama By whom: Capt. Wagner Period: For the War b. Muster Roll for Oct 1, 1861 to Jan 1, 1862 Pvt. C. Stephens Present. c. Muster Roll for May & June, 1862 Sgt. C. Stephens Present. Remarks: Appointed Sgt March 30, 1862 Last paid: Jan 1, 1862 d. Muster Roll for July & August, 1862 Pvt. C. Stephens Absent. Remarks: Detached Service, Knoxville Last paid: Jan 1, 1862 e. Muster Roll for Jan. & Feb 1863 Pvt C. Stephens Absent. Remarks: Detached at Knoxville Hospital f. Pay for period of service to: Sgt. Calaway Stephens From: Nov 1, 1862 To: May 1, 1863 When Paid: May 15, 1863 Amount: 2 Confederate dollars (6 mo and per mo.) Certified by: Capt. A. Roberts g. Received in Knoxville this 15th day of May, 1863 from Captain H. T. Massemgale, Quartermaster, C. S. Army, the sum of One-Hundred and Two Dollars being the Amount, and in full of the above account. Signed "C. Stephens"

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 12 November 2023, 06:08), entry for Calaway Stephens (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:K1KG-GSS ); contributed by various users.
• 1850 US Census

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8054/images/4191540-00625?pId=16809325

1860 US Census https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7667/images/4211185_00404?pId=7397508

Alabama, U.S., Civil War Muster Rolls, 1861-1865 https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1736/images/31296_195478-00004?pId=135411

US Civil War Soldiers https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2693716:1138?ssrc=pt&tid=154026388&pid=402043458193

1850 Productions in Agriculture https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1276/images/32786_1220706416_0028-00840?pId=6268894