Which US Civil War General are you most closely connected to?

+39 votes
4.6k views

This week we're featuring Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and other US Civil War Generals in the Connection Finder to mark the anniversary of the end of the Siege of Atlanta on September 1, 1864.

Featured alongside him are other Union and CSA Generals:

Who are you most closely connected to? If you're one of the 23,521,000 of us who are connected to each other on our big tree you can check with the Connection Finder.

You can check for shared ancestors with the Relationship Finder. Are you a cousin to any of them? Your Relationship Finder Quick Links page (see your profile pull-down menu under "Relationships") has quick links for several notable groups.

New special feature: Check out how you're connected to other military greats by searching the featured military category and the related categories like Medal of Honor (USA)Australian Army Generals in World War II, and British Army Generals using the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Let us know how you're related below! If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" below the results, e.g. William Sherman and Robert E. Lee. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

P.S. Help us choose and improve profiles for next week's feature on Castle Builders!

WikiTree profile: William Sherman
in The Tree House by Abby Glann G2G6 Pilot (722k points)
edited by Abby Glann
I am most closely related to

*Sherman: 15 Degrees, 5th cousin 4x Removed

*Lee:  14 Degrees, 12th cousin 4x R

*McClellan: 16 Degrees,  7th cousin 5x R

*Forrest:  16 Degrees,  15th cousin 4x R

*Sorrell:   16 Degrees,  15th cousin  5x R

73 Answers

+22 votes

15 degrees from Edgar Gregory (4th cousins, 6x removed)
15 degrees from Robert E. Lee (10th cousins, 8x removed)
16 degrees from William Sherman (5th cousins, 6x removed)
16 degrees from George Custer
16 degrees from George B. McClellan (6th cousins, 6x removed)
17 degrees from Nathan Forrest
17 degrees from Stand Watie
18 degrees from Ambrose Burnside
18 degrees from Ambrose Hill (13th cousins, 5x removed)
19 degrees from Camille de Polignac (14th cousins, 7x removed)
23 degrees from William Joyce Sewell

by Mike Wells G2G6 Pilot (132k points)
+17 votes
I am most closely connected to William Sherman, George McClellan and Ambrose Burnside at 21 degrees.
by Samantha Thomson G2G6 Pilot (254k points)
+19 votes

Closest connection to George B. McClellan at 15 degrees (6C4R) but also close to one not on the above list: Maine's own Lawrence Joshua Chamberlain (1828-1914) 16 degrees 5C5R.

by Lin Wright G2G6 Mach 2 (29.0k points)
+18 votes
16 degrees from William Tecumseh Sherman. 11th cousin 5 times removed. MRCA Philippa (Hulse) Brereton (abt 1416 - 1463).

13 degrees from Robert E. Lee. 11th cousin 4 times removed. MRCA Anne (Cromer) Whetenhall (1463 - 1525).

15 degrees from George B. McClellan. 15th cousin thrice removed. MRCA Eleanor (Spine) Throckmorton (1380 - 1467).

21 degrees from Camille de Polignac. 10th cousin 5 times removed. MRCA Margred (ferch Morgan) St. John (abt 1462 - qbt 1524).

16 degrees from Ambrose Burnside.

14 degrees from Nathan Bedford Forrest. 16th cousin 3 times removed (see comment below).

19 degrees from Edgar Gregory. 9th cousin 6 times removed. MRCA William Gregory (abt 1470 - aft 1503).

14 degrees from Ambrose P. Hill. 4th cousin 5 times removed. MRCA James Taylor (abt 1620 - 1698).

20 degrees from William Sewell.

15 degrees from Gilbert Moxley Sorrell. 13th cousin 5 times removed MRCA Eleanor (Spine) Throckmorton (1380 - 1467).

16 degrees from George Armstrong Custer.
by Frank Blankenship G2G6 Pilot (125k points)
edited by Frank Blankenship
The relationship finder previously came up empty for Nathan Bedford Forrest, but now it's giving me 16th cousins 3 times removed. MRCA Richard (FitzAlan) de Arundel (abt 1314 - 1376). This is a solid match, I would imagine, as it comes through my Awbrey line.What's more, there are multiple ways of reaching the same ancestor in my tree besides through the Awbreys.
+20 votes
All but one of these was new information:

Sherman - 5th cousin, 4x removed

Lee - 8th cousin, 5x removed

McClellan - 6th cousin, 4x removed

de Poglinac - 12 cousin, 6x removed

Forrest - 4th cousin, 3x removed

Gregory - 19th cousin, 5x removed but Uncertain on one connection

Hill, 12th cousin, 5x removed (Uncertain)

Sorrel - 12th cousin, 3x removed
by T Stanton G2G6 Pilot (350k points)
+19 votes
14 degrees from Nathan Forrest (through marriage, I note)

16 degrees from George McClellan - five cousin, five times removed.
by Roger Stong G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
+19 votes

Great to see the category system develop!

The only two that I didn't know much of anything about were Camille de Polignac & Moxley Sorrel. Always fun to learn more! Thomas Koehnline, the member of the week is a 21 degree connection and an 11th cousin once removed.
by Chase Clift G2G6 (8.6k points)
+21 votes

11 degrees from William Sherman, and 4th cousins twice removed. 

William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) and Alexis (Lovelace) Nelson are both descendants of John Keeler Sr. (1654-1717).

by Alexis Nelson G2G6 Pilot (842k points)
+17 votes
George McClellan is my 5th cousin 4x removed.  But a not-featured general, John Frederick Hartranft, had a great, great grandmother who was a Jackel and came over on the same ship as my Yeakels (related to 3 different Yeakel families) who are probably all related anyway.   Right now I'll have to settle for 1rst cousin 2x removed of wife of 1rst cousin 7x removed.
by Susanna Yeakel G2G6 Mach 3 (35.4k points)
+17 votes

Connected and related to:

1) George B. McClellan: 16 degrees; 7th cousins 4X removed through MRCA Mary (Unknown) Hills

2) William Sherman: 16 degrees; 8th cousins 3X removed through MRCA Alice (Hunt) Wells

3) Robert E. Lee: 17 degrees; 11 cousins 4X removed though Agnes (Epes) Garrard

4) Ambrose Hill: 17 degrees; 15th cousins 7X removed through MRCA Roesia (Pontuf)Trussell

5) Camille de Polignac: 18 degrees; 16th cousins 1X removed through MRCA Elizabeth (verdun) de Berghersh

Other connections:

15 degrees: George Custer

17 degrees: Nathan Forrest and Edgar Gregory

20 degrees: Ambrose Burnside and Moxley Sorrel

22 degrees: William Joyce Sewell

by Carol Baldwin G2G Astronaut (1.1m points)
+15 votes
15 degrees from Robert E. Lee, all green.

My connection finder continies to not work so could someone tell me if we are cousins or what?

Thanks in advance

James
by James Brooks G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
Robert E. and James are fifth cousins four times removed
Thank you Melanie, ever since they changed to the new format I haven't been able to get the connection finder to work, when you hit it, it goes to a blank page with a very small vertical rectangular box in the top left corner, maybe I haven't built the steam pressure high enough  in the computer's boiler. The "Commander" wouldn't let me near the new one. HaHa
What browser do you use?
Android Google tablet, but I think it's about at the end if it's support, I'm getting a new one so we'll see if that helps, thanks for the help, I'll let you know if you like.

James
+17 votes
George B. McClellan, 6th cousin six times removed, 18 degrees.

I'd list the 4 others I'm related to, but the answer box here won't let me paste a word, and I had typed it up elsewhere. Any way to fix that?
by Jennifer Fulk G2G6 Mach 5 (59.2k points)
I pasted in my answer and it worked fine.  Maybe try a different browser, or just reloading the page?  I'm using Chrome on Windows.
Ctrl V usually works.
Thank you. My current browser shields against ads, pop-ups, and trackers, but it seems even with shields down it won't paste. I'll have to log in on Chrome. I'll do that when I have more time, though.
Sadly, I'm on mobile (life busy + waiting for opportunity to pick up new laptop +  long story), so I'll have to try a different browser for now. But that's a good method to keep in mind. I'll try that if my favorite browser has the same problem on the laptop. Thank you.
+18 votes
My closest (18 degrees) is Edgar Gregory.  Pretty good, for somebody outside the USA.  He seems not to have had any military background, but in a relatively young nation, there were probably many others like him.  What really appeals to me from the Civil War is Lincoln's declaration that both sides were patriots, only with a different vision of the future of their country, and were entitled to be regarded as such.

I notice that the anniversary is of the end of the Siege of Atlanta.  Among American cities, Atlanta pops up most often in my personal history.  My daughter's brother and sister-in-law went there, and I can think of at least 3 of my activities at some time of my life that started there.
by Doug Laidlaw G2G6 Mach 3 (38.7k points)
edited by Doug Laidlaw
+18 votes
by Cortland Lowe G2G6 Mach 1 (14.2k points)
+18 votes
I am related to Brevit Brigadier General, Reverend Erastus Blakeslee. I do not believe there is a Wikitree profile for him. Fascinating story. Started as a private, accompanied Grant to Appomattox, later promoted from Colonel to Brigadier General.
by George William Haas G2G3 (3.5k points)
+17 votes

Here is mine :) 
Edgar Gregory (4th cousins, 6x removed)
Robert E. Lee (5th cousins, 7x removed)
William Sherman (5th cousins, 6x removed) 
George Custer (related through marriage) 
George B. McClellan (15th cousins, 3x removed) 
Nathan Forrest (related through marriage) 
Stand Watie (related through marriage) 
Ambrose Burnside (related through marriage) 
Ambrose Hill (3rd Cousin 5xR) 
Camille de Polignac (10th cousins, 5x removed) 
William Joyce Sewell (related through marriage) 
Gilbert Sorrel (120th cousins, 5x removed)

by Shan Dawson G2G6 (9.9k points)
+15 votes
Related to:

Gilbert Sorrel : 12th cousins, 5x removed

Ambrose Hill: 9th cousins, 6x removed

Edgar Gregory: 23rd cousins, 4x removed

George McClellan: 8th cousins, 3x removed

Camille Poglinac: 10th cousins, 5x removed

Robert E Lee: 8th cousins, 7x removed
by Janice Sutherland G2G6 Mach 7 (72.0k points)
+17 votes
by Natalie Trott G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
+17 votes
Robert E. Lee 14 degrees and also 10C 9xR. Not a surprise since my entire family going back many generations are Southern.
by Virginia Fields G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)

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