Burrel Taylor Fortenberry (abt. 1820 - 1863)

Born about 1820 in Pike County, Mississippi, United States

Ancestors

Son of William Jasper Fortenberry and Violette (Kennington) Fortenberry

Descendants

Died 14 Sep 1863 at about age 43 in Pike County, Mississippi, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Teresa Fortenberry [send private message]

Biography

Burrel Fortenberry served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: August 9, 1862
Mustered out: July 9, 1863
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): Quinn's Mississippi State Troops

Burrel T. Fortenberry was the first child of William and Violette Fortenberry to be born in Mississippi. His older brothers and sisters were born in Lancaster County, South Carolina.

In 1850, Burrel met and married Eliza Jane Ellzey and soon after began to apply for land in Pike County, Mississippi. They settled near his brother, Gasua, built a home and began a family.

1861 Mississippi Flag

As can be seen in the 1860 census record for Pike County, Mississippi, Burrel and Eliza Jane Fortenberry had five children, all sons!

Family of Burrel T. Fortenberry

By 1861 the state of Mississippi began to prepare for the quickly encroaching Civil War. The Confederate Army needed men for her regiments and enacted the Conscript Law in February 1862. Burrel was actually OVER the age requirement and therefore was not required to enlist. However, it is believed that in seeing his own cousins and brothers join the fight, he must have felt compelled to enter the Army. In August of 1862, he became a part of the Mississippi state troops, later being transferred to Company K in Wingfield's division. Burrel Taylor Fortenberry was a part of the bloody siege of Port Hudson and did not survive the wounds and subsequent imprisonment because of this battle. Port Hudson fell on 9 July 1863, the men battle-worn and starving. To read an account researched and written by Adrianne Fortenberry Criminger, please see her blog page and the article at: https://fortenberry.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/port-hudson.pdf

• An interesting side note from this.... Andie (Fortenberry Criminger) found ONE notation in ONE now lost to time text that contained Burrell Taylor Fortenberry along with a short list of men who fought during this Civil War period who were named "The Pumpkin Studs".

Burrel Taylor Fortenberry marker

In the photo above, the original grave marker was the stone shown at the top of the picture. In 1977, the Veteran's plaque was placed by Adrian Fortenberry, one of Burrel's great grandsons (and my Dad).

After Burrel died in 1863, his wife, Eliza Jane, never remarried.

DNA results

• YDNA results for my brother confirm our Fortenberry lineage back through Falkenburg and back in time to Van Valkenburg. My brother's YDNA is a match on the Falkenberry / Fortenberry FTDNA Project AS WELL AS the Van Valkenburg FTDNA Project.
• YDNA results for my cousin (1st cousin, once removed), William Fortenberry, proves a match to my brother further confirming the Fortenberry, Faulkenberry, Falkenburg, Van Valkenburg lineage.

Sources

• Family Maps of Pike County, Mississippi, page 165 -- look at bottom of these grid maps to grid 34 where Burrell Fortenberry and family was living in 1860.
• 1850 Pike County, Mississippi census record for Burrel Fortenberry seems to be non-existant!!

Bible of Gasua Fortenberry (his brother), and tombstone located at the Fortenberry Cemetery in Pike County, Mississippi.

Research concerning our ancestor, Burrel Taylor Fortenberry and his participation in the siege at Port Hudson heavily researched and written by Adrianne Fortenberry Criminger, noted in this biography: https://fortenberry.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/port-hudson.pdf

Personal log book belonging to Ferman Esco Fortenberry (grandfather of page manager), a grandson of Burrel.

Here is a link to the unit Burrel Fortenberry's FATHER, William Jasper Fortenberry, was assigned to in South Carolina for the War of 1812. In this list, researchers will discover William Fortenberry, his wife's brother, John Kennington, and several other names of men associated with the Fortenberry family.

• http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~york/1812/McWillies.html