Rial Benjamin Seay (1826 - 1864)

Born 21 Nov 1826 in Boiling Springs, Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Emily (Bishop) Seay — married about 1850 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States

Husband of Mary Melissa (Belcher) Nolen — married 5 Aug 1858 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 15 May 1864 at age 37 in Drewry's Bluff, Richmond, Virginia United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Paula J [send private message]

• Space:My Civil War Soldiers
• Space:Seay_Family_Soldiers

Biography

Capt Rial Seay served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: April 14, 1861
Mustered out: May 15, 1864
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): South Carolina 5th Regiment; 27th_South_Carolina_Infantry

Capt Rial Seay Died_in_Military_Service during the United States Civil War.

Rial Benjamin Seay was born on 21 Nov 1826 in Boiling Springs, Spartanburg, South Carolina, the son of Williamson Seay and Mary (Barnett) Seay. He was the great-grandson of Reuben Seay, Revolutionary War Veteran.

Rial married Emily (Bishop) Seay about 1850 in Spartanburg County. ^[1] They had a son, John S. Seay. ^[2] Emily died in 1855.

Rial then married Mary Melissa Belcher. They had the following children:

1. Joseph Walter "JW" Seay (1859-1920) ^[3]
2. Rial Benjamin "Ned" Seay, Jr. (1861 - 1921)
3. Emily Etta Seay Hall (1863 - 1895)

When the Civil War broke out, Rial formed an entire company to ride to Columbia to enlist (details below). He died on 15 May 1864 in Drewry's Bluff, Richmond as a result of battle wounds. He was brought home to Boiling Springs to be buried among his ancestors. ^[4][5][6]

REGIMENT NAME:5th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry

SIDE:Confederate

COMPANY: 1C (also 2K)

SOLDIER'S RANK IN:Captain

SOLDIER'S RANK OUT:Captain

FILM NUMBER:M381 roll 29^[7][8]

Seay , R. B.

Battle Unit Name:1st Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (Charleston) (Gaillard's)

Side:Confederacy

Company:G

Soldier's Rank In:Private

Soldier's Rank Out:Private

Alternate name:

Film Number:M381 ROLL 29

Plaque Number:

Notes: Battle Unit Note - (Gaillard's Battalion) Subsequently became part of 27 S.C. Inf.^[9]

Seay , R. B.

Battle Unit Name:27th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Gaillard's)

Side:Confederacy

Company:K

Soldier's Rank In:Private

Soldier's Rank Out:Second Lieutenant

Alternate name:

Film Number:M381 ROLL 29

Plaque Number:

Notes: Battle Unit Note - (Gaillard's Regiment) Formed by consolid'n. of 1 Batt'n. S.C. Sharp Shooters and 1 (Charleston or Gaillard's) Batt'n. S.C. Inf.^[10]

Rial Seay

In April, 1861, Seay recruited a group of men from Spartanburg and called them the Lawson Fork Volunteers and gathered in Columbia on April 14th joining up with the 5th SC Volunteers under Colonel Micah Jenkins. The 5th consisted of 12 Companies which included the Lawson Fork Volunteers as Company C under Capt. Rial B. Seay. On June 3rd the 5th mustered into the Provisional Army of the CSA and left for Richmond, arriving there on June 10th (830 strong) and were assigned to General P. G. T. Beauregard.^[11]

On June 21st, during the Battle of First Manassas, they attacked a Federal Artillery positioned at Grigsby’s Log Barn where they received fire not only from the Federals but also from the 17th Mississippi at their rear. The four Union Regiments retreated into the woods but the 5th was still ordered to withdraw. It is reported that even Jeff Davis commented upon the brilliancy and daring of the action.^[12]

On Sept 4th they set up position on the south bank of Great Falls at 7am and at 8 am opened fire on the Federals on the other side of the Potomac. Capt. Seay killed two Federals with his “long ranger rifle” (Yorkville Enquirer, Sept 26, 1861). They were the first to march to the banks of the Potomac and fight the enemy across it.^[13]

Mid October the 5th camped along Bull Run near McLean’s Ford. During October and November, the army under Gen. Beauregard was organized into four divisions. The 5th SC Regiment was assigned under Maj. Gen. Longstreet. Longstreet was happy to the 5th in his division. Longstreet’s Aid de Camp described the 5th as “one of the finest, if not the finest, regiments in the Army”.^[14]

During the period of May 31st thru Sep 17th, they participated in many battles including Seven Pines, Turkey Hill, Gaine’s Mill, Frayser’s Farm, Second Battle of Manassas, Battle of South Mountain and Battle of Sharpsburg.^[15]

Capt. Seay resigned his commission on Nov 15, 1862 and returned home. On July 10, 1863 He enlisted into Company G, 1st (Charleston) Battalion SC Infantry which subsequently became Co. K, 27th SC Infantry (Galliard’s Regt.), and was elected Brevet 2nd Lt. on Oct. 23, 1863. The unit was part of the Coastal Defense forces in Charleston until they were sent to Virginia.

During the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, the 27th helped stop initial Federal probes at Port Walthall Junction. They were then assigned to occupy the area around Drewry’s Bluff, and were part of the force that defeated the Union drive on Richmond on Friday, May 13, 1864.

Drewry's Bluff where Rial survived the battle but died the next day from a brain hemorrhage

On Sunday May 15th. Rial went with two friends to show them where the battle took place and while standing in approximately the same spot he was in during the battle, fell over dead from a brain hemorrhage.^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ United States Census, 1850 database with images, FamilySearch, Rial Sea, Spartanburg county, part of, Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States; citing family 949, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1965, database with images, FamilySearch  : 19 July 2017), John S. Seay, 17 Nov 1936; citing , Seay, John S., 1936, Department of Archives and History, State Records Center, Columbia; FHL microfilm 1,943,835.
3. ↑ "South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N987-8SS : 19 July 2017), R.B. Seay in entry for J.W. Seay, 06 Jan 1920; citing , Seay, J.W., 1920, Department of Archives and History, State Records Center, Columbia; FHL microfilm 1,913,582.
4. ↑ Boiling Springs First Baptist Church Records, Boiling Springs, Spartanburg Co., SC
5. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #45090805 Capt. Rial Benjamin Seay
6. ↑ Veterans Buried in Boiling Springs Cemetery
7. ↑ NPS Soldier Database.
8. ↑ South Carolina Troops in Confederate Service, Vol. III Salley, A. S. The State Co., Columbia, SC 1930.
9. ↑ NPS Database.
10. ↑ NPS Database.
11. ↑ 5th SC. Infantry.
12. ↑ History of Spartanburg County by LBO Landrum.
13. ↑ SC Troops in Confederate Service.
14. ↑ The Civil War in South Crolina.
15. ↑ 5th SC at the Battle of Bull Run.
16. ↑ Sons of Confederate Veterans.

See also:

Fifth Regiment South Carolina Infantry
Sons of Confederate Veterans
1st Battalion, South Carolina Infantry
Civil War Pension Application (image posted)

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Dale Murphy who went to the library in Spartanburg, SC to research and add these documents!