Benjamin Whitfield Thornton Jr (1839 - 1864)

Born 1839 in Wayne, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Died 25 Apr 1864 at about age 25 in Wayne, North Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Terry Thornton [send private message] and Makayla Thornton [send private message]

Biography

Benjamin was born in 1839. He is the son of Whitfield Thornton and Phareby Raynor. He died while fighting the enemy near Plymouth, NC. A bullet entered his head just above his eye and came out near his ear.

Timeline

1850 Residence Wayne county, Wayne, North Carolina, United States. Household members: Whitfield Thornton age 54, Sarah Thornton age 20, Amy Thornton age 18, Caroline Thornton age 16, Richd Thornton age 14, Benja Thornton age 12, Franklin Thornton age 9.

Source: [United States Census, 1850] ^[1]

1860 Residence Fayetteville, Cumberland, North Carolina, United States. Household members: Alvin Thornton age 33, Richard Thornton age 23, Benjamin Thornton age 21, Frank Thornton age 19.

Source: [United States Census, 1860] ^[2]

1862 Benjamin W Thornton enlisted in the North Carolina Infantry on 1 Apr 1862.

1862 Discharged for promotion Company F, 1st Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 01 April 1862

1862 Promoted to Full Lieutenant 3rd Class on 01 April 1862. Commission in Company B, 56th Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 01 April 1862.

1863 POW on 22 May 1863 at Gum Swamp, NC

1863 Confined on 25 May 1863 at New Berne, NC (Estimated day)

1863 Paroled on 26 May 1863 at New Berne, NC (Estimated day)

1863 Exchanged on 28 May 1863 at City Point, VA

1863 Returned on 01 July 1863 (Estimated day)

'1864 Benjamin Thornton was killed on 20 Apr 1864 in battle at Plymouth, North Carolina .

Military

Military Service:

Name: Benjamin W Thornton

Event Year: 1861

Age (Original): 21

Military Unit Note: First Infantry (Six Months, 1861)

Source: [North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865] ^[3]

Military Service:

Name: Benjamin W Thornton

Year: 1862

Age (Original): 22

Military Unit Note: Fifty-sixth Infantry

Source: [North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865] ^[4]

Military Service:

Unit: 56th Infantry, Company B

Rank: 2nd Lieut.

Enlisted: 1 Apr 1862 at Cumberland County, NC

Killed: 20 April 1864 at Plymouth

Source: [Field and Staff of 56th Regiment] ^[5]

Military Service Record:

Benjamin W. Thornton

Rank: 2nd Lieutenant

Company: B

Detail: Service Record C.S.A.

Date: 1861

Notes: Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Soldiers

Actual text:

Side Served: Confederacy

State Served: North Carolina

Service Record: Enlisted as a Private

Promoted to Full Lieutenant 3rd Class on

01 April 1862

Discharged for promotion Company F, 1st Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 01 April 1862

Commission in Company B, 56th Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 01 April 1862.

POW on 22 May 1863 at Gum Swamp, NC

Confined on 25 May 1863 at New Berne, NC (Estimated day)

Paroled on 26 May 1863 at New Berne, NC (Estimated day)

Exchanged on 28 May 1863 at City Point, VA

Returned on 01 July 1863 (Estimated day)

Killed Company B, 56th Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 20 April 1864 in Plymouth, NC

Original Web address: https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers.cfm (no longer a valid address)

Source: [Military History Online]

Death

Birth:

Date: 1838

Place: Wayne County, North Carolina, USA

Death:

Date: Apr. 25, 1864

Place: Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, USA

Burial:

Thornton Family Cemetery

Newton Grove, Sampson County, North Carolina, USA

Inscription:

He rests here. Lt. Benjamin W. Thornton, 56th N.C. Troops, aged 24 years. On the 20th day of April 1864, he was leading his men in a charge upon the enemy's works at Plymouth, N.C. when he was pierced in the head by a minie ball, and expired on the 25th of the same month.

A Country's call obeyed her wrongs redressed God calls him hence To mingle with the blessed.

Source: [ Find A Grave: Memorial #144393099 Find A Grave Memorial# 144393099

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4BL-ZR3 : 12 April 2016), Whitfield Thornton, Wayne county, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing family 188, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD6M-5VT : 4 October 2017), Alvin Thornton, 1860.
3. ↑ "North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XKFN-8PM : 7 December 2014), Benjamin W Thornton, 1861; from "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing military unit First Infantry (Six Months, 1861), NARA microfilm publication M270 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1960), roll 102.
4. ↑ "North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XKFJ-M83 : 7 December 2014), Benjamin W Thornton, 1862; from "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing military unit Fifty-sixth Infantry, NARA microfilm publication M270 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1960), roll 525.
5. ↑ Roster of North Carolina Troops in the War Between the States, (http://www.civilwarindex.com/armync/soldiers/56th_nc_infantry_soldiers.pdf) Volume 3, Prepared by Order of Legislature of 1881 by John W. Moore, Late Major 3rd Battalion Light Artillery, 1882, Page 580