Thomas Alexander Clopton of Georgia

Thomas Alexander Clopton was the son of (Dr.) Thomas B. Clopton and his second wife, Harriet B. Claiborne Clopton. He was born in Putnam County (Eatonton) Georgia August 25, 1841. He is a direct descendant of the first William Clopton, Gentleman, and his wife, Ann (Booth) Dennett Clopton. He married Sarah Fannie Clopton on December 19, 1867. They had no children. The date of their deaths are unknown, however, both are buried in the cemetery of Concord United Methodist Church in Putnam County. Sarah's stone is unmarked.

Tommy's mother died March 25, 1857. Because death was such a frequent visitor in those days, and the families large, widows and widowers seldom let much time elapse before remarrying. It was also not uncommon for widowers to marry women much younger than themselves. Possibly older women were too smart to want to marry men with a house full of children! It was often a case of Yours, Mine, and Ours, and that often added up to eight, ten, and even twelve children or more. His father married Cornelia A. H. Palmer on March 11, 1858. In 1860, Dr. Clopton moved to Sumpter County (Americus) Georgia with Cornelia, and their baby, James Waldegrave "Walter". Tommy and his brother, Robert Emmett "Shug," went with them. "Sis," Maria Louisa "Lou," was to join the family in Americus as soon as the house could be enlarged.

Weeks before the start of a war that was to divide his country and change forever this gentle boy who's primary concerns were young ladies and homesickness, Tommy wrote the following teasing letter. This epistle is a grand illustration of the Southerner's insistence on claiming kinship with all acquaintances. This charming habit, which continues to this day, makes it terribly difficult to identify individuals mentioned in so many of these old letters. The title "cousin," and "aunt" or "uncle," was often conferred on those who were deeply loved and respected but not necessarily blood kin. It is possible, however, that Tommy is writing to a Claiborne cousin, Lutie, and also Claiborne relatives, "Cousin" Maria and "Aunt" Mary.

Billy was his brother, William Henry Harrison, who remained in Eatonton. Three slaves are mentioned: Nathan, Prince, and Lou. According to Dr. Thomas B. Clopton's family Bible, Nathan was born in 1851, and Prince Augustus, on March 12, 1854. Possibly Lou is the slave Lucy Ann, who was born May 9, 1833. Paragraphs have been added to assist the reader.

Saturday (February) the 2 1861

Cousin Lutie:

I received your letter in due time and was glad to hear from old Putnam that all was well. I believe we are all well except Carolines youngest child. He is very sick it has been sick ever since we have been down here. I wrote you word that I had a notion of teaching scool but I joined the artilery Company since we will start to Brunswick in three weeks. We have a large company in Americus but some to go to Savannah some to Seaports in Florida.

Cousin, I attended a party last night at Mrs. Watts' and such (a) fine time we had so many varieties of cakes and candies oh! It was a fine table and I enjoyed myself so well with a young lady her name I will not write but it was a nice lady and she was hansome. I fell in love with her and she in love with me. She told me she loved me. Oh me I do like the people of Sumpter County but I disdain the place nothing but pinywoods but I am in hopes I will like it better after a while. We are building some room to the house Sis she will be a Sumpter Lady.

You wrote me word that Sis was taking on about a gentleman in Putnam. I would like to know his name, and you had a party at your house but didn't enjoy yourself on account of your sweetheart going off to scool. I think I know his name I.A.B. (?) he is going to Mount Zion (?), I wonder if that gum ? well on his fingers Ha! Ha! Yes I hope it is, poor fellow, he suffered from it. I will stop this subject.

You wrote me that you had a party at Mrs. Pinkerton's and it was a dancing party and all that was needed was my presence to make things complete and if I wasn't there my ? was I reckon Sally (?) thought she would carry it there to see if it could dance. I think of my old home often and think of the enjoyment I have had there never to enjoy no more. Them happy hours have all past away oh! How fleet is time just to think a year back and I was in Putnam among my relations and acquaintances but I have left them all behind perhaps to never see no more. But providence will provide for me I hope.

You wrote me word that Sally sent me her love and Jennie (?) E. her compliments tell both howdy for me and tell them to look out the 14th for a Valentine tell them I have got two one a monkey and the other a gentell looking man and the one that receives the man I expect to marry.

I expect to marry in old Putnam if ever. Sis wrote me word she had knit one stocking and started another tell her not to knit so hard. You wrote me word that Sis said she would bite me if I didn't write to her tell her I shan't write to her just to get a bite but I will tell her before hand not to bite too hard.

Cousin Lutie, I will send a letter to Billy ? you tell Billy not to get mad at the letter for I was so devilish that day. I wrote Sis I could not do no better. I will try and do better the next time tell Aunt Martha she must have a set of teeth put in by the time I come up there. I don't expect to come until Christmas and she will have a plenty of time to have them put in.

Cousin Lutie I must stop writing to you for a while and go and eat dinner. Nathan is here bothering me and I must stop until after dinner but after dinner I will finish out the other page. Tell Billy not to take too much trouble with Jerry but to take care of him for me if he pleases. I reckon Prince will be up there in about two weeks. Father has hired him out to Mr. Hooks just to cut stocks for the mill he owns a large saw mill. Lou she is hired out and I ? father gets $43 ? for all three.

I was very sorry to here that Cousin Maria had been sick but was getting better. You must excuse mistakes and blotches - give my love to all and except a thimble full for yourself. I promised to write to Aunt Mary as soon as I got down here and to write to her the first one but the next letter I write a letter it shall be to her but I don't know when I will have a chance to write again. You must write me as soon as you get this letter tell Billy to write to me and write all the news he can think of. I am going to church Sunday to Americus and if father will loan me the horse and buggy I will take a lady with me to the church if she will go with me which I have no doubt she will go. Emmett sends his love to all and says he is coming back to Putnam pretty soon if not before.

I will close by saying give my love to all inquiring friends and except a thimble full for yourself.

Your cousin

T.A. Clopton

The American Civil War, also called the War Between the States, raged from 1861 until 1865, between the federal government of the United States, and eleven states that asserted their right to secede from the Union. There is no hint of concern in Cousin Tommy's letter regarding the real possibility of war. This is not surprising. With communications slow, and Georgia was, after all, an awfully long way from Washington, many Southerners didn't take the prospect of war too seriously and fully expected to win quickly and easily if the Yankees were so foolish to engage in battle.

Tommy joined Company K, 9th Regiment, Georgia Volunteers Infantry, "Americus Volunteer Rifles," as a Private on June 11, 1861. He spent many weeks in various hospitals throughout the War, the first at Moore Hospital in Danville, Virginia in December 1861. As war progressed, the conditions at the hastily constructed sites worsened.

On May 25, 1864, Tommy was captured at Spottsylvania, Virginia, and taken to the Old Capitol Prison in Washington. The British had burned the U. S. Capitol building during the War of 1812. A building was hastily constructed until the destroyed edifice could be rebuilt. Pressed into service once again during the Civil War, it was then a dilapidated and run down wreck. But these accommodations were luxurious compared to Tommy's final destination, the infamous Fort Delaware Prison. Above all others, Fort Delaware was feared by the Confederate soldiers. The prisoners called the commandant at the Delaware fort, Brig. Gen. Albin F. Schoeph, "General Terror."

Both the North and the South thought the War would be short. The abuse of prisoners on both sides was caused as much by lack of planning as the mad men who slink from beneath rocks during times of war and visit their own personal version of Hell on their unfortunate captives. Although both sides hurled accusations of abuse of prisoners through the war and for years after, Fort Delaware was deserving of its reputation as the most dreaded of the Federal prisons.

Fort Delaware, which was never intended as a prison, was built on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River, and the winters were damp and cold. By the time Tommy was imprisoned there on June 17, 1864, the Confederate soldiers arrived at the fort dressed in tattered uniforms, many lacking shoes, their food supply so meager, malnutrition was common. With the war already taking its toll on their health, their frail bodies were further taxed by the dangerously overcrowded prison built on a marshy site.

Uninsulated shells, the frigid winds blowing across the icy river and poor ventilation trapping the summer heat, combined with the constant dampness, was the cause of much illness and death. The prison was designed to hold no more than 2,000 men. After the Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863, there were never under 6,000 prisoners, not counting the guards, administrators and support staff. Tommy was one of 98 prisoners received at the Fort during the month of June, 1864. By the end of that month, the prison held 9, 272 prisoners, 686 listed as sick, 220 deaths, 10 escapes and two releases.

While the South eventually suffered terrible shortages of food and clothing, there was no excuse for the inadequate died fed the Fort Delaware inmates. Scurvy accounted for a great number of deaths. It was well known a diet of vegetables would prevent scurvy, and there was money to buy them, but medical inspections listed scurvy as the top killer at the Fort. Throughout the War there was in place a system of prisoner exchanges, however, on April 17, 1863, Lt. Gen. U. S. Grant rightly believed the exchanges only helped the Confederacy. He wrote: "Every man we hold, when released on parole or otherwise, becomes an active soldier against us ? If a system of exchange liberates all prisoners taken, we will have to fight on until the whole South is exterminated."

In February 1865, exchanges of sick prisoners were resumed. Tommy was exchanged at Fort Delaware on March 7, 1865. In 1945, 80 years and half a world away, Tommy's grand nephew, Rufus Terrell Clopton, was released from another prison following 40 months of captivity in the hands of the Japanese.

Tommy at last returned to his beloved Putnam County. Faced with the terrible aftermath of Sherman's March to the Sea, Tommy looked for work where he could find it. He eventually drifted to the western part of Georgia and found work in a cotton mill, which before the Civil War, was considered suitable work only for poor whites and slaves. Tommy lost his life when he was accidentally caught up in the machinery. The date of his death is unknown.

[#352]

Contributed by :

Suellen Clopton Blanton, bblanton@fast.net
Thad L. Aycock,
Martha Bennett,
John Brake,
Jean (Holloman) Daniels,
Alice James,
Henry King Stanford, Ph.D.,
Isabel Lancaster (Clopton) Steiner,
and Vonnie S. Zullo
Special Thanks To The Fort Delaware Society