William Henry Harrison "Billy" Clopton of Georgia

Born in Putnam County (Eatonton) Georgia, March 4, 1839, William Henry Harrison "Billy" Clopton was the eldest son of (Dr.) Thomas B. Clopton and Harriet B. Claiborne Clopton, his second wife. He married Martha Isabel "Mattie" Lancaster, the daughter of Lemuel Lancaster and Isabel Stinson Lancaster, January 26, 1860, in Putnam County. They were married by The Reverend Blumer White, Mattie's uncle. He is a direct descendant of the first William Clopton, Gentleman, and his wife, Ann (Booth) Dennett Clopton. Mattie was born in Putnam County in 1845. Isabel died on October 25, 1895, and Billy, October 14, 1915. Both are buried in Concord United Methodist Church's cemetery in Putnam County. They had eight children: Harriet Isabel "Hattie Belle" Clopton Girtman, William Thomas "Boo" Clopton, Caroline Louise "Lucie" Clopton Callaway, John Godkin "Johnnie" Clopton, Gabriel Harrison Clopton, James Brown "Boss" Clopton, Lemuel Stinson Clopton, and Harvey Gordon Clopton.

Billy enlisted in Eatonton, Georgia, as a Private in Company B. 3rd Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry, the "Putnam County Brown Rifles," Wright's Brigade Army of Northern Virginia, on June 1, 1861. Records reveal he was discharged in Portsmouth, Virginia, on August 10, 1861, because of illness, possibly hemorrhage of the lung. He was at that time being paid $11.00 per month. He returned to Putnam County re recuperate. He was at home when Mattie gave birth to their first child, Harriet Isabel, in October 1861.

On March 17, 1862, Billy once again enlisted in Eatonton, this time as a Private in Company F of the 44th Georgia Infantry. Recognizing the growing threat to Richmond, Virginia by McClellan's troops, the Confederate leaders pulled together as many troops as possible to defend this city so important to the South. Georgia could furnish only a single fighting body, and Billy was in it. Lee's total strength amounted to 86,000, about 20,000 short of McClellan's in what became known as the Seven Days Campaign.

Billy wrote his sister, Sara Elizabeth "Lizzie," Clopton Godkin the following letter on June 22, 1862. Paragraphs and explanations have been added to simplify reading.

Dear Sister,

I received your most welcome letter today. I was very glad to hear from you. I think you will excuse me when you know what hard times our regiment has seen. We was ordered to Petersburg (Virginia) from Goldsboro and was stoped at Weldon three or fore days and went to Petersburg and staid five days then was ordered to Richmond and got thar the Sunday of the fight about ten o'clock. We had to leave all our tents and everything at Petersburg. We started to the battlefield at twelve o'clock and held in reserve should they be reinforced. We marched six miles part of the time in quick step, the warmest day I ever saw. The perspiration nearly filled my shoes it was so warm. We threw away our knapsacks and blankets. The mud was half leg deep all the way there. We had to march back five miles that night.

(.....) an old field where we could get nothing to eat nor to make a fire. We lived on one cracker to the man for three days. Those that was hear and had thar camps and some of them to cook for them faired a heep better than we did. We had to leave our Negroes in Petersburg. I have got a boy with me to cook and wash for me-one of Mr. Lancaster's-he let me bring him with me.

Our regiment has seen harder times since we have been here than any other. We have been on picket ever since we have been here. That is every other day they put it on our regiment to advance the picket lines. The other day we had to go through mud and warter wast-deep. We came on Yankey pickets and had a right smart fight but we drove them back-killed several and took fifteen prisoners. We lost in our regiment one killed and two wounded and two missing. We drove them so near thare camps we could hear them talk and laugh. We were attacked just at sundown by a second attact aded by regiment of infantry. We fout them some time and our regiment give way a short ways, about fifty yards, what you may call a run but we rallied again-went back and held our position until ordered to fall back ? balls fell as fast as rain but we were lying down in the woods and they over shot us but after pulling back we took to the lines again and still hold it.

They tried to drive us from it the other evening-not our regiment but our pickets and the third regiment was called to thare support. The fight did not last long. The third got five men killed, three from Wilkerson Rifles and one from the Confederate Light Guards-very few wounded-we fout over the old battleground that our men fell back from the time of the fight. I saw several lying with all the meet off thar bones. They ware I think Yankeys. We have picket fights every day.

I have seen Dr. (possibly Lizzie's husband, Dr. John R. Godkin) once since I have been here. He looks well. He is in camp next to our lines but a soldier can't get a chance to go no whare but on duty. Tommy (his brother, Thomas Alexander) is in Richmond at Winder Hospital. Our camps are in two miles of him and I have been trying to see him for the twenty days we have been here but can't get off. I would steel off and see him but the guards are around town. Emmet (his brother, Robert Emmett) got to my camp a wile ago is in camp about a mile. He looks very well. He has a nice Captain John Cowls (?) has been sick at the same hospital that Tommy is at. He ses Tommy look tolerable well, he ses he looks saller for want of ? I will keep trying to see him if I can.

I have not hurd a word from home in a month. I don't know what Mat ("Mattie," his wife) is thinking of me. I am uneasy since I commence this letter. News has come that the Yankeys has drove our pickets in we expect an attack from one side or the other. We are at a moments warning ? (last page is missing).

Contributed by :

Suellen Clopton Blanton, bblanton@fast.net
Thad L. Aycock
Martha Alice (Bailey) Clopton
James Stanley Clopton
Ida (Brake) Crane
Jean Holloman Daniels
Henry King Stanford, Ph.D.
and Isabel Lancaster (Clopton) Steiner