John H Dowdy was born in Lumpkin County to Reverend John M
and Anna Johnson Dowdy in 1840. We surmise that the young man
had a normal life until the war broke out and he enlisted in
the Blue Ridge Rifles. This company would march to Camp McDonald
at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) Georgia and be enlisted into the
4th Georgia State Brigade's Rifle Battalion on July 9th 1861.
Following the demise of this brigade at the beginning of August,
the company was attached to the newly formed Phillips Legion
and designated Company E. The Legion soon entrained north to
Lynchburg, Virginia where they continued to train and outfit
during August. In early September they were assigned to the army
of General John B Floyd and headed into the mountains of western
Virginia to join Floyd at Sewell Mountain. The mountain campaign
that followed was brutal as the weather turned bad and the roads
turned into muddy rivers. The Legion fought no battles during
this period but was engaged in a number of skirmishes with a
Federal Army under General Rosecrans at Cotton Hill in the vicinity
of Gauley Bridge and Fayetteville during October. The weather
continued to worsen and the Legion was losing an alarming number
of men to a lethal variety of diseases.
In early November General Rosecrans began moving to isolate
and capture Floyd's army. Learning of this, Floyd just managed
to pull his army out of the trap and retreated southward towards
Virginia on November 12th. Winter weather now closed in with
a vengeance and an epidemic of typhoid struck hard. Men fell
out of the ranks by the dozens and were housed at makeshift hospitals
all along the retreat route.
Private John Dowdy was one of these unfortunates. A letter
written home to John's father, Reverend Dowdy, by one of John's
fellow soldiers, Private Jesse Duke, tells us what happened........
December 6th 1861
Red Sulphur Springs, Va
Mr John M Dowdey(sic)
Dahlonega, Geo.
Dear Sir and Brother,
It has fallen to my task to perform the painful duty (to
me) of informing you of the death of your son, John H Dowdey(sic),
of the Blue Ridge Rifles, the Company to which I belong. Some
seven or eight days ago my self and your son with seven others
of our company was brought here to the hospital. John had the
consumption and pneumonia fever, and grew worse, the next day
after we got here he appeared to be conscious of his death all
the while, and said to me that he was willing to go, that he
was going to Heaven. He got me to read a letter to him, that
he had got from you some time ago in which you gave him some
good spiritual advice; he suffered very much for four days, but
died very easy, without even a struggle with the grim monstor.
John has been a good boy, and a good soldier ever since
he entered the service, was always at his post when able, and
never flinched when the enemy was firing their voleys(sic) into
our pickets at Cotton Hill
The next day after we got here John told me that he was
going to die and gave me in charge, forty dollars which he instructed
me to divide equally with his two sisters and his brothers; and
as it is unsafe to send it by mail, I will send it by the first
responsible person that comes to Dahlonega; or as I am on the
list of invalids, perhaps I will get a furlough and come home
myself before a great while, but in the meantime I want you to
write to me and give me the names of your two daughters and son.
Direct to me in care of Capt Joe Hamilton, Phillips Legion, Geo
Vol, Floyd's Brigade, Newbern, Virginia.
I deeply sympathize with you and your family in the loss
of your son and confidently trust in the promise of Revelation
that these lights of affliction work out for us, a far more exceeding
weight of Eternal Glory, and that all things work together for
good, to them that love and serve the Lord.
I admonish you Brother Dowdey(sic), to bear up with Christian
Fortitude under this stroke of Providence for your loss is his
eternal gain.
Hoping to hear from you very soon.
Yours & ????
Jesse R Duke
PS John Ray is here very sick, But not dangerously so yet.
JRD
John H Dowdy died December 2nd 1861 another of the many early
war casualties lost to disease.
Civil War
