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Hiram enlisted in the Confederate Army on July
2, 1861 at Rising Fawn, Georgia. He was signed up by James Cooper Nisbet who
became Captain Nesbit because he was forming his own company . Capt. Nesbit
was only 21 but decided to form his own company when he went to join Capt.
John B. Gordon's company. Capt. Gordon insisted he form his own company
rather than enlisting with his. Capt. Nisbet's company became known as
Company H. 21st. Regiment Georgia Infantry. His company was made up mostly
of men who came from Lookout Mountain and were classified as
"Sharpshooters."
According to Mr. Nisbet's book "Four Years on the Firing Line", they trained
at Easley's Store every Saturday during the months of May and June.
Evidently Hiram only trained for a short time since Company H of the 21st
Regiment left for Virginia on July 21, 1861. Captain Nisbet had eighty-five
men, the uniforms they wore had been purchased by him and Mr. Easley had
furnished all with a Bowie knife. The men had furnished their guns.
Hiram was never mentioned by name in the book as many of his company were;
but from reading his book, Mrs. Crane learned Hiram could read and write.
Something she had not learned from other records. Captain Nesbit stated only
four men had to have help with their letters and soon deserted to return to
the mountain to join the enemy's home guard.
The 21st Regiment became part of Ewell's Division. Hiram was wounded at the
battle of Sharpsburg on September 17, 1862. His name appeared on a List of
Killed, wounded and missing dated August 22 to September 20, 1862. He had
been hospitalized on July 1, 1862 with a crippled arm and was returned to
duty on July 31, 1862. This arm gave him trouble the rest of his life .
The regiment fought with Stonewall Jackson and Mr. Nesbit's book gives many
details of these battles. Mr. Nesbit stated that he or his men never knew
defeat until he left the 21st to return to Georgia at President Davis's
request to form another company. This was in 1863 prior to Gettysburg.
Hiram was wounded at Gettysburg and taken prisoner. He was taken to City
Point, Virginia as his name appears as a signature and shows him with a unit
from North Carolina along with 752 Confederate prisoners and shows he was
paroled at Fort Delaware on July 30, 1863. Now his name appears on another
roll which has been penciled in on the roll with his company H 21st Ga.
which states it was dated Sept. 23, 1863 at City Point, Va. with 370
Confederate prisoners of war. Evidently, he was not paroled or refused to
take the oath because it has a NO GO as the remark. Now he was received at
Fort Delaware, Delaware either on July 3 or 12, 1863 . He was either
captured on July 3 or 5, it shows at different times. Mrs. Crane believes he
was wounded because he was transferred to and admitted to U.S.A. General
Hospital Chester Pennsylvania on August 10, 1863. He remained there until
his transfer to Point Lookout, Maryland on October 2, 1863 where he was
admitted to Hammon General Hospital. Mrs. Crane was told during her research
that Hiram lost a leg after returning home and after signing or taking the
oath of allegiance as his name appears on a list of prisoners released
January 21 to 31, 1864. It also states he joined the United States service.
Mrs. Crane has tried on several occasions to get which service he entered
for the Union but she has not received any information. It does not make
sense to Mrs. Crane that Hiram signed up for the Union service with a leg in
the condition it was. Mrs. Crane also learned that Hiram would not let them
remove his leg while there.
I have obtained several copies
of the records of Hiram's military career from Ancestry. Com. Click on the link below and look for the picture album
Hiram Henderson Military Records. The album will have a picture of
Hiram's grave marker on the cover. Click on the cover and you can view the
records and the marker picture. Remember
to click on each record to see a description of that record. |