Confederate ancestor: Thomas Z. Prather. 15th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, CSA.

THOMAS Z. PRATHER, Confederate States of America

My paternal grandmother, Dorothy Matthews Vautrot, also discovered our relative Thomas Z. Prather (b. 08/08/1847; d. 09/07/1909…died age 62 yrs old) who was a Confederate soldier under General Robert E. Lee, and who was wounded at the battles of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in July 1863 (age 15) and at Chickamauga, Georgia in September 1863 (age16).

Thomas Z. Prather was a Private, enlisted on July 13, 1861 under Captain D.B. Cade. He joined the 15th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment; Company A, New Delhi Rangers from Wilkes County, GA; he signed documents when he joined that stated that he would “tender his services for the Confederate States for the period of 3 years or the war.” For the March-April 1862 Company Muster Roll, he was noted to be absent at Richmond, Virginia since April 12, 1862. Document shows that he was located/admitted to General Hospital No. 18 (formerly Greaner’s Hospital in Richmond, VA) on April 13, 1862 for Typhoid Fever; he was transferred to Lynchburg, VA on May 5, 1862.

He was initially under General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia; 1st Army Corps (16,000 men); beneath Lee was Lieutenant General James Longstreet's Division (8,000 men), beneath Longstreet was Major General John Bell Hood's Brigade (2,000 men), and beneath Hood was Colonel Benning and Toomb's brigade (of 2,000 men, among which was Prather). This brigade also fought at the Second Battle of Manassas (a.k.a. "Bull Run") in Aug 1862, where the 15th Georgia cracked the Union left wing.

They then fought at the Battle of Antietam, Maryland (a.k.a. "Sharpsburg") in Sept. 1862.

They were also present at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia in December 1862.

His brigade successfully breached the Union line at the Battle of Gettysburg; assisted by the First Texas Regiment, they stormed into the Devil's Den and captured men and artillery. “There was actually a competition between the color bearers of the 15th GA and the 1st TX in the assault up Houck's Ridge at Gettysburg. The color bearer of the 1st Texas, George Branard, and the color bearer of the 15th GA, Thomas Z. Prather, both competed to plant their colors on top of Houck's Ridge. George Branard was eventually wounded by an exploding shell and rendered blind. Thomas Z. Prather lived through Gettysburg, but was later wounded at Chickamauga, but fought on to later surrendered at Appomattox.” After the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg on July 3rd, 1863, Longstreet detached from General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia and went to fight in the Trans-Mississippi region at the Battles of Chickamauga and Knoxville. Prather went with him! He re-enlisted for a 6 month period from August 1, 1863-February 29, 1864.

Thomas Z. Prather served with Benning's Brigade, Hood's Division, Longstreet's Corp, under General Braxton Bragg at the Battle of Chickamauga (Georgia) on Sept 19 and 20th, 1863: the Army of Tennessee. He was wounded at Chickamauga, GA on September 19th, 1863 (this is documented/referenced in books and online: Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia 1861-1865. Volume II. By Lillian Henderson. 1960).

Document shows that on May 12, 1864 he was paid $44.00 for a period of 4 months service from Sept 1, 1863- Dec 31, 1863. He was paid $11/per month, which is about 37 cents per day. On that day, May 12, 1864 he was paid and furloughed.

Document states that he was located at “General Hospital, Howard’s Grove, Richmond, Virginia”, admitted on May 27, 1864. For the Company Muster Roll for July-August 1864, he was listed as “present and sick”. His unit successfully held the defenses of Richmond against the massive Union assault on September 29th, 1864, where the 15th Georgia is credited with capturing 433 Union prisoners.

He surrendered at Appomattox, VA on April 9th, 1865 as part of the Army of Northern Virginia when General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army to Lieutenant General U.S. Grant, commanding armies of the United States.

Of note, in 1862, there were 441 men in his unit; at the time of their surrender in 1865, there were 226. 50% casualties.

Thomas Z. PRATHER. He was born 8 Aug. 1847 at Elberton, GA, and died 7 Sept. 1909 in Little Rock, AR, the son of William Columbus PRATHER and Anna Lavinia SMITH.

15th REGIMENT, COMPANY A
WILKES COUNTY, GEORGIA
"DELHI RANGERS"

GEORGIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA
C. S. A.

Flag of the 15th Georgia Volunteer Infantry.

Prather, Thomas Z. He enlisted as a Private July 13, 1861 at the age of 13 yrs old (almost 14 yrs old).

Wounded at battle of Gettysburg, PA. July 1963 at the age of 15 yrs old!
Wounded at Chickamauga, Ga. September 19, 1863 at the age of 16 yrs old.
Surrendered, Appomattox, VA. April 9, 1865 at the age of 17 yrs old.

Military Engagements for soldier Thomas Z. Prather:

August 1862                2^nd Manassas (Bull Run)

Sept 1862                    Antietam (Sharpsburg)

Dec 1862                     Fredericksburg

July 1863                     Gettysburg

Sept 1863                    Chickamauga (**wounded)

Sept 1864                    defense of Richmond, Virginia: Petersburg Campaign: Battle of Chaffin’s      farm.

April 1865                   surrendered after Appomattox.

 

From the online journal: Civil War Talk: elite units in the Confederacy:

“There was actually a competition between the color bearers of the 15th GA and the 1st TX in the assault up Houck's Ridge at Gettysburg. The color bearer of the 1st Texas, George Branard, and the color bearer of the 15th GA, Thomas Z. Prather, both competed to plant their colors on top of Houck's Ridge. George Branard was eventually wounded by an exploding shell and rendered blind. Thomas Z. Prather lived through Gettysburg, but was later wounded at Chickamauga, but fought on to later surrendered at Appomattox.”

15th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (from the U.S. National Park Service online)

Overview:

15th Infantry Regiment, organized in the spring of 1861 at Athens, Georgia, contained men from Hancock, Stephens, Elbert, Lamar, Warren, Wilkes, Taliaferro, and Oglethorpe counties. On July 22, 1861, the unit was reported to be en route to Virginia and upon its arrival was assigned to the Potomac District. Later it was placed in General Toombs' and Benning's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The 15th was involved in the campaigns of the army from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor, except when it was detached with Longstreet at Suffolk, Chickamauga, and Knoxville. It continued the fight in the Petersburg siege north of the James River and later around Appomattox.

The regiment totaled 441 men in April, 1862, and lost 108 during Seven Days' Battles.

It sustained 54 casualties at Second Manassas, 36 during the Maryland Campaign (Battle of Sharpsburg or Antietam). It lost forty percent of the 368 engaged at Gettysburg. From April 14, to May 6, there were 73 disabled, and from August 1 to December 31, 1864, it lost 50 killed and wounded. At the surrender, 20 officers and 226 men were present. The field officers were Colonels Dudley M. DuBose, William M. McIntosh, William T. Millican, and Thomas W. Thomas; Lieutenant Colonels Stephen Z. Hearnsberger, Peter J. Shannon, T.J. Smith, and Linton Stephens; and Major Joseph T. Smith.