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Joseph Conley

According to the Civil War Pension papers, Joseph Conley was born 16 August 1832, to David and Margaret Conley. Census records indicate that Joseph Conley was born about 1834. Joe was a small man, about five feet in height, and was very talented in making furniture and tools. 

   He made spinning wheels and rocking chairs. He could make very good handles for hammers and other tools and was known for making the best plow stocks for the old single shovel plows commonly used in mountain areas. He also made wash pans from the wood of sugar maple trees. 

   He moved frequently but lived most notably at the head of Prater Fork near Evanston in Breathitt Co., Kentucky and Trace Fork of Licking in Magoffin Co., Kentucky near Waldo, Kentucky. It was here that he died on 27 June 1912. He married Jemima Mullins, born about 1840, the daughter of Isaac and Polly Wireman Mullins. They were married on 10 April 1855 in Breathitt County. They had four children: Jefferson, Susanah, Polly and James.

He secondly married Polly Bailey, born 2 December 1842, the daughter of John and Catherine Runyon Bailey. Reverend Thomas Lovely performed the marriage ceremony. I have no information about the children born to this union. 

Aside from the above information, the following was also gleaned from Polly Conley's Application for Pension (contributed by Connie Arnett Wireman). 

Joseph was a Confederate Army Private, Co. F. 13th Kentucky Cavalry. He enlisted 15 May 1863 and was captured at Glades Ville, Virginia on 7 July 1863. He was paroled at Camp Douglas, Illinois and subsequently transferred to Point Lookout, Maryland for prisoner exchange on 2 March 1865. In addition to "Flitterfoot", George Wireman witnessed Polly's Pension Application. Further, in a deposition given on the same day as the application in 1913, Nelson Chaffins, 82 years of age and living in Knott Co., Kentucky, states that he too served with Joseph Conley in the Civil War.

(While the information provided above is not in the original form as received from Mitchel Collins, the source
of this information continues to be solely attributable to the research efforts of  Walter Miller and John Lovely)

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13th Kentucky Cavalry, C.S.A.
"Surrender Hell"

"Surrender Hell", The Diary of Colonel Benjamin F. Caudill," by Shirley Combs is a desk-top published soft cover book giving the account of Colonel Caudill while he was imprisoned. In it he identifies many men of the 13th. Originally the 10th Kentucky Mounted Infantry, it later became the 13th Kentucky Cavalry, C.S.A. His writings were originally transcribed by Troy Back. Shirley has put this together with a history and stories given by his great
granddaughter including, U.S. General Julius White's version of the Battle of Glades Ville, Virginia where "Flitterfoot" was taken prisoner. The book includes photos of Col. Caudill, his son and great granddaughter. I do not know at this time if "Flitterfoot" or "Wee Willy" Salyer or others in our genealogy are mentioned. If interestered, the book is available for $ 25.00 directly from Shirley Combs, 4943 Pleasant Ridge Road, The Dalles, Oregon 97058. Her e-mail is:  combs@netcnct.net

Chronology of the 13th

13th Kentucky Cavalry, U.S.A - Organized at Columbia, Ky., December 22, 1863. Attached to District of South Central Kentucky, 1st Division, 23rd Army Corps, Dept. of the Ohio, to January, 1864. District of Southwest Kentucky, Dept. Ohio, to April, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, District of Kentucky, Dept. Ohio, to July, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, District of Kentucky, to January, 1865. 

Service

Duty at Lebanon and protecting country south of Lebanon until June, 1864. Cumberland River, Ky., November
26, 1863. Creelsborough and Celina December 7. Cumberland River March 19, 1864. Obey's River March 28 (Detachment). Expedition to Obey's River April 18-20. Wolf River May 18. Operations against Morgan May 31-June 30. Cynthiana June 12. Liberty June 17. Canton and Roaring Springs August 22. At Camp Burnside August 26-September 16. Ordered to Mt. Sterling September 16. Burbridge's Expedition into Southwest Virginia September 20-October 17. Saltsville, Va., October 2. At Mt. Sterling, Lexington and Crab Orchard, Ky., until December 17. At Camp Nelson, Ky., until January 10, 1865. Mustered out January 10, 1865. 

Recorded Losses

The Regiment's losses during service were 1 Officer and 9 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded; and 
1 Officer and 83 Enlisted men died of disease. Total 94.

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Conclusions

With "Flitterfoot's" assertion that he laid in prison with Joseph Conley for about two years, and in that Conley was taken prisoner on 7 July 1863, and not released until a prisoner exchange occurred on 2 March 1865, it is probable that Bryson F. "Flitterfoot" Shepherd was also incarcerated in the POW facility at Camp Douglas, Illinois, and that he too was transferred and was released in a prisoner exchange at Point Lookout, Maryland on 2 March 1865. According to accounts of his capture to his Grandson Mort Shepherd, Lewis's son, Flitterfoot said, "I was so weak and starved that the Yankees had to carry me whenever they'd move me from place to place.  I thought I was going to die."

Although Conley and Shepherd were apparently captured at the same location, it does not dispel the notion that both were assigned to different units of the C.S.A. The possibility also exists however that the information at Salyersville, Kentucky regarding the unit "Flitterfoot" was assigned to may be in error. That notwithstanding, he was in all probability among those assigned to the 13th during their captivity.

In addition to using Joseph Conley's background to  substantiate "Flitterfoot's" Civil War POW accounting, it is also being used to postulate Leck Conley's genealogy. 

Leck Conley married Mary Shepherd, one of Bryson's daughters, and is perhaps somehow related to Joseph, thereby explaining how Leck first became acquainted with Mary, (i.e.,  via Joseph's and Bryson's social relationship, either established prior to the Civil War, or simply as an adjunct to their time spent together while prisoner's of war).  I have been unable to establish any other possible lineage for Leck Conley at this time*, although research does show that he was born in Floyd County on 24 February 1878, and died on 1 December 1952 at Portsmouth, Scioto Co., Ohio (buried in Dry Run Cemetery). His wife, Mary Shepherd Conley, died on 3 May 1933 and is buried at the same cemetery. The Conley genealogy suggests that they originate in County Armagh, Ireland and immigrated to South Carolina, probably Charles Town. After a few generations the name variations began to appear from that of Connelly to Conley. From South Carolina, the Connelly/Conley's made their way to Breathitt, Magoffin and Floyd counties in Kentucky.

* Now substantiated as fact - Joseph is Leck's father.

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The Battle of Middle Creek Hay fields, framed by mountains and dissected by streams, now appear
no different from those of any other eastern Kentucky farm, although this area was once stained with
human blood and surrounded with the smoke from black powder rifles and artillery during the Civil
 War. While the Battle of Middle Creek may be considered a skirmish when compared with other Civil War engagements, its impact on subsequent historical events is extremely significant. Not only did this battle reverse an early pattern of Confederate victories and keep open a route of travel from the Ohio River into Eastern Kentucky (through Pound Gap to Abingdon, Virginia), but 
The Battle of Middle Creek has been referred to as
“the battle that built a presidency.”

On December 14, 1861, the 42nd Ohio Regiment of the Union Army was created and placed under the command of thirty-year-old Colonel James A. Garfield. Orders directed Colonel Garfield and his troops to “proceed to the mouth of the Big Sandy (and) drive out or cut off the enemy,” establishing a post at Piketon. The troops arrived at the mouth of George’s Creek the day after Christmas, divided and traveled three different routes before arriving at the mouth of Abbott Creek on January 9, 1862.
The battle began began in the thick mountain fog as the troops reached Middle Creek and continued until 5 p.m. when Colonel Garfield reported that the “rebels had been driven from the slopes at every point” and victory belonged to the Union. Early on January 11, 1862, Colonel Garfield and his men crossed the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy and “occupied Prestonsburg.”
Colonel Garfield’s road to the White House had just begun.

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 Note: The Middle Creek Battlefield located near Prestonsburg in Floyd County, has received special attention lately making every effort to preserve this battlefield and many other historical sites impacted by development in Kentucky.

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