Optional page text here. Jeremiah J. Spurlin

Jeremiah J. Spurlin

Jeremiah was born 18 Feb. 1825. Married - Mary Ann Lindsay. Jeremy’s parents where John and Mary Newberry SPURLIN.
Jeremiah moved from Alabama to Grimes Co., Texas Where he felt torn between his duty to his family and his duty to fight for his beliefs. As thousands before him, he left his pregnant wife with six children, ranging in age from fifteen down to two years old. On December 27,1862, he enlisted in the Confederate Army for a three-month tour of duty. He was Commissioned A Second Lieutenant in Co. A, Vol. & DR Men, 17th Brigade,under the command of Capt. James W. Barns and Brigadier General Iban W. Blake, and was stationed at Camp Lubbock and Anderson.
After serving the required time, he returned home for a brief period of time. One of the family stories is that while Jeremiah was at home between enlistments, bushwhackers burned them out and took everything of value that they had. There must have been some warning of their approach because the story goes further to say that Jeremiah was too sick to deal with the intruders so Mary Ann his him and the younger children in the cornfield. Then she and the older boys buried the meat, and faced the “bushwhackers”.
After his recovery, Jeremiah re-enlisted and served for fourteen months. This time he was assigned to Co. B of the 16th Texas Regiment, called the Madison’s Regiment, under the command of Capt. R.D. McCary. Mary Ann was busy at home caring for the children and working the farm, but found time to make a dress uniform for Jeremiah. She spun the thread, wove the fabric and sowed the garment which Jeremiah never saw.
On March 16, 1865 Jeremiah died in battle. His commanding officer wrote the sad news to Mary Ann. Trying to offer some small measure of comfort, he explained that Lt. Spurlin had been buried with all the honors afforded an officer and that he was interred in his white shirt. When Marry Ann read the letter, the words “white shirt” brought questions to her mind. Jeremiah did not have any white shirts ; she dyed all of his white shirts grey when he enlisted in the Confederate Army.
So the uniform she had made was packed in her trunk, and she moved from place to place in later years, the trunk with the uniform went along with her.
Jeremiah J. Spurlin’s Civil War records were obtained from the Texas State Archives.
Mary Ann’s petition for administration of Jeremiah’s estate was granted by Grimes Co. Court. She remained on the farm while her children were growing up.
On Feb. 22,1918, Mary Ann fell and broke her hip, and never recovered from the injury. She was buried in Copperas Cove Cemetery in Coryell County,Texas.

Compiled by: Quincy and George Spurlin

Submitted by:Sandra Davis

Texans in the Civil War
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