Photo on the left was taken prior to his entry into the Civil War
Photo on the right was taken sometime in the 1870's

Alfred Ellis

Submitted by: Alfred Ellis great-grandson of Alfred Ellis

March 17, 1843 - September 12, 1895
Alfred was a mason in the Mahan Lodge on Sand Mountain, Dekalb County, Alabama. He married Margaret Evaline Painter at Sulphur Springs, Alabama in 1866. They both are buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery on Sand Mountain near Ft. Payne, Alabama.

Alfred Ellis was twenty years old when he joined Captain Jordan's Company G
of the Vidette Cavalry Volunteers on January 1, 1864. Alfred was described
in his military papers as being 6 feet tall, 1 inches tall, having a fair
complexion and grey eyes. He was to serve one year, but his regiment was
mustered out on the 10th day of June 1864 by order of the Secretary of War
since there had come to be some question as to the legality of this
volunteer regiment. On the 13th day of March 1865, Alfred enrolled in
Company E Ninth Regiment of the Illinois Cavalry. While in the Ninth, he
had duty at Huntsville and Florence, Alabama, Eastport, Mississippi, and
Gravelly Springs, Alabama until June. The regiment moved to Iuka,
Mississippi on June 23, and on to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama, and thence
to Gainesville on August 20. The regiment had duty in the District of
Montgomery, Alabama and was mustered out at Selma, Alabama on the 31st day of October, 1865, since the war was over.

Alfred's father, James Ellis, was also in the Vidette Cavalry Company C, as
well as two of his brothers, William and Jacob. Since Alfred joined later
than did his father and two brothers, he was placed into the Company G of
the Vidette. His uncle-in-law, Alfred Long, was Captain of the Company C,
Vidette. Alfred lost his father, brother(Jacob), and Uncle(Alfred Long),
during the Civil War. Two of Alfred's future brother-in-laws, Andrew J. and
Alexander Painter, were also in the Company C of the Vidette. A brother,
James Ellis, Jr., died in service of the Confederacy in Ohio.

On a personal note- my grandfather, Alfred(1871 - 1953) told us the story
that after his father was discharged, much of the trip back to North East
Alabama was on foot. Instead of receiving a hero's welcome, he had stones
thrown at him by confederate neighbors as he neared his home in Sulphur
Springs , Dekalb County, Alabama.

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