Thomas Samuel Harlan, son of Thomas White Harlan, was born on July 21, 1828, in Scottsville, Albemarle County Virginia. After the Civil War he migrated first to West Virginia and then to LaGrange, Oldham County, Kentucky. He died in LaGrange, Oldham County, Kentucky on March 20, 1900, and is buried at Valley of Rest Cemetery in LaGrange.
 
Thomas enlisted in the Confederate 19th Virginia Infantry on April 17, 1861. He fought and was wounded in the Battle of South Mountain (also known as Boonsboro or Turner’s Gap) on September 14, 1862. This battle was a prelude to Antietam (Sharpsburg, Maryland) which officially began on September 17, 1862.
 
On April 6, 1865, the remnants of the 19th Virginia Infantry surrendered to General George A. Custer. These men were sent to military prison, mostly in Maryland. This marks the official end of this regiment. General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1865 bring the War Between the States to an end.
 
As recorded on April 12, 1865, Thomas S. Harlan “came into our lines” of a regiment from Bulltown, West Virginia (which is near Burnsville, West Virginia. It is unknown exactly where this encounter took place. He is listed on a Confederate must roll dated April 12th as a deserter. He was confined at Atheneum Military Prison in Wheeling, West Virginia on April 13, 1865. Three days later he took the oath of Allegiance at Clarksburg, West Virginia.
 
The designation of Thomas Samuel Harlan as a deserter is obviously unfounded since it followed both the capture of his entire regiment and the official end of the war. April 1865 in Virginia was a very chaotic time. The lack of communication of the end of the war obviously resulted in this unfortunate and unfounded designation.

John Bailey Harlan

John Bailey Harlan, son of James White Harlan and brother of Thomas Samuel Harlan, was born on 14 April 1824.  He was killed in the Civil War on 14 Sep 1862 and is buried at Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Shepherdstown, West Virginia is less than 5 miles from Antietam National Battlefield at Sharpsburg, Maryland.  Elmwood is the cemetery there which has a Confederate section for some of those who died in that battle.  John Bailey was killed and Thomas Samuel wounded at South Mountain (aka Boonsboro, Turners Gap) on September 14, 1862 just outside of Sharpsburg.  (A summary of this battle follows after the information on Richard J. Harlan.] This battle was the prelude to Antietam which officially started on September 17.  [The above information was given to me by Elizabeth Strickler and Douglas Harlan, both great grandchildren of Thomas Samuel Harlan.]

Richard J. Harlan

Richard J. Harlan was the son of John Morris Harlan. He was a nephew of Mary Fleming Harlan who married Thomas Samuel Harlan. Richard resided in Fluvanna Co., Virginia.

During the Civil War Richard was a boat man for the Confederacy. He enlisted on 19 April 1861, as a Private at the age of 23.

He service in Company D, 19th Infantry Regiment Virginia and was detailed on 01 June 1861 to the Color Guard. He was promoted to Full Sergeant 3rd Class on 01 November 1861, Full Sergeant 1st Class on 03 December 1861, Full Lieutenant 3rd Class on 24 February 1862, and Full Lieutenant 1st Class on 08 April 1862.

He was wounded on 27 June 1862 at Gaines' Mill, VA, promoted to Full Captain on 30 January 1863 and returned to service on 25 April 1863. He was wounded again on 03 July 1863 at Gettysburg, PA and back on the rolls on 15 August 1864.

He was imprisoned as a POW on 02 April 1865 at Hatcher's Run, VA and hospitalized on 08 April 1865 at Petersburg, VA for a gun wound in the right thigh. He was confined on 12 April 1865 at City Point, VA and on 17 May 1865 at Newport News, VA. He took the Oath Allegiance on 15 June 1865 at Newport News, VA.

His Civil War records describe him as being 5'10" in height with blue eyes, dark hair and fair completion. [The information on Richard J. Harlan was taken from a summary of his Civil War Records on Ancestry.com.]