John Absalom Tillman, Sr. was born January 13, 1839 to John Henry and Sara Mercer Tillman. He was the 8th of 15 children. Sometime before 1860 he married Harriett Baker, daughter of Absalom and Zylphia Tillman Baker. Between 1860 and 1880 John and Harriett had 8 children. John A. Tillman, Jr., Jeremiah ("Jerry"), Georgia, Jonah, Sally, Robert E. Lee, Mattie, and William (Bill). John died on April 29, 1899 of multiple lengthy illnesses according to his obituatry. He was 60. His death was 10 days after his son Jeremiah.
When the Confederate government passed the Conscription Act of 1862 John was mustered into the 50th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Company H, known as the "Colquitt Marksmen". His muster date was May 13, 1862. When he reported for duty, Harriet was pregnant with their 2nd child. It is not known if he was aware before he left. He went to war with his brothers Elijah, James "Harrison", and numerous cousins with last names of Tillman, Norman, Alderman, and Mercer. Most of Company H was either related to each other or were neighbors. John started as a private but was a sergeant by the end of the war. His unit was assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. He and his company were in the following battles:
• Second Manassas
• South Mountain
• Antietam
• Fredericksburg
• Chancellorsville
• Gettysburg
• Chickamauga (Missed by 1 day due to problem with train)
• Chattanooga siege operations
• Knoxville siege operations
• The Wilderness
• Spotsylvania Court House
• North Anna
• Cold Harbor
• Petersburg
• Cedar Creek
• Saylor's Creek
• Appomattox Court House
In his Confederate service record, John is described as being 5 feet 11 inches tall with gray eyes. Like most soldiers he was hospitalized during the war for various diseases and ailments. On April 6th, 1865 three days before General Lee's surrender, John was captured (along with most of the rest of the 50th) at the battle of Saylor's Creek. He was imprisoned at Point Lookout, Maryland on April 15th, 1865. He signed an Oath of Allegiance to the United States on June 21, 1865 and was paroled and released from prison.
Not too much is known after his return home from the War Between the States. It is presumed that like most returning soldiers he tried to recover from the war and make a living for his family. However, his recently discovered obituary revealed that he was the Ex-Treasurer of Colquitt County at the time of his death.
When the Confederate government passed the Conscription Act of 1862 John was mustered into the 50th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Company H, known as the "Colquitt Marksmen". His muster date was May 13, 1862. When he reported for duty, Harriet was pregnant with their 2nd child. It is not known if he was aware before he left. He went to war with his brothers Elijah, James "Harrison", and numerous cousins with last names of Tillman, Norman, Alderman, and Mercer. Most of Company H was either related to each other or were neighbors. John started as a private but was a sergeant by the end of the war. His unit was assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. He and his company were in the following battles:
• Second Manassas
• South Mountain
• Antietam
• Fredericksburg
• Chancellorsville
• Gettysburg
• Chickamauga (Missed by 1 day due to problem with train)
• Chattanooga siege operations
• Knoxville siege operations
• The Wilderness
• Spotsylvania Court House
• North Anna
• Cold Harbor
• Petersburg
• Cedar Creek
• Saylor's Creek
• Appomattox Court House
In his Confederate service record, John is described as being 5 feet 11 inches tall with gray eyes. Like most soldiers he was hospitalized during the war for various diseases and ailments. On April 6th, 1865 three days before General Lee's surrender, John was captured (along with most of the rest of the 50th) at the battle of Saylor's Creek. He was imprisoned at Point Lookout, Maryland on April 15th, 1865. He signed an Oath of Allegiance to the United States on June 21, 1865 and was paroled and released from prison.
Not too much is known after his return home from the War Between the States. It is presumed that like most returning soldiers he tried to recover from the war and make a living for his family. However, his recently discovered obituary revealed that he was the Ex-Treasurer of Colquitt County at the time of his death.
John Absalom Tillman, Sr. was born January 13, 1839 to John Henry and Sara Mercer Tillman. He was the 8th of 15 children. Sometime before 1860 he married Harriett Baker, daughter of Absalom and Zylphia Tillman Baker. Between 1860 and 1880 John and Harriett had 8 children. John A. Tillman, Jr., Jeremiah ("Jerry"), Georgia, Jonah, Sally, Robert E. Lee, Mattie, and William (Bill). John died on April 29, 1899 of multiple lengthy illnesses according to his obituatry. He was 60. His death was 10 days after his son Jeremiah.
When the Confederate government passed the Conscription Act of 1862 John was mustered into the 50th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Company H, known as the "Colquitt Marksmen". His muster date was May 13, 1862. When he reported for duty, Harriet was pregnant with their 2nd child. It is not known if he was aware before he left. He went to war with his brothers Elijah, James "Harrison", and numerous cousins with last names of Tillman, Norman, Alderman, and Mercer. Most of Company H was either related to each other or were neighbors. John started as a private but was a sergeant by the end of the war. His unit was assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. He and his company were in the following battles:
• Second Manassas
• South Mountain
• Antietam
• Fredericksburg
• Chancellorsville
• Gettysburg
• Chickamauga (Missed by 1 day due to problem with train)
• Chattanooga siege operations
• Knoxville siege operations
• The Wilderness
• Spotsylvania Court House
• North Anna
• Cold Harbor
• Petersburg
• Cedar Creek
• Saylor's Creek
• Appomattox Court House
In his Confederate service record, John is described as being 5 feet 11 inches tall with gray eyes. Like most soldiers he was hospitalized during the war for various diseases and ailments. On April 6th, 1865 three days before General Lee's surrender, John was captured (along with most of the rest of the 50th) at the battle of Saylor's Creek. He was imprisoned at Point Lookout, Maryland on April 15th, 1865. He signed an Oath of Allegiance to the United States on June 21, 1865 and was paroled and released from prison.
Not too much is known after his return home from the War Between the States. It is presumed that like most returning soldiers he tried to recover from the war and make a living for his family. However, his recently discovered obituary revealed that he was the Ex-Treasurer of Colquitt County at the time of his death.
When the Confederate government passed the Conscription Act of 1862 John was mustered into the 50th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Company H, known as the "Colquitt Marksmen". His muster date was May 13, 1862. When he reported for duty, Harriet was pregnant with their 2nd child. It is not known if he was aware before he left. He went to war with his brothers Elijah, James "Harrison", and numerous cousins with last names of Tillman, Norman, Alderman, and Mercer. Most of Company H was either related to each other or were neighbors. John started as a private but was a sergeant by the end of the war. His unit was assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee. He and his company were in the following battles:
• Second Manassas
• South Mountain
• Antietam
• Fredericksburg
• Chancellorsville
• Gettysburg
• Chickamauga (Missed by 1 day due to problem with train)
• Chattanooga siege operations
• Knoxville siege operations
• The Wilderness
• Spotsylvania Court House
• North Anna
• Cold Harbor
• Petersburg
• Cedar Creek
• Saylor's Creek
• Appomattox Court House
In his Confederate service record, John is described as being 5 feet 11 inches tall with gray eyes. Like most soldiers he was hospitalized during the war for various diseases and ailments. On April 6th, 1865 three days before General Lee's surrender, John was captured (along with most of the rest of the 50th) at the battle of Saylor's Creek. He was imprisoned at Point Lookout, Maryland on April 15th, 1865. He signed an Oath of Allegiance to the United States on June 21, 1865 and was paroled and released from prison.
Not too much is known after his return home from the War Between the States. It is presumed that like most returning soldiers he tried to recover from the war and make a living for his family. However, his recently discovered obituary revealed that he was the Ex-Treasurer of Colquitt County at the time of his death.
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