Subject:
Thomas Brooks Parsons-WV
Thomas Brooks Parsons was born on July 11, 1843 in
Reedy District, Roane Co, (West) Virginia. In enlisted
in the 30th Battalion Virginia Sharpshooters, Company
F. He is laid to rest in the Lowther Cemetery in
Frozen Camp, Roane County, Weat Virginia, having gone
to sleep on May 15, 1925.
He married Elizabeth "Betsy" Rader on December 28,
1864 in Jackson County, WV. They were the parents of 6
children.
PARSONS, Thomas B.; Pvt. Co. F, Enl. 9/3/62 in Roane
Co, WV. Present until absent sick in Giles C. H. Hosp.
2/28/63 roll. Present from 6/30/64 roll until listed
on guard at Kingsport Bridge, Tenn. from 12/27/63 to
at least 3/1/64. On a 20 day furlough in Staunton from
3/13/64 to 4/3/64. NFR. Res. Roane Co.
Company F (Captain Lenox C. Armstrong's Company) had a
rather unusual origin for this period of the war.
Almost all of its members were from Roane county,
(West) Virginia, mainly from Reedy and Spencer
districts....
On August 27, 1862, a band of men departed from Mr.
John Boyd's near the Ripley and Spencer Pike. After a
short council to determine the best route out of the
county, the group met Captain Armstrong. The attitudes
of most present were probably similar to Schowen's
when he wrote, "My brother and myself were determined
to go to Dixie, let the consequence be what it may."
Armstrong had been run off his farm by the Yankees.
His hasty exodus forced him to leave without his
horses. He proposed to the group that anyone willing
to return to his farm for the steeds would gain "a
horse ride to Dixie as soon as the bargain was
completed." Schowen, William Argabrite and Albert
Riddle accomplished the task, rejoining about 80 men
around noon on August 28. They "soon made ready and
started for the land of cotton." The entire party
eventually numbered about 105, but only scattered and
"doubled quickly about 4 miles" until dark set in.
Most of them, being on foot, were exhausted. Schowen
recalled, "some of the remaining refugees obtained a
pilot and marched without rest across Elk River. The
following day, Saturday, August 30, they reached
Henderson Glades in Webster county. Schowen felt that
"here we were out of danger of being surprised or
taken by the enemy."
On August 31 they resumed their journey, crossing Eve
Mountain to Cranberry River. The day was spent with
very little to eat. The next morning they proceeded to
HIllsboro, Pocahontas county, where they were fed "and
had a splendid time." Here the company was organized
and on September 3 mustered into service by Colonel
Henderson French and Major C. C. Dorsey. At least 62
men were enlisted. Teh oficial records erroneously
show them enlisting in Roane County. The company
remained in Hillsboro "a few days, and then started
for Green [Gray] Sulphur Springs in Monroe County,
going by Lewisburg and Union." They arrived in Gray
Sulphur on Septemeber 9.
Excerpt from "30th Battalion Virginia Sharpshooters"
by Michael West 1995, H. E. Howard Inc. p. 6-7.