Stephen and Robert were cousins.
William was Stephen's nephew.
Here are their stories, taken from "Reliques
of the Rives" by James Rives Childs 1929. This book
contains dozens such accounts from the Civil War.
William Marshall Rives was born Dec.
12 1841 in Montgomery Co. Tennessee and died single,
without issue, in November, 1863. He enlisted as a
private in Co. L, 14th Tenn. Inf., C.S.A., and
served until captured early in 1863 near Somerset,
Kentucky. He had just joined Morgan and while out with a
skirmishing party alighted from his horse, slipped the
bridle over his arm, and stooped down to drink from a
spring. The horse heard other horses approaching, jerked
loose and escaped. Young Rives sought a hiding place
behind a log but was detected in his place of
concealment. He died of pneumonia while a prisoner of
war at Pt. Lookout, Maryland. His father spent more than
a thousand dollars to have his body brought back to his
home. This took more than a year after the close of the
war. Some time after that a comrade, who had found
Billy's diary, sent it to his mother and father.
Stephen Turner Rives Jr. was born Oct
17, 1838, in Montgomery Co. Tennessee and died Jan 14,
1918 in Amherst Co. Virginia. During the war he joined
the ranks of the Confederate Army and was later promoted
to Lieut., Co. L, 14th Tenn. Infantry.
"The 1st, 7th and 14th Regiments
composed a brigade that was known as Archer's Tennessee
Brigade, A.P. Hill's Division, Army of Northern
Virginia. This brigade took an active part in almost
every battle fought by the Army of Northern Virginia.
Comrade S.T. Rives was an ideal soldier, an I always
depended on him in an emergency. On the 27th of June
1862 when our command broke Gen. McClellan's center,
Steve Rives was one of the first Confederate soldiers to
cross the enemy's breastworks, and was in every
engagement during the campaign. In the battle of
Antietam (Sharpsburg) he was wounded. Dr. Wright,
surgeon of the 14th Tennessee Regiment had charge of the
field hospital and as it was about 100 miles to the
railroad He kept S.T. Rives and many others with him in
the field hospital. When Gen. Lee crossed back to
Virginia, all in the hospital were taken prisoners, and
as soon as S.T. Rives could be moved he was sent to
Johnson's Island. When exchanged he returned to his
regiment and was in every engagement until the surrender
April 5, 1865." - Gen. William McComb in "The
Confederate Veteran"
Robert Franklin Rives was born Dec.
7, 1837, Montgomery Co. Tennessee and died September
26, 1922 in Clarksville, Tennessee. In 1861 he
enlisted in the Confederate Army as a member of Company
L, 14th Tennessee Cavalry, serving throughout the war
and participating in many engagements. He was in Gen.
Morgan's command [Co. E, Morgan's Men] when the famous
raider invaded Ohio and was captured. Mr. Rives escaped
by swimming his horse across the Ohio River. After Gen.
Lee's surrender, he was captured at Paris, Tennessee.,
but was paroled.
The photo is adapted from "Reliques
of the Rives". We have these additional notes from Bruce
L. Rives:
"A note about the Three in the photo.
Stephen and Robert were cousins. William was Stephen's
nephew. Stephen was my 2nd great grandfather's youngest
brother. William died in a Union prison camp.
His father spent over $1000 and two years to have his
body brought back and interned on the family farm
outside of Clarksville, Montgomery Co. Tennessee.
The family cemetery was located where what is now the
center of post, Fort Campbell, KY. The Army
relocated the graves to the Rogers Cemetery south of the
post in the 40's. Included in those moved were my
3rd great grandparents, Stephen Turner Rives b. November
10 1788, d. 1840 and Sophia Meeks Cannon Rives.
William's grave was still marked when moved.
Unfortunately his grandparents, Stephen's and Shophia's
were not. They were moved as unknown.
Six of 2nd great grandfathers
brothers serving the Confederacy, from TN. One of his
brothers Richard Bullard Rives served the Confederacy
while his son fought for the Union out of Illinois. My
2nd great grandfather Ruben Ross Rives, (Stephen Turner
Rives' brother, uncle to William Marshall Rives)
served in the Clarksville Tennessee Blues during the
Mexican War. Indications are that he served as a
member of a home guard during the Civil War in Graves
Co. KY. " |