Isaac Landreth’s personal narrative was transcribed from a letter, donated to the Historical Museum by Faye Reeves, just before she passed away this month. Punctuation has been added.
“Isaac W. Landreth was borned Feb. 6th, 1838, of Elk Creek, then Ashe, but now Alleghany County. He is son of Dr. Stephen Landreth and Lucy Landreth. He received a common edecation & was engaged teaching school when the rebellion broke out in 1861 and not being posted as to the main cause of this national qurell [quarrel] and by exciting and false speech’s of the leading Democratic leaders of the day, he volunteered in a company of Infantry headed by Capt. A. B. Cox, a Methodist ministery, all of Ashe County NC.
He enlisted at Jefferson, NC, May 17, 1861.
“Left Jefferson with said Company and camped in lovly [roses?] grove, Raleigh, NC untill removed to Camp Crab Tree Creek and was their organized into the 26th NC Regiment and was denomatad [denominated] as Company A. He was with the Regiment at Bogue Island for time of their stay; was in the Battle of New Bern and in the retreat, came near being drowned by swimming [the] Nuse River. Remained all the time with the command & was taken sick near Richmond, Va., 1862 and was sent to Camp Winder Hospital & had chronic diarehea & was treated by seven different physicians.
“Obtained a furlough and for the kindness of James Billings, one of my county men, I was hauled home and was under treatment of Dr. F. S. Thomas and others for ‘bout eliven months. In 1863, times were so squally, that he returned to his Command, the 26th Regiment at Gainea Station [Guinea Station], North of Richmond, Va. Was near Stonewall Jackson when he [took it? took ill?] My gard duty then, was moved to the Potomac River- waded it and marched through Maryland to Gettysburg, Pa. and in that tremendous human slaughter. On the 3 day of July, 1863, was taken prisnor of war. Taken the train at Fredric City to Baltimore- camped all night at Fort McHenry- then placed on board of a steamboat. Was landed at Fort Delaware and their remained untill Febuary 24, 1865. Took the oath of allyconce [allegiance] and has ever bin a true and tried Republican, ever sence.
He didn’t have a medical degree, but he treated and doctored people all over the area.
“When released from prison, went from Fort Delaware, Philadelphia to Harrisburg, the capitol of Pencillvany to [unintelligible] Pitsburg, then left the state of Pa.- to Steubins, Ohio- to the capitol Columburs- then to Cincenatte on the Ohio river- then down the river to Louisvillle, Ky. Then crossed the river into Indiana- took train at Mitchell, Lawrence County, to St. Louis, Mo. Then up Missippie river to Jersy Landing, Jersy County, Ill., ‘bout 5 miles from this place. I worked for a [man] by name of James T. Moss a [unintelligible] class leader and a noble gentleman. Staid with him 6 months and then concluded to return to NC. Came by steamboat to Sant Lous, Mo, then by Rail Road to Cincenatie, Ohio- stayed 3 days in city with an old comrade, Peter Warman, then took a ticket on the T.J. Picket Steamboat and got off at Cattestsburg [Catlettsburg], the mouth of the big Sandy river, Ky. Then footed it home through mt. rigen [mountain region?], meeting Mother and Rebeca Phipps above the Mouth of Wilson, who had started to hunt up J. C. Landreth, learning by me that he was their in Organ [Oregon] with John Swindle. We all got back home that night, making a great surprise to the family. “
Isaac Landreth son of Dr. Stephen L. and Lucy Swindall Landreth was inducted into the Confederate Army at Jefferson, NC May 17, 1861. He mentions staying at Camp Crabtree in Raleigh. Camp Crabtree was also known as Camp Carolina.
Capt. A. B. Cox, in 1900, authored a history of Southwest Virginia and Northwest NC called, Footprints on the Sands of Time.
We haven’t found James Billings from Alleghany, but there are Samuel and Eli Billings from Alleghany in the 61st Regiment and a James Billings from Wilkes County.
J.C. Landreth was James Columbus, Isaac’s brother. John Swindle was John Swindall, their half-brother and son of their mother, Lucy Jane Swindall and an unknown father, from a previous marriage.
He traveled by foot and by wagon train from Alleghany to Puget Sound and back
before having his life confined to bed prematurely.
James was Isaac’s brother, son of Dr. Stephen and Lucy Swindall Landreth.
March 12, 1871. They had four children. Mrs. Phipps died on December 6, 1926.
John and another half-brother, Calvin had traveled west to Big Skookum Bay, near Olympia, Washington. To his dismay, when James arrived there, he found that Calvin had died in 1861 and John had moved on to Oyster Bay- about twenty miles, south. After four years there, James decided to come home to North Carolina. He traveled to San Fransisco by ocean steamer, then crossed the country by rail- fifteen days!- to Wytheville.
Lucy Swindall had two sons from a previous marriage,
Calvin and John Swindall.
The family believes John Swindall made the trip home to Alleghany with James Landreth.
Rebecca Phipps was probably Rebecca Plummer, wife of Benjamin Phipps of Chestnut Hill. Benjamin was also in Company A of the 26th NC.
In 1883-1884, Isaac Landreth was elected to serve as Alleghany’s representative to the State Legislature:
He had a strong, clear voice which carried well in the legislative hall and he was often called upon to lead the Session in prayer. After one of his loud and clear prayers, a fellow member from the Eastern part of the State remarked, “Brother Landreth, your prayers are very loud. You surely think your Lord is far away from Raleigh.” Landreth replied, “Indeed, Sir, I do believe that the Lord is far away from this Legislature!”
Photos in this post, except for the A.B. Cox portrait, came from the book, Alleghany County Heritage, published in 1983 by the Alleghany Historical-Genealogical Society, Inc. and were supplied by Lola Landreth Myers.
The A.B. Cox portrait came from Footprints on the Sands of Time by The Star Publishing Company, Sparta, NC in August of1900.
