M. J. MILBURN-Co. B, 24th Texas Cavalry

M. J. MILBURN


� Karen McCann Hett All Rights Reserved 2003-2014

M. J. Milburn was born in Georgia or Alabama in about 1832, the son of a Missionary Baptist minister, Williamson Milburn, and his first wife, who was a Yarbrough. The Milburn family lived in Sumter County, Alabama and in Union Parish, Louisiana before moving to Starrville, Texas, northeast of Tyler, in 1851.

M. J. was called Mack, according to a letter written at Lockney, Texas, in about 1916 by one of his younger half-brothers, Joshua G. Milburn. Joshua wrote, “Brother M. J., or Mack as we called him, was married to Miss Norsworthy. They had some children but I don�t know how many. He enlisted in the Confederate army and was captured at Arkansas Post and died at Camp Chase, Illinois.” Note: the records in M. J.’s files show that he died at Camp Butler, Illinois; Camp Chase was in Ohio. The transcription of Joshua Milburn's letter, along with a photo of their father, Williamson Milburn, can be viewed here.

The Milburns and Norsworthys are believed to have been neighbors in Louisiana. One of the other brothers, Joseph Milburn, married a daughter of W. B. Norsworthy, and they were enumerated on the 1860 census of Montgomery County in the Norsworthy household as Milbers. Neither the name of Mack�s wife nor of her parents has been determined, and it is not known when Mack moved to the vicinity of Danville. In 1859 and 1860, he rendered his taxable property as one horse valued at $125.00, and he paid a poll tax on himself, but he is not enumerated in the 1860 census.

Brother Joseph’s wife was Mary Martha Norsworthy. Her brother James Norsworthy, was in the same Cavalry company as Mack.

When Mack enlisted in Dr. Wooldridge�s company of Second Texas Lancers on April 26, 1862, he gave his age as thirty. The value of his horse and equipment was not recorded.

He was also listed as J. J. Melburn on some of muster rolls in his file in the Compiled Service Records.

M. J. rode his horse to Arkansas with the rest of his regiment and was dismounted upon reaching there, along with the others, by order of General Thomas Hindman.

Mack was noted on the August muster roll at Camp Holmes, Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, as “Absent on Detail,” meaning that he was away from camp on business for the regiment. He was one of the details appointed by Captain Wooldridge to take the company’s horses back to Montgomery County. Each man was in charge of ten horses, and they were to graze them, because the government would not pay for fodder.

He rejoined his company, which now had to serve as infantry, in September at Ft. Hindman. On January 11, 1863, he fought at the Battle of Arkansas Post. His name is on the roster of troops captured at the battle and on the roll of prisoners of war. On the Union’s roll of prisoners, there is a notation that he “Died March 14, 1863.” The Confederate muster roll, dated April 30, 1863, gives his death date as March 20. His name is on the list of burials in Camp Butler National Cemetery.

You may view photos of 24th Regiment Texas Cavalry burials at Camp Butler.

The above family information is from the records of Nancy Hargesheimer. Military information is from the Compiled Service Records in the National Archives. The photo of Mack’s marker at Camp Butler was provided by Gene Schnierle of Illinois.


Above Camp Butler photo by Karen McCann Hett, with Milburn on far right

For further information and records of all Confederate soldiers of Montgomery County, Texas, as well as histories of the regiments they served in, see Montgomery County, Texas, CSA by Frank M. Johnson. The book may be purchased by visiting Frank's website at frankmjohnson.net or by contacting Frank at [email protected].

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© Karen McCann Hett  All Rights Reserved 2003-2014
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