|
Isaiah Laughter joined the Confederate Army 15 May 1861 at Hendersonville, North Carolina. He served with Co. A, 25th North Carolina Infantry -- called Edney's Grays -- and stayed in service the entire war until his company was surrendered with Lee at Appomatox Courthouse, Virginia in 1865. His wife was later awarded a widow's pension for his military service. [See below.] During the 1870's, Isaiah supervised a crew to cut crossties, clear right-of-way, and prepare the grade for the railroad up the Saluda Mountain from Tryon, NC, to what is now East Flat Rock. Many crews of men were required to complete this section of railroad which opened from Spartanburg to Hendersonville in 1879. On Saturday evening after a long work-week, Isaiah is said to have enjoyed a taste of "shine" which provoked the scorn of his wife, Tilda. Around 1880 the family moved from Green River to Flat Rock after Tilda told Isaiah that she was tired of "just watching the Green River go by." In 1887, Isaiah moved his family to the Mills River area. While working near Mills River "ditching" and draining bottom land, he contracted typhoid fever and soon died without responding to treatment provided by Dr. Thomas Egerton. It was so cold and the snow so deep that he was interred at the Mills River Methodist Church rather than being transported back to the Fruitland-Flat Rock area. Isaiah's grave is identified by a military marker. The couple's descendants still live in the Henderson County area. . . . . . Author unknow: . . . .FL
Civil War
Isaiah Laughter Co., A, (In) Pvt (Out) Pvt The 25th Infantry Regiment, formerly the 15th Volunteers, was assembled at Camp Patton, Asheville, North Carolina, in August, 1861. The following counties furnished companies for the regiment: Henderson, Jackson, Haywood, Cherokee, Transylvania, Clay, Macon, and Buncombe. It moved to Grahamville, South Carolina and remained there until March, 1862. The unit then moved back to North Carolina and arrived in Virginia on June 24. Serving in R. Ransom's and M.W. Ranson's Brigade, it fought with the army from the Seven Days' Battles to Fredericksburg, served in North Carolina, then saw action at Plymouth and Drewry's Bluff. Later the 25th participated in the long Petersburg siege south of the James River and the Appomattox Campaign. It reported 128 casualties during the Seven Days' Battles, 15 in the Maryland Campaign, 88 at Fredericksburg, and 103 at Plymouth. Many were disabled at Sayler's Creek, and on April 9, 1865, only 8 officers and 69 were present.
The field officers were:
|