The Walter Stewart Family and the Civil War

Forty-one Stewart grandsons and grandsons-in-law answered the call to arms and wore the Confederate Grey. In addition, one son, 6 Rev. Clark Berry Stewart, served as Domestic Missionary (Chaplain) to the Army of Northern Virginia under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church, Presbytery of South Carolina.

Of the 41, four died of disease and nine died of wounds or were killed in action. Twenty-nine served in various South Carolina units as follows: 17 in Kershaw's Brigade, 4 in McGowan's Brigade, 4 in Hampton's Legion; and 1 each in the following units: Hagood's Brigade; 1st Reg., SC Infantry; 4th Batt., SC Infantry; and Batt. of State Cadets. The remaining 12 served in other states: Georgia 9, Alabama 3.

Stewarts were present at and took part in the following major battles as well as numerous minor engagements: Charleston (1861) and Port Royal in South Carolina; 1st Manassas (Bull Run), Washington Court House, Chancellorsville, Petersburg, and Richmond-Fredericksburg in Virginia; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Sharpsburg, Maryland; Vicksburg, Mississippi; Chickamauga-Chattanooga-Missionary Ridge, Tennessee; Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta, and Savannah in Georgia; and Bentonville, North Carolina.

There were 2 officers, 4 non-commissioned officers, and 35 privates. In regard to the casualties, 3 were from the House of Samuel, 3 from the House of John, 5 from the House of Robert, and 2 from the House of James; total 13, or 31.7% of 41 serving. Overall casualty rate for combined North and South forces was about 15%, by one estimate. The Civil War has long been recognized by historians as the bloodiest in American history. The casualty rate among American troops serving in World War I was about 8%; in World War II, 4.5%.

Specific details of each man's service will be found in that individual's biographical data. It should be noted that sometimes apparent discrepancies appear in public records in state and national archives, and also between public records and old family records, i.e. letters, family traditions, Bible entries, etc. The primary source for the data presented here was the Alphabetical List of Confederate Soldiers compiled by the National Archives in Washington, DC (copy in State Dept. of Archives and History, Columbia, SC); and Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia, State of Georgia.

- 31714 William F. Rawlinson, 1982


Walter Stewart Family Civil War Service

Each soldier is listed by their Stewart code in their respective houses.
House of Samuel

111 JOHN P. McKELVEY, Private, Co. A, 56th Reg., Georgia Infantry.
131 SAMUEL PINCKNEY HENRY, Private, Co. G, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).*
321 ROBERT LELAND HENRY, 2nd Lt., Co. E, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).
133 ALEXANDER S. OWINGS, Corp., Co. G, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).
134 ISAAC FRANKLIN HENRY, Private, Co. G, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).*
15 BENJAMIN J. NEWMAN, Private, Co. E, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).
151 JOHN THOMAS FARROW, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).
17 JOHN F. STEWART, Private, Co. E, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).
18 JAMES W. STEWART, Private, Co. E, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).*
1.11. JAMES MONROE DONNAN, Private, Co. A, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).

House of John

24 WILLIAM WASHINGTON STEWART, Private, Co. A, 1st Reg., SC Infantry.*
241 JOHN W. BRADLEY, Private, Co. K, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).
25 JOHN GARRETT, Private, Co. E, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).*
26 WALTER HENRY STEWART, Private, Co. D, Hampton's Legion (Cavalry).
28 ROBERT JAMES STEWART, Private, Co. D, 27th Reg., SC Infantry (Hagood's Brigade).*
2.10. JOHN WARREN STEWART, Private, Co. F, 9th Alabama Infantry.
2.11. CLARK PRESTON STEWART, Corp., Pruden's Battery, Georgia Artillery (9th Batt.).

House of Robert

31 WILLIAM STEWART, Captain, Co. D, 4th Batt., SC Infantry.
32 ROBERT GILLILAND STEWART, Sgt., Co. E, 14th Reg., SC Infantry (McGowan's Brigade).*
35 ALEXANDER R. STODDARD, Private, Co. G, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).
37 WALTER CLARK STEWART, Private, Co. E, 14th Reg., SC Infantry (McGowan's Brigade).
39 JOHN CALVIN STEWART, Private, Co. F, 20th Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).*
3.10. DAVID TAYLOR STEWART, Private, Co. E, 14th Reg., SC Infantry (McGowan's Brigade).*
3.11. JOSEPH WARREN STEWART, Private, Co. E, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).*
3.12. BENJAMIN F. STEWART, Private, Co. E, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).*
3.13. SAMUEL TURNER STEWART, Private, Co. E, 14th Reg., SC Infantry (McGowan's Brigade).

House of James

42 WALTER WASHINGTON STEWART, Sgt., Co. K, 41st Reg., Georgia Infantry.
43 JOHN REEVES, Private, Co. G, 23rd Reg., Georgia Infantry.*
44 THOMAS WHITE, Private, Co. G, 23rd Reg., Georgia Infantry.*
46 GEORGE SMITH, Private, Co. G, 23rd Reg., Georgia Infantry.
47 GEORGE GARDNER, Private, Co. D, 5th Georgia Reserves.

House of Walter, Jr.

52 WILLIAM CLARK STEWART, Private, Co. D, 20th Reg., SC Infantry (Hampton's Legion).
53 JOSEPH ADDISON BOGGS, Private, Co. D, 20th Reg., SC Infantry (Hampton's Legion).
55 JAMES LEWERS STEWART, Lt., Co. C, 51st Georgia Infantry.
57 JOHN PRESTON STEWART, Private. Co. B, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).
58 SAMUEL DIXON STEWART, Sgt., Co. D, 20th Reg., SC Infantry (Hampton's Legion).

House of Clark

6 REV. CLARK BERRY STEWART, Domestic Missionary (Chaplain) to the Army of Northern Virginia, appointed by the Presbytery of South Carolina.
61 JAMES LEWIS STODDARD, Private, Co. G, 3rd Reg., SC Infantry (Kershaw's Brigade).
62 JOHN WISTAR STEWART, Private, Co. B, Battalion of State Cadets.

House of David

71 ALEXANDER MALLARD, Private, Co. D, 5th Reg., Georgia Cavalry.
72 CLARK BERRY STEWART, Private, Co. A, 51st Alabama Partisain Rangers.
78 BARNEY McCARTNEY, Private, Co. A, 31st Alabama Infantry.

* Killed in action or died of disease

Source: 1st Appendix in the Walter Stewart Clan History.