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Contributed by: Carroll Pearsall Amzi R. Wilson, Private, CSA Amzi R. Wilson enlisted as a Private at Wilmington, NC on 26 Apr 1862. J. W. Taylor, Lieutenant, enlisted him. His age was 22 and the record reflects that he was from Duplin County. The unit was known as Captain Charles D. Ellis’ Company (River Guards), NC Heavy Artillery. This was the same unit as his brother, Francis Marion Wilson. On 24 May 1862, Amzi was released from the hospital in Wilmington to Magnolia. Amzi is carried on the unit rolls for July and August 1862 as sick. Again, he was furloughed to Magnolia on 4 Aug 1862. There is no indication of when he was returned to duty. Captain Ellis’ unit subsequently became the 1st Battalion, NC Heavy Artillery on 25 Mar 1863 and Private Wilson was in Company B. Unit rolls for July and August 1863 reflect that he was present, with a notation that he had been sick in the hospital since 1 Aug 1863. Unit rolls for November and December 1863 reflect he was detached from Company B as a train guard on the W&W RR since 27 Sep 1863 by order of Major Sparrow. The rolls for January and February 1864 reflected that he was still detached to as a train guard. He was admitted to the Military Hospital NO. 4 in Wilmington on 24 Feb 1864, and the rolls reflect that he went to Magnolia. He returned to duty from Magnolia on 21 Mar 1864. The company served at various locations in defense of Wilmington and the Cape Fear River. Most of the members escaped the fall of Fort Fisher in January – March 1865 and were assigned to Brigadier General Johnson Hagood’s Brigade, Major General Robert Hoke’s Division and served with that command through the Battle of Bentonville, March 19-23, 1865. Private Amzi R. Wilson was killed at Bentonville on 19 Mar 1865. Amzi R. Wilson was the son of James Dickson Wilson and Elizabeth Hollingsworth. He was married to Nancy Ezzell, daughter of Rackley Ezzell and Catherine Bradley of Sampson County. Two children were borne of this marriage: John Dickson Wilson and Elizabeth (Bettie) C. Wilson. Nancy Ezzell Wilson then married Bryant Merritt of Sampson County. Sources: 1860 Census, Amziah Wilson, Duplin County, NC Amzi R. Wilson, CSA Record, National Archives 2. http://statetroopsandvolunteers.com/firstarbn.html, 1st Battalion N. C. Heavy Artillery, CSA. American Civil War Soldiers & CSA Record (ancestry.com) 1880 Census, Bryant Merritt, Sampson County, NC NC Death Certificate – Nancy Merritt (4 May 1918) Submitted by: Stephen Carroll Pearsall |