Winchester Dalton

57^th Infantry  Regiment  Virginia 

Company  D  The Galveston Tigers

May 24, 1861 Virginia officially succeeded from the Union.  All the men below travelled to Gum Springs to enlist in the Confederacy on Saturday, June 22, 1861.    The 57^th Infantry Regiment was not organized until September 23, 1861. 

I searched the census records for Virginia in 1860 and I found that with the exception of Caleb Dalton* that most of these men came from the Northern District, Pittsylvania County, Virginia (Chatham, Berger’s Station and Chalk Level).   It is also possible that some of these names are extremely common and that the names I found in the census just happened to be the same as in this list.  But in any case, I am assuming that these young men all travelled at the same time or close to the same time to enlist due to their zeal for the cause.  It may be my imagination at work, but I can see them all there, discussing the quick end to the war and the beating that they would give the Northerners.   Maybe some of them rode in together and ate together, talking about the crops they were growing and the girls they were seeing, not knowing of the horrors that would be endured in the years to come.

1.        Enos Barber  Enlisted as a Private- Discharged from Company D, 57^th Infantry Regiment Virginia on September 5, 1862

2.       Caleb Dalton  Enlisted as a Private- Died Company D, 57^th Regiment Virginia on August 10, 1863

3.       Winchester Dalton Enlisted as a Private

4.       David Dickinson Enlisted as a 1^st Lieutenant   Commission in Company D on June 22, 1861, Promoted to Full Captain on May 23, 1862

5.       James Dodd Enlisted as a Private-Died of Disease Company D September 18, 1862

6.       Leroy Dyer Enlisted as a 2^nd Lieutenant Promoted to Full lst lieutenant on June 16, 1862

7.       David Dyer Enlisted as a Captain Promoted to Full Major on May 23, 1862 Promoted to Full Colonel on July 30, 1862, Resigned Company D on January 12, 1863

8.       James Hodnett  Promoted to Full Private (Reduced to ranks)  Enlisted as a Corporal on June 22, 1861 Discharged from Company D on September 5, 1862

9.       Thomas Jones Enlisted as a Corporal – Died of disease on July 29, 1864

10.   John Neal Enlisted as a Private – Died of disease on August 3, 1862 at Chesterfield, Va

11.   James Owen, Jr. Enlisted as a Private – Deserted from Company D on June 24, 1864

12.   James Owen Enlisted as a Private

13.   Coleman Payne Enlisted as a Private  Promoted to Full Sergeant on August 1, 1861, Died of Disease on November 22, 1862 at Pittsylvania County, Va.

14.   Frederick Payne Enlisted as a Private.  There was a description (red hair, hazel eyes, 6 feet tall) I believe that Coleman and Frederick were brothers.  I  found a Frederick and Coleman Payne in the 1860 census Pittsylvania County.

15.   Richard Payne Enlisted as a Private.  Description (5’8” blue eyes and brown hair)

16.   Giles Payne Enlisted as a Private. Discharged from Company D on November 27, 1861 at Richmond, Va.

17.   George Shelton Enlisted as a Private- Died Company D   October 27, 1863

18.   James Shelton Enlisted as a Private.  Deserted from Company D on May 26, 1863

19.   John Shelton Enlisted as a Private

20.   Thomas Shelton Enlisted as a Private.  Deserted from Company D on October 18, 1864

21.   George Thomas Enlisted as a Sergeant.  Description (Grey eyes, brown hair and 5’10”)

Of these 21 men, I found that two of the men died with no explanation.

Caleb Dalton died on August 10, 1863.  According to Regimental History, the 57^th Regiment fought on July 15, 1863 at Williamsport, MD and on July 26, 1863 (area not given)

George Shelton died on October 27, 1863.  According to Regimental History, the 57^th, there were no battles fought between July 26, 1863 and December 14, 1863. 

Four men died of disease:

James Dodd on September 18, 1862

Thomas Jones on July 29, 1864

John Neal on August 3, 1862

Coleman Payne on November 22, 1862

Two men deserted: 

James Shelton   May 26, 1863

James Owen Jr.  June 24, 1864

I do not have an explanation for why they traveled all the way to Louisa County, Virginia to enlist.  If anyone has any information on this subject, I would appreciate your contacting me.   I have given some thought that maybe Gumspring was the name for some small station in Pittsylvania County, but I can find no references.

 *I could not find Caleb Dalton in the census.  However this does not mean that he did not live in Pittsylvania County, Va.  His name could be spelled wrong or I could just have missed it.

I found most of my infomation at Ancestry.com.