William Grandison Abel was born in 1829 in Forestburg, Prince William County, VA. He was the son of Rachel Abel (1803-1870) and an unknown father. He married Mary Jane Henderson on February 28, 1867 (1845-1928) and they had several children. When he entered service in the Civil War he was listed as a blacksmith.
(p. v) As a private in the Civil War, he began his service as a member of Company G (aater became Company B, also known as the Quantico Guards, and/or Captain C. A. Nelson’s company. Captain Nelson was appointed Provost Marshal and his company constituted the Provost Guard, charged with policing and maintaining order among the men.
Note: The following information on William Grandison Abel was gathered from two sources: (1) copies of his Muster Rolls, and (2) “History of the Forty-Ninth Virginia Infantry C.S.A.” by Laura Virginia Hale and Stanley S. Phillips, published 1981. When the book is cited, the page number will be indicated in parenthesis prior to the citation from the book (p. xx). In doing this research I found that the two sources literally mirrored each other, thus establishing credibility. The only inconsistencies I found were in a couple of instances of names or locations being spelled differently. I have indicated the Muster Roll’s spelling first and the book’s spelling in parentheses.
(p. v) Company B was part of the 49thVirginia Infantry, CSA, also called “Extra Billy’s boys” which refers to William Smith, the 64-year old ex-Governor of Virginia. They organized at Dumfries in 01 July 1861 by electing officers and establishing barracks, and were was mustered into service on 16 July where they remained in Dumfries, on duty, until 08 Mar 1862 (p. 228) as per General Order No. 1. The commander of the troops of Camp Fisher, near Dumfries, was Brigadeer General W. H. C. Whiting.
(p. 228) On 10 Mar 1862 they left, marching with the 49th Regiment (aka General Whiting’s army) via Fredericksburg and the Orange County Court House. (p. 21) They spent a week’s “toilsome march” through much rain and mud until they reached Clark Mountains near Rapid Ann (Rapidan) Station on the 20th of March where they remained for about three weeks in a sort of Camp made up of tents, pine and cedar bushes, enduring rain, snow and being “disagreeable most of the time”. From there they joined the Regiment on 28 Mar. On 30 Apr 1862 the Regiment reorganized, and his Company, which was initially known as Company G (2nd) became Company B.
From Rapidan they moved to near York Town (Yorktown); then they moved with the Regiment via rail to Richmond and down the James River to Kings Landing. They stayed there until 04 May when they left and marched via Williamsburg. (p. 24) The battle of Williamsburg was on 05 May and lasted all day in pouring rain. The 49th was not actively engaged but remained on reserve in a pouring rain and into the night “a night of almost unparalleled suffering” wrote General Hill.
From Williamsburg they moved to the Chickahominy where they remained a few days; then they moved to a point near Richmond and encamped near Malvin’s Hill with “our regiment greatly reduced from sickness and the recent battles”. This last Muster Roll is dated June 30, 1862; the next is dated 31 Dec 1863, with the Company near Summerville Ford, and the final Muster Roll, which spans April through October, 1864, indicates that Company B was camped near New Market, VA. This lack of information toward the end may be indicative of the fact that William Grandison was (p. 230) captured on 15 Mar 1864 and sent to Old Capital Prison in Washington, DC. In June, 1864, he was transferred to Ford Delaware, and finally released on 19 Jun 1865.
William Grandison Abel died on 17 Mar 1885 in Prince William County, VA.
According to a member of the Abel family, Grandison is buried in the Abel Cemetery and, at one time, did have a gravestone. That stone is missing and no one currently knows where the grave is located.
(p. v) As a private in the Civil War, he began his service as a member of Company G (aater became Company B, also known as the Quantico Guards, and/or Captain C. A. Nelson’s company. Captain Nelson was appointed Provost Marshal and his company constituted the Provost Guard, charged with policing and maintaining order among the men.
Note: The following information on William Grandison Abel was gathered from two sources: (1) copies of his Muster Rolls, and (2) “History of the Forty-Ninth Virginia Infantry C.S.A.” by Laura Virginia Hale and Stanley S. Phillips, published 1981. When the book is cited, the page number will be indicated in parenthesis prior to the citation from the book (p. xx). In doing this research I found that the two sources literally mirrored each other, thus establishing credibility. The only inconsistencies I found were in a couple of instances of names or locations being spelled differently. I have indicated the Muster Roll’s spelling first and the book’s spelling in parentheses.
(p. v) Company B was part of the 49thVirginia Infantry, CSA, also called “Extra Billy’s boys” which refers to William Smith, the 64-year old ex-Governor of Virginia. They organized at Dumfries in 01 July 1861 by electing officers and establishing barracks, and were was mustered into service on 16 July where they remained in Dumfries, on duty, until 08 Mar 1862 (p. 228) as per General Order No. 1. The commander of the troops of Camp Fisher, near Dumfries, was Brigadeer General W. H. C. Whiting.
(p. 228) On 10 Mar 1862 they left, marching with the 49th Regiment (aka General Whiting’s army) via Fredericksburg and the Orange County Court House. (p. 21) They spent a week’s “toilsome march” through much rain and mud until they reached Clark Mountains near Rapid Ann (Rapidan) Station on the 20th of March where they remained for about three weeks in a sort of Camp made up of tents, pine and cedar bushes, enduring rain, snow and being “disagreeable most of the time”. From there they joined the Regiment on 28 Mar. On 30 Apr 1862 the Regiment reorganized, and his Company, which was initially known as Company G (2nd) became Company B.
From Rapidan they moved to near York Town (Yorktown); then they moved with the Regiment via rail to Richmond and down the James River to Kings Landing. They stayed there until 04 May when they left and marched via Williamsburg. (p. 24) The battle of Williamsburg was on 05 May and lasted all day in pouring rain. The 49th was not actively engaged but remained on reserve in a pouring rain and into the night “a night of almost unparalleled suffering” wrote General Hill.
From Williamsburg they moved to the Chickahominy where they remained a few days; then they moved to a point near Richmond and encamped near Malvin’s Hill with “our regiment greatly reduced from sickness and the recent battles”. This last Muster Roll is dated June 30, 1862; the next is dated 31 Dec 1863, with the Company near Summerville Ford, and the final Muster Roll, which spans April through October, 1864, indicates that Company B was camped near New Market, VA. This lack of information toward the end may be indicative of the fact that William Grandison was (p. 230) captured on 15 Mar 1864 and sent to Old Capital Prison in Washington, DC. In June, 1864, he was transferred to Ford Delaware, and finally released on 19 Jun 1865.
William Grandison Abel died on 17 Mar 1885 in Prince William County, VA.
According to a member of the Abel family, Grandison is buried in the Abel Cemetery and, at one time, did have a gravestone. That stone is missing and no one currently knows where the grave is located.
William Grandison Abel was born in 1829 in Forestburg, Prince William County, VA. He was the son of Rachel Abel (1803-1870) and an unknown father. He married Mary Jane Henderson on February 28, 1867 (1845-1928) and they had several children. When he entered service in the Civil War he was listed as a blacksmith.
(p. v) As a private in the Civil War, he began his service as a member of Company G (aater became Company B, also known as the Quantico Guards, and/or Captain C. A. Nelson’s company. Captain Nelson was appointed Provost Marshal and his company constituted the Provost Guard, charged with policing and maintaining order among the men.
Note: The following information on William Grandison Abel was gathered from two sources: (1) copies of his Muster Rolls, and (2) “History of the Forty-Ninth Virginia Infantry C.S.A.” by Laura Virginia Hale and Stanley S. Phillips, published 1981. When the book is cited, the page number will be indicated in parenthesis prior to the citation from the book (p. xx). In doing this research I found that the two sources literally mirrored each other, thus establishing credibility. The only inconsistencies I found were in a couple of instances of names or locations being spelled differently. I have indicated the Muster Roll’s spelling first and the book’s spelling in parentheses.
(p. v) Company B was part of the 49thVirginia Infantry, CSA, also called “Extra Billy’s boys” which refers to William Smith, the 64-year old ex-Governor of Virginia. They organized at Dumfries in 01 July 1861 by electing officers and establishing barracks, and were was mustered into service on 16 July where they remained in Dumfries, on duty, until 08 Mar 1862 (p. 228) as per General Order No. 1. The commander of the troops of Camp Fisher, near Dumfries, was Brigadeer General W. H. C. Whiting.
(p. 228) On 10 Mar 1862 they left, marching with the 49th Regiment (aka General Whiting’s army) via Fredericksburg and the Orange County Court House. (p. 21) They spent a week’s “toilsome march” through much rain and mud until they reached Clark Mountains near Rapid Ann (Rapidan) Station on the 20th of March where they remained for about three weeks in a sort of Camp made up of tents, pine and cedar bushes, enduring rain, snow and being “disagreeable most of the time”. From there they joined the Regiment on 28 Mar. On 30 Apr 1862 the Regiment reorganized, and his Company, which was initially known as Company G (2nd) became Company B.
From Rapidan they moved to near York Town (Yorktown); then they moved with the Regiment via rail to Richmond and down the James River to Kings Landing. They stayed there until 04 May when they left and marched via Williamsburg. (p. 24) The battle of Williamsburg was on 05 May and lasted all day in pouring rain. The 49th was not actively engaged but remained on reserve in a pouring rain and into the night “a night of almost unparalleled suffering” wrote General Hill.
From Williamsburg they moved to the Chickahominy where they remained a few days; then they moved to a point near Richmond and encamped near Malvin’s Hill with “our regiment greatly reduced from sickness and the recent battles”. This last Muster Roll is dated June 30, 1862; the next is dated 31 Dec 1863, with the Company near Summerville Ford, and the final Muster Roll, which spans April through October, 1864, indicates that Company B was camped near New Market, VA. This lack of information toward the end may be indicative of the fact that William Grandison was (p. 230) captured on 15 Mar 1864 and sent to Old Capital Prison in Washington, DC. In June, 1864, he was transferred to Ford Delaware, and finally released on 19 Jun 1865.
William Grandison Abel died on 17 Mar 1885 in Prince William County, VA.
According to a member of the Abel family, Grandison is buried in the Abel Cemetery and, at one time, did have a gravestone. That stone is missing and no one currently knows where the grave is located.
(p. v) As a private in the Civil War, he began his service as a member of Company G (aater became Company B, also known as the Quantico Guards, and/or Captain C. A. Nelson’s company. Captain Nelson was appointed Provost Marshal and his company constituted the Provost Guard, charged with policing and maintaining order among the men.
Note: The following information on William Grandison Abel was gathered from two sources: (1) copies of his Muster Rolls, and (2) “History of the Forty-Ninth Virginia Infantry C.S.A.” by Laura Virginia Hale and Stanley S. Phillips, published 1981. When the book is cited, the page number will be indicated in parenthesis prior to the citation from the book (p. xx). In doing this research I found that the two sources literally mirrored each other, thus establishing credibility. The only inconsistencies I found were in a couple of instances of names or locations being spelled differently. I have indicated the Muster Roll’s spelling first and the book’s spelling in parentheses.
(p. v) Company B was part of the 49thVirginia Infantry, CSA, also called “Extra Billy’s boys” which refers to William Smith, the 64-year old ex-Governor of Virginia. They organized at Dumfries in 01 July 1861 by electing officers and establishing barracks, and were was mustered into service on 16 July where they remained in Dumfries, on duty, until 08 Mar 1862 (p. 228) as per General Order No. 1. The commander of the troops of Camp Fisher, near Dumfries, was Brigadeer General W. H. C. Whiting.
(p. 228) On 10 Mar 1862 they left, marching with the 49th Regiment (aka General Whiting’s army) via Fredericksburg and the Orange County Court House. (p. 21) They spent a week’s “toilsome march” through much rain and mud until they reached Clark Mountains near Rapid Ann (Rapidan) Station on the 20th of March where they remained for about three weeks in a sort of Camp made up of tents, pine and cedar bushes, enduring rain, snow and being “disagreeable most of the time”. From there they joined the Regiment on 28 Mar. On 30 Apr 1862 the Regiment reorganized, and his Company, which was initially known as Company G (2nd) became Company B.
From Rapidan they moved to near York Town (Yorktown); then they moved with the Regiment via rail to Richmond and down the James River to Kings Landing. They stayed there until 04 May when they left and marched via Williamsburg. (p. 24) The battle of Williamsburg was on 05 May and lasted all day in pouring rain. The 49th was not actively engaged but remained on reserve in a pouring rain and into the night “a night of almost unparalleled suffering” wrote General Hill.
From Williamsburg they moved to the Chickahominy where they remained a few days; then they moved to a point near Richmond and encamped near Malvin’s Hill with “our regiment greatly reduced from sickness and the recent battles”. This last Muster Roll is dated June 30, 1862; the next is dated 31 Dec 1863, with the Company near Summerville Ford, and the final Muster Roll, which spans April through October, 1864, indicates that Company B was camped near New Market, VA. This lack of information toward the end may be indicative of the fact that William Grandison was (p. 230) captured on 15 Mar 1864 and sent to Old Capital Prison in Washington, DC. In June, 1864, he was transferred to Ford Delaware, and finally released on 19 Jun 1865.
William Grandison Abel died on 17 Mar 1885 in Prince William County, VA.
According to a member of the Abel family, Grandison is buried in the Abel Cemetery and, at one time, did have a gravestone. That stone is missing and no one currently knows where the grave is located.
Gravesite Details
buried in an unmarked grave. It is reported that, at one time, there was a grave stone. But, it has been missing for a number of years now.
Family Members
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