Alfred Bishop was born in Scott County, Virginia, according to documents once in possession of his granddaughter Eileen (Martha Aletha) Bishop. He moved with his parents to Tennessee, and then to Union County, Georgia.


In Union County Georgia on 21 Dec 1854, he married Mary Ann Ingram. Alfred enlisted with the Allegahny Rangers in Union County, Georgia, of 4 Mar 1862, as a Sergeant in Company G, 52nd Regiment. The enlistment was to have been for six months, but the Confederacy extended all enlistments to the duration of the war. Either Alfred did not get word of this extension, or was discontented with army life, he left for home in October 1862. He was first listed as AWOL on muster rolls, and later as a deserter. He rejoined his company in December 1862 after being AWOL for 73 days. He was reduced in rank to a Private. Alfred's company took part in the Battle of Champion's Hill which was a part of the decisive Vicksburg Campaign in Mississippi. The Union Army took Alfred prisoner on 16 May 1863. Alfred was first sent to Memphis TN on 25 May 1863, he later to Camp Morton, Indiana. Later he was sent to Fort Delaware, he was repatriated at Jackson Hospital near Richmond Virginia on 12 August 1863. Apparently he did not re-join any Confederate unit. He signed an oath of renewed loyalty to the United States of America on 29 May 1865. Alfred and his family lived in Union County, Georgia for several years and farmed land that is now part of a national forest, and that is now bordered on two sides by the Appalachian Hiking trail that rambles from northern Georgia to Maine. His family spent a few years living in Polk County, Tennessee, before they returned to Union County, Georgia. In about 1891, the entire clan packed into wagons and moved to Greene County, Missouri, probably at the urging of their first child Sarah Rhodes nee Bishop. Alfred and his wife died in Missouri. Most of their children remained there, except for some who ventured on to Oklahoma, and William who returned to Georgia. There are still many descendants of Alfred and Mary Ann Ingram living in the Springfield Missouri area