1864: Sick Furlough Pass issued by Thomas G. White

This pass was written by Thomas G. White who enlisted in April 1862 for the duration of the war in Co. F, 3rd Battalion Light Artillery (a.k.a., the Chesnut Light Artillery). He was made a Second Lieutenant in the unit in June 1862 and detached as Commissary for the Battalion in March 1863. Beginning in January 1864, he began to sign the rolls as 1st Lt., commanding the company. Company F took part in battles around Charleston, shooting artillery rounds at Union gunboats and soldiers, and disbanded after the evacuation of Charleston.

Lt. White wrote the pass ¹ for Wilson Roe (1804-Aft1864) of Edgefield District, South Carolina. The pass gives Wilson’s age as 52 but according to census record, he was even older. In the 1850 US Census, he was enumerated in the household of his brother, Simpson Roe [Rowe] and his birth year was given as 1804. Wilson’s brother Simpson also served the Confederacy as a private in Co. D, 14th South Carolina Infantry.

Confederate soldiers of the ‘Palmetto Battery’ in Charleston, South Carolina, 1863. This photograph was taken by George S. Cook, one of the most renowned photographers of the Confederacy. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Transcription

Camp Robertson, Wilton [S. C.]
April [ ] 1864

The bearer here of private W. Roe of Capt. F. C. Schulz’s Co. F, [3rd] P. B. L.A. [Pametto Battalion Light Artillery], aged 52 years, 5 feet 10 inches high, dark complexion, grey eyes, grey hair, and by occupation a farmer, born in Edgefield district, and enlisted at Camp Chesnut on the 26th of February 1863 to serve for the period of the war, is hereby permitted to go to Edgefield, District, State of South Carolina, he having received a sick furlough for sixty days from the [ ] day of April to the [ ] day of [ ] at which period he will rejoin his company at Camp Robertson or wherever it may then be or be considered a deserter.

Subsistence has been furnished to said private W. Roe to the 20th April & pay to the 31st of December 1863.

Given under my hand at Camp Robertson this [ ] day of April 1864.

— Thomas G. White, Lieutenant Commanding, C. S. A.

Camp Roberson, Written Jan, 1864

¹ A pass would have been required for a soldier returning home on a furlough of any kind. This particular pass happened to be for a sick furlough. The pass offered the bearer protection from being arrested as a deserter. Pvt. Roe’s pass (above) did not have the actual dates filled in so it may have only been a draft or a copy kept by the company. The language in these passes was pretty standard. Here is another one I found online issued by the same company:

The bearer here of private John Driggers of Capt F. C. Schultz Co. F. Palmetto Light Artillery, age 46 years, 6 foot 1 inch high, dark complexion, black eyes, black hair, by occupation farmer, born in Sumter District and enlisted at Camp Hayward on the 15th April 1862 to serve for the period of the war is hereby permitted to go to his home in Charleston District, State of South Carolina, He having received a furlough from the 13 day of January to the 23 day of January 1864, at which point he will rejoin his company at Camp Roberson on wherever they may be or be considered a deserter— Subsistence has been furnished to the said private to the 20 of January to the 31 October 1864, given under my hand at Capt Roberson on this 13th day of January 1864. F. C. Schultz Capt. Charleston District.