Two of Tom's letters, written from camp, have been found. One is addressed to "Dear Uncle" and signed "So nothing more remaining your nephew until death, T. J. Worrell to William Barnett." William Barnett was the husband of Tempe Dunkin, the Aunt of Tom's mother, Catherine Dunkn Worrell. The second letter is written to "my dear cousins Andrew J. Barnett, Robert Wesley Dunkin and Jacob Dunkin." It may be of interest to some family historians to see a mention of family relatives in Tom's letters so I have quoted some names here:
"I have not heard from him (referring to his "pops") since James Edmond came back ..."
"Francis Nichols sends his best to you and family and Joseph Brown says he would like to see you and wants Jack to write to him.
"Captain J. P. Peterson has Resigned his office and gone home and we will have Liutenant Samuel Davidson of Bibb County for our Captain and he is as fine a man as ever trod upon Southern soil He is well beliked by all the men in this company and you never will get another"
"Tell Granny Dunkin that I would like to see her. Tell all of Uncle Abel Dunkin's Folks howdy for me and tell them to write me Tell Jacob Dunkin and all his folks howdy for me and Johns family Tell Jacob that Bill Davis says he is as fat as a pig tell him that Robert Burt is well and he says if he made a good tater crop to send him a sack full of them my Dear cousin, tell cousin Bill Dunkin I that I have not forgot Old Mount Pleasant Church and that I want to be remembered in his prayers."
Though Tom was probably a member of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church where Wesley J. Worrell is buried, Tom was also the one who recorded the minutes of the first meetings of the Ephesus Baptist Church where his sister Tempe Worrell and cousins Arminta Barnett and Minerva Nichols were charter members. These records are on microfilm at Samford University, Birmingham Alabama. (Howard College where Tom had gone to enlist, was founded in 1842 but ravaged by the Civil War and eventually burned to the ground,. In 1957, it was renamed Samford College and eventually Samford Univeristy, and relocated to Birmingham Alabama. My family lived next door to the College and my sisters remember watching the fire.)
Tom was married to Rebecca Sintha Digby 27 March 1861 and he showed great concern for her as well as "Pops" in his letters. She was the daughter of Wiley James Digby and Lavinia Fondren.
Dudley Hartley, Marion Alabama historian and descendant of the Francis Nichols mentioned above, has related to me the story of how his ancestor, Francis Nichols carried Tom Worrell home from the War. Tom had contacted pneumonia. In one of the letters dated Nov 3, 1861 Tom had said "I had the Meezles but I am well of them now ." After the men had walked to Selma Alabama to be pardoned, Tom told Francis Nichols to return home without him. Francis refused and carried Tom the remainder of the way to Marion. Dudley says that Tom Worrell and Francis Nichols remained life long friends. At the time of the Civil War Tom Worrell and Francis Nichols were step-brothers. Tom's mother had died and Wesley I. Worrell had married Francis' mother, Mary "Polly" Brown Nichols Worrell. Mary Brown was the widow of Frank's father, George Marlowe Nichols.
Though I know a lot about the descendants of Wesley J. Worrell I am totally clueless about any of his ancestors so, if you care to do so, you may gladly publish my name, email address and web sites in hopes that someone will contact me. Submitted by: Nannette Worrell Serra
My Worrell genealogy discussion group
My mtDNA genealogy discussion group
Worrell and related families (If anyone wants to join they must email me at my address above to obtain a password to the following site,)
MY FAMILY SITE
CONFEDERATE ALABAMA TROOPS
20th Regiment, Alabama Infantry
20th Infantry Regiment completed its organization in September, 1861, at Montgomery, Alabama. The men were recruited in the counties of Jefferson, Greene, Bibb, Perry, Dallas, Hale, Tuscaloosa, Washington, and Russell. After serving at Mobile the unit was brigaded under Generals Barton, Tracy, and S.D. Lee. It moved to Kentucky, but prior to the Battle of Murfreesboro it was ordered to Mississippi. Here it took an active part in the conflicts at Port Gibson and Champion's Hill and was captured on July 4, 1863, when Vicksburg fell. Exchanged and reorganized, the 20th was placed in General Pettus' Brigade, Army of Tennessee. It was involved in various battles from Chattanooga to Nashville and ended the war in North Carolina. This unit contained 836 men in December, 1861, sustained 58 casualties at Chattanooga, and totalled 526 men and 376 arms on December 14, 1863. During January, 1865 there were 305 present, and it surrendered with about 165. The field officers were Colonels Charles D. Anderson, James M. Dedman, I.W. Garrott, and Edmund W. Pettus; Lieutenant Colonels John W. Davis and Mitchell T. Porter; and Majors John G. Harris and Alfred S. Pickering.
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