User:TonyMyers56/Pvt John Burton Arnold

Pvt John Burton "Bert" Arnold

John Burton 'Bert' Arnold was born in Jan 4, 1843, in Thomas County, Georgia. John was one of nine children, four boys and five girls. John's parents were John Arnold (born in South Carolina), and Ellender (Baker) Arnold (born in Irwin, Georgia). His parents moved their family from Georgia to Florida about 1845. John enlisted into the Confederate Army at the age of 18 years, in 1861 with Captain Sheffield’s Company, 4th Regiment, Florida Infantry at Lake City, Florida and was mustered in on September 7, 1861. Captain Sheffield’s Company later became Company D, 4th Regiment, Florida Infantry.

John’s Company fought during the Battle of Chickamauga (a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign). The battle was the most significant Union defeat of the war and involved the second highest number casualties in the war following the Battle of Gettysburg. It was also the first major battle fought in Georgia. Due to injuries sustained while engaged in battle on September 20, 1863, John’s right hand had to be amputated.

Pvt J. B. Arnold - Co. D, 4 Regt. Fla. Inf. Subject Honor Roll General Order 64/2

August 10, 1864

Adjutant & Inspector General’s Office, Confederate States, contains information relative to the man named, on the subject mentioned above.



[Approval for the Confederate Medal of Honor’s Confederate Honor Roll]

(Note: John had to have returned to the war at some point in time) *

On May 10, 1865 John’s unit was surrendered to the Union Forces at Tallahassee, Florida by his commanding officers and John was listed as a prisoner of war. John was subsequently paroled by the Union Army at Tallahassee, Florida on May 17, 1865 due to provisions of agreements between Military forces of the North and South.

At the age of 22, John married Caroline ‘Carrie’ Williams (born in Columbia, Florida) in 1865 and they had eight children by 1891 four boys and four girls. In 1880 at the age of 37, John was living with his family in Polk County, Florida and working as a farmer. By 1900, John was now 58 and in the business of raising cattle in Frostproof. At 77, it was now 1920 and only John and Caroline’s were now living on the farm. John Died on Feb 20, 1921 at the age of 78 years, and is buried at Biscuit Lake Cemetery in Frostproof, Polk County, Florida

* Appears on a Roll of Prisoners of War belonging to the Confederated Army, surrendered by Major General Sam Jones, commanding Confederate Forces in Florida, to Brigadier General E. M. McCook, U.S.V., commanding U.S. Forces at Tallahassee, Florida, and vicinity, in compliance with the terms of a Military convention made on April 26, 1865, at Bennetts’ House, near Durham’s Station, N.C., between General J. E. Johnston, of the Confederate Armies, and Major General W. T. Sherman, U.S.A. and approved by Lieutenant General U.S. Grant, U.S.A. (Roll not dated) Paroled at Tallahassee, Florida on May 17, 1865 (Surrendered May 10, 1865 at Tallahassee, Florida).