2nd Sergeant William Powell Ward

Company "C",
53rd Alabama Regiment Cavalry, Partisan Rangers,
C.S.A.

A Biography by John R. Martin
c. 2006 All rights reserved.


My ancestor, William Powell WARD was born on 29 January 1829 in Gwinnett Coounty, Georgia to Nathan Ward and Martha Canada. He married on 18 July 1852 to Sarah Jane Buckner, the daughter of Miles Buckner and Delila Mullins. She was born on 5 September 1832 in Putnam County, Georgia. By 1860, William and Sarah had moved to Buyckville, Alabama and owned a small farm.

On 29 July 1862, William, aged 32 years, enlisted at the rank of 2nd Sergeant in Company C., 53rd Regiment Alabama Partisan Rangers which was being formed that day in Buyckville, Alabama. However, by the second muster roll of the regiment, William was listed as a Private. Whilst Private Ward was with it, the regiment fought in the following battles: Cherokee Station and Little Bear Creek, Albama (12 December 62); Thompson's Station (5 March 63); Florence, Alabama (25 March 63); Brentwood (25 March 63); Town Creek (April 63); Streight's Raid (April-May 63); and Chickamauga (19-20 September 63). Prior to the Atlanta Campaign, Private Ward was captured near Mooresville, Alabama, on 19 November 1863. He was imprisoned in Rock Island, Illinois on 9 December 1863, where he remained until 3 May 1865. He was eventually exchanged from New Orleans, Louisiana on 23 May 1865, and walked from thence back to his home in Alabama.

By 1870, William and Sarah and six children, listed below, lived in Sykes Mill, Elmore Co., Alabama. Sarah died on 27 May 1894 in Coosa County, Alabama. William died on 19 April 1920 in Wetumpka, Alabama and is buried in Titus Cemetery, Elmore County, Alabama. Their children were:

  •   George Washington WARD, born 11 Jan 1855, died 27 Feb 1938 in Titus Cem, Elmore Co,        AL., married to Martha Ann EMBRY on 5 Dec 1875
  •   Martha Ann Delilah WARD, born 9 Jan 1859, married James H. Norrell on 25 Dec 1877
  •   Miles Nathan WARD, born 8 Oct 1860, died 22 Apr 1944, buried Providence Cem.,
       Coosa Co., AL, married Hattie Varner 17 Nov 1886
  •   William Powell WARD Jr., born 10 Nov 1862, married Julia A. Gantt 18 Nov 1886
  •   Roxie (Royce?) Jane Sarah Elizabeth WARD, born 16 Sep 1868 Elmore Co., Al,
       died 26 Oct 1939, buried Titus Cem., Elmore Co., AL, married (1)
       Joseph Taylor Collins 7 Nov 1886 (2) George Washington Steele 23 Apr 1899
  •   Robert Lee WARD, born 16 Nov 1870, married Mammie E. Davis 9 Oct 1889


William's siblings were:

  •   Mahala WARD, born ~1822, married (1)James Ledbetter (2)John Tippett
  •   Marion WARD, born and died 27 October 1827
  •   James K. WARD, born ~ 1833
  •   Sarah WARD, born ~1836, married William R. Baker 24 February 1850 Tallapoosa Co.
  •   Almeda WARD, born ~ 1836-38, married George Brooks
  •   John WARD, born ~ 1837
  •   Rachel WARD, born ~ 1840-42, married Rancom Baker on 15 July 1860 in
       Tallapoosa County
  •   Jessie W. WARD, born ~ 1845, buried Titus Cemetery Elmore County, Ala.,
       married Rebecca J. Ware 22 December 1867 Tallapoosa Co.: both buried Union Cemetery,
       Tallapoosa County
  •   Martha WARD, born ~ 1852, married Walter Evans; Walter born ~1852,
       son of David and Rebecca Johnston Evans.


FIFTY-THIRD ALABAMA REGIMENT


This was a mounted regiment listed on its muster roll as "Partisan Rangers" and organized in Montgomery in November 1862, with Moses W. Hannon as Colonel, and operated with the Army of the Tennessee. There was a Company C. in it from Coosa County, formed in July 1862, of which John C. Humphries was Captain; William T. Massingale, 1st Lieutenant; John W. Hunter, 2nd Lieutenant; George W. McEwen, 3rd Lieutenant; Gibson Burkhalter, 1st Sergeant; and William P. Ward, 2nd Sergeant.

The 53rd Alabama Cavalry Regiment, Partisan Rangers, was organized by increasing the 1st Cavalry Battalion to regimental size at Montgomery on 5 November 1862. Recruits were from Autauga, Coffee, Coosa, Dale, Dallas, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Macon, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Tallapoosa and Wilcox Counties. It proceeded in a few weeks to Mississippi. In moving from Columbus to Decatur, in Lawrence, a portion of the regiment was there equipped and proceeded to join General Earl Van Dorn. This battalion was in the fighting at Thompson's Station, and at Brentwood. The regiment was engaged in the fight with Union General Grenville Dodge at Town Creek and in the pursuit of Union Colonel Abel Streight. Soon after, the 53rd joined the main army at Dalton as part of General Moses W. Hannon's Brigade, General John Kelly's Division. It operated on the right of the army as it fell back towards Atlanta and was engaged in constant duty. When Union General William T. Sherman reached Atlanta, the 53rd was the principal force engaged in the daring raid in his rear, whereby a valuable train was destroyed. It was then at the heels of Sherman as he devastated Georgia and the Carolinas, and it took part in the last operations of the war in that quarter. It surrendered a small number with General Joseph E. Johnston at Durham Station, Orange County, NC, on 26 April 1865.

Field and staff officers: Colonel Moses Wright Hannon (Montgomery; promoted); Lieutanant Colonel John F. Gaines (Montgomery; wounded, Waynesboro); Major Thomas Farewell Jenkins (Wilcox; captured, near Florence); and Adjutants R. B. Snodgrass (Montgomery; wounded three times; transferred); George P. Furhman; and John T. Tannehill (Montgomery).

It was assigned to
(1) the District of the Gulf, Dept. #2 (Dec 1862); to Armstrong's Brigade, Jackson's Division, Van Dorn's Cavalry Corps, Department of MS and East LA (Feb 63) with a total of 517 effectives;
(2) to Armstrong's Brigade, Van Dorn's Division, Army of Tennessee (Feb-March 63);
(3) to Armstrong's Brig, Jackson's Division, Van Dorn's Cavalry Corps, Army of TN (March 63);
(4) to District of Northern AL, Dept #2 (July-Aug 63);
(5) to Roddey's Brigade, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Army of TN (Aug 63-April 64);
(6) to M. W. Hannon's Brigade, Humes' Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Army of TN (April-Nov 64);
(7) to Hannon's Brigade, Humes' Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Department of SC, GA, and FL (Nov 64-Jan 65);
(8) to Hannon's Brigade, Allen's Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Hampton's Cavalry Command (Feb-April 65); and
(9) to Hagan's Brigade, Allen's Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Hampton's Cavalry Command, Army of TN (April 65).

The regiment fought in the following battles:

Cherokee Station and Little Bear Creek, AL (12 Dec 62);
Thompson's Station (5 March 63); Florence, AL (25 March 63);
Brentwood (25 March 63);
Town Creek (April 63);
Streight's Raid (April-May 63);
Chickamauga (19-20 Sept 63);
Atlanta Campaign (May-Sept 64);
Resaca (14-15 May 64);
Atlanta Siege (July-Sept 64);
Jonesboro (31 Aug-1 Sept 64);
Carolinas Campaign (Feb-April 65)