Today we will acknowledge confederate soldier Thomas Jefferson Eller, who 150 years ago today enlisted in the 1st North Carolina Infantry. The 1st North Carolina witnessed an array of battles including the stunning confederate victory at Chancellorsville in May of 1863. Thanks to Friends of Gettysburg members Trish and Dan Andrae of Milwaukee, Wisconsin for sharing Thomas’ story with us. Let’s take the time to discover a piece of history through Trish’s great great-grand uncle Thomas Jefferson Eller.
Thomas Jefferson Eller was born in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Wilkes County, North Carolina in 1837. He unfortunately experienced the death of both of his parents at a young age and found himself an orphan. It seems from records that Eller moved in with relatives, possibly his aunt and uncle, prior to his enlistment in 1861. Here we see Thomas on the 1860 census living in Wilkes County:
At the time of the above census Thomas was 21 years old and was employed as a school teacher. Despite the loss of his parents it seems Thomas had built a good life for himself before the start of the Civil War. On July 1st, 1861, with the recent secession of the state of North Carolina in May, Eller chose to serve his home state by enlisting in the army.
The image above is from Thomas’ first muster roll. Eller enlisted at Warrenton, North Carolina and signed up for the war. Many confederate enlistees signed up for one year during recruitment in 1861, but it seems that Eller enlisted for the duration right off the bat. After mustering in his regiment left to join confederate forces gathering in Northern Virginia. Eller spent the fall of 1861 in the area around Fredericksburg, Virginia until heading back to North Carolina in March of 1862.
In May of 1862 the 1st North Carolina was brought back north to rejoin what had now become the Army of Northern Virginia. The spring of 1862 in Virginia saw the landing of George McClellan’s massive Army of the Potomac on the Virginia Peninsula with the aim of capturing the confederate capital of Richmond. Eller was listed as present with his regiment during this time, so he likely was in the defenses of Richmond as the union army approached.
At the Battle of Fair Oaks from May 31st to June 1st, 1862, Eller’s army commander, Joseph Johnston, was wounded and soon replaced with Robert E. Lee. Lee initially took a defensive posture but in late June went on the offensive in what is now known as the Seven Days Battles. Thomas was likely involved in many of the assaults that occurred as Lee threw his men against McClellan’s army. While Lee succeeded in driving the federals back, heavy casualties were inflicted on his men. Eller survived these first few battles and continued with his regiment as the focus of the war in the east shifted to Northern Virginia.
His regiment was involved in the battles of Second Manassas, South Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburg and then went into camp for the winter of 1862-63 along the Rappahannock. After the disastrous union defeat at Fredericksburg in December of 1862 both armies stayed in the vicinity, and when the campaigning season opened the following spring there would be another battle close to the war ravaged city. A new union army commander, Joseph Hooker, had a plan to outflank Lee and force him to abandon his strong position at Fredericksburg. Initially successful, Hooker’s movement ultimately stalled, and his army stopped their offensive and settled into a vulnerable line.
Thomas Eller was with the Lee’s army during this time, and when Stonewall Jackson led his famous flank attack on May 2nd, he was on the front line. Eller’s regiment was very successful during the attack, but the next day they would not be so fortunate. Eller’s commander left a good account of what his regiment experienced the next day at the Battle of Chancellorsville:
On Sunday morning the regiment was formed in line of battle on the south side of the road before mentioned, and was ordered to the front as soon as the engagement commenced, where it fought gallantly; but, being flanked, was ordered to retire, which was done in good order, but with heavy loss, including its gallant colonel wounded, besides many other officers and brave men.
On the same day, the enemy having been repulsed, it, with the other regiments of the brigade, was thrown forward and formed into line parallel to the road at Chancellorsville, where it remained under a terrific fire of shell and solid shot for more than an hour.
In the afternoon was again ordered to the front, where it encountered the enemy's sharpshooters and one of his batteries, which poured a deadly shower of grape and canister in our already decimated ranks, compelling it, with the brigade, to retire for a short distance. The advance, no matter for what purpose, only served to increase our already too large list of casualties.
Monday and Tuesday the regiment lay in the works east of Chancellorsville, supporting a battery.
Wednesday it was ordered to where we are now bivouacked; for what purpose I do not deem it necessary to say.
Its list of gallant dead and wounded will tell for themselves the part which the regiment bore.
It was during the action described above that Thomas Jefferson Eller was killed.
Eller was likely buried on the battlefield and reinterred later in an unknown grave. He had served less than two years in the army, but was no doubt a seasoned veteran of many campaigns and battles by the time of his death. From school teacher to soldier, Thomas Eller's life was one of at least 600,000 cut short by the Civil War.
Thanks again to Trish and Dan Andrae for taking the time to share Thomas’ story with us.