The
Presley Connections~
North Carolina
Elias "Darling" Presley
a/k/a Darlin Preslar/Pressler
Enlisted on 2/14/1863 at Union County,
NC as a Private.
On 2/14/1863 he mustered
into "B" Co. NC 26th Infantry and was present and fighting
on into the Gettysburg campaign where he was wounded. He recovered
and was captured and taken prisoner in October of 1863. He died
of disease as POW on 9/1/1864 at Point Lookout, MD. (Diarrhoea)
He was listed as:
* Wounded 7/1863 Gettysburg, PA
* POW 10/14/1863 Bristoe Station, VA
* Confined 10/16/1863 Old Capitol Prison, Washington, DC (Estimated
day)
* Transferred 10/27/1863 Point Lookout, MD
{Sources used by Historical Data Systems, Inc.: - North Carolina
Troops 1861-65, A Roster (c) Historical Data Systems, Inc. @ www.civilwardata.com}
The fate of Darlin' Presley
was more the fate of all the Presleys who served for the CSA during
the War Between States. Few of them made it back home in good
condition, if having survived at all. On the first day's battle
at Gettysburg, July 1st, 1863, Darlin was with the 26th NC as
they fought bravely against the Iron Brigade in the fiercest hand-to-hand
brawling of that battle. The two units faced each other across
a very brief span of Willoughby Run out by McPherson's farm, McPherson's
Ridge. Presley was wounded on this day as his commander, Col.
Henry King Burgwyn, the "Boy" Colonel, was killed by
a sharpshooter while leading his men forward.
Darlin's wounds may not have been severe as he participated the
following day in Pickett's charge from where he was captured and
taken prisoner.
However, Darlin's case is somewhat different, as is another cousin,
Lawson Horton Presley, who also died at Point Lookout Prison in
Maryland.
There was a Christmas exchange of prisoners during December of
1863. According to information put out by the Point Lookout POW
Descendants Organization, founded by Patricia Beck, the Union
did not record an estimated 11,000 prisoners in their system,
and these were never accounted for. Darlin Presley was one of
those who was left to die at the prison, having never been exchanged
that Christmas. Horton Presley also perished at the prison.
Why were Darlin Presley and the other prisoners who died at Point
Lookout after that exchange left alone and unaccounted for, to
purposely die unattended? The Point Lookout POW Descendants
Organization wants answers. And so do family members.
Elias "Darling" Preslar/Presley
joined the 48th NC Infantry out of Mecklenburg and Union Counties
in NC. When his term expired, he re-upped in the famed 26th NC
Infantry regiment whose brave soldiers at Gettysburg , including
two Helms kin, Ezekial and Noah, lost the most men during Pickett's
grand charge. The 26th carried the colors to deep within Union
lines, the lone flag bearer soonafter captured.
Darling
Presley, a farmer from Mecklenburg County, NC, was newly married
with three small children. He did not own slaves, but joined his
fellow neighbors and kin to help protect their lands from invasion.
After her husband's death, Mary Presley worked the farm as best
she could, until she could no longer, and raised her children.
Not long after she moved to Alexander County, NC, where she applied
for a widow's pension.
Barbara Lee Rowe, founder of The Kin
of Rock and Roll, is a 2nd cousin 4x removed to Darling Presley.
Darling and Rowe's ggrandmother, Emily Helms were 2nd cousins.
The
26th NC Monument at Gettysburg. This
monument is situate deep inside "the angle."
During Pickett's fateful charge, men of the 26th made it clear
to the wall, most falling dead or wounded there. One soldier of
the 26th made it to the wall and was helped over it and taken
captive. This man was the color bearer of the 26th North Carolina.
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The Kin of Rock and Roll
has graciously accepted, on behalf of the late Elvis Presley
two certificates from the Pt. Lookout POW Descendants Organization
naming Elvis Presley as a posthumous member on behalf of his cousins,
Elias "Darling" Presley and Lawson"Horton" Presley.
Lineage
of Darling Presley
Anne Helms, b. ca 1774-
75, was the daughter of Susannah (Presley) and John "Blackhead"
Helms. She married Levi Preslar ca. 1797 in Anson County, NC. They
had 10 children, the eldest being Sherrod, born 1799.
 Sherrod
Presley m. Sarah ? ca. 1820 in Mecklenburg County, NC (f/k/a Anson
County) and they had 8 children: Elizabeth, Darling, Wyatt, Naomi,
Anna, Alcey, Amos, and Hosea. According to the Union County, NC,
1850 census, Sherrod is listed as "Presley" and not "Preslar."
So it
was that Darling Presley born in Union County, NC, in 1825, married
Mary Plyer, b. in 1832 in Lancaster, SC, on 28 November 1850 in
Union County, NC. Darling, a farmer, and Mary had 3 children:
Emily Presley b. 1853;
Rosannah Presley b. 1856;
Samuel W. Presley b. 1858.
Information on the Pt. Lookout
Descendant organization
The aforestated information on Darling
Presley's incarceration comes to us courtesy of Patricia Buck, Founder
and President of the Point Lookout POW Descendants Organization.
The organization is in it's 15th year and has over 1300 members.
Patricia was kind enought to pass along the prision service record
for Darlin Presley. We are in the process of obtaining the complete
service record and history of Darlin Presley, Pvt. 26th North Carolina
(monument pictured above at Gettysburg). If you have an ancestor
who was imprisoned at Point Lookout, for more information on becoming
a member, contributing to the memorial fund, or simply requesting
information, please contact Patricia Buck
at: plpow@verizon.net
Elvis Presley
was a 4th cousin
3x removed
to Darlin Presley. |
