Elvis Presley
was a 4th cousin
3x removed
to Darlin Presley.

Brave are they who fight to
die, and we should never forget their courage or their service.

Monument to the 26th NC at
Gettysburg at left


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 the26th
North Carolina.
the

The Kin of Rock and Roll has graciously accepted, on behalf of family members, 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 "Horton" Presley.Descendants of both Darling and Horton should contact Barbara Lee for further information on this or to receive a full-sized copy of the document at:
elviscousin@comcast.net



The Kin of Rock and Roll has attempted to contact descendants of Darling Pressley thru his ggranddaughter, Deanna, to no avail. If any other family members know the contact info. for Deanna or other direct descendants, please let us know.
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



 
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