… run this one through your data base … gggggrandfather on dads side

https://ironbrigader.com/2012/06/10/destruction-gunboat-indianola/

The Queen of the West was a was a heavily armed, sidewheel, steamer, Northern ram ship captured and repurposed by the South on February 14th, 1863.

"On February 2nd, the heavily armed ram Queen of the West successfully steamed past the Confederate artillery at Vicksburg. Queen carried out its mission, steaming up and down the Red and Mississippi Rivers and seizing several Confederate supply ships. When Queen ran low on fuel, Porter loaded a barge with 20,000 bushels of coal and floated it downriver past the Vicksburg batteries, where Queen was waiting. The mission was going well, and on February 13th, Porter sent the ironclad gunboat Indianola past Vicksburg to help out.

Before the two ships could link up, however, things started to go wrong. While patrolling on the Red River, Queen of the West was captured by the Confederates on February 14th. Though damaged, the vessel was repaired and turned into a Confederate gunboat.

The now Confederate Queen of the West steamed out of the Red River and into the Mississippi on February 24th, accompanied by three other ships, the ram Webb and the gunboats Dr. Beatty and Grand Era. Heading north, they encountered Indianola at 9:30 P.M. about 30 miles south of Vicksburg, and prepared for action. In the ensuing fight, Webb and Queen both rammed Indianola repeatedly causing serious damage. A final ramming by Webb punched a hole in Indianola’s stern. With the ship taking on water, Indianola’s commanding officer Lieutenant Commander George Brown surrendered his vessel. Indianola was pushed into the shoreline by Dr. Beatty, and the Confederates had captured another damaged, but repairable ship."

The North recaptured and destroyed the Queen of the West on April 11th 1863. Your great uncle was captured 3 days later, probably after being forced to abandon the ship.

Here's another article on the ship.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Queen_of_the_West
One article on the Queen of the West speculated that the replacement pilot was a Southern sympathizer, who intentionally grounded the ship so the South could take it.

I found a lot of men with the same name and birth dates that would make them of age to fight in the Civil War. I should be able to narrow it down, but do you have his birth or death date and places?

Keith

He may be this John Keith, who would of been 25 years old in 1863.

John Keith
Male
May 1838 – 1910
•
LD8S-R1T

https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/about/LD8S-R1T



"Relationship to John Keith
The husband of my 8th cousin twice removed"

In the 1900 census he lived in:

Craighead, Arkansas, United States and/or Lick Mountain Township, ED 8, Conway, Arkansas, United States

I need more information to know for sure.

Keith

This page has links where you can find information on many of the 674,000 POWS during the Civil War.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Union_Prisoner_of_War_Records

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/610810

Keith

This is another possible John Keith, but probably not, because he fought for the North at least at one point. Many soldiers did switch sides to receive parole.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/42798974

"Keith, John - Age 45, Year: 1863 - Thirteenth Cavalry, He-Mo"

Keith

Here's another possible John Keith who fought in the Civil War.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/21215137

Keith

This is a drawing of the capture of your great uncle's ship by the North. He likely abandoned ship and was captured 3 days later.



Keith

CSS Queen of the West
Commissioned: February 1863
Decommissioned: April 14, 1863
Fate: Attacked and destroyed by United States
General characteristics
Displacement: 406 tons
Length: 180 ft (55 m)
Beam: 37 ft 6 in (11.4 m)
Propulsion: Steam engine
Complement: 120 officers and men
Armament: 1 30-pounder cannon, 3 12-pounder howitzers
CSS Queen of the West being destroyed in Grand Lake, Louisiana, during an attack by USS Estrella (extreme left), USS Estrella (extreme left), Calhoun (extreme right) and Arizona (second from right), 14 April 1863"

Keith

I found the right John Keith.

"Private John Edward Keith was a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War. He served in Company B of the 11th Louisiana Infantry Regiment. On April 14, 1863, he was captured aboard the "Queen of the West," a vessel involved in the conflict."

"John Edward Keith (1841 - 1882)
Birthdate: January 22, 1841
Birthplace: Butler County, Alabama
Death: January 21, 1882 (40)
Coushatta, Red River Parish, Louisiana
Immediate Family:
Son of John Keith and Clara Ann Elizabeth Pickett
Brother of Elizabeth Keith; Jesse Keith; Andrew Jackson Keith; Amy Keith; Seth Mercer Keith and 3 others"

https://www.geni.com/people/John-Keith/6000000187343935784

Keith

I found him on Family Search.

John Edward Keith
Male
22 January 1841 – 21 January 1881
•
LC38-3VJ

Relationship to John Edward Keith
The husband of my 11th cousin three times removed

His dad is:

Jehu John Williamson Keith
Male
9 November 1807 – 1859
•
LH6K-YFK

Relationship to Jehu John Williamson Keith
My 9th cousin six times removed

I had to go back on his family tree on Genipedi and then forward again on Family Search.

Keith

They have lots of his census records and some military and property records of John's on Family Search. A lot of the records have not been attached yet.

That was fun. Some guys like playing Wordle or doing crossword puzzles. I like learning history, putting it together and figuring out how people and events are interconnected.

Keith

Wow lol …. Thanks

Double Wow.

Osky

How did they get all those dates and things right. Back then they didn't keep birth certificates .Died day before his birthday? Funny his daddy died same month as his daddys birthday HMMMM. Heck most babies were born at home. No body cared who had what or did whom or didn't do who...... Why is everyone twice removed uptenth cousin on that site? Ever think it's AI taking an actual name and reverse engineering a family tree. I bet bruce and Wolfie are 13th cousins twice removed on that site. Try it enter them see where it leads.

Now that's some googling right there !!!

You're welcome cousin Savell.

Family Search has over 1100 pages of documents tied to the name John Keith.

Keith

I don't know where you got the very erroneous idea that people didn't keep records until recently. There's even huge numbers of records dating back from the first Roman Empire. If you go to church or read the bible, you will learn that the reason Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born in a manger, was for the Roman Census.

Keith

Good work KeithC!

Don't worry about jbyrd. He's just ill because nephew Savell didn't ask him for family tree advice.

Hey Kieth can you do some digging on Savells from Arkansas … they’re ain’t very many of them … we’ve got books from my moms side but very little from dads

Covert Savell was my grandpa

Is he the right Covert Lee? There's lots of information on him.

Covert Lee Savell
Male
30 August 1918 – 23 October 1982
•
GQ53-19V

Relationship to Covert Lee Savell
The husband of my 12th cousin once removed

Keith