General Notes

[coosa1.ged]
Willoughly moved with family to Pike Co., AL about 1836.  1860 through
1870 he was in Coffee Co., AL. He moved back to Pike Co., AL and was in
the 1880 Federal Census of Pike Co., AL.  In the fall of 1889 he moved to
Winnsboro, Wood Co., TX.
"Veteran of Civil War from Coffee County, AL, Private, Co. H, 53rd
Alabama Regiment, (Cavalry); also known as 53rd Alabama Partisan Rangers
(Mounted). Buried in Wood County, TX. (The W. S. Pugh who enlisted in
Clarke County, AL, in Wirt Adams unit was a Walter S. Pugh).
Four of Willoughby's first cousins (sons of Lewis Harrison Pugh),
James A., Burrell A., Mace O., and Lewis Harrison, were in Co. G of the
53rd Regiment.
Made application for soldier's pension July 12, 1913, while living on
Rt. 2, Winnsboro, Texas, Wood County, where he had lived since moving to
Texas in the Fall of 1889. In application he stated he enlisted in July
of 1862 and had been in a hospital at Macon, Georgia, for forty days"at
time of surrender", and was honorably discharged.
(Official records show he enlisted at Elba, AL, Coffee County, August
18, 1862. Register of patients of Ocmulgee Hospital, Macon, GA, shows he
was admitted January 2, 1865, and was returned to duty February 11. This
is the 40-day period he mentions in application. The war was considered
ended when Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, VA, April 9,
1865, and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered at Greensboro, NC, April
26, 1865).
Was probably named after his great-grandfather, Willoughby Pugh, Sr.,
and the surname of his maternal great-grandparents, Sims. Many
descendants of the Immigrant Lewis Pugh of Wales, who had a son named
Willoughby, were given the name of Willoughby. The origin of "Willoughby"
is not known." (1)
Received via e-mail from Kline Pugh on 27 Aug 2002
1860 Federal Census of Coffee Co., AL
716  Willoughbee PUGH    33 AL
Elizabeth                 23 AL
Mary A                      3
Burrel W                    2
Note: In the 1860 Federal Census of Coffee Co., AL Willoughby is living
by his brother-in- law Willoughby Sims Pugh , Mathew  M. (Mack) Rushing.
He is living household # 715.
1870 Federal Census of Pike Co., AL (household #500) has his first name
spelt as Wilsby. He listed as 40 years old, born in AL and as a farmer.
His wife Elizabeth is listed as 38 years old and born in AL. Children in
the below
Mary 16 AL
Burrel 15 AL
Sarah 13 AL
Lydia 10 AL
William 8 AL
W. S. Pugh, who fought 53rd Alabama Cavalry, Company H, applied for a
pension in the state of Texas for his service for the Confederate States
of America.  On 12 July 1913 William Rushing testified on a sworn oath
that: "I am 64 years of age; I am personally acquainted with W. S. Pugh
and knew him for several years before the war; he married my cousin
before the war; I do not personally know that he enlisted in the
Confederate service but the second year after he went off to the war I
lived on his place in Coffee County, Alabama, and helped his wife make a
little crop.  During the time I lived there I know his wife received
several letters from him from different places where he was in the war. I
know that he did not come home until the close of the war and saw him
soon after he came home after the war closed. I now reside in Wood
County, Texas, and my Postoffice address is Quitman, Texas, Route 4; I
live with one mile of W. S. Pugh now and have known him intimately ever
since the war." Elizabeth Pheebe Rushing was W. S. Pugh’s wife and
William’s cousin. Researched by Ron Bridges
The 53rd Alabama suffered a high number of casualties for a cavalry unit,
having a reputation for not leaving the field until absolutely necessary.
In addition to the many wounded listed in this site, it has been
documented that 152 soldiers died of battle wounds or disease, and 99
have been documented as having been captured.