finding John Young Wofford

John Young Wofford 1842 -1863

Years ago my aunt Jennie Llew Finlayson Guyton gave me a mystery photograph of a young Confederate soldier.  The only thing that Jennie Llew could tell me about him is that he was a Wofford.  This photograph was among my grandmother's Jennie Wait Foster Finlayson's belongings.

This photo was a mystery until this evening.

Meet 2nd Lt. John Young Wofford, oldest son of my 2nd great grandfather Dr. Benjamin Wofford and Julia Ann Woodruff.  This was apparently passed down to my grandmother from her aunt Martha Wofford Wait.  If you recall, I posted earlier that my grandmother was raised (along with her siblings) by their aunt Martha Wofford Wait.  John Young Wofford was the brother of Rebecca Mullinax Wofford (my great grandmother) an Martha Jane Wofford Wait.

I spent some time online tonight and uncovered a good bit of information about him.  John enrolled in 3rd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry the  April 14, 1861. He shows up on the muster roll June 14, 1861.  Engagements until his death are as follows:

Mitchell's Ford, VA, July 18, 1861
1st Manassas, VA, July 21, 1861
Held Yorktown Line, VA, Mid-April- May 3, 1862
Williamsburg, VA, May 4-5, 1862
Skirmish near Fair Oaks, VA, June 18, 1862
Savage Station, VA, June 29, 1862
Malvern Hill, VA, July 1, 1862
Maryland Heights, MD, September 12-13, 1862
Antietam, MD, September 17, 1862
Fredericksburg, VA, December 11-15, 1862
Chancellorsville, VA, May 1-5, 1863
? Gettysburg, PA, July 2, 1863

UPDATE:
3rd Regiment of South Carolina from Spartanburg County, SC / Company F.  Wofford family information states that John Young Wofford died July 2, 1863 (Thursday) and was buried in Jordan, VA.

July 2nd, 1863 was the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. The southern dead were removed to cemeteries in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia between 1871 and 1873.  It is possible that John Young Wofford died at Gettysburg or wounded/became ill while still in VA.  His regiment fought in Chancellorsville in May.  Records indicate that he died in the presence of a comrade who had stayed back with him as their company moved forward.  With this new piece of information, it's more likely that Lt. John Wofford never made it to Gettysburg.

To my siblings, John Young Wofford was our great grand uncle.

UPDATE: 23 FEB 2014
An additional tidbit of information I just found out is that 2nd Lt. J.Y. Wofford died at JONE'S FARM. Another CSA officer died at Jone's Farm that day too - W.J. Poole.