Source:  contributed by Frank Hamilton of Michigan

Harvey Nelson Hamilton, at age 43, walked from his farm in Roane County, TN, along with two brothers and three nephews to Barbourville, KY, where they enlisted for three years on Feb. 26, 1862 in the 5th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry. This unit was mustered into the U. S, Army on March 28, 1862 and became the 5th Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry, U. S. Army.

Harvey died April 17, 1863 in the hospital at Murfreesboro, TN, of “organic heart disease”.

His Captain D. C. Sparks in an affidavit supporting Nancy Dabney Leak Hamilton’s pension claim, stated he died of disease brought on by the hardships of their military actions. The muster rolls show him sick more that half the time in his short service. He did stay with the unit from Barbourville through Nashville and Bowling Green to Murfreesboro. He was present for duty in Jan.-Feb. 1863 and was probably on duty when the big battle was fought at Murfreesboro between Dec.31, 1862 and Jan. 2, 1863.

He is buried at Stones River National Cemetery, Murfreesboro, TN. grave number 125 in section N.

Also in Feb.1862, his brothers Alexander Hamilton, unmarried age 38, living in Harvey’s household in Roane County in 1860 enlisted Nov.1, 1862 and died April 18, 1865 — and brother William J. Hamilton, age 45, living in the farm adjoining Harvey’s (his wife {Elvina} Evaline Elkins, age 34 , married Nov. 24, 1860) — and three nephews, all from John Hamilton‘s household: David Hamilton, enlisted March 2,1862, and died May 23,1862; Samuel Hamilton (married Emily Jane Ladd in Roane County, TN, on March 11, 1866); and John B. Hamilton. This group of six men all from the same family group and living in Roane County, walked from Roane County to Barbourville, KY and enlisted on the same date. These men all were assigned to 5th Tenn. Vol. Inf., except Alexander who went into the 4th Cav. Co. A. Of this group, only Samuel Hamilton survived the war. Samuel Hamilton is listed in the 1990 Union Veterans Census, with his postal address at “post office, Kingston, TN.”

Harvey Nelson Hamilton married Nancy Dabney Leak on Feb. 28, 1850, in Roane County, TN. And shortly after Harvey died in April 1863, Nancy packed her 5 children —  Susannah W., age 11; James Rufus, age 9; (my great- grandfather) Samuel A., age 7; Sarah C., age 4; and Margaret, age 2 in an ox-drawn wagon and left Roane County, TN, for Hamilton County in Southern Illinois. Her in-laws, the Richardsons, also accompanied her in their wagon. According to family reports this trip took about two weeks.

Slight editing for grammar and spelling was done to the original in December, 2025.