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Joseph McAllister's Hardwick Mounted Rifles
mcallister grave
Col. Joseph L. McAllisters grave at Oakland Cemetery, Louisa, Va., where he was killed in the Battle of Trevillians, Jun. 11, 1864. - photo by Photo courtesy findagrave.com

Modern-day Fort McAllister is home to educational events and celebrations, but 150 years ago, it was home to Joseph McAllister, captain of the Hardwick Mounted Rifles — a cavalry unit made up exclusively of men from Bryan County, predominantly from around Hardwick, Keller and what was then known as Ways Station.
Initially these men protected the Fort McAllister area, the intracoastal waterways and the coastal areas of Georgia. Later in the war, the Hardwick Mounted Rifles were absorbed into the Georgia 7th Cavalry and sent north to Virginia. It was there that McAllister was killed in action.
Carol Thompson, president of the Savannah Area Genealogical Association, is researching and gathering information on the soldiers enlisted in the Hardwick Mounted Rifles cavalry unit.
Both Thompson and her husband, Warren Randolph Thompson, grew up in the Coastal Empire. Warren Thompson’s family descended from Brittan Cobb, a member of the Hardwick Mounted Rifles, and originally lived in Keller.
“My husband’s family is originally from Bryan County, but we were both born and raised in Savannah,” Carol Thompson said. “When we were first married I began asking a lot of questions about his family and they led us to where they were buried at Bryan Neck Presbyterian Church off of Belfast Keller road.”
She took on the project as a way to learn more about her family’s history, which eventually led her to begin researching further into her husband’s ancestry.
“I just jumped in and decided to tackle this. I wanted to put something out there and see if there was any interested or information from the descendants still in the area,” she said. “I want to try and get some momentum going and see what information we could gather and if there was any interest, put together a group of the descendants.
Thompson said she hopes to create a memoir about the Hardwick Mounted Rifles and have it included in the Richmond Hill Historical Society’s museum so people can learn more about their history.
“There are so many people connected with our family. Either through marriage or as neighbors, we are connected with many of the names on the list of the Hardwick Mounted Rifles,” she said.
“I’d really love to find photos of our ancestors because we don’t have any, but ultimately I want to learn more about our history and connect with other descendants that are looking for information about their families.”
In the interest of preserving their history and honoring their memory, Thompson is trying to gather information about the men of the Hardwick Mounted Rifles.  She is interested in biographical information on the men, such as their full names; their parents’ names; birth date and place; names of spouses; dates and places of marriage; names of their children; death dates and places; where they are buried; and more.  
She is also hoping to collect photos of ancestors and relatives when possible.  
Below is the list of men who served in the Hardwick Mounted Rifles. Anyone with information can reach Thompson by email at 912-925-7919 or email at lcsthompson@bellsouth.net.
Thompson noted that some of the names may be misspelled and some may have been omitted through error.
“I welcome corrections,” she said.

Hardwick Mounted Rifles roster:
AKINS, Elijah                                    
ALEXANDER, T. F.               
ANDERSON, C. G.                
ANDERSON, D. C.                          
ARNOLD, W. E.                  
BANDY, Allen                   
BANKS, Amos                   
BANKS, C. F.                    
BANKS, S. C.                    
BARNARD, F. A.                 
BARNES, G. B.                   
BASHLOR, C. M.                 
BASHLOR, W. D.                 
BEASLEY, Isaiah                 
BELL, W.                       
BENNETT, W. M.                 
BIRD, Andrew                    
BLITCH, H. J.                    
BLITCH, W. H.
BLITCH, W. S.
BLOUNT, E. H.                  
BRAGG, Bedford               
BRAGG, E. W.
BRAGG, H.
BROWN, A. J.
BROWN, J. M.
BROWN, James B.
BROWN, John R.
BROWN, M. M.
BROWN, Nathan
BROWN, W. H.
BUCK, J. W. A.
BURNSED, H. M.
BURNSED, Nebzr
BUTLER, B. S.
BUTLER, Berrien
BUTLER, J. I./J. J.
BUTLER, John
CASON, James A.
CLANTON, D. C.
CLARK, George W.
CLARK, James
CLARK, William
CLIFTON, George
COBB, Brittain
COLLINS, Barry
CONE, A. J.
COWART, David
COX, F. M.
COX, L. F.
CROSBY, T. M.
CROSBY, W. F.
DANIELS, A. R.
DANIELS, Augustus
DAVIS, J. M.
DAVIS, T. W.
DAVIS, W. W.
DEAL, John
DEMERE, M. M.
DEMERE, R. M.
DENMARK, Malachi
DOWNS, Emmett
DUGGER, J. J.
DUGGER, R. E.
DUKES, Edward
DURRANCE, James H.
EDWARDS, W. H.
ELARBEE, E. A.
ELARBEE, Nathaniel
ELLIOTT, R. H.
ELLIOTT, Ralph
ENGLISH, James
FERGUSON, J. B.
FLOYD, B. G.
FULTON, E. A.
FULTON, W. J.
FUTCH, James J.
GIBSON, Owen
GLISSON, Aley
GLISSON, James
GLISSON, Joseph
GOODSON, J. C.
GOODWIN, Lyde
GRANT, Robert
GRAY, O. B.
GRICE, N. E.
GRINER, J. A.
GROOMS, W. C.
GROOVER, William
HABERSHAM, R. B.
HAGANS, James E.
HARN, W. J.
HARPER, Wyatt
HARRISON, John W.
HARRISON, Thomas
HART, M. A.
HARVEY, G. R.
HARVEY, Richard
HARVEY, Zara
HARVILLE, S.
HAYMANS, Stanton
HINELY, John
HINELY, N.
HINES, J. P.
HINES, Thomas A.
HOBBS, William
HODGES, T. J.
HUGER, L. P.
HUNTER, J. G.
ILER, A. J.
JAUDON, J. W.
JOHNSON, C. G.
JOHNSON, L. D.
JONES, R. B.
KENNEDY, William
KICKLIGHTER, Andrew
KICKLIGHTER, James
KNIGHT, Joseph
KNIGHT, William
KOLLOCK, W. W.
LAKE, E. M.
LANE, J. M.
LANIER, C. M.
LANIER, J. L.
LANIER, James F.
LATIMER, J. W.
LATIMER, M. E.
LEE, A. J.
LEE, Allen
LEE, D. J.
LEE, J. M.
LEE, L. W.
LEGER, S. S.
LESTER, Camulus
LESTER, Heyward
LEWIS, J. F.
LIGHTSEY, Isaac
LOWTHER, John
MARTIN, J. M.
MAXWELL, J. J.
McALLISTER, J. L.
McDOWELL, J. W.
MIDDLETON, William
MIKELL, Mathew
MILLER, W. D.
MITCHELL, William
MONROE, James M.
MONROE, John
MOORE, J. G.
MORGAN, F. A.
NESSMITH, Noah
NESSMITH, Samuel
NESSMITH, Sovereign
NEUFVILLE, F. L.
NEVILS, Thomas
NEWMANS, D. H.
O’BRYAN, R. S.
ORLENDORFF, J. K.
PATRICK, Jesse
PATRICK, Mathew
PEASE, N. D.
PHILLIPS, Wiley
PHILLIPS, William
PROCTOR, D. C.
PROCTOR, D. W.
PROCTOR, J. A.
PROCTOR, J. C.
PROCTOR, Seaborn
QUARTERMAN, L. S.
RICHARDSON, H.
RIMES, J. P.
RUSTIN, B. W.
SANDERLIN, John
SELLARS, Edward
SHEAROUSE, John R.
SHEAROUSE, N. W.
SHEAROUSE, R. O.
SHUMAN, Elijah
SHUMAN, G. H.
SHUMAN, M. H.
SHUMAN, R. H.
SHUMAN, R. R.
SHUMAN, W. T.
SHUMAN, Warren
SHUPTRINE, D. C.
SIKES, Mitchell
SIMS, B. J.
SIMS, Elbert C.
SMITH, E. F.
SMITH, Joshua
SMITH, W. H.
STARR, C. H.
STRICKLAND, David
STRICKLAND, Elijah
STRICKLAND, J. D.
STRICKLAND, W. H.
SUTTON, E. B.
THOMPSON, Peter J.
VANBRACKLE, Henry D.
VANBRACKLE, I. E.
WALLER, A. R.
WALLER, Richard
WARNELL, J. W.
WARNOCK, J. K.
WATERS, B. J.
WATERS, William
WEBB, W. E.
WEED, E. G.
WELLS, T. W.
WILLIAMS, J. T.
WILLIS, Benjamin

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