Did Belleville teenager Willie McCreary survive being sent to Ship Island?

Ship Island, Miss. Historical Marker.

Many of you will remember reading in this space last week that this month marks the 149th anniversary of “Spurling’s Raid,” one of the most dramatic events in the history of Conecuh County.

During this famous Civil War raid, which resulted in a Congressional Medal of Honor for Lt. Col. Andrew Barclay Spurling of Cranberry Isles, Maine, Union forces swept through Conecuh County on March 23-25, 1865 and created all types of havoc. They wounded and captured the governor’s son, destroyed the railroad and telegraph lines at Gravella (now called Owassa), derailed a train, captured and burned another, took scores of prisoners, and ransacked Evergreen, Sparta and Brooklyn.

Last week, I mentioned that during this raid, on March 24, 1865, men living in Belleville heard about what was happening at Evergreen and went to help. On the way, they met a squad of Spurling’s cavalry and turned back toward Belleville. All the Belleville men got away except for one, who was riding a sick horse and was taken prisoner. During the past week, I ran across more information about that encounter, and I think many of you will be interested in these additional details.

According to B.F. Riley’s 1881 book, “History of Conecuh County, Alabama,” the “people of Bellville, having learned of the capture of their sister village, Evergreen, a body of mounted citizens proceeded in that direction, for the purpose of reconnoitering. When they had come within three or four miles of Evergreen, they suddenly encountered a small squad of Spurling’s command, that had been sent forward upon the Belleville road to guard against any sudden demonstration on the part of the citizens, while the chief command was moving along the dirt road toward Sparta.

“This squad had dismounted near the Bradley Plantation, in a sudden curve of the road, to burn a wagon, which had just been captured, when the Belleville deputation rode suddenly upon them. The surprise was equally shared in by both parties, but evidences of precipitate flight having been first given by the reconnoitering Bellvillians, nothing was left the invaders but a hot pursuit. When a clattering, pell-mell, the citizen soldiery, still clinging to their shotguns, fled back toward home.

“All would have reached their homes in safety, but for a diseased horse, which was ridden by Willie McCreary. Unable to keep abreast of the others in the stampede, his animal, continued to slacken in speed until he was finally overtaken at Hunter’s Creek. Here, Willie, then a lad of 16, fell into the hands of the enemy and was sent at once to Ship Island, as a prisoner of war.”

This same day, according to the late A.D. Clark of Castleberry, Spurling’s troopers encountered a Mr. McCreary on the road leading into Evergreen at the top of Murder Creek Hill, present day Fairview. Near the site where the antique store is currently located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 31 and U.S. Highway 84, McCreary was said to have been killed near this spot when he resisted as Union troops confiscated his wagon, goods and animals. Some say that the wagon contained corn, while others say the wagon also contained several piglets.

With all this in mind, you have to wonder if the wagon belonging to the “Mr. McCreary” mentioned by A.D. Clark was the same wagon that the Union troops were burning when the men from Belleville rounded the curve at the Bradley Plantation. Also, you have to wonder if the “Mr. McCreary” who was killed was related to the 16-year-old Willie McCreary who was taken prisoner. There’s also reason to wonder if the two names may have gotten confused over the years (or that if it was just a coincidence that they both had the same last name).

Ship Island is located off the Mississippi coast and was used as a prisoner of war camp and base for the U.S. Second Regiment throughout the Civil War. According to local Civil War historian Steve Stacey of Monroeville, Ship Island “was an awful place,” where the guards “took potshots at Confederates going about their daily life.” What became of young Willie McCreary of Belleville remains unknown.

In the end, if anyone in the reading audience knows exactly where the Bradley Plantation or Hunter’s Creek were located or what ultimately happened to Willie McCreary, please let me know. You can reach me by e-mail at courantsports@earthlink.net or by phone at 578-1492. You can also reach me by mail by writing The Evergreen Courant, ATTN: Lee Peacock, P.O. Box 440, Evergreen, AL 36401.