WILSON, ZEDICK HOOPER (1840~1917) Zedick Hooper "Zed" Wilson, Confederate veteran, was born on December 25, 1840, in Union District, South Carolina. With the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted for six months in the Confederate Army on July 1, 1862, probably in Richmond, Virginia. He was mustered into Company A of the 25th Virginia Infantry Battalion, which was also known as the Richmond City Battalion.
It appears that the Richmond City Battalion spent most of its time protecting the city of Richmond and guarding the prison. Also, according to several articles in the Richmond-area newspapers, the Battalion was also quite adept at parading through the city streets, much to the delight of the local young ladies.
Wilson, at the end of his six month enlistment, reenlisted on January 1, 1863, and continued to serve with the battalion until April 12, 1864, when he was detailed to work in a Government Carbine Factory. More than likely, Wilson was assigned to work in the Richmond Carbine Factory, which was in the process of being moved to a much more secure location in Tallassee, Alabama. Amazingly, the northern army bypassed the Tallassee Armory, thus making it the only Confederate Armory to survive the War. It is believed that Wilson spent the remainder of his Confederate Service in Tallassee, before being discharged at Athens, Georgia.
Between the end of the War and 1879, Wilson's whereabouts are unknown. Circa, 1880, he migrated to Texas and settled in Austin, where, on December 8, 1889, he married Georgia native, Mary Elizabeth. Her last name is not currently known. Circa 1908, they moved to Waco, McLennan County, where Wilson sold newspapers and successfully applied for a Confederate Pension from the State of Texas. Sometime between March 14, 1911, when he was approved for his pension, and January 1, 1916, Wilson moved to Austin to live in the Confederate Men's Home. After being there for at least a year, he passed away on January 22, 1917, and was buried in the Texas State Cemetery two days later.
Mary Elizabeth continued to live in Waco until May of 1933, when she moved to Fort Worth to live with her daughter, Mrs. E. G. Bornigk. She died on March 11, 1934.
Information taken from: Charles E. Chambers, Virginia Confederates in Texas (1991); Richmond Enquirer, October 30, 1862, pg. 1, col. 7; Richmond Sentinel, April 1, 1863, pg. 2, col. 5; Richmond Examiner, Monday, April 6, 1863, pg.1; Richmond Sentinel, April 9, 1863, pg. 1, col. 6; Confederate Armory webpage, http://www.ohwy.com/al/c/coartall.htm, Tallassee, Alabama website, http://www.tallassee.al.us/heritage.htm; Soldier's Application for Pension # 20012; Widow's Application for a Pension # 33738; and Death Certificate # 3077. |
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