The Hartgroves of Mecklenburg County, NC

5th Sergeant William Walker Hartgrove, Co E, 11th Regiment of NC, CSA

The Hartgroves came to Mecklenburg Co in the 1790s from either Surry Co, VA or Granville Co, NC (or perhaps by way of Granville Co). John Hartgrove and his two sons, Benjamin and Thompson, bought land in the western part of the county on the banks of the Catawba, near the Tuckaseegee Ford. John left a will, dated 1795, leaving everything to his wife during her lifetime, and to Benjamin at her death. Benjamin seems to have been a fairly respected stone mason who often sat on juries, was a kind of deputy sheriff, and headed up committees on the navigation of the Catawba and the state of the jails. (As a stone mason, he was a logical choice to ensure the solidity of the jails!)

Not much is known about his son, Benjamin, Jr., other than that he also a stone and brick mason. He was the father of William Walker, above, who was a carpenter.

William Walker enlisted in the 11th North Carolina at the age of 38 along with his younger brother Richard. He fought at most of the major battles of the Eastern Campaign and was seriously wounded twice. As part of Pettigrew's Brigade, Heth's division, the 11th was in the fighting on the first day at Gettysburg where William was shot in the thigh. In 1864 Richard Hartgrove was captured at Burgess' Mill, VA and imprisoned at Point Lookout Prison Camp in Maryland where he eventually died. William was furloughed home after Gettysburg for about six months (long enough to father my great-grandmother, Mary Jane and her twin) and then returned until he was again wounded at Cold Harbor, June 1-3, 1864. This time the ball penetrated his neck, passed through his body, and emerged at the back. He returned in time to be promoted to Sergeant in September of 1864 and stayed with his regiment until he was surrendered at Appomatox with the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865. He lived in Paw Creek, Mecklenburg County most of his life, but moved to Mt. Holly, Gaston Co sometime before his death in 1905.

This picture comes to me courtesy of a second cousin, Marion Beard. Thanks Marion!