Mementos

I first heard of Richard Purvis about 15 years ago. I received some old family history research papers from a relative in Alpharetta, Georgia and there were some old letters in the box. They were written by a descendant of Richard Purvis who also lived in Georgia. Both people who wrote the letters had passed away and it took me over 10 years to track down family members.

Richard Francis Purvis was the husband of Rebecca Pamelia Hogan, sister of my great great grandfather James Henderson Hogan. Richard Purvis Enlisted in Company F, 46th Georgia Infantry Regiment on March 4, 1862. They were known as the "Webster County Invincibles."

He spent two years fighting in battles across Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee but Richard's luck finally ran out in February of 1864. He was hospitalized for illness and was too sick to continue in the army so they sent him home to Georgia.

He died of disease on March 25, 1865. I don't know what kind of illness but by that stage of the war there was all kind of bad stuff going around. Few men made it through the war without being exposed to life threatening disease.

Richard's family kept the clothes he wore during his time in the war and they have been passed down for over one hundred and fifty years. One of his descendants sent me this photo of his vest and pouch two years ago. Richard Purvis also kept a diary of his war years and it has been also preserved.