Green Berry (Nicholas) Adkins

   Cause of his death was ? ? ? following an accidental fall & fracture of ???? / accidental fall on May 19, 1930.

  General Notes:

The following is a statement of Green Berry's Civil War record taken from the Adkins Family Bible as written by his son John Preston Adkins on May 18, 1920: "Greenberry Adkins served 4 years in the Civil War. Volunteered at 18 years of age at Callands, Virginia, Pittsylvania County. Served in Company B [C according to pension records] under Captain John R. [Roy] Cabell [The Pittsylvania Vindicators were organized at Callands on May 23, 1861 by Dr. John Roy Cabell, Captain. They entered Confederate Service on June 4, 1861, 38th Regiment of Infantry General Armstead's Brigade, Pickett's Division, Longstreet's Corp]. Two weeks before the surrender, when the army was breaking up, many of the men, including himself, were told by Lt. Warrebl [probably Lt. James P Warren] : 'We are whipped. Make your way home the best you can.' (Note by Bo Hagen: This was after the 38th, serving as rear guard for Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, was over run by Union forces at the Battle of Saylers Creek, now labeled Sailor's Creek, outside of Farmville, VA. Lt. Warrebl is probably Lt. James P. Warren of Co. B, 38th Va. Infantry) He, (Gb. Adkins) walked home from Farmville, VA to his home in Callands, Virginia. The residents along the way were very glad to furnish food and comfortable quarters. During the whole war he did not receive a scratch, but was shot through his clothing four times. One of the shots went through his frying pan at Drewry's Bluff."
The above was taken from the family bible, probably in the John Preston Adkins Family. Since John lived in Lynchburg, VA and died young (1922) his family probably lost touch with the Danville Adkins. Hopefully the Bible remains in the family.

A family story had the old muzzle loader at Greenberry's farm as being the gun used by Greenberry during the war. Since all Confederate soldiers stacked their arms at Appomattox this seemed to be just that ... another family story. However, the notes above relating to leaving the field after Sayler's Creek must be why Green Berry retained his musket (all soldiers present at Appomattox stacked their rifles/muskets). This puts credince into why the rifle remained at the farm he built after the war at Sandy River in Pittsylvania County. Great Grandson Ben Adkins still has that muzzle loader (March 2015). (Note by Bo Hagen: GB and several of his cousins were AWOL during the Pennsylvania Campaign of 1863 and missed the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy" where General Armstead and many from his unit, leading the 38th, was killed at the Angle at Gettysburg. As best I can tell, his absence was at a time when his father, Jackson, was ill. I have found records that Jackson died in 1864 of "dropsy" (An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water ... edema/swelling due to kidney failure or congestive heart failure). There are some family stories that reference Jackson was killed in the war but I can fine (to date) no record of his serving in the regular army in support of "The Cause". I have found a pension application record from Elizabeth Adkins of Pittsylvania Co. dated 1888 applying for a pension due a soldier's widow. On the pension application Elizabeth notes that her husband, Jackson, served in Co. C, 5th Res(erves) (Vol 15, page 448, Muster rolls, VSLA) and died March 14, 1864 "at home on furlough from dropsy contracted in the Army". This unit was not a part of the Confederate Army raised by the State of Virginia but a Confederate Army unit raised directly by the Confederate States of America. Some refer to this type of unit as "Home Guards". They were usually entrusted with guard duty for local Union prisoners. There was such a prison in Danville, VA so Jackson may have served there. During the war it was common for soldiers to temporarily leave the army for personal reasons such as above. After all, somebody had to keep the homelands functioning ... looking after family ... getting crops planted and harvested ... after all, that is why those boys were fighting ... their own independence. Green Berry did return to the Army and served in the defense of Richmond. He was on rear guard for Lee's Army during the retreat to Appomattox. Their unit was overrun at Saylers Creek (outside Farmville, Va.), in part by a Cavary Unit led by Brevet Major General George A. Custer, so quickly that it would have been all but impossible to break through the enemy lines to rejoin the main army. He was advised by the remaining officer that it was pointless to continue so he walked home.

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http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm
38th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Pittsylvania Regiment)
38th Infantry Regiment was organized in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, in June, 1861. Its members were recruited in Pittsylvania, Halifax, and Mechlenburg counties. It served under the command of Generals Early, Garland, Armistead, Barton, and Steuart. The 38th participated in the campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from Williamsburg to Gettysburg, then served in North Carolina. Later it was attached to the Department of Richmond, fought at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor, endured the hardships of the Petersburg trenches, and ended the war at Appomattox. The regiment totalled 544 effectives in April, 1862, and sustained 9 casualties at Williamsburg, 147 at Seven Pines, 94 at Malvern Hill, and 16 in the Maryland Campaign. More than fifty-five percent of the 400 engaged at Gettysburg were disabled and it reported 11 killed, 30 wounded, and 10 missing at Drewry's Bluff. The unit surrendered 12 officers and 82 men. Its commanders were Colonels Joseph R. Cabell, Edward C. Edmonds, George K. Griggs, and Powhatan B. Whittle; Lieutenant Colonel George A. Martin; and Majors Isaac H. Carrington and Henderson L. Lee.

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See general notes on his father, Jackson Adkins, for earlier census facts.

The 1880 Federal Census for Callands, Pittsylvania Co., VA, District 165, page 77B records Green B. (37 - Farmer) and Martha E. (27) Adkins (indexed as Sakins at ancestry.com) with sons Jno P. (5) and Wm T. (3).

The 1900 Federal Census for Callands, Pittsylvania Co., VA, District 70, page 217A records Green B. (Jan 1842 - Farmer) and Martha (Nov 1852) Adkins with daughter Abby G. (Aug 1884). They have been married 26 years with 5 children of whom 3 are still living. Also in the household is 15 year old boarder, Claude B. Austin (Feb 1885 - Farm Laborer).

The 1910 Federal Census for Callands, Pittsylvania Co., VA, District 88, page 30B records G. B. (68) and Martha E. (58) Adkins. They have been married 36 years with 5 children of which 3 are still living.

The 1920 Federal Census for Callands, Pittsylvania Co., VA, District 139, page 60B records G. B. (76) and M. E. (67) Adkins. Also in the household are Amelia Carter (30 - servant) and her child Ruth (4 10/12).

See general notes on his son, William, for 1930 census facts.


The Bee; Danville, VA; May 23, 1930
Funeral services for G. B. Adkins were held yesterday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock from the residence of his son W. T. Adkins on West Main Street. Obsequities were conducted by Rev. Arthur Winn assisted at the grave by Rev. W. C. Clark. Honoring Mr. Adkins as a Confederate Veteran, taps were blown at the grave. Interment was made in the old family burial ground near Sandy River. His grandsons acting as pall bearers were: Harry T Adkins, Wm T Adkins, Hughes Adkins, A H Adkins, Berkley Adkins, Clyde Terry, Beverly Terry, and C. L. Belcher.
Flower bearers were: Dr. S E Hughes, L. R. Wyatt, C W Keeling, Roger Keeling, J L Reynolds, Capt Harry Wooding, W T Cousins, Rutledge Carter, J C Richardson,E J Wyatt, J W Allen, J P Wells, J L Powell, T J Wood, W W Clark, Jno G Witcher, B V Booth, A D Starling,Waverly Cousins, W D Cousins, A T Holland, W J Adams, F W Denny, N P Thomas, J C Watson, H O Kerns, J T Copeland, E J Wyatt Sr.

  Research Notes:

http://www.researchonline.net/vacw/unit154.htm
HISTORICAL NOTES:
The Virginia 38th Infantry Regiment was organized in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, in June, 1861. Its members were recruited in Pittsylvania, Halifax, and Mechlenburg counties. The 38th participated in the campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from Williamsburg to Gettysburg, then served in North Carolina. Later it was attached to the Department of Richmond, fought at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor, endured the hardships of the Petersburg trenches, and ended the war at Appomattox. The regiment totalled 544 effectives in April, 1862, and sustained 9 casualties at Williamsburg, 147 at Seven Pines, 94 at Malvern Hill, and 16 in the Maryland Campaign. More than fifty-five percent of the 400 engaged at Gettysburg were disabled and it reported 11 killed, 30 wounded, and 10 missing at Drewry's Bluff. The unit surrendered 12 officers and 82 men.
OFFICERS:
Colonels Joseph R. Cabell, Edward C. Edmonds, George K. Griggs, and Powhatan B. Whittle; Lieutenant Colonel George A. Martin; and Majors Isaac H. Carrington and Henderson L. Lee.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Assigned to Generals Early, Garland, Armistead, Barton, and Steuart.

  Medical Notes:

Virginia, Death Records, 1912-2014
Name: Greenbury (sic) Adkins (widowed)
Residence: W Main Street, Danville
Occupation: Retired C. V. [Confederate Veteran]
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age at Death: 88
Birth Date: 11 Jan 1842 at Callands
Death Date: 20 May 1930
Death Place: Danville, Pittsylvania, Virginia
Burial: May 21, 1930 in Callands, VA [G B Adkins Family Farm Cemetery in Sandy River]
Registration Date: 25 Jun 1930
Father: Jackson Adkins
Mother: Don't Know
Certificate Number: 1930014823
Informant: W. T. Adkins of Danville [son]

Green married Martha Elnor Lawrence, daughter of Samuel Ervin Lawrence and Rebecca E. Campbell, on 18 Dec 1873. (Martha Elnor Lawrence was born on 2 Nov 1852 in Henry Co., VA, died on 4 Apr 1920 in Pittsylvania Co, VA and was buried on 6 Apr 1920 in Family Cemetery At Green Berry's Farm.) The cause of her death was Diabetes.

  Marriage Notes:

The date of marriage is taken from the death notice for Gerry Berry Adkins in the Danville Register and Bee.