Dead or Alive: What Really Happened to Private Prevatt

NOTE: Below is a cautionary tale about relying too heavily on service records, or on any one source, for that matter.

The Elias Prevatt Mystery

The past few months, I’ve been reviewing the 51^st North Carolina’s Consolidated Service Records (CSR) on fold3. When I reached Elias Prevatt’s record, I hit a bump. As a prisoner of war, Prevatt apparently changed identities, as prisoners sometimes did, with two other captives. This resulted in conflicting records, one indicating that Prevatt died while imprisoned at Elmira, and one stating that he was exchanged. Depending on which record I give the most credence to, Elias Prevatt was either dead or alive at the end of the war. I started digging to find out what really happened to Private Prevatt.

Military Records

North Carolina Troops: Robeson County resident Elias Prevatt enlisted in Company D on February 8, 1862, at age 19. He was captured at Cold Harbor on June 1, 1864. Prevatt was confined at Point Lookout on June 11, transferred to Elmira on July 12, and died at Elmira on December 13, 1865.

CSR on fold3: Contains the same information as North Carolina Troops but has additional items that muddy the waters about Prevatt’s fate. The first card has a note, “See Also Henry H. Haynes, Co A, 45 Ga Inf.” Then near the end of the card deck are multiple conflicting entries about Prevatt’s captivity:

Arrived at Elmira from Point Lookout on July 17, 1864. “Died December 13, 1864, of chronic diahrroea. Henry Haynes Prvt. Co. A, 45 Geo. came in Prevatt’s place.”
“Joined camp [Elmira] Aug 14 1864 in place of Moore A. W. private Co F 3 N. C. Taken from Correction Roll”
Arrived at Point Lookout from Elmira on October 14, 1864. “Exchanged October 27^th 1864.”

The information in Prevatt’s CSR makes it unclear when Prevatt arrived at Elmira and if he died there. The final card states that he was issued clothing on November 18, 1864, indicating that he had returned to the Confederate Army.

And how do Henry Haynes and A. W. Moore fit into the story?

Henry H. Haynes

From fold3: Henry Haynes joined the 45^th Georgia in May 1864. He claimed to have served for three years, but the state conscripted him at the end of his enlistment and assigned him to the 45^th. He was captured on June 23, 1864, at Hanover Court House. Note on first card of Haynes’ CSR: “See Also E Prevatt Co E 51 N. C.”

June 25, 1864: arrived at Point Lookout.
July 17, 1864: arrived at Elmira from Point Lookout. “Came in E. Prevatt’s place.”
December 13, 1864: died of chronic diahrroea at Elmira. “on rolls Prevatt, E. Priv. Co ‘E’ 51 N. C.”

Who died at Elmira, Prevatt or Haynes, or both?

A. W. Moore

From North Carolina Troops: Private Asa W. Moore was captured at Spotsylvania on May 12,1864 and sent to Point Lookout, transferred to Elmira on August 10, transferred back to Point Lookout for exchange on October 11, and paroled at Point Lookout on May 15, 1865.

From fold3: A. W. Moore arrived at Point Lookout May 18, transferred to Elmira August 10, arrived at Elmira August 14, transferred back to Point Lookout for exchange on October 11, and was released from Point Lookout on May 15, 1865.

Was Moore exchanged or not?

Woodlawn National Cemetery, Elmira, NY

Prevatt and Haynes share a marker at plot CSA, 0, 1141.

“E. PREVATT CO. E 51 N. C. REG. C. S. A./HENRY H. HAYNES CO. A 45 GA REG. C. S. A.”

The headstone indicates that Federal authorities were unsure which remains were interred in the grave, Haynes, Prevatt, or both?

Prisoner of War Records

A review of prisoner of war records on fold3 yielded the following information:

Moore, A. W., 3 NC, transferred to Pt. Lookout October 11, “E. Prevatt private 51 NC Co E came in Moore’s place”
Another entry for A. W. Moore: transferred and paroled for exchange on October 11, “on roll (E Prevatt, see 4/649L)”
A. W. Moore: transferred to Venus Point, Savannah, for exchange as an invalid prisoner.
Prevatt, E., died on December 13 at Elmira, “Roll 684J (on roll Henry Haynes)”

Best Guess

Here’s what might have happened. Prevatt was supposed to transfer to Elmira from Point Lookout on July 12, but for some reason, Haynes went in his place. Moore was supposed to transfer to Elmira on August 10, but Prevatt went in his place. Moore remained at Pt. Lookout until he was released in May 1865.

Prevatt, using Moore’s identity, was paroled at Elmira and transferred back to Point Lookout on October 11. Then Prevatt was transferred, as Moore, for exchange to Venus Point, Savannah. A one-time exchange occurred at that place on November 15-16, aligning with Prevatt being issued clothing on November 18.

Haynes, using Prevatt’s name, remained at Elmira. Haynes died on December 13, 1865.

Although the above conjecture strongly suggests that Elias Prevatt survived the war, it is not conclusive. The only sure way to prove that he survived imprisonment is to find evidence that he was alive after the war.

Conclusion: The Proof

My friend Tommy Shaw found the proof I needed to clear up this mystery. The Maxton Union, July 30, 1889, published a list of the members of the Robeson County Veteran’s Association. Almost at the bottom of the list is “Elias Prevatt, Co. E, 51 N. C. T.” Elias Prevatt survived the war!