A startling coincidence emerged when Terry Sheppard, a retired TV engineer and programmer from Somerset, England, began researching his paternal family history. He had connections to two civil wars.
After many years of research, Terry traced his family back to his 8x great grandfather Caleb Sheppard who was born in 1618 in Keynsham, near Bristol. Records prove that Caleb was the town’s parish constable during the English Civil War (1642–1651).
“Keynsham was occupied by Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarian army in 1645, and they used the Lock Keeper Inn as a guard post,” Terry explains. “Caleb, as parish constable, would have been up close and personal with the troops during the Siege of Bristol which led to a Royalist defeat.”
More than 200 years later, one of Caleb’s descendants Henry Sheppard (later known as Thomas Henry) became even more immersed in civil war, this time in the USA. “Henry was born in Bristol in 1823, and is my first cousin, 3x removed.
“In 1853, he emigrated to the USA with his wife Louisa and they settled in Almont, north of Detroit, Michigan. They had a farm, and raised 10 children.”
Henry so loved his adoptive country that when the War Between the States erupted in 1861 he enlisted on the side of the Union. He became a colour sergeant for Company E of the 1st Michigan Cavalry, responsible for carrying the regimental Stars and Stripes into battle.
The flag held huge significance. Soldiers looked to it for direction in battle when it was impossible to hear directions or bugle calls. The bearer was usually at the vanguard of the regiment, drawing heavy enemy fire.
The flag held huge significance
The flag was also symbolic in terms of inspiration. It was a sacred emblem of the cause that Union soldiers were fighting for. Men would sacrifice their lives to protect it from enemy capture.
Terry has learnt much through the research of his American relative Vincent DeLuca, who is a direct descendant of Henry. Vincent kindly sent Terry information the family had gathered, and a magazine article about their relation’s exploits. There is also a book about him called He Kept the Colors: The True Story of the General, the Old Man and the Flag (AuthorHouse, 2007), by LE Johnson.
Henry took part in many skirmishes and larger battles, including the Shenandoah Valley campaign which began in 1861. He also served at the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg, which raged for three days in 1863.
“At Gettysburg, Henry held the flag high amid the charge of the 1st Michigan Cavalry. It was already riddled with bullet holes.
“During the affray, Henry was slashed by a sabre and struck from his horse. He tried to escape, despite having wounds in his right shoulder and ankle. However, it became clear that he would be taken prisoner, so he tore the flag from its mast and concealed it under his clothing.”
Henry was held in a number of hell-hole camps, including Andersonville, Georgia, where many prisoners died due to starvation and disease. “Experts agree that concealing the flag put Henry in danger of severe punishment, even execution.”
Despite his 16-month ordeal, Henry survived the camps and returned to his family in 1864. His daughter Nellie said that he was just skin and bones.
Henry treasured the flag, and held it high during veterans’ rallies in Almont. The ‘Sheppard flag’ is now on display at a museum in Dearborn, near Detroit. Curators and Sheppard family members are both campaigning for Henry to be awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest US military decoration.
After Louisa’s death, Henry remarried and had more children. He died in 1901 aged 77, and the community mourned his loss. “I am a pacifist, but I admire Henry’s determination and service.”
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