York County Farrises in the Civil War

York County, situated in piedmont South Carolina on the border of North Carolina, suffered greatly in the War Between the States. York County had the highest death rate of any county in South Carolina, 805 out of an adult white male population of 4,379, or 183.8 per 1,000.
The Yorkville Enquirer, on June 5, 1862, listed the names of those killed in one battle and noted: "It is thus seen that York County has suffered terribly, and all is not told. The land is full of mourning — God grant the sacrifice on our part may not have proven in vain."
Following is a list of Farrises who served, their regiments and their parents if known. I disregarded the spelling of the last names and alphabetized by first name. The first four men in this list may, in fact, be the same man. Asterisks mean I have not found verification on the Internet, either at the York County SCGenWeb site or at the National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, but those lists are incomplete.
If you have more information about any of these men, or corrections, please e-mail aburriss@comporium.net.

A.B. Faires
Private, Company C, 5th S.C. Infantry
Paroled at Appomattox.

Edward T. Faris
Private, Company B, 5th S.C. Infantry, State Troops.
Transferred to Company D, 3rd Battalion of State Troops, Senior Reserves.
Detailed as agriculturist. The state reserves, sometimes called the "Senior Reserves", were men not subject to the draft but looked upon as a home guard in case of invasion of the state. Most of the men were in their 40s and 50s.

* Elias Newton Faris
Company D, 6th S.C. Infantry
Son of Samuel and Eliza Garrison.
Paroled at Appomattox.

Elijah Alexander Faris
Private, John T. Kanapaux's Battery, Lafayette's Light Artillery, S.C. Volunteers
Son of Thomas and Anna Sinclair
A resident of York County, he enlisted Sept. 1, 1863, in Coosawhatchie, S.C. Paroled at Greensboro, N.C., May 1, 1865.

G.I. Faris
Private, Company E, 17th S.C. Infantry, "The Indian Land Tigers"
Severely wounded in the back between March 25, 1862, and April 2, 1865, in Petersburg, Va.

Harvey Holmes Faris
Private/Corporal, Company H, 18th S.C. Infantry, "The Catawba Light Infantry"
Son of Miles Alexander Faris and Sarah Garrison
Enlisted May 5, 1862, in Charleston, S.C. Wounded in the upper third left thigh March 25, 1865. Captured at Richmond, Va., April 3, 1865, and sent to Point Lookout, Md., May 9, 1865. Released June 26, 1865. He was listed as having a dark complexion, black hair and black eyes. He returned home where he died of his wounds on July 3, 1865.
He was born July 31, 1832, in York County. He married Margaret Elizabeth Burns, born Feb .11, 1832, in York County. Their children were Samuel A. Farris, Sarah Elizabeth Clementine Farris (m. her third cousin Thomas Fulton Farris), James Harvey Farris and Mary Jane Farris (m. J. Harrison Ringold). The family moved to Arkansas after the war. Margaret died May 25, 1888, in Pulaski County, Ark.

* J.S. Faris
12th S.C. Infantry
Severely wounded at Gaines Mill, Va., June 27, 1862.

James D. Faris
Private, Company H, 18th S.C. Infantry, "The Catawba Light Infantry"
Enlisted at age 18 at Columbia, S.C., Aug. 27, 1864. Shot at Hatchers Run, Va., April 1, 1864. On last roll of Lincoln U.S. General Hospital, Washington, D.C. Operated on April 20, 1865. Released June 14, 1865.

Asa Faires provided this information: Received from SC Dept. of Archives and History Sept. 8, 1995. James (J. D.) Faris (FARRIS-pension, FAIRES-headstone and family Bible). Private in Company H, 18 South Carolina Infantry. Enlisted: Columbia, S.C., Aug. 27, 1864. Wounded: 1. Virginia, about Nov. 1, 1864 and admitted to Jackson Hospital, Richmond, Va., with minie ball wound in right breast. 2. Virginia, March 1865 and admitted to Jackson Hospital, Richmond, Va., March 4, 1865, with minie ball wound in face. On last roll: March 25, 1865 (Clothing receipt). Wounded and captured: (Hatchers Run) Petersburg, Va., April 1, 1865. Admitted: Lincoln General Hospital, Washington, D.C., April 8, 1865, with a fracture of the frontal bone caused by a minie ball. Fragments of bone removed April 20, 1865. (Family story was that he had an iron plate in his head. According to pension, totally blind by 1910 due to head wound at Five Forks). Oath of Allegiance signed June 12, 1865. Released from Lincoln Hospital June 14, 1865 (Aunt's copy said June 15). Resident: York District, S.C., age 18, dark complexion, light hair, hazel eyes, 5 ft. 4 in. tall.

James M. Faris
Private, Company E, 17th S.C. Infantry, "The Indian Land Tigers"
Son of Samuel and Elizabeth Garrison
Killed Sept. 17, 1862, at Sharpsburg, Md., in the Battle of Antietam Creek.

James S.Q. Farris
Private, Company A, 12th Infantry S.C., "The Palmer Guards"
Son of Edgar Theodore Farris.
Died of disease Nov. 22, 1862, at Mount Jackson, Shenadoah County, Va.

Jesse Isaac Faris
Private, Company E, 17th S.C. Infantry, "The Indian Land Tigers"
Son of Samuel and Elizabeth Garrison,
Paroled at Appomattox on April 9, 1865.

John Clayton Faris
Private, Companies B and F, 5th S.C. Infantry
Son of Robert Miller Faries.
Enlisted in the York District on April 13, 1861, at age 24. On last roll in January or February 1865. Wounded May 6, 1864, and again Oct. 28, 1864, in Virginia. Paroled at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, where his name was listed as Farris.

* John James Faris
Company E, 17th S.C. Infantry
Son of Miles Alexander Faris and Sarah Garrison
Severely wounded in knee on July 19, 1863, at Brandon, Miss.

* John N. Faris
Company B, 6th S.C. Infantry
Mortally wounded at Dranesville, Va., Dec. 20, 1861.

John Robert Faries
Private, Company B, 12th S.C. Infantry, "The Campbell Rifles"
Son of Moses Templeton Faris and Elizabeth L. Horton
John Robert was born Dec. 5, 1833, in York County. John was married first to Nancy E. Barber, born Nov. 17, 1853. Their children were Elizabeth Ann (m. William A. Barrett), John James, George Templeton, Margaret Jane (m. Hugh David Robinson) and William Caldwell. After Nancy's death on Nov. 1, 1900, John married Mary J. Faries, June 1833-April 30, 1913. Her father is thought to be John B. Faries, Moses Templeton's brother, which would make her and John Robert cousins. John Robert and his two wives are buried at Enon Baptist Church cemetery in Smyrna, S.C., as are his and Mary J.'s parents.

Miles P. Farris
Private, Company D. 3rd Battalion of State Troops, Senior Reserves
Transferred to Company G, 18th S.C. Infantry, "The Mountain Guards"
Enlisted in Company G on March 12, 1862.

O.A. Faris
34th Regiment, a.k.a Company B, 5th Regiment, S.C. State Troops
The July 29, 1863, issue of The Yorkville Enquirer listed York County volunteers for the state reserves, sometimes called the "Senior Reserves", who were men not subject to the draft but looked upon as a home guard in case of invasion of the state. Most of the men were in their 40s and 50s. The company was organized just three days after major Confederate losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg.

Oscar A. Faires
Company G, 18th S.C. Infantry, "The Mountain Guards"
Son of Samuel W. Fairies and Eliza Clarissa Wallace
Enlisted Nov. 2, 1864, in Columbia, S.C. Died of typhoid Jan. 6 or 16, 1865, at Richmond, Va. A history by Dennis and W.M. Farris provided by Wanda Rabb says he was killed at Gettysburg, but two other sources list typhoid as the cause.

Samuel J. Faris
Private, Company K, 18th S.C. Infantry, "The Broad River Guards"

Samuel R.W. Farris
Private, Company A, 12th S.C. Infantry, "The Palmer Guards"
Son of Edgar Theodore Farris
Died of disease at Pocotaligo, S.C., Dec. 14, 1861.

Samuel Thomas Faris
Private, Company H, or 18th S.C. Infantry, "The Catawba Light Infantry"
Son of Miles Alexander Faris and Catherine R. Storey
Enlisted Jan. 1, 1862, at Charleston, S.C.

W.I. Faris
Private, Company E, 17th S.C. Infantry, "The Indian Land Tigers"
Paroled April 9, 1865, at Appomattox.

* William Jasper Faris
Company E, 17th SC Infantry
Son of Samuel Faris and Elizabeth Garrison
Paroled at Appomattox.

These names are listed together because I believe William Jasper was listed incorrectly as W.I.