Genealogy isn’t just about names and dates—it’s about stories. And sometimes those stories are unexpected, even uncomfortable. One of the most surprising turns in my family history came when I discovered that my ancestor, Josephus Sutton, a preacher’s son from Bonaparte, Iowa, crossed state lines at just 17 years old to join the Confederate Army.
It’s a story with more questions than answers. But it’s also a story worth telling.
A Preacher’s Son in a Divided Nation
Josephus was one of four children born to Rev. Milton Ellis Sutton and Mary Wynn, a devout Baptist family. Rev. Sutton was a well-known traveling minister who preached throughout the region, often taking the entire family along with him as he led services in churches and revival meetings.
Their lives revolved around faith, family, and community, and the Suttons were deeply embedded in the Baptist tradition. Conversations around the dinner table were likely filled with conviction—both moral and political. The family didn’t shy away from strong opinions.
One thing is clear: the Suttons didn’t own slaves, and there’s no evidence they ever supported slavery. But they also didn’t take kindly to being told what to do—by neighbors, by outsiders, or by the government. That fierce independence would prove to be a defining trait.
Crossing Into Missouri: A Teenager’s Fateful Choice
In January 1862, Josephus crossed the border into Missouri and enlisted in the 3rd Missouri Infantry, Company D of the Confederate Army. He was 17 years old—underage by military standards—but claimed to be 18 to enlist.
Missouri was a border state, with deep divisions and loyalties on both sides. Though Iowa was firmly in Union hands, southern Iowa and northern Missouri were culturally and politically complex, and Confederate sympathies could still be found in isolated communities.
Why did he do it?
There are no surviving letters or journals to explain. But several possibilities come into focus:
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He was angry at his father or wanted to escape a life under strict religious expectations.
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He may have been drawn by regional loyalties, peer influence, or the promise of adventure.
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He may have been swayed by the fears and propaganda of the time—claims that the Union was invading, and that emancipation would bring economic collapse.
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Or maybe it was just a teenager’s rebellion, magnified by war.
Whatever the reason, his decision was deliberate. There were no Confederate recruiting stations in Iowa. He had to cross state lines to enlist.
Into the War
Once enlisted, Josephus served as a Private with the 3rd Missouri Infantry, a regiment that saw heavy action in some of the Civil War’s bloodiest theaters.
He fought at:
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Iuka (September 1862)
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Corinth (October 1862)
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And in the Vicksburg Campaign, one of the most decisive series of battles in the war
On May 12, 1863, during the Battle of Port Gibson in Mississippi, Josephus and his unit were captured by Union soldiers and imprisoned at Port Gibson.
A month later, on June 12, 1863, he was released as part of a prisoner exchange. Before release, Confederate prisoners were often required to sign an oath promising not to take up arms against the Union again. While no record of his signature has been found, the fact that he never returned to the war suggests he agreed.
After that, Josephus disappears from the record. We know very little about his life after the war. No military pension, no public records, no gravestone bearing a Confederate marker. Just a ghost in the story.
A Story with No Simple Answers
It’s tempting to try to explain Josephus’s decision through modern eyes. But the truth is, the Civil War era was messy, especially along the borders. People joined the Confederate cause for many reasons—some ideological, some economic, some personal. And while slavery was absolutely at the heart of the conflict, not every soldier’s motivation fit neatly into that narrative.
Josephus didn’t fight for slavery. He didn’t fight for land or wealth. He may have fought because he felt cornered, angry, or simply wanted to carve out a different path than the one expected of him.
It’s impossible to know for sure. If I could sit down with him today, I would ask:
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Why did you leave Iowa to fight for the South?
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Were you scared? Were you proud? Were you confused?
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What did you feel when you were captured—relief, regret, or something else?
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What happened after the war ended? Why did you disappear?
Why This Story Matters
Genealogy brings us face-to-face with complicated truths. Josephus’s story is a reminder that the past isn’t always clean or comfortable. It’s full of people making impossible decisions in the middle of a divided and dangerous world.
I don’t celebrate his choice—but I also don’t ignore it. I want to understand it. I want to remember that behind every historical event, there are individuals—flawed, young, scared, idealistic, stubborn, human.
And maybe that’s what family history is all about.
The story of Josephus Sutton isn’t one I expected to find in my family tree. But I’m glad I did. Because it forces me to think deeper—not just about where I come from, but about how the past still echoes in our present.
