William N. Byerly, born around 1832 in Knox County, Tennessee to Michael and Sarah Smith Byerly, moved with his wife and five children before the Civil War to Rhea County, Tennessee. Like many East Tennesseans, he supported the Union and enlisted on December 6, 1862, at age 31, after traveling over 200 miles to Lebanon, Kentucky. A farmer described as 5’5″ with a dark complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair, he married Sarah Ann Grammer in Roane County, Tennessee on August 29, 1852.
The trip from his home to Lebanon, Kentucky was 214 miles and would have taken him 10 to 20 days to complete. More than likely, he would have traveled up across the Cumberland Plateau through modern day Crossville to modern day Somerset, Kentucky. This first part of his journey would have been the most dangerous, requiring assistance from a network of Union sympathizers for food and shelter along the way. Once he reached Somerset, he would have been in areas under Union control and could have used established roads and trails.
Lebanon, Kentucky was a critical Union training center and home to Camp Crittenden. It is there he would have enlisted for the Union Service, 214 or so miles away from his home in Eastern Tennessee.
Byerly transferred from the 7th Regt. Tennessee Infantry on April 30, 1863 to the First Regt. Tennessee Infantry, Company A.
Byerly was captured circa 20 October 1863 near Sulphur Springs or Philadelphia, Tennessee, then imprisoned in Richmond, Virginia, and transferred to Andersonville, Georgia in February 1864. He died of diarrhea at Andersonville on March 3, 1864, and is buried in grave #859 at Andersonville Historical Cemetery. He left his wife, Sarah Grammer Byerley and 5 young children aged 3 to 11.
William N. Byerley is my second great uncle, brother to my 2nd Great Grandmother, Malissa Byerley.
