Lovet M. Bush

1842-1862

Lovet M. Bush was born 1842 in Macon County, Alabama the son of William and Milly Bush who moved from the Pulaski and Dooly Counties area of Georgia to Macon County Alabama in late 1839 or early 1840. The family shows up in the 1840 and 1850 censuses of Macon County with Lovet being shown as age eight in the 1850 census.

On November 1, 1858, Lovet's father, William Bush, patented 80.00 acres of land in Dale (now Geneva) County, Alabama. William Bush was a Methodist minister and served as one of the early ministers of the Westly Chapel Methodist Church located about three miles west of present day Hartford, Geneva County, Alabama and was one of the first, if not the first, person buried in the church's cemetery.

Lovet's grandfather was Sanders Bush (Sr.)who was born in old Dobbs (now Lenoir) County, North Carolina and served as a Revolutionary soldier in Captain Kennedy's Company and died February 1810 in Pulaski County, Georgia. Several of Sanders Bush's younger sons as well as a number of his grandsons, including Lovet, server in the Civil war as Confederate soldiers. Sanders' son, Rev. William Bush, father of Lovet, organized a home guard company called the Choctawhatchie Rangers and served as its Captain. Sanders son, Sanders Bush (Jr.), brother of William and uncle of Lovet, was one of the seventy-plus members of the Choctawhatchie Rangers.

The following six sons of William Bush served as Confederate Soldiers:

JAMES E. BUSH, 3rd Corp. age 33, Co., G, Al. 33rd Regt. Inf..

CYRUS GREEN BUSH Pvt. Co., G, Al 8th Regt. Inf.:age 29. Oct 3, 1863 placed on

Confederate Roll of Honor, Battle of Gettysburg; died Dec. 9, 1894, Oaky Streak, Butler Co., Ala.

RICHARD "DICK" R. BUSH, Sgt. age 26, Co., G, Al. 33rd Regt. Inf.; KIA Sept. 20, 1863

Chickamauga, GA; Aug 10, 1864 placed on Confederate Roll of Honor, Battle of Chickamauga.

WILLIAM R. BUSH, Pvt., Co. D, Al 4th Regt. Inf.:died of pneumonia Camp Douglas, Ill., May

14, 1862.

GEORGE D. BUSH, 2nd Sgt. age 23, Co., G, Al. 33rd Regt. Inf. Still living in 1870 census.

LOVET M. BUSH, Pvt. age 20, Co., G, Al. 33rd Regt. Inf.; Killed in troop train accident Nov.

4, 1862 about five miles south of Cleveland, Tenn., buried in mass grave near where wreck took place.

The following three sons of Sanders Bush (Jr) served as Confederate soldiers:

WILLIAM D. BUSH, Pvt. age 28, Co., G, Al. 33rd Regt. Inf.. KIA Oct 8, 1862, Perryville, KY

JOHN S. BUSH, Pvt. age 26, Co., G, Al. 33rd Regt. Inf..; Died Feb 25, 1865, Camp Chase,

Ohio.

COLUMBUS C. BUSH Pvt., age 20, Co., G, Al. 33rd Regt. Inf..

Excerpts From Civil War Letters

These letters were written by James E. Bush, Lovet's older brother, concerning the death of their brother Richard "Dick" R. Bush and train accident south of Cleveland in which Lovet was killed. James E. writes to Elizabeth the wife of Richard "Dick" Bush and refers to her as "sister".

Missionary Ridge, Tenn.
October 31, 1863

Dear Sister,

I this evening take the pleasure of writing you a few lines to inform you that I am still on the land and among the living. But not very well. I HAVE A HURTING IN MY BACK AND HIPS WHERE I GOT HURT ON THE CARS (train cars), that hurts me right bad at times and this is one of the times .... You wrote to me to write you all about Dick .... As quick as I got out and found he (Dick) was left back dead, I was then intent to get him if there was any chance. The firing soon turned and I got to him.

When I got to him his pocketbook had been taken and his knapsack plundered. I don’t [know] that he had much money. HE HAD 2 HALF DOLLARS OF SILVER THAT LOVET HAD WHEN HE WAS KILLED. I got his (Dick's) comb, his hat and his Canteen. He had sent that canteen off after water and didn’t have it with him. It is the same canteen that W. T. D. Spear had when he died. I haven’t got room.

J.E. Bush

Two weeks later James E. continues his letter to Dick's wife and in it states the following:

November 13, 1863

" .... marched to [Morristown and Knoxville,] Tennessee, October 23 day 1862.

LEFT NOVEMBER 4, PAST CLEVELAND 5 MILES, THE CARS RAN OFF [the track], went back to Cleveland. Left there the 14 for Chattanooga, then to Bridgeport the 16, then to Estill Springs the 18 November ...."

Researched and written by Gene L. Cato, Sr., Marietta, GA.

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