Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Robert McRea

Robert Alexander McRea

Representing: Confederate


Unit History

  • 26th Alabama Infantry CSA B

See full unit history

Robert McRea
Full Unit History

26thALABAMA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: 12/1861 Tuscumbia, AL
Mustered In: 3/27/1862
Mustered Out: 4/9/1865 Smithfield or Greensboro, NC

Regimental History

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: 

 

The 26th Alabama ** was a three year Confederate infantry regiment. It began The War in the Eastern Theater. It completed it in the West.
 

Companies of the 26th were recruited from five Alabama counties. Those counties were: Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston and upper Tuscaloosa.
 

In 2/1862 while still attending instructional camp, two companies of the 26th were sent to Ft. Donelson, TN where, with the fall of that place, they were captured by Union forces. Being released, they returned to the 26th that spring.
 

During the Virginia Peninsula campaign in the first half of 1862 the 26th was active at Yorktown (4/5 - 5/3), Williamsburg (5/5) and in all the actions around Richmond. Those battles included Mechanicsville (1/26), Gaines Mill (6/27) Frayser's Farm (6/30) and Malvern Hill (7/1). These engagements cost the regiment nearly one half it’s men in either killed or wounded.
 

In September, 1862 the 26th moved northward across the Potomac River into Maryland with the Army of Northern Virginia. It fought at Boonsboro (9/15), and at Sharpsburg/Antietam (9/17). It concluded the year at Fredericksburg, VA (12/11 - 15).
 

May, 1863 found the 26th at Chancellorsville, VA (4/30 - 5/6). In July it was in action at Gettysburg, PA (1 - 3). The combat of 1863 was concluded at Mine Run (11/27 - 12/2).
 

1864. That spring the 26th was ordered southward into Georgia. It then took part in the Atlanta Campaign before moving into Tennessee with Confed. Gen. Hood. During this period it was badly crippled at Nashville (12/15 - 16).
 

Final muster came on 4/9/1865. Only a small remnant of the regiment's original enlistees were in the ranks when the unit surrendered.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
No Loss Numbers Available

Soldier History

SOLDIER:
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age: 20 yrs. (est.)
Enlisted/Enrolled: Inf. Not Avail.   Rank:  Pvt.
Mustered In: Inf. Not Avail.
Mustered Out: Inf. Not Avail.
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.

Family History

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:


The birth - to - death biographical profile of Robert McRae was created in December, 2021 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________Robert Alexander McRae was born on 9/26/1841. The location of his birth was Aberdeen Monroe County, MS.  The U.S. Census of 1850 found the McRae family residing in District 7 of Itawamba County, MS.
 

Parents of Robert were Hugh J. McRae (b. 6/10/1813 Carroll County, GA - d. 9/10/1886 Elwood Fannin County, TX) and Elizabeth (nee Smith b. 1816 AL - d. Unk.) McRae. The McRaes were farmers.
 

As best as can be determined, Robert was the eldest son and the first-born of six McRae children. His younger siblings were Kenneth McRae (b. 7/1843), Carmey McRae (b. 5/1845), John T. McRae (b. 4/1846), Sarah J. McRae (b. 1850 AL) and Andrew M. McRae (b. 8/1852 AL).  As noted by the birth states of Sarah and Andrew, sometime after Sarah's birth the McRae family moved from Mississippi to Marion County, AL.
 

During the American Civil War (ACW) Robert served as a private soldier in the Confederate Army's 26th Alabama Infantry. Without accessing any military service records that may exist pertaining to that tenure, we do not know if his enlistment was voluntary or by conscription. Further, we do not know how long he may have served. What we do know, however, is that while with the 26th he made an inter-regimental transfer from company "B" to company "C." Finally, we know he survived The War and returned to civilian life.
 

Where Robert initially settled after The War is not known. By 11/1/1872, though, he was in Williamson, TX. That was when and where he married.
 

Robert's bride was Lavina Ann Hasty. She had been born on 8/4/1853 in Talladega County, AL. How, where and when the two had met are unknowns.
 

During their years together Robert and Lavina produced five children. They were: William Harvey McRae (b. 10/4/1873 TX), Allen Alden McRae (b. 2/15/1876 TX), Lucy May McRae (b. 5/6/1882 Cornhill, TX), Wilburn Claude McRae (b. 2/7/1885 TX) and Thomas Kenneth McRae (b. 1/20/1887 TX). All five were living at the dawn of the twentieth century.
 

Circa 1889 the McRaes quitted Texas and moved to Washington Territory/State. What likely drew farmer McRae and his family to the Puget Sound Region of the Pacific Northwest was homestead land. Settling in Whatcom County, Robert received patent (title) on his homestead on 6/23/1896. That land was in a rural district known as Kendall which is located along the U.S./Canada border. According to a newspaper account, for many years Robert transported mail and freight between Kendall and the nearby City Of Bellingham.
 

The McCraes appear to have farmed in Kendall through the U.S. Census of 1910. Although the census of 1920 placed Robert and Lavina in the Columbia neighborhood of the city of Bellingham, all other written postings point to their remaining in Kendall until they died.
 

Confederate Civil War veteran Robert A. McCrae died on 2/27/1927. Notification of the death was made by son Claude. According to his Washington State Certificate of Death, the cause of his passing was "senility." The old soldier was 85.4 years of age. Burial was/is in the Kendall Whatcom County Cemetery.
 

After Robert's death Lavina remained in Whatcom County. In 1930 she was residing in the Columbia district Bellingham home of son Claude and family. She died on 3/4/1933 and was/is buried in the Kendall Cemetery with Robert.
________________________________________________________________________________________________* The American Civil War Research Database shows the surname as McCray.
** The 26th was also known as O'Neal's Alabama Infantry. Edward A. O'Neal was one of the unit's colonels. During The War he became a brigadier-general. Afterwards he was twice elected governor of Alabama.

Cemetery

Buried at Kendall Cemetery


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