John T. Coates By: Sebastian Villalobos

The legacy that a person leaves behind sets the path for the future of his or her family. In 1860s hundreds of thousands of citizens fought in the Civil War and left behind their own legacies and stories that would keep their names from being lost in time. Many people nowadays wish to leave something behind for the future generations of the world and the story of John T. Coates (Coats) was no different. John T. Coates (Coats) was a Civil War soldier and was also a man who fought for what he believed in. Coates, like many other people, saw that in his eyes that there needed to be a change in the way that the nation operates and he made the decision that risking his life for a better cause was worth the price. Coates was a confederate soldier born in 1834 in North Carolina, and from the moment he was born his life story began.

According to the FamilySearch website John T. Coates was the son of Edward Coates and his wife whose first name began with the letter W. Coates had no apparent siblings. Both of Coates’ parents resided in North Carolina and Coates spent a period of time living there in his early life. Throughout his younger years he served as a farmer with his father. Coates decided to move to the state of Virginia on an unknown date, for unknown reasons, however on August 15th, 1861 John T. Coates married a women, M.I. Thomas in Halifax, Virginia. His wife was born in 1835, and they married each other at the age of 26. It is unknown if Coates had any children with his wife. However, now being a married man Coates had a stepmother whose name began with the letter J, and a stepfather whose name was Stephen Stephens. The occupations of his step parents were not listed however they resided in Halifax, Virginia. Family members play a key role in the choices that a person makes in his or her life and could be why Coates decided to enlist in the military.

Coates was a private who fought for the Confederacy in Company G in the 6th Regiment Virginia Cavalry. He fought in 4 different battles located within the state of Virginia. The first battle that Coates fought in was on the 5th of October, 1861 at Annandale, Virginia. Ten days later, on October 15th, 1861, Coates and his regiment fought in another battle at the same location of Annandale, Virginia. The outcome of each of these battles was inconclusive. Several days passed and the 6th Cavalry moves on to fight in what would be Coates’ third and fourth battle. Coates and his regiment fought on October 22nd and 23rd in 1861 at Waterford, VA and was named the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. This battle was fought within Loudoun County, Virginia and resulted in a humiliating defeat for the Union, with a total of 1002 Union soldiers being killed and wounded and only 36 killed and 117 being wounded for the Confederacy. This battle was the final battle that Coates was able to fight in because after this he was sent home on sick leave.

Unfortunately for Coates the timing of his marriage couldn’t have been at a worse time. The year 1861 was the year that the Civil War began, and Coates enrolled for active service on August 19th 1861 in Cluster Springs, Virginia, only 4 days after his marriage. He was enlisted by Captain Thomas S. Flournoy. Coates was not mastered into service until September 4th, 1861 at Ashland, Virginia by Lieutenant C.W. Field and became a private assigned to Company G in the 6th Regiment Virginia Cavalry. Coates had a horse valued $75, which could have been used in battle. Coates only spent three months in the military and on October 31st, 1861 Coates was allowed for sick leave. Coates was last paid on November 1st, 1861 by L.W. Hardy. He returned back to his home in Halifax, Virginia, and sadly Coates passed away at his home on November 21st, 1861 on sick furlough. It was not stated what disease Coates died from, however his regiment continued fighting on in the war after his passing. Coates passing would end up leaving his wife a widow.

In conclusion John T. Coates was a man who had a short lived life and died while he tried to make a difference in the nation that he was living in. Coates was 26 when he passed away and fought in numerous battles in the Civil War for the 6th Regiment Virginia Cavalry. He entered and exited from the military as a private and passed away due to illness. A majority of events occurred in Coates life in the year 1861, such as his enlistment, and marriage, and although many things in his life happened all at once and everything seemed to have changed for him at a very rapid pace, Coates cared enough about the state of his country and stepped up to try and change it for what he believed would be a better future. Although the end result of the war may not have pleased him, the future of the nation can be something that can be looked at as a massive achievement.

Sources used for research:

www.civilwar.org - Primary Sources, Military Correspondence & Documents (Confederacy)

www.familysearch.org -1860 Census

https://www.fold3.com/image/20/7082846 - Service Record, Sixth Virginia Cavalry

www.ancestryinstitution.com - 1860 Census

www.usgwcensus.org - Online Census Inventory