I'm a descendant of Pleasant Lilly & Nancy Solesbury/Shrewsbury. They're my 4x great-grandparents, and I know about the legend of the Shrewsbury sisters, but I'm stuck on his Civil War service. If he was born about 1797 that would make him 64 y/o at the start of the war. I have found a Pleasant H. Lilly on a Muster Roll from Aug. 31-Dec. 31, 1861 for Co. I, 60th Regiment Virginia Infantry. On this Muster Roll it says that he "Absented himself on the 1st Dec. 1861 from (can't read) near Greenbrier Bridge." Why did Pleasant absent himself? Also, I found a Pleasant H. Lilly on the Muster Roll for Co. B, 23 Battalion Virginia Infantry. Why did he switch to the 23 Battalion? I'm aware of the bushwhacking story, and that a Pleasant Lilly's house was burnt down by Rutherford B. Hayes, but some information seems conflicting to me.
From my research, I read that he had a son with Amelia Shrewsbury named Pleasant. According to the information I have found, his son would have been around 15 or 16 y/o, which would have been of age at the beginning of the war. Well, actually the minimum recruiting age for the Union soldiers was 18, but often times overlooked. The Confederacy had no set minimum age. So, are the documents I found for Pleasant Lilly, the father, or Pleasant Lilly, the son? There are no birth dates on the Muster Rolls. If the documents I have found are in fact for Pleasant Lilly, the father, I would be more inclined to believe the bushwhacking story.
Would anyone have a picture of Pleasant Lilly as a Civil War soldier? Actually, any picture of him would do?
