Key Facts

Snapshot:	Confederate, promoted from private to corporal
Parents:	232Jacob Parlier 233Frances Douthit
Born:	6 January 1839 probably Paulding County, Georgia, although there's one contradictory record
Last known record:	4 January 1904 Floyd County, Georgia
Buried:	unknown

Alleged photograph: As of this writing (in spring 2021), several member trees on MyHeritage.com include a photo purported to be of 116John W. T. Parlier. Alex Phinazee's tree, for example, includes the photo. (Sorry, I can't provide a more direct link; MyHeritage.com is an opportunistic, garbage site that locks content—even content added by its own members for the purpose of sharing with others—behind a paywall). The images, which more or less seem to have been copied from one another, are invariably small and low-quality. So far as I've seen, no one cites a proper source for the photo or explains its provenance. If you understand the risks, but still want to see the photo anyway, click here to see a copy.

116John W. T. Parlier was born on the 6th1 or 16th2 of January 1839, probably in Paulding County, Georgia1 (However, one record inexplicably states that he was born in Camden County, Georgia.3 This seems unlikely judging from other records.) to parents 232Jacob Parlier and 233Frances Douthit.4

The 1850 census shows him living with his parents in Paulding County.1

1850: 116John's family in militia district 832 (map), Paulding County, Georgia. Full page.1

116John married 117Mary Duckett on 26 July 1857 in Paulding County.5

116John's and 117Mary Duckett's marriage record. Full page.5

The Civil War began in 1861. On 1 May 1862, 116John enrolled at "Camp Morrison, Bartow Co Ga" 6 into "Capt. Leak's Co., Col. Morrison's Regiment, Georgia Cavalry." 7 This would soon become company G, 1st Georgia Cavalry.8 Around September, 116John seems to have been transferred to company I.9 It's somewhat doubtful that 116John saw any significant combat while in this regiment: Muster rolls show that 116John was present through December 1862, but then absent on the roll for January-February 1863.10 Compare these dates with the 1st Georgia Cavalry's first major engagement, the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, which began 31 December 1862.

116John is absent from war-related records for most of 1863, but then on 1 November 1863 he re-enlisted in Company A, Maxwell's Regular Light Battery, Georgia Artillery. Judging from the muster rolls, he was promoted from private to corporal sometime in spring 1864.11 (Somewhat strangely, 116John also seems to be mentioned in one muster roll of a different artillery unit;12 I don't understand the significance of his being listed.)

116John may have been promoted to sergeant near the end of the war. A document written in the final weeks of the war describes 116John as the acting quartermaster sergeant.13 "Acting" officers are typically from just one rank lower, i.e. (in this case) sergeant. No other documents allude to a promotion, however. General Johnston surrendered a few weeks later.

Near the end of the war, 116John was described as acting quartermaster sergeant.13

After the war, local tax records show that 116John had settled back in militia district 832, Paulding County, Georgia14 (the same place he had lived in 18504). In 1867 the U.S. Congress passed several Reconstruction Acts. These Acts divided the former Confederacy into several military occupation zones, which were ruled by Union military commanders. The Acts also directed the commanding officers to register Southerners who wanted to vote in upcoming elections. One registration requirement was to swear an oath of loyalty to the United States; the obvious intent was to disfranchise any lingering Confederate resistance. 116John signed his oath on 9 July 1867.2

116John's Reconstruction-era voter registration oath.2

Tax records show 116John in militia district 832 again in 1868,15 but he must have moved not long thereafter, since all subsequent records show 116John in Floyd County. Two 1870's tax records show him in militia district 829 (map), i.e. near Cave Spring.16,17

His five year-old son Lazarus Phinazee Parlier died on 25 January 1878, as reported in a Rome newspaper.18

1878: 116John's five year-old son dies. Full page.18

The 1880 census and and an 1885 tax record show that he later moved to militia district 1059.19,20

His 1880 census listing is below.21 You may also be interested in his 1880 farm schedule listing17 along with the corresponding template.

1880: 116John's family in militia district 1059 (map), Floyd County, Georgia. Full page.21

The 1900 census shows 116John and 117Mary living with their son George.22

1900: 116John's family in militia district 919 (i.e., near Rome; map), Floyd County, Georgia. Full page.22

The 1900 census lists 116John's occupation as "house carpenter." An old union membership card, alleged to have belonged to 116John, was uploaded by an Ancestry.com user in 2020. Unfortunately the uploader didn't provide a proper source citation or explain the card's provenance, so I can't confirm its legitimacy.23

116John's (alleged) union card.23

In 1902 116John applied for a pension from his war service. Application documents mention "Ribs broken 13 months ago [i.e., about April 1902] + pressed in" 1 and "chronic rheumatism & bronchitis." 24

116John signed a pension-related document on 4 January 1904.25 This is the last record I've found of him, and he probably died not long thereafter.

Sources Cited:

1: Georgia Archives RG 58-1-1, Confederate pension application for J. W. J. Parlier, page 2. Virtual Vault, <https://vault.georgiaarchives.org/digital/collection/TestApps/id/242762/rec/1>, accessed 29 April 2021. Hereafted cited as "Pension application."

2: Georgia's 1867-1868 Voter Registration Oath Books. Volume 235 (Paulding County Book A), page 351, entry 54, J. W. T. Pailier. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, Returns of Qualified Voters and Reconstruction Oath Books, 1867-1869" / Oath Book / Paulding / 38 / image 344 of 564).

3: Pension application, op. cit., page 8.

4: 1850 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Militia district 832, Paulding County, Georgia. Page 116, dwelling 966, family 966, Jacob B. Parlier household. NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 80. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-64V5-BJ?i=127&cc=1401638&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMZYC-SJQ>, accessed 30 March 2021.

5: Paulding County, Georgia. Marriage book 1, page 187, marriage of John W. T. Parlier and Mary Duckett, dated 26 July 1857. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BZF-5TZ?i=137&cc=1927197&cat=275102>, accessed 28 April 2021.

6: United States Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865. Service record for Private J. W. T. Parlier of Companies G and I, 1 Georgia Cavalry, page 2. NARA microfilm publication M266, roll 110. National Archives Catalog, <hhttps://catalog.archives.gov/id/7079462>, accessed 29 February 2021.

7: ibid., page 3.

8: ibid., page 4.

9: ibid., page 6.

10: ibid., page 8.

11: Compiled Confederate service record of Private and Corporal J. W. T. Parlier of Capt. Maxwell's Regular Battery, Georgia Artillery. NARA microfilm publication M266, roll 110. National Archives Catalog, <https://catalog.archives.gov/id/163144043>, accessed 29 February 2021.

12: Compiled Confederate service record of Corporal J. W. T. Parlier of Capt. Barnwell's Battery, Light Artillery and Capt. Brooks' Company of Terrell Light Artillery. NARA microfilm publication M266, roll 110. National Archives Catalog, <https://catalog.archives.gov/id/163115582>, accessed 29 February 2021.

13: Pension application, op. cit., page 6.

14: Paulding County, Georgia. Tax digest book for 1866, militia district 832, n.p., entry for J. W. T. Parlier. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Paulding / 1866 / images 42-43 of 111), accessed 26 April 2021.

15: Paulding County, Georgia. Tax digest book for 1868, militia district 832, page 23, entry for J. W. T. Parlier. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Paulding / 1868 / images 159-160 of 226), accessed 26 April 2021.

16: Floyd County, Georgia. Tax digest book for 1872-1876, militia district 829 (Cave Spring), page 92, line 23, John W. T. Parlier. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Floyd / 1872-1876 / images 971-972 of 1088), accessed 26 April 2021.

17: Floyd County, Georgia. Tax digest book for 1877-1880, militia district 829 (Cave Spring), n.p., line 2, John W. T. Parlier. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Floyd / 1872-1876 / images 1117-1118 of 1231), accessed 26 April 2021. The book has no page numbers.

18: The Rome Weekly Courier (Rome, Georgia), 6 February 1878, page 1, column 1, near the top of the page. Georgia Historic Newspapers, <https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82014071/1878-02-06/ed-1/seq-3/>

19: 1880 U.S. Federal Census (Agriculture Schedule). Floyd County, Georgia. Militia district 1059, page 16, entry 1, John W. P. Parlier farm. NARA microfilm publication T1137, roll 13. The NARA provides a helpful template.

20: Floyd County, Georgia. Tax digest book for 1885, militia district 1059 (Livingston), page 86, line 12, John W. T. Parlier Agt. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Floyd / 1885 / images 173-174 of 330), accessed 26 April 2021.

21: 1880 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Floyd County, Georgia. Enumeration district 69, page 30, dwelling 274, family 274, John W. P. Parlier household. NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 146. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB6-SHQ5?i=29&cc=1417683&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM8LY-8RL>, accessed 28 April 2021.

22: 1900 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Militia district 919, Floyd County, Georgia. Enumeration district 116, sheet 13A, dwelling 249, family 262, John W. T. Parlier household. NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 196. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-661W-D84?i=24&cc=1325221&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM3NL-M4L>, accessed 28 April 2021.

23: "United Brotherhood Carpenters & Joiners" (Online image), uploaded to Ancestry.com by user Hennesseysjr on 18 February 2020. I edited the image from its original appearance (I rearranged the position of the cards in relation to one another, and reduced the quality somewhat to minimize file size).

24: Pension application, op. cit., page 5.

25: ibid., page 4.