Fourth Generation

192. Benjamin Franklin WAGNER was born about 1823. His record in the War Between the States is as follows:²¹⁴ WAGNER, BENJAMIN, Private - Resided in Catawba County where he enlisted on March 14, 1863, for the war. Killed at Chancellorsville, Virginia, May 3, 1863. B.F.Wagner relocated to Georgia with his father and brother, only returning to Catawba county to get married. He did enlist as a private in 1863, however it was with company I, 28th, (Georgia),Infantry. During his service Union raiders burned his home and murdered a woman and two children there. Until about 1890 my branch of the family thought these people were Rachel,and children. The bodies were burned beyond recognition. B.F.Wagner was erroneously reported killed at Chancellorsville, due to confusion over what 28th Regiment he was with. When Ben returned after being wounded,captured and exchanged he buried the charred bodies of the people found in his burnt out home and enlisted with the first unit he found. This was the newly reorganized 1st Alabama Infantry. Before his earlier wounding and capture he was cited for distinguished service,and promoted to corporal. After his re-enlistment he was promoted to second sergeant,then after his participation in the Atlanta campaign he was promoted to first sergeant. Then he was wounded again,and discharged. Believing Rachel to be dead, he went to Alabama, (Dadeville). In 1871 he applied for his confederate pension. In 1875 the authorities accepted that he was indeed not dead and granted his application. In 1869 he remarried to Martha Jane Ware. There first child Bennie was born in 1871,but when only 3 months old. Mary Fannie Wagner was born in 1873, never married. Last child born 1875,was Charlie Henry Wagner. The family then, in 1888, moved to Texas. After Benjamin discovered that Rachel and his first three children were alive in North Carolina he wrote Rachel explaining the events since his reported death. Benjamin F.Wagner died in 1925, Abilene,Texas. He is buried there with his second wife Rachel. Sometime between 1930 and 1935,my father's first cousins;Hester Wagner Beard and two others visited my grandfather in Texas. There used to be a photo taken of them together, I saw the photo when I was younger,but haven't been able to locate it. Charlie was my grandfather. [Travis Wagner-traviswagner37@gmail.com]

Benjamin Franklin WAGNER and Rachel HEFNER were married on 29 August 1851 in Catawba County, North Carolina. by I. R. Moser, Min. Rachel HEFNER, daughter of Elias [Heffner] HEFNER and Sarah NULL, was born on 18 September 1827 in Lincoln (Catawba County), North Carolina.^{60,97,384,385,396,442,536,537} She was baptized in 1827 in St. Peter's Lutheran Church cemetery, north of Conover, Catawba County, NC.⁵³⁸ She died on 23 February 1905 at the age of 77 in Catawba County, North Carolina and was buried in St. Peter's Lutheran Church (MO Synod) Cemetery.⁵³⁹

Benjamin Franklin WAGNER and Rachel HEFNER had the following children: