Drury Stroup was born in December 1842, near Tuscumbia, Alabama, and died sometime after 1930. He was the son of Benjamin Stroup and Roena Stovall Stroup.

Drury's father, Benjamin Stroup, was born in Lincoln County, North Carolina in 1802, and died in Georgia in 1864 or 1865. He was the son of Jacob Stroup and Betsy Dellinger.

Roena Stovall Stroup was born in Alabama in 1822 and died in Alabama in 1844. Benjamin and Roena were married on September 25, 1838, in Morgan County, Alabama. Prior to the US Civil War, Drury Stroup was residing near Waleska, Cherokee County, Georgia, with his father Benjamin and stepmother Elizabeth Sarah Roach Stroup.

Drury Stroup joined the Confederate Army on June 16, 1861, at Camp McDonald, Georgia. On August 30, 1862, he was shot in the hand at the Battle of 2nd Manassas, necessitating amputation. In 1915, while living in Oklahoma, when he applied for a pension and made the following statement:

“I am 72 years of age and I joined the Confederate Army the 16th day of June, 1861, at Camp McDonald, Cherokee County, Georgia, and was assigned to Company H, 18thRegiment, Georgia Volunteers. Captain Frank Ford was at that time in charge. I stayed in camp until August 5, 1861, and went from there to Richmond, Virginia. I stayed in Richmond for nine months, my regiment guarding prisoners. After that I went to Seven Pines Battle, and fought in said battle. From there to Seven Days Battle at Malvern Hill, where I was wounded in the right arm. I did not get a furlough but was sent to Richmond, to the hospital, and went from the hospital at Richmond to Danville, on the line between North Carolina and Virginia. I stayed in the hospital at Danville until I got well and joined the regiment again at Richmond. The battle at Manassas, or Manassas Gap, all being the same battle, followed and I participated in the same. It was in this battle that I was shot through the right hand, and this was the 30th day of August 1862. My hand was amputated the next day, and they took me to Warrenton, Virginia, and I stayed there five weeks and the ground was about to be taken and we received orders to vacate and I walked twenty-five miles and caught a train to Richmond, where I got a furlough and went home. This was in October 1862.

I stayed at home in Canton, Georgia, until the war closed. I was married in August, 1864, and stayed in Canton until 1868. I then left Canton and went to Arkansas and stayed in Arkansas until about 1894. I then came to Muskogee, Oklahoma, and have lived at Muskogee, Oklahoma since that time.

I have been away from Canton, Georgia for about 47 years. I have had no correspondence from there since I left there, having no people of kin left there. This is the reason I cannot give the address of anyone who knows of my service in the Confederacy.”

While making his application, Drury Stroup gave his occupation as farmer, and stated he was in “fairly good” health, did not own a home, and the value of his property “would not exceed $500.00”. He received a pension of $250.00.

The marriage Drury mentioned was to Melinda Nation, whom he married on August 28, 1864, in Cherokee County, Georgia. Melinda died in Arkansas after bearing at least one son, John A. Stroup, born July 1867 in Cherokee County, Georgia.

Drury Stroup married two more times before he died, and had at least two more sons, Leonard Stroup, born on June 12, 1902 at “Creek Territory, Muskogee Nation, Oklahoma,” and Melvin Stroup, born on September 1, 1905 at “Harris Township Agency, Muskogee, Oklahoma.” Leonard Stroup died in Bellflower, California on July 20, 1970.

Thanks to Cathleen Pilalas for submitting this information.

D Stroup