A.J. Cash's grandfather was Joseph B. Cash, a Confederate veteran with an interesting Civil War history. Since many soldiers in the Civil War were farmers and never expected to be away from home as long as they were, wives and other family members often implored them to come home to take care of urgent family needs. Soldiers often did this without the required leave and then would return to the army after taking care of the family crisis. We don't have a specific history of what family matters were pressing on Joseph B. Cash but we do know that he joined the Confederacy on August 1, 1861 with Captain Watkins of the 52d VA Regiment in 1861 at Staunton, Virginia:

Apparently, Joseph B. Cash left the 52 VA Regiment in the summer of 1862 only to re-enlist with Company K of the 20th Virginia Cavalry in June of 1863:

Communications not being what they are today, Joseph B. Cash apparently didn't get word to the proper authorities about his whereabouts which had him listed as being absent without leave from the 52d Va Infantry Regiment:

This created some problems for Joseph B. Cash. This record dated December 31, 1864 indicates he was sentenced on April 24, 1864 by military court to "hard labor with ball and chain for 12 months on public works." This sentence was then "Pardoned by Secretary of War." It could be that the pardon was given as a consequence of Joseph B. Cash's re-enlistment but more research is needed on this history. It is not clear whether he actually served any of this sentence in light of other documents discussed below.

At some point during the Civil War, Joseph B. Cash was a prisoner of war as this record shows that he was a Confederate prisoner paroled in April of 1865 at Farmville, Virginia. We don't yet know when or where he was captured but this could explain some of his absences on the Confederate rolls.

After the Civil War, Joseph B. Cash and his wife Lucy Ellen Pierce had a son, John Benjamin Cash who was born in Louisa County,Virginia. Records demonstrate that Joseph B. Cash and his family were in Madison County, Locust Dale, Virginia by at least July of 1870:

It is interesting to note that Joseph B. Cash purchased land from James W. Reddish and we have a James Reddish 2X great grandfather of Alia Kile Bazzle Oddenino. More research is needed to determine what connection lies here.

Here is the Death Register for Lucy E. Pierce Cash who died on September 17, 1879 indicating her parents to be Washington and Elizabeth Pierce as reported by her husband Joseph B. Cash: