Susan Slaton of Jefferson County, Tennessee was my gg grandmother. Her two brothers, John A. Slaton and Francis Marion (Frank) Slaton, served in the 9th Tennessee Cavalry in the Civil War. John A. Slaton "froze to death in the Civil War" according to family oral tradition. He was captured, stripped, and tied to a tree overnight on a freezing night. His feet may have been frozen and may have had to be amputated, although this is not known for certain. In any case, he was subsequently a prisoner of war in Richmond, Virginia. After the war was over, his father, Thomas Fielden Slaton, went to Richmond to fetch him home. John died 16 June 1965 as the result of exposure and disease from his war service.
9th Tennessee Cavalry organized at Knoxville, TN. August 13, 1863. Joined DeCourcy at Crab Orchard. Ky. September 24, 1863. Attached to District of North Central Kentucky, Dept. of the Ohio to April, 1864. 3rd Brigade. 4th Division, Cavalry Corps. Army of the Cumberland to October 1864. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi to November, 1864. District of East Tennessee. Dept. of the Cumberland to March, 1865. 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, District of East Tennessee to July, 1865. Cavalry Brigade, District of East Tennessee to September, 1865.
SERVICE: Duty at Crab Orchard Ky, till October 1863. (A Detachment on march to Cumberland Gap September 24-October 3, 1863, and operations about there). Duty in District of East Tennessee at Knoxville, Nashville and on line of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, and at Bull's Gap, Tenn., till October, 1864. Rogersville August 21, 1864. Pursuit to Greenville August 21-23. Blue Springs August 23, Operations In East Tennessee August 29-September 4, Park Gap and Greenville September 4. Death of Gen. J. H. Morgan. Gillem's expedition from East Tennessee toward Southwest Virginia September 20-0ctober 17, Rheatown September 28, Watauga River September 9, Carter's Station September 29-October 1, Operations in East Tennessee October 10-28, Greenville October 12, Bull's Gap October 16, Clinch Mountain October 18, Clinch Valley, near Sneedsville, October 21, Mossy Creek and Panther Gap October 27, Morristown and Russellville October 28. Operations against Breckenridge's advance into East Tennessee November 4-17, Russellville November 11, Bull's Gap November 11-14. Russellville November 14, Strawberry Plains November 16-17, Flat Creek November 17. Stoneman's Expedition to Saltsville, Va., December 10-29, Big Spring, near Rogersville. December 2, Kingsport December 3, Glade Springs December 5. Marion and capture of Wythevllle December 16, Mt. Airy December 17, Engagement near Marion December 17-18, Capture and destruction of Saltsville December 20-21. Duty in East Tennessee till March 1865, Stoneman's Raid into Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina March 21-April 25. Wytheville April 16, Shallow Ford and near Mocksville, NC April 11. Salisbury April 12, Catawba River April 17, Swannanoa Gap, NC, April 20. Near Hendersonvllle April 23. Duty in East Tennessee till September. Mustered out September 1, 1865.
Source for information on 9th Tennessee Cavalry: A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer.