John Augustus Duncan

Sergeant John Augustus Duncan (1847–1927) was a farmer, Irish immigrant and Civil War veteran of the upcountry of Greenville County, South Carolina. He was the son of Charles Duncan, of northern Ireland.

Birth and immigration

Born in northern Ireland in 1847, Duncan immigrated to the United States near the outbreak of the American Civil War with two brothers, arriving through the port of Charleston, South Carolina. His final destination was the township of O'neal, located in the north of Greenville District, now Greenville County.

Civil War service

Duncan's Confederate war service record places him in Company K of the Fifth South Carolina Volunteers for most of his time served. This unit saw action in many engagements during its tenure, including the noted Battle of Seven Pines, Virginia, in which Duncan was wounded and was subsequently remanded to the Confederate hospital at Richmond, Virginia.

Post-War and family life

With the conclusion of the Civil War, Duncan returned to the upcountry of South Carolina, farming a large, rented tract of land bordering the Middle Tyger River, which his grandson, Rev. Walker Ernest Duncan, would later purchase after the turn of the century. In addition to the business of farming, he took up the position of firing the steam engine of the immediate area's largest cotton processing facility, Reece Gin, during his later years. His son, Ellis E. Duncan, would take up the business of farming as his father eventually retired.

References

• State of South Carolina. Department of Archives. Confederate Service records: John A. Duncan