Submitted by Sid Stroupe and Mike Stroupe; Edited and vetted by Cheri Todd Molter
Israel Rufus Stroup, the son of John D. Stroup, enlisted on the 4th of July 1862 in Lincoln County, NC. At the time, he and his wife, Elizabeth Rudisill Stroup, lived in Stanley Creek and had three small children. In Israel’s military records, he was described as 6 feet tall, with a dark complexion, gray eyes, and black hair. He served as a Private in Company G, 57th Infantry Regiment, North Carolina, CSA.
A year after enlistment, Israel Rufus was given a 30-day furlough from June 9th until July 9, 1863. After rejoining his Company, Israel Rufus Stroup was captured by Union forces on Nov. 7, 1863 at Rappahannock Bridge in Virginia, also known as “The Second Battle of Rappahannock Station.” He was held prisoner at Point Lookout, Maryland, for over a year and was released on Oct. 30, 1864.
On April 6, 1865, he was recaptured by the Union Army, this time at Farmville, Virginia.
Israel Rufus Stroup pledged the “Oath of Allegiance” to the United States of America and was released on June 26, 1865. He returned home to Elizabeth and their three children following the war. They had four more children between the late 1860s and early 1870s. Mr. Stroup died at age 79 in 1907.
