John C. Fann Family Lost Four Sons

John C. Fann and Bythenia Kelly married and raised a large family, including seven sons. Six of their sons were soldiers in the Civil War. Four of them did not come home. James, John, and Owen enlisted in June and August of 1861. They were in Company I, 20th North Carolina Infantry. After about one year they were sent near Richmond. Owen was wounded June 27, 1862 at Cold Harbor. He died in Richmond Hospital July 26, 1862. James was wounded the same day as Owen at Cold Harbor and died July 23, 1862 at Richmond Hospital. John was wounded July 1, 1862 at Malven Hill and died in Richmond July 16, 1862. According to family history, Richard, who was not enlisted at that time, went to Richmond and gathered his three brothers and looked after them until they died. Richard and Wiley enlisted in October of 1862. Richard was a guard at Weldon Rail Road. He was captured, and held as a prisoner of war at Point Lookout, Md. Richard was exchanged March, 1865. He survived the war. Wiley died June 23, 1864 of wounds sustained at Cold Harbor. D. Alsworth joined Sampson Company A, 71st Regiment (Junior Reserves) in April of 1864. He was discharged due to illness in June of that year. All four brothers are buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond. The Fann Family erected a monument in their honor at Piney Green Cemetery. This information was obtained, in part, from an article written by Frances Fann Canady for the Heritage of Sampson County. I am a distant cousin with whom she shared information. I believe she is now deceased.