American Civil War
Honoring the Stancil Family Veterans
John Thomas Stancil
Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive
Born: Jan. 23, 1841
Died: Jan. 27, 1922
Service: Enlisted Feb. 28, 1862 under Sgt. Jackson Raines, Company C, 5th Regiment NC State Troops. Went home for 15 months in August 1862. Returned to service Feb. 1864. Captured at the Battle of Bentonville, NC, and paroled at Goldsboro on May 2, 1865.
Family Connection: Son of Samuel Stancil and Martha Patsy Rentfrow Stancil; brother of James Henry, Josiah, and Jacob Stancil; husband of Delaney Catherine Sasser.
James Henry Stancil
Seek Archives
Branch: Confederacy, Wagonmaster
Born: June 6, 1838 Kenly, Johnston County, NC
Died: Nov. 5, 1922 Beulah Township, Johnston County, NC
Service: Enlisted April 19, 1862. Served in Company A, 55th Regiment; later transferred to Company B, 12th Battalion NC Cavalry.
Family Connection: Son of Samuel and Martha Patsy Rentfrow Stancil; brother of John Thomas, Josiah, and Jacob Stancil.
Josiah Stancil
Seek Archives
Branch: Confederacy, Wagoner
Born: Feb. 16, 1843 — Johnston County, NC
Died: April 3, 1921 — Wilson, NC
Service: Enlisted May 5, 1862, Company A, 55th Regiment.
Family Connection: Son of Samuel and Martha Patsy Rentfrow Stancil; brother of John Thomas, James Henry, and Jacob Stancil.
Jacob Astor Stancil
Seek Archives
Branch: Confederacy
Born: Feb. 28, 1844 — Wayne County, NC
Died: June 18, 1905 — Wilson, NC
Buried in Watson Cemetery, Lucama, Wilson County
Service: Enlisted May 2, 1863, Company A, 55th Regiment. Wounded in the arm at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863.
Family Connection: Son of Samuel and Martha Patsy Rentfrow Stancil; brother of John Thomas, James Henry, and Josiah Stancil.
Thomas Haywood Sasser
Seek Archives
Branch: Confederacy
Born: April 16, 1832
Died: March 9, 1906
Buried in Rains Cross Roads Cemetery, Princeton, NC
Inscription: PVT CO C, 5TH NC INF, CIVIL WAR
Service: Enlisted May 30, 1861 — ten days after NC seceded. Paroled at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.
Stancil Family Confederate Service (1861-1865)
Relatives
Thomas Haywood Sasser was the brother of Delaney Catherine Sasser Stancil, who married John Thomas Stancil.
Sons of Samuel and Martha Patsy Rentfrow Stancil:
- James Henry Stancil
- John Thomas Stancil
- Josiah Stancil
- Jacob Stancil
Historical Narrative
North Carolina seceded from the Union on May 20, 1861. A very enthusiastic Thomas Haywood Sasser, age 22, traveled to Northampton County to enlist just ten days later. His service with the 5th North Carolina Regiment, Company C, reflects the broader history of the unit.
The regiment saw action across Virginia, including Seven Pines, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Mechanicsville, Gaines Mill, Cold Harbor, and Gettysburg. The 5th NC earned the name “The Bloody 5th” after suffering devastating losses early in the war. Despite never refilling its ranks, the regiment continued to serve until the surrender at Appomattox.
On Feb. 28, 1862, John Thomas Stancil enlisted in Selma, NC, under Sgt. Jackson Rains. He and fellow enlistees marched to Raleigh and then traveled by train to Richmond before joining the regiment near Manassas. Their service took them through trenches, skirmishes, and major battles across Virginia.
After the Second Manassas battle, sickness and exhaustion left many men unable to continue. John Thomas and others returned home temporarily to regain their health. He eventually returned to Delaney and their firstborn son, Henry.