Switchin sides mid-stream…

Captain Hilbert A. Cunningham of the 15th Tennessee C.S.A. was an in-law of Colonel John A. Logan (Black Jack) who was then commanding the 31st Illinois Infantry. John Logan's wife Mary Cunningham Logan was the sister of Capt. H. A. Cunningham. In addition, prior to June of 1861, many believe that John Logan had entertained the idea of leading a unit in the Confederate forces.

The story of Cunningham and Logan doesn't end there. In May 1863, Capt. Cunningham took a furlough and within a few months was AWOL and then officially listed as a deserter. In the fall of 1863, he was granted a commission in the Union Army and served at the rank of Capt. as an aide to John Logan, who by then was a Major General.

Photo: Black Jack Logan