Tennessee Confederates, Payton B. Wheelock Sr. & Jr. were Uncle and Nephew, not father and son. I believe Wheelock family genealogy bares this out.

I have for some time suspected that grandmaw Cox's name MELBA was probably intended to be MELVA after her grandmother Gray but someone ( one of her parents maybe ? )  had a speech impediment and it ended up being MELBA. That's just a theory on my part. Payton B. Wheelock JR. was brother to Melvina Wheelock. In the 1860 census his age is given as 16. The oldest child of William Kincheloe Wheelock and Mary Brown. Melvina was the 2nd oldest child being 14 in 1860. Payton B. Wheelock SR. was a younger brother of William being age 37 in the 1860 census. William named another son after another brother. Eleven ( Elvin. ) The SR and JR thing between the two Paytons was a " family thing " I suppose. Perhaps the two were very close. The 1860 census shows the elder Payton and his wife being childless. IMAGE # 1 Pardon request of PAYTON SR. dated, " July 22, 1865 Jonesboro, East Tennessee " Addressed to " his Excellency  President Andrew Johnson. " He states, " He served as a private soldier in the rebel army's 60th Tennessee regiment. " which he joined only after the " passing of the conscript ( draft ) law." Records also show he served as a sergeant in the Sullivan County Harris Guards ( a home-guard unit ) after his return from the regular army. He may have been a more " committed " rebel than he wanted President Johnson to know !!  He may have been allowed to transfer because of his age or bad health.  That he was " desirous of taking the amnesty oath." but had been prevented because of having been " indicted for giving aid and comfort to the rebellion by the the courts in Knoxville." He then requests a " special pardon " from " his excellency. " that I assume was granted. IMAGE # 2 Post-Civil War photo of John and Melvina Wheelock Gray. Melvina was a niece of PAYTON SR. and sister of PAYTON JR. Her husband John Gray was a Confederate Veteran of Co. E 60th Tennnessee Inf. He served briefly before a back injury forced a early discharge just before the Vicksburg campaign. IMAGE # 3 Pardon request of PAYTON JR. reads much like that of the older man, except he gives his unit of service as Co. H 5th Tenn ( Cav ) Regiment. IMAGE # 4 Payton Jr enlists at Knoxville, Tn in the 5th ( Mckenzie's ) Cav. age, 18 THE CONFEDERATE 5TH TENNESSEE CAV :

Organized December 16, 1862 by the addition of two companies to the 13th (McKenzie's) Tennessee Cavalry Battalion, which was originally 1st (Rogers') East Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, paroled as part of General Joseph E. Johnston's Army at Greensboro, North Carolina May 1865. William W. Mullendore, Co. "H". Originally "G", 1st (Rogers'), then "G", later "II", 13th Battalion.

In October and December, 1862, two independent companies of cavalry were ordered by General Bragg to report to the 13th (McKenzie's) Tennessee Cavalry Battalion, and on December 16, 1862, by order of the Secretary of War, the battalion was raised to a regiment, and officially designated as the 5th (McKenzie's) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. IMAGE # 5 Payton is " on the rolls " March-April 1863 listed as a " farrier " ( shoes horses ) " mounted 61 days." IMAGES # 6,7 & 8 The younger Payton is " captured at " Farmington near Shelbyville, Tenn. Oct 7, 1863. " He is Forwarded to Louisville, Ky. From their to Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Indiana where he was held till March 15, 1865. He then was transferred to Point Lookout, Maryland " for exchange " It could be that there was no record of him taking the Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. and this was the reason the Knoxville Courts were after him !!!  " We had several skirmishes during the following days preceding the Chickamauga Battle. We participated in that fight the 19th and 20th September. On the 24th, we were ordered under General Forrest into East Tennessee, driving the enemy hack as far as Philadelphia. We were then ordered to Cottonport and crossed the Tennessee River October 1, participating in the fray at McMinnville, and had a very severe fight in Shelbyville on the 7th October. " ( where Payton was captured ) this from a brief history of the 5th Cav. IMAGE # 9 Confederate CMSR for ELEVEN WHEELOCK Co. H 5th Tn. Cav. He was probably a younger brother of William K. Wheelock who named a son after him also. William's son, Eleven was only 11 in 1860 while his brother was 35. The Roll is dated March 11,1864 at Tunnell Hill, Ga. He joined Sept.6,1863 at Knoxville,Tn. " Transferred ( probably to the Harris Guard Unit of Sullivan County, Home guard ) William K. and another brother, James Mark Wheelock also served in this Confederate Reserve Regiment. ____ Glenn Land