Emanuel "Manuel" Wolfe was born about 1833 in Hawkins County Tennessee to the family of George Franklin and Jane (Allen) Wolfe. The place of his birth was 20 miles north of Rogersville, Tennessee. Manuel was the first child born into the family. Other children born later were; Gideon, born May 6, 1835; Mila, born 1838; Manson E., born May 2, 1842; William, born 1848; and Jeptha, born 1851.

About 1848 the family moved to a farm that George had purchased in Hancock County. The place of their residence was near thorn Hill, which is in Grainger County.

Manuel married Caroline Wolfe, daughter of Peter and Mary Wolfe about 1857. There were three known children born from this union. Riley; born in 1858, Gideon; born in 1859, and Margaret Jane; born in 1862.

Manuel joined the Union Army on March 8, 1862 at Knox City, KY; He was in the same company as his brother Gideon Wolfe; Co. A, 1st Reg. Tennessee Cav. Volunteers. Manuel was promoted to the rank of Sergeant shortly before he was listed as missing in action. Manuel was never heard from again, and the family never received any information on his case.

About 30 years later, Manson Wolfe, the younger brother of Manuel, received a visit from a Civil War Veteran. The veteran had heard that there was a family of Wolfes from eastern Tennessee living in the vicinity of Frisco, Texas. In the spring of 1891 the veteran appeared at the farm of Manson Wolfe in Lebanon, Texas, and inquired about his relation to the Wolfes of eastern Tennessee. Upon learning that Manson was from Thorn Hill, he proceeded to tell him of the capture of both himself and Manuel Wolfe by the Confederate Forces. The man and Manuel were both sent to the Confederate Prisoner of War Camp in Andersonville, Georgia. The man related to Manson that he and Manuel had become good friends and that Manuel had become sick and died in his arms. Thus the mystery of the death of Manuel Wolfe was finally solved nearly 30 years after his death in the prison pens of the notorious Andersonville prisoner of war camp.

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