Saturday, June 02, 2012

Collingwood's Of New York, Civil War.

I was doing some research and ran across the name of Collingwood, and found the name interesting.
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Frank Collingwood or Cullingwood, 2nd., New York, Heavy Artillery.

GULLINGWOOD, FRANK.—Age, 27 years. Enlisted, November 1, 1861, at New York; mustered in as private, Co. I, November 1,1861, to serve three years; appointed regimental quartermastersergeant, April 9, 1803; mustered out near Petersburg, Va., November 2, 1861; also borne as Collingwood, F. A.

Harry Collingwood, 16th., New York, Cavalry, Company C.

COLLINGWOOD, HARRY.—Age, 23 years. Enlisted, May 21, 1863, at Buffalo; mustered in as sergeant, Co. 0, May 30; 1863, to serve three years; captured, August 8, 1864; paroled, February 20,1865; mustered out, June 9, 1865, at Washington, D. C; prior service in Co. E, Twenty-first New York Volunteers.

Henry Collingwood or Callingwood, 21st., New York, Infantry, Co. E.

CALLINGWOOD, HENRY.—Age, 22 years. Enlisted, March 29, 1862, at Buffalo, to serve two years; mustered in as private, Co. E, same date; deserted, August 6, 1862, at Fredericksburg, Va.;
returned in arrest, April 10, 1863; sentenced by General Court Martial, to lose pay and allowance and to be confined six months; also borne as Collingwood; no further record.

Robert Collingwood, 91st., New York, Infantry, Co. C. & 147th., Infantry, Co. A.

COLLINGWOOD, ROBERT.—Age, 22 years? Enlisted at Bradford,
to-serve three years, and mustered in as private, Co. A, July 14, 1863; wounded in action, May 5, 1864, at the Wilderness, Va.; no further record.
Note.  He was not found on the roster for the 91st.

William Collingwood, 6th., New York, Heavy Artillery, Co. H. & 13th Co. A.

COLLINGWOOD, WILLIAM.—Private, Co. A, Thirteenth Artillery; transferred to Co. H, sixth Artillery, June 27, 1865; mustered out with company, August 24, 1865, at Washington, D.
C; veteran.

COLLINGWOOD, WILLIAM.—Age, 29 years. Enlisted July 29, 1863, at New York; mustered in as private, Co. A, August 12, 1863, to serve three years; transferred to Co. H, Sixth Artillery, July 18, 1865; veteran.

William Collingwood, 15th., New York, Engineers Co. G.

COLLINGWOOD, WILLIAM.—Age, 27 years. Enlisted, May 9, 1861, at New York city; mustered in as private, Co. G, June 17, 1,1861, to serve two years; promoted first-class private and reduced,
date not stated; mustered out with company, June 25, 1863.



Friday, June 01, 2012

Charles H. Cox, With "Lice."

This is a story about Charles "Charlie " H. Cox, and the men of the North Carolina Fourteenth regiment, Company C.  This regiment was known as the Anson Guards.  This story is about their battle with "Lice."
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We had been here not many days when scratching was in order. Search found lice, body lice! Horror of horrors ! A gentleman with lice on him so ashamed would not confess it. The troops camping here, when they moved left these pests behind and we fell heir to their leavings.  " Don't know who they were and don't want to know, damn 'em and damn their filthy rags," was the mildest of many oaths. E. F. Fenton writes, " The boys kept it hid as long as they could. They would sneak off by themselves, disrobe and the slaughter would commence.  I had a full supply on my person and on retiring to the woods came across Charlie cox. He had his top garments off and was busy slaughtering in the usual way, by pressing them between his thumb nails." " Hello, Charlie ! What you doing ? " " Mending my shirt," was the prompt reply and slipped on his shirt.  " Now, old boy," I replied, " you know you were killing lice. I am full of them and so are all the boys in the company. No more lies; we are in for it and you know it, so let's own up."

After this there was no more retiring out of sight. The boys would strip off and go to killing in the camp. This was a slow process. Building a blaze, holding the garment over it and scraping them off we found was the best method, and usually did it at night before retiring. They would pop like salt. When near the enemy we had to be wary; a fire would invite a minie ball from their long-range rifles and when one of these balls interviewed you it was not always attended by a thirty-day furlough.

It was impossible to destroy them. One filthy man would scatter them over the whole regiment. They were very prolific, and no man ever saw an unfertile egg. The season of incubation was every day in the year the nights between the days and their appetite was never satisfied. To crawl and bite and bite and crawl over one's anatomy was their incessant delight to your great discomfort. The good Lord never created anything in vain but the Confederate soldier never appreciated this blessing. A chinch stops biting when he gets full; flea is satisfied on a dog, but a louse is never full, never tires and is never satisfied.  They were not confined to the rank and file. The company officers, the field officers and the generals attested the ubiquitousness of this infernal, shameful, but not disgraceful pest.

Charles H. Cox

We called him " Charlie " for short because he was so jolly and good. A better soldier never trod shoe soles.  When without shoes he kept up to the mark, " however anyhow." Never shirked duty, bore the fatigue of the march in good spirit, made light of short rations, stole apples and fruits in season, lived and fought on roasting ears without complaining. A brigade sharpshooter. August 21, '64, was mortally wounded at Charlestown and died two days after. His colonel speaks of him, " He was brave, eager and true." He was mourned by his comrades  in arms and by his parents at home.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Wheres Jimmie Brice, Battle of Cabin Creek, Ok.

I received a Interesting letter from Betsy Warner, who had a interesting story and mystery.  She wanted my help looking up a soldier?, by the name of Jimmie Brice, but no record of him has yet been found.  I found this to be a great mystery and one that may never be solved.  If after you read this information and you have any information or questions, you can reach Betsy Warner at the following.
ohmymy40@yahoo.com  Tell her Dennis sent you.
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The question.  Hi, I work with some historians and genealogists in Vinita Ok and am trying to sort out a tombstone in the local history museum. It's of sandstone and was one of 32 other stones that used to be in the Vinita cemetery marking graves of Indian Home Guard soldiers from the Battle of Cabin Creek. The stone has no dates, but the name was thought to be Jimmie Brice. I'm thinking this might be James H. Bruce who was a 1st LT, and then Captain in the 2nd regiment Kansas Infantry, Indian Home Guard, company C. I can't find where this regiment was mustered out to see who survived and who didn't, and am wondering if you can point me to some documentation regarding company C, reg 2 in the battle(s) and the outcome. These graves are located about 10 miles north of the actual battlefield.

We had always assumed the Jimmie Brice was an indian.. there is a listing of a John J. Brice with a wife, Annie, but we can't make any sense of that option either. As the officers of the Indian Home Guard could have been white, then that explains why we can't find him on cherokee records from 1851.

We know where the other 32 stones are, but they are inaccessible at this time so we can't read the names but hope that if we can solve the Jimmie Brice mystery, we might be able to find names of others who perished in the battle.

My answer.  Hi Betsy, Boy you picked a hard one, the Indian Home Guards are some of the hardest regiments to find any thing on. The Kansas adjutant general reports only list the officers. There is no listing for Jimmie "Jimmy" brice in any kansas regiments. There is no listing of any miltary service union or otherwise.

The National Park Servic list all the men from the 2nd. I. H. G., white and indian and he was not on it.
I looked at all the reports from the "OR" Official Records and found nothing.

As for James H. Bruce he came out of the fourth Kansas Infantry, but was unable to find him on the roster. Its possible he was a civilian as you know a lot of these supply trains were contracted out to civilians, and if so and his was killed in the battle he would have been buried in the cemetery. You maybe looking for a civilian?

May I ask what leads you to believe he was in the military let a long in the 2nd., I. H. G.?

Betsy I have looked every where that I can think of, and have no Idea where to send you to look for more info.

Final Letter.  This really is a great story and one I wish we could figure out. The graves were all marked up until the mid 1950s in an area on the southern end of what is now Fairview Cemetery in Vinita. A County Commissioner at the time ordered the sexton to remove the headstones because they were "in the way" and made mowing difficult. The Sexton removed the stones and took them home, laying 32 of the stones out with the engraving face down as a patio in his backyard. In the late 1960s when Vinita formed a museum of sorts, the stone of Jimmie Brice, which was the 33rd stone (and didn't fit into the patio design) was given to the museum. Nobody other than the Sexton (and maybe his wife) knew that the patio stones were these headstones and when he and his wife went on a trip at his retirement... his kids thought they'd surprise him and add on the room to their home that they had always wanted. When the Sexton returned from vacation, there was a now a room built on top of the "patio" made of headstones.     
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We cannot find a list of the names on the stones, so there's really no clue as to who they might be. One of the sexton's children now lives in the home and is aware of the headstones. It's hoped that one day the room will be removed or something can be done to get these headstones back. In the meantime, some local groups placed a large stone to mark the area of these graves as they've also marked the unknown graves of other Union and Confederate soldiers from the Cabin Creek battles in graves in Vinita, at the military cemetery near the Cabin Creek site, and at some other small cemeteries in the area where soldeirs were buried.
There is no date of death on brice's headstone. I've attached a photo of the stone in the display -- it offers few hints. As to there being 75-100 graves (as in the sign above the stone), I've no idea where they came up with that info, but then much of what is on display is "word of mouth" instead of truth. Little by little through my weekly articles, I've attempted to solve lots of little mysteries like this that might be mismarked and on display or stories passed down for generations.
We can't find anybody named Jimmie Brice (or Bryce) on the 1851 Drennan Indian Rolls and likely any Cherokee soldier in the Civil War should show up on that roll.
I believe I found where James H. Bruce, the officer, didn't die until 1917 so we can throw him out... also another Brice I sometimes see listed, John J. Brice (wife was Annie) who was a soldier but I think lived until the 1890s.
It's possible Brice was not a Cherokee and might have been a Creek or Choctaw -- that's another angle I've not yet explored. The story is that these stones were Indian Home Guard. Other old stones in the area resemble the same stone and carving although many times they are in Cherokee and not English.
Betsy Warner.


            

Joseph Liirrabee Small, Jr.

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Joseph Liirrabee Small, Jr., was born on December 4th, 1846, at kennebunkport, Maine, and was the son of Joseph L., and Lorenda (Libby) Small. He enlisted at Biddeford, Me., on March 16, 1864, and was credited upon the quota of Kennebunkport. On April 16, 1864, he was mastered into the United States service, at Augusta, Me., as private in Company G, of the Thirty-Second Maine Infantry. Leaving Maine with the second battalion, on May 11th, he joined the remainder of the regiment at the North Anna, on May 25th.  And from that date, he shared in all the duties performed by the Thirty-second, until the close of September, when he was taken prisoner at the battle near the "Pegram house", on September 30, 1864.

After his capture, he was carried to Petersburg, and thence to Richmond, Va. After three day's in Libby prison, he was sent to Salisbury, N. C. Here he remained until February 22, 1865, when he was paroled, and on March 1st, he reentered the Union lines at Wilmington. N. C, together with thirteen of the twentv-eight men of his regiment who had been captured with him five months previous, the other fourteen having succumbed to the privations of prison life. He was finally discharged at  Annapolis, Md., on June 5, 1865.

In November of 1865, he engaged in the grocery business at Biddeford, Me., in which he continued until 1875.  Selling out his business in that year, he became a commercial traveler, which occupation he has since followed. He was married September 13, 1871, to Miss Lucretia Maloon Meeds, of Biddeford, by whom he has had five children, Fred H., Edward D., Harold J., Donald M., and Roydon L. Small.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Julian Wisner Hinkley

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Julian Wisner Hinkley, was born at Vernon, Connecticut, on March 1 2, 1 838, of a long line of New England ancestry; he was sixth in order of descent from Governor Thomas Hinkley of Plymouth Colony. Coming to Wisconsin in his eleventh year, Julian grew to young manhood on his father's farm at Waupun and in Portage County.  In 1 858, he left the farm and started life for himself  teaching school in winter, and working as a carpenter each summer.

On April 19, 1861 , Mr. Hinkley enlisted in the Waupun Light Guard for three months. But the services of the organization were not accepted for that short term by the State military authorities, so on May 8 they were proffered and accepted for the war, and the organization became Company E of the Third Wisconsin Infantry. Hinkley was at the organization appointed First-Sergeant ; but on February 6, 1 862, he was commissioned Second-Lieutenant of his company, became First-Lieutenant on November 1 following, and on May 4, 1863, took command of the Company as Captain.  He continued to serve the Third Wisconsin until its final discharge and payment in Madison on August 26, 1865, but during the last few months of this period was the acting Major of the Regiment.  Since the war, Major Hinkley has been largely engaged in erecting public buildings, and has a wide acquaintance throughout Northeast Wisconsin.
Side note.  His father was Lucius Hinkley, Mother was Laura Waterman.  His wife was Victoria Carrington, married May 8, 1866, Rockville, Tolland, Connecticut.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Interesting Soldiers Of 1812.

Jonathan Emerson, was a drummer in Captain Allen Partridge's Company of United States Engineers.  Enlisted January 28, 1814, Discharged July 25, 1815.  Sold his first wife Charlotte Spinning.  Second wife Mary Bray, married April 5, 1827, Cincinnati, Ohio.  His residence for the years of 1850, 1871, was Cincinnati, Hamilton, county, Ohio.  His wife residence for the years of 1878, 1887, was Cincinnait, Ohio.  He died March 2, 1872, Cincinnati, Ohio.  His wife died November 28, 1888, Cincinnati, Ohio.  His father Jonathan Emerson Sr., and brother Andrew W. Emerson, served in Engineer's Corps at west point.

John Anderson, was a Corporal, in Captain John Thomas, Company Georgia Militia.  Enlisted November 21, 1814, Discharged March 8, 1815.  He also serced in the Seminole Indian war as Second Sergeant, in Captain Jacob Robinson, Company Georgia, Militia, from March 23, 1818 to April 25, 1818.  His first wife was Elizabeth Fountain.  Married his second wife Mary Harrison, September 18, 1818, Early county, Georgia.  His residence for the years of 1850, 1855, was Early County, Georgia.  His wife's residence for the year of 1881, was Early County, Po. Colquitt, Miller County, Georgia.  He died November 18, 1869, Early County, Georgia,  His wife died about 1898.

Thomas Ford alis Thomas Brown, was a marine on the U. S. Constellation.  Enlisted November 11, 1812, discharged February 6, 1813.  Also served as first class musician on the U. S. ships Mississippi and Cumberland, from February 24, 1846 to August 17, 1848.  Married Sarah Little, who's first marriage was to a Stevens, March 10, 1831, Baltimore, Maryland.  Thomas residence for the year of 1813, was Burlington, New Jersey, and for the year of 1855, was Richmond Virginia.  His wife's residence for the years of 1869, 1872 and 1878, was Baltimore Maryland.  Thomas died August 10, 1857.  Sarah died May 30, 1896, Baltimore Maryland. 

John Forsyth, was a Private, in Captain Bacon's Company, New York, Militia.  Enlisted September 8, 1812, discharged October 30, 1812, was in the battle Queenstown, October 13, 1812, was taken prisoner.  Married Mary Ferris, April 15, 1810, Spencer New York.  His residence fothe years of 1851 and 1855, was Tioga?, County, New York.  His wife's residence for the years of 1871, 1878 and 1888, was Tioga?, County, Spencer, New York.  He died June 10, 1861, Spencer, New York.

Allen Green, was a Private in Captain William Cook's Company, New York Militia.  Enlisted July 8, 1812, Discharged November 30, 1812.  Also In Captain Kerney's Company 13th., U. S. Infantry.  Enlisted March 23, 1814, Discharged October 29, 1814.  He was in the battles of Plattsburg and Sackets Harbor, New York.  He was married to Delilah Moon, December 25, 1807, Thurman, New York.

Jesse Barber, was a Private, in Captain William L. Dufphey's Company and Bennet Riley's 3rd., U. S. Rifles.  Enlisted August 18, 1814, Discharged March 30, 1819.  Enlisted March 30, 1819 and Discharged  April  30, 1824, from the 6th., U. S. Infantry.  Married Mary Mckown February 3, 1825, Clay County, Missouri.  His residence for the year of 1871, was Yreka, Siskiyou County, Calif.  His wife's residence for the year of 1888, was Yreka, Siskiyou County, Calif.  He died May 13, 1888, Yreka, Calif.  His wife died about 1897.

Henry Beatty, was a Private, in Captain James Murrin's Company, Pennsylvania Militia.  Enlisted February 18, 1814, Discharged March 22, 1814.  Henry's mother had a pension application for John M. Beatty, who was a Private in Co. K., Pennsylvania 4th., Cavalry/64th., Volunteer Infantry.  He was a substitute for one Philip Snyder.  Henry married Margaret Stinedorf, October 25, 1815, Butler
County, Pennsylvania.  His wife's residence for the year of 1855, was Butler County, Pennsylvania, for the year of 1878, was Rouseville, Venango, Pennsylvania.  Henry died August 13, 1851, Harrisville, Butler County, Pennsylvania.
Note.  Although John M. Beatty, was recorded in the National Park Service and war of 1812, pension applications, he was not found on any rosters of the stated regiment.   

Elisha Brown, was a Private, in Captain A. Ostrander's Company, New York, Militia.  Enlisted September 10, 1814, Discharged September 25, 1814.  Served as a substitute for Willard Weatherby, as a drummer in Captain John Moses's Company, New York, Militia, for three months at Plattsburg, New York.  Married Eliza S. Roe, Fort Ann, Washington county, Maine, September 25, 1817.  His residence for the year of 1855, was Fort Ann, for the years of 1871, 1878, Kingsburg, Washington County, PO. Sandy Hill, New York.       

John N. Campbell, was a Private, in Captain Samuel Aston's Company, Ohio, Militia.  Enlisted February 21, 1814, Discharged August 20, 1814.  Also served in Captain Archilles Morris's Company, 2nd., regiment, Illinois Volunteers, Black Hawk War, June 4, 1831 to July 14, 1831.  Married Phebe Clark, October 12, 1818, Butler County Ohio.  His residence for the years of 1850, 1855, was Sangamon County, Illinois, for the year 1871, it was Clinton, Dewitt County, Illinois.  He died about 1887.

Ephrim ( W. ? ) Blodget, was a private, in Captain Hargar's Company, New York, Militia, Enlisted March 4, 1813, Discharged March 23, 1813.  Private in Captain Justice B. Spencers Company, New York, Militia, Enlisted January 12, 1814, Discharged April 14, 1814.  Private in Captain Britton's Company, New York, Militia, Enlisted October 20, 1814, Discharged November 14, 1814.  Served in Captain Warman's Company, New York, Militia, for 30 days in May & June, 1812, as a substitute for Almond Blodget.  Also served as a substitute for William Blodget, for three months some time in September or October, 1812, in Captain Hargar's Company, New York, Militia.  He married Hannah Mapes, October 4, 1821, Gorham, New York.  His residence for the years of   1852, 1855, Livingston County, New York, for the years of 1871, 1888, Canandaiqua, Ontatio County New York.