Saturday, March 15, 2014

Thomas W. Robertson, 79th., N. Y., Infantry..

New York State Records.

ROBERTSON, THOMAS W.—Age, 31 years. Enrolled at New York city, to serve three years, and mustered in as private, Oo. E, May 27, 1861; promoted second lieutenant, Co. H, January 19, 1862; first lieutenant, May 16, 1862; wounded in action, June 16, 1862, ai, James Island, S. C; discharged for disability from wounds, August 25, 1862.Commissioned second lieutenant, February 21, 1862, with rank from January 19, 1862.

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Army Medical  Museum.
 
Lieut. Thomas W. Robertson, 79th New York Vols., was wounded, on June 16th, 1862, in the assault on the works on James Island, South Carolina, by a musket hall, which struck the outer side of the head of the tibia, and passed upwards and lodged, as was believed, in the intercondyloid notch of the femur, or somewhere about the knee-joint.

Amputation of the thigh was advised but refused by the patient. The limb was then placed in an easy position and cold water dressings were applied.

On June 28th, the patient was sent to New York. On July 6th, there Was profuse haemorrhage from the anterior tibial artery. On July 8th, the femoral artery was tied by Professor Willard Parker, At this date, the khee-joint was excessively swollen, and there was, free suppuration from the wound.

After a very protracted confinement, the patient ultimately recovered, with complete anchylosis of the knee-joint, the straight position of the limb being preserved.

Lieut. Robertson was transferred to the Veteran Keserv Corps, on February 29th, 1804, and was on duty at Emory Hospital, at Washington, in 1865. On July 18th, 1865, the photograph was taken.

The facts of the case were communicated by Burgeon -N. H. Mosely, U. S. Vols., who reported that Professor Parker and the other surgical advisers of Lieut, Kobertson, entertained no doubt that the knee-joint was primarily involved in this case. The exact location of the ball was never ascertained.

Photographed at the Army Medical Museum,

-BY ORDER OF THE SURGEON GENERAL:

GEORGE A. OTIS,
Bet Lt. Col, and Surg. U. S. V.., Curator A. M. A.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Andrew J. Holbrook.

A. J. Holbrook.
U. S. Signal Corps.
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Massachusetts Fifth Infantry, Co. E.
 
SECOND LIEUTENANT.
 
Andrew J. Holbrook, 29, M. ; bookkeeper, Cambridge ; D. of C, Sept. 3, '62 ; detached as 2d Lieut., Signal Corps, Nov. 24, '62; res. Aug. 19, '64; d. Jan. 2, 1910, Mattapan.
 
United States Signal Corps.
 
HOLBROOK, ANDREW J.. 2d lieut.

1943 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, Mass.

( 2d lieut. 5th Mass. Vols.) Dept. of South; April, 1863, with Col. Howell, attack on Charleston, S.C; Oct. 20, app. 2d lieut, S-C, to date March 3, 1863; Dept. of Va. and N.C; Nov. 4, exp. up Chowan river, N.C; Nov. 18, ordered to report to Col. Stager, supt. Mil. Tel.; resigned Aug. 19, 1864.

William D. Asnford, 11th., Iowa Infantry..

William D. Ashford.

Birth: Feb. 29, 1840, Indiana.
Death: Nov. 18, 1922, Maryville, Nodaway County, Missouri.

Father: Elijah M. Ashford, b: Virginia
Mother: Elizabeth Dorrow, b: Pennsylvania

Burial: Miriam Cemetery, Maryville, Nodaway County, Missouri.

Iowa State Records.

Ashford, William. (Veteran.) Age 21. Residence Columbus City, nativity Indiana. Enlisted Sept. 23, 1861, as Seventh Corporal. Mustered Oct. 3, 1861. Promoted Sixth Corporal Dec. 8, 1861; Fifth Corporal Jan. 1, 1862; Fourth Corporal Jan. 13, 1862; Third Corporal Jan. 17, 1862; Second Corporal March 12, 1862. Re-enlisted and re-mustered Jan. 4, 1864. Wounded slightly Jan. 15, 1864, Yazoo City, Miss. Discharged for disability June 26, 1865, Louisville, Ky.

The medical and surgical history of the war of the rebellion, Volume 2., pt. 2.

CASE 32. Corporal W. D. Ashford, Co. C, llth Iowa, aged 24 years, was wounded at Yazoo City, March 5, 1864, by a conoidal ball, which entered in the groin and emerged at the epigastric region. Secondary haemorrhage occurred, eight days afterward, from the epigastric artery. The haemorrhage was controlled by a plaster of Paris compress. Tincture of myrrh was given internally, and egg-nog and porter. He recovered, and was returned to duty on November 16, 1864.


Thursday, March 13, 2014

George D. Bisbee, 16th., Maine Infantry.

SECOND LIEUTENANT GEORGE D. BISBEE.

Was born in Hartford, Oxford County, Maine, July 8th, 1841; volunteered from Peru, June 17th, 1862; mustered with regiment, August 14th, 1862; appointed first sergeant, August 27th, 1862;
wounded at battle of Fredericksburgh, Virginia, December 13th, 1862; discharged from service by reason of wounds, at Mt. Pleasant Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, April 25th, 1863. He again entered the service, under commission as second lieutenant, dated April 10th, 1863, and joined his old company while on the march to Chancellorsville, April 28th, following; but on account of the active movements of the regiment, was not mustered as second lieutenant until May 2d, 1863.

He was closely identified with his company during the campaign. Lieutenant Bisbee was captured at Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania, July 1st, 1863, and held a prisoner of war until December 9th, 1864, suffering confinement for ten months in Libby Prison, and the remainder of time at Macon and Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina, and in the stockade at Columbia.

He was paroled from the latter place, December 9th, 1864, being considered unfit for further duty, and sent to Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland, where he was specially exchanged, April 1st, 1865, and started for the front, rejoining his regiment, April 5th, in season to participate in the last scene at Appomattox. He was commissioned first lieutenant while a prisoner, but could not be mustered, and the commission was revoked. Mustered out with regiment, June 5th, 1865. Lieutenant Bisbee, and other officers of the Sixteenth, lost promotion by reason of long confinement as prisoners of war.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Townsend Lawrence Hatfield

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Townsend Lawrence Hatfield

Birth: Oct. 9, 1840, White Plains, Westchester County, New York.
Death: Oct. 27, 1887, Massena Springs, St. Lawrence County, New York.

Wife: Lucy M. Watkins Hatfield (1841 - 1882).

Burial: Old Pine Grove Cemetery, Massena, St. Lawrence County, New York.

New York State Records.

HATFIELD, TOWNSEND L.—Age, 21 years. Enrolled, August 1, 1861, at Westchester, to serve three years; mustered in as second lieutenant, Co. C, September 10, 1861; as first lieutenant, Co. F, December 29, 1862; transferred to Co. E, February 28, 1863; to Co. K, no date; to Signal Corps, January 20,1864. 'Commissioned second lieutenant, December 14,1861, with rank from September 10, 1861, original; first lieutenant, January 12, 1863, with rank from December 29,1862, vice S. K.Wallace, discharged; captain, not mustered, January 8, 1864, with rank from August 28, 1863, vice T. G. Vidal, declined.

Official Records of the Rebellion.

Report of Lieut. Townsend L. Hatfield, Forty-eighth New York Infantry, Acting Signal Officer. 

Authors note.  This is only part of his report.
 
On the morning of the 18th, I was ordered to report to the commanding officer of the right batteries for signal duty, as our forces were expected to attack Fort Wagner that day. I kept up signal
communication with the Tower Station on Gregg s Hill under a very heavy fire. At 6 p. m. our attacking columns came up, and I was ordered to the front with the advance regiment, by General Seymour, commanding United States forces on Morris Island. I kept up with the advance regiment until I was wounded by a discharge of canister from Fort Wagner. This was within 50 yards of the fort. Private C. Cotter, signal man, carried me to the rear, and would not leave me until I was safe.

 

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Williiam M. Perry, 96th., Illinois Infantry.

This information comes from the 96th., Illinois Regimental History.

Pages 176-7., Gen. Steedman replied : "I know we are needed over there, and if satisfied there is no considerable force in our front I'll take the responsibility and go." A little later clouds of dust off to the southeast indicated that the enemy had left the Ringgold road and were pushing down toward the main army, when Gen. Granger again spoke: "Do you see that cloud of dust? That shows where they are." "Yes," said Gen. Steedman, "they are going where the fight is thickest, and I'll go too. " Gen. Granger interposed: "It's a fearful thing, General, to disregard orders and abandon a position in
the face of an enemy." "I know it is," said Gen. Steedman, "but everything is changed since we were ordered here.

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I'll take the responsibility and go." Meanwhile staff officers and orderlies had been sent to the right to ask that the command be relieved from the irksome duty of guarding a wagon road on which there was no enemy. One of these orderlies  was William M. Perry, of Company I, and his experience was a thrilling one. With a comrade he galloped along, only to find, at a sudden turn, that the road was full of Rebel infantry. Putting spurs to their horses they galloped through the crowd, Perry escaping, although his horse was wounded, but his companion falling, doubtless killed. The survivor reached the main army, but the General to whom he reported would not ask him to return. It is probable that still others were captured or killed in the attempt to reach Gen. Rosecrans, as none came back to the left.

Page 882., William M. Perry. Age 16 ; born at Galena, Illinois; school boy ; enlisted from Galena ; was Fifer with Regimental Band much of the time, but served. as an Orderly to Gen. Steedman for several months, and in that capacity had some narrow escapes at the battle of Chickamauga, once riding through the Rebel lines, and at other times passing so near them as to be a special target ; returned to the Regiment when the Reserve Corps was broken up ; although but a mere lad, he passed through his term of service without serious illness, or absence from the command; in. o. with Regiment. Has been a Justice of the Peace for many years, and is merchandizing at Elizabeth, Illinois..

Monday, March 10, 2014

WILLIAM H. JAQUISH, 3rd. Massachusetts Cavalry.

Taken 1863.
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WLLIAM H. JAQUISH.

William H. Jaquish was born in the town of Cornwall, now Highlands, Orange County, N. Y. Jan. 30, 1839. Enlisting in Company A, Aug., 1862, he joined the regiment at Lynnfield, and went to Baton Rouge, La.

Comrade Jaquish served during the siege of Port Hudson with credit to himself, and came out of the struggle with honor. He justly says: "That part of my life which I look back upon with the greatest pride and satisfaction are those years of 6i- 6s, when I rode knee to knee with the sons of the Pilgrims and the Puritans, with carbine and sabre, in the grand old Third Mass. Cavalry.

William H. Jaquish, West Point, New York, Age 23, Mariner, Enlisted August 21, 1862, Discharged May 20, 1865.

Sunday, March 09, 2014

"Candy", A Rebel Dog, 4th., Texas, Infantry..

"Candy," the little white dog, went with the company from Austin and became a great favorite with the regiment. Engraved on his collar was, "Candy, Co. B, 4th Texas Regt." When George L. Robertson lay wounded in the field hospital at Sharpsburg, he saw a band wagon parading through the camp with the little "Rebel" prisoner. He got lost from his company and regiment in the old cornfield and was captured by the enemy. In the battle of Gaines's Mill he got separated from us, and next morning, when the burying detail was sent out from our regiment, they found Candy cuddled up under the arm of poor John S. Summers, who was killed the evening before. There was not a man in the company, and I doubt if there was one in the regiment, who would not have divided his last piece of hard-tack with Candy. We never saw him after the battle of Sharpsburg.