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Company D roll included 20 county men

In last week’s column, we were introduced to Dr. James A. Black, born near Salem, and the keeper of a diary during his three years with Company D of the 49th Illinois Infantry.

It wasn’t so much the good doctor who caused my interest in Company D, it was the fact that author Benita Moore of Galesburg informed me that 20 men from Vandalia were assigned to this company.

Local recruits included Harrison Austin, John Baggett, Albanus M. Bishop, John N. Bullard, John W.D.F. Ca(u)sey, James W. Cheney, Silas Dickson, Frederick B. Ervin, John Hook, John Jenkins, Nathen Lever, Jesse Luster, John Mason, John Q. Maybry, Carlin L. Mitchell, Franklin and William C. Musgrave, Frederick A. and Orville Niles, William Peters, Charles W. Roedecker, William J. Smith and Mathias Washburn.

Checking census, cemetery, marriage, family history, Civil War muster rolls and probate records, I was able to discover information about all but one of the men listed above.

Harrison Austin was married on Sept. 7, 1865, in Fayette County, to Augusta Klug. He re-enlisted as a veteran.

John Baggett appears on the 1861 Muster Roll of Vandalia Township and died at Bethel, Tenn., on Aug. 6, 1862. Black, in his diary, mentions going to the post quartermaster for his coffin.

Albanus M. Bishop was born in 1833 in Ohio and married Ann Luster on June 1, 1859, in Fayette County. He received a $4 monthly pension (#20633) for a wound he suffered to his left forearm, with his disability beginning on March 23, 1863. Black made mention in a Feb. 8, 1863, entry that “Albanus Bishop came down with a very bad looking arm.” Bishop is listed as buried in Pinhook Cemetery in Vandalia Township, but no stone was found for him.

John N. Bullard was killed at Shiloh on April 6, 1862. Black’s diary entry notes that Bullard was missing after the battle that day.

John W.D.F. Ca(u)sey lived in Vandalia Township and was discharged for disability on Nov. 10, 1862.

Capt. James W. Cheney is mentioned often in the diary. He is the same captain who bought six cartridge revolvers from Worchester, Mass., and sold one of them to Black for $14, along with 100 cartridges. Black also said the captain was a better-than-average card player. Cheney mustered in on Dec. 30, 1861, and was promoted to captain the following February. Cheney was born on Oct. 4, 1832, and died on March 27, 1928, with burial in South Hill Cemetery, Vandalia. Black mentions accompanying the captain to the camp of the 15th Ohio to retrieve their tents, which the captain had loaned to them after the fight at Shiloh, “they being without.”

Silas Dickson’s name appears in the Black diary on June 3, 1862, when he, with Fred Niles and William Flake, went to Corinth, Miss., where they were arrested for picking up an old carpet. The three were kept under guard for a time. He is listed on the company roster as deserting in 1862; however, there is a notation in Black’s diary where on April 27, 1863, “Silas Dickson and wife returned to camp.” They were stationed at Germantown, Tenn., at the time.

Frederick B. Ervin was born in 1832 in Ohio and lived in the Hickory Creek neighborhood, Otego Township. He mustered in on Dec. 30, 1861, and mustered out as a corporal on Jan. 9, 1865.

Black noted in his diary that 2nd Lt. John Hook was “wounded almost at the first fire” at Shiloh. He mustered in as a veteran, was promoted to second lieutenant and mustered out on Sept. 9, 1865, as a sergeant.

John Jenkins was born in 1830 in Duanesburg, Schnectedy County, N. Y., died on Sept. 17, 1900, and is buried in the Old State Burial Ground in Vandalia. He married first in 1848 in Montgomery Co., N. Y., to Catherine E. Henry, and they came to Fayette County in the winter of 1856. Following Catherine’s death in 1878, John married a second time on Jan. 1, 1880, to Mary Ellen Ralston Morey, the widow of William Morey. He was the late Burr Hackleman’s grandfather. Black noted on Oct. 11, 1862, that “John Jenkins cut his leg today with an ax.”

Nathen E. Lever was born in 1841, the son of Samuel Lever. He first enlisted in 1861 and re-enlisted as a veteran on Jan. 16, 1864. Nathen died from wounds on April 16, 1864. The family lived in Vandalia Township.

Jesse Luster was married on Nov. 19, 1865, in Fayette County, to Carrie M. Wesner, just two months after leaving the service. He died on Nov. 13, 1880, and Philip C. Luster and J.R. Bethards were on the widow’s bond. His children were Clyde, Otto, Roy and Cynthia Luster Hickman. Jesse owned $200 worth of livestock, farm implements and household goods at the time of his death. His burial, according to the adjutant general’s records, was in Pinhook Cemetery, Vandalia Township, but no marker was found.

John Mason was one of those who boarded the steamer named Fort Wayne on March 11, 1862, at Savannah, Hardin County, Tenn., with other members of Company D. Black’s diary told that the Fort Wayne was one of 56 steamers docked at Metal Landing, Tenn., on March 6. Along with soldiers, they were transporting munitions. Mason was captured by guerrillas on July 4, 1863, and was never heard from again.

John Q. Maybry was recruited on Jan. 10, 1863, from Vandalia, and re-enlisted that December as a veteran. His rank was listed as "under cook of African descent." He is mentioned several times in the diary. Maybry re-enlisted as a veteran on Jan. 10, 1863, and served until Sept. 9, 1865. One notation in Black’s diary was that Maybry had rejoined the company at Bethel, Tenn., having been absent because of sickness for some time. John and Sarah Sage were married on Jan. 17, 1866, in Fayette County after his return from the war.

Pvt. Carlin L. Mitchell, a Hickory Creek boy, died on Jan. 16, 1862, at Camp Butler near Springfield.

Franklin Musgrave is shown as deserting about March 1, 1862.

William C. Musgrave died on March 10, 1875, and is buried in Farmer’s Cemetery near Shobonier, Kaskaskia Township. William, along with John Mason of Co. D, was one of four men mentioned in the diary as having boarded the steamer Ft. Wayne at Savannah, Tenn., on March 11, 1862.

Frederick A. Niles was born in 1839 in Vermont. He was on the bond of Mary P. Niles after her husband, Levi, died in 1865. Black mentioned that he beat F.A. Niles for promotion to fourth sergeant on April 24, 1862. In the diary, Cpl. Niles traveled to Jackson, Tenn., and upon his return to the unit, Black drew five days rations for him. Black later entered Niles’ rank as sergeant. Frederick Niles, age 21 and born in Vermont, is found living in Fayette County on the 1860 Census. Orville Niles, age 14, born in Connecticut, is living with Frederick in 1860, relationship not known.

Orville Niles was born on March 4, 1846, the son of Levi and Mary P. Niles. James Black made a record of Orville’s discharge on July 22, 1862, noting he had been unfit for service for a long time.

Charles W. Roedecker died on April 6, 1862, at Shiloh. The diary entry goes on to say, “the regiment formed a line at 7 a.m. and were attacked. C.W. Roedecker was among the first wounded, almost at the first fire.” The report that day listed 17 killed and 99 wounded.

William J. Smith has been the most difficult to learn something about. He was listed as a recruit from Ramsey. No other information has been found.

Mathias Washburn was married on Nov. 14, 1858, in Fayette County, to Electa M. Sweatland. A diary notation tells that Washburn was “in the guard house today for going outside line without leave or pass.” An entry for Aug. 22, 1862, told that “M. Washburn returned from home this p.m.”

Of the 22 Fayette County soldiers in Company D of the 49th Illinois Infantry, four died from wounds while in battle, with John Mason being captured by guerillas and never heard from again.

Thanks to Dr. James Black’s diary and the long hours Benita Moore took in transcribing his handwritten pages, the Fayette County men of Company D, 49th Illinois Infantry, have become more than names on a muster list.

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