Prepare to be thoroughly engulfed and mesmerized by your task. Here is a little something I wrote for the local paper some years ago about a Civil War soldier's record:
"William Hartwick, Anatomy of a Rockland county Civil war Soldier's Service Record"
“Received of A. A. Surgeon W. G. Elliot, U.S.A. one dress coat, one shirt, one photograph and $1.00 in money. They being all the effects of William H. Hartwick of Company “F’, 6th New York H.A. when admitted to this hospital and at the time of his decease. Oliver H. Dutcher, Brother-in-law of deceased.”
This somber receipt dated September 11, 1864, is one of several documents in the file of William Hartwick, late a soldier of the Union from Rockland Lake, Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York. If you “still hear the guns,” as I do, this kind of thing sends shivers down your spine. Why does it affect us so? One reason is that on the surface it represents the sum total of a young man’s 29 years of life on this planet earth. Four items: a coat, a shirt, a photograph and $1 in money.-- hardly a legacy commensurate with the ultimate sacrifice.
However, William Hartwick is one of the hundreds of thousands of young men who perished in our late Civil War to preserve the Union and free the slaves. Eighty-seven Rocklanders were killed in action or mortally wounded, hundreds more wounded. Many of their military records are in my possession. Reading them is a sobering experience. In addition to the receipt quoted above there is a doctor’s treatment record in Hartwick’s files, “Removed the gangrenous portions with scissors, applied creosote, Bramine and nitric acid.” The next entry is “Died Sept. 9th 1864 of gangrene antropy.”
It all started on December 31, 1863 when former shoemaker William H. Hartwick enrolled as a private in Company F of the 6th New York Heavies. He was officially mustered into United States service at Riker’s Island on January 6, 1864 at the age of 28 with nine months left to live.
William had blue eyes, light hair and a fair complexion. He was 5 feet 7 inches tall and married to the former Harriet Dutcher. For the January/February, 1864 Company Muster Roll he was listed present for duty with the remark “recruit from depot” in his records. On his March/April muster roll he is present and received the first installment, $60 of his enlistment bounty.
May/June’s muster roll found him absent; sick in the U.S. General Hospital wounded on June 18, 1864 at the siege of Petersburg. The second installment of his enlistment bounty is now due. In July/August he again is listed absent with a Third installment of his bounty due. Finally on his September/October, 1864 muster roll, “Died in U.S. Gen’l hospital, Washington, D.C. September 9, 1864.
Hartwick apparently spent time in a field hospital first because he was wounded on June 18th and admitted to the general hospital on July 4, 1864 having been transported from City Point, Virginia. His hospital diagnosis read “Gun shot wound of left thigh & knee….Nature of missile or weapon, Minie ball.”
His comrades in the field were notified via the Company commander of William’s death by this form letter from the hospital. “I have to inform you that Private William H. Hartwick of your company died in this hospital on September 9, 1864 of Gangrene following a gunshot wound of left thigh. I enclose his descriptive list, with pay and clothing account and inventory of his effects.”
Following that toneless government missive is the record of death and internment, William Hartwick’s hospital number was 7879, grave number 2661 U.S. Military Cemetery, Alexandria, Virginia.
The 6th Heavies finished the war near Bermuda Hundred, Virginia where A.G.O. No. 95 form was filled out on behalf of Private Hartwick. This painful sentence stands out; “William H. Hartwick ….having served honestly and faithfully with his company to the present date is now entitled to a discharge by reason of Death”. It also stated he had no indebtedness to the sutler or laundress and that his clothing account was settled to the tune of $35.31.
That was the sum and total of Hartwick’s record in the service. My files contain dozens of other records. Heroes or deserters, Medal of Honor winners (Richard Smith of Haverstraw) and soldiers like Hartwick. His record was chosen for this article for a reason. He was plain, he was ordinary, and he was a shoemaker who enlisted to make a difference. His quest to make a difference ended in his death, leaving behind a young widow Harriet Hartwick of Rockland Lake.
If you have a Civil war ancestor, the records in the National Archives are available for your perusal. You can make an appointment, go there and search for the records yourself or you can write the National Archives at:
General Reference Branch (NNRG – P)
National Archives and Records Administration
7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20408
Call the National Archives first and ask them to send you several copies of NATF Form 80.
When you receive the forms read them carefully before you fill them out. You can request both pension and service records of your ancestor, but not on the same form! You must fill out two copies of the same form. In the upper left-hand corner check Military records for one form and on the other identically filled out form check Pension records.
Aside from the name include: the war fought in, regiment, branch of service, If army specify artillery, cavalry or infantry, officer or enlisted. For the Civil War you must specify Union or Confederate. With that information and the inclusion of your Mastercard or Visa number ($10.00) per record, your family history will be further enriched in 6 to 8 weeks when the records arrive.
Your ancestors are more likely to be like Hartwick than Haverstraw native Richard Smith who received the Medal of Honor for capturing 2 officers and 20 men from Hagood’s brigade during the Battle of Weldon’s Railroad. However, without the common soldier in the ranks, without the Tunis Seamans, or Dan Smiths or William Hinmans or Towt Waldrons what would our history be now?
The only source for this article was the military record of William H. Hartwick, Private, 6th New York Heavy Artillery, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
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