Trivia 2-6-17 Andersonville POW

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I was a prisoner at the infamous Andersonville prison camp. I was a private from a Union regiment made famous by our fighting on Day 2 at Gettysburg. Later I testified against Henry Wirz. What was my name, what unit did I come from and what happened to my feet?

credit: @1stMN
 
You are Corporal Calvin Bates of the 20th Maine, famous for fighting on Little Round Top, Gettysburg, day 2.
Your feet had decayed so much during your time at Andersonville prison, that they had to be amputated.

Learned that from @mnor from this post:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-execution-of-captain-henry-wirz.124610/

34488r.jpg


This source contains a photograph of Corporal Calvin Bates, Co. E, 20th Maine Infantry, after his feet were amputated. His treatment at Andersonville was so poor that they had decayed, necessitating such action. The photograph is an albumen print and is held by the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Bates’ testimony is printed on the reverse side of the photograph.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppmsca.34488/

upload_2017-2-6_16-13-40.png


https://civilwarprisonsystem.wordpress.com/andersonville-prison-camp/
 
Congratulations to all who answer this successfully. A large number of Union privates testified against (and for) Wirtz; some from regiments that fought on day 2 at that small PA college town. If it's not the 20th Maine or the 1st Minnesota (and it's not), then I don't really know what happened to the feet of individual soldiers. But I'd guess he lost them to scurvy or gangrene.
 
Good question. Best I can come up with is Joseph D Keyser of the 120th New York Infantry, (who fought at Gettysburg on Day 2 at the Peach Orchard) and who later testified against Henry Wirz.
I have no idea what happened to his feet

Edit - Not a bad try. Keyser did testify against Wirz and he did belong to the 120th NY, which did fight on the second day at Gettysburg.

However, the records of the 120th NY indicate that he was a hospital steward, not a private. And, as you indicated, there is no record of anything unusual happening with his feet.

Hoosier
 
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Thomas O'Dea 16th Maine?

Edit - Not a bad try, as O'Dea did belong to the 16th Maine and did become a prisoner at Andersonville.

However, although the 16h Maine fought at Gettysburg, they were pretty well decimated by the end of the first day and were no longer an effective fighting force by the second day.

The story of how they prevented the Confederates from seizing their regimental colors is one of the many interesting tales related to the Battle of Gettysburg.

Hoosier
 
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calvin bates
Defense of Little Round Top
July 2, 1863
From America's Civil War Magazine (historynet.com)

july 2 1863 assault on little round top ,with 20th maine . colonel joshua lawrence chamberlain

Edit - Evidently you answered this question before you were able to read my edit to your response to the Feb. 3 questions.

You got the right man and you correctly identified his regiment and the information about what happened to his feet appeared in the article shown in the previous post, so I'll give you a break this time and credit you with a correct answer.

I would point out, for the benefit of all players, that this is an example of why I don't like responses that consist of a long article without any highlighting to indicate where the answer to the question appears in that article . Even if I can find the correct information in the article, I can't necessarily assume that the player actually found that information.

Hoosier
 
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The closest I can find is Corporal Calvin Bates, Company E 20th Maine. The 20th Maine was "made famous" by their involvement on the 2nd day at Gettysburg. Calvin Bates was captured at The Wilderness and imprisoned at Andersonville. He survived, but inhumane treatment he was subjected to at Andersonville ultimately resulted in the decay and amputation of his feet. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012650230/ A physician named John C Bates testified against Wirz, but I can find no indication that Calvin Bates was a witness.
A complete list of witnesses is located here: https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/Wirz-trial.pdf
 
Corporal Calvin Bates of Co. E, 20th Maine Infantry Regiment

Corporal Bates testified in the trial of Captain Wirz that he had been captured at the “Wilderness” on May 5, 1864. He entered Andersonville on the 23 of May 1864 to Sept. 12 1864. Due to the lack of shelter and being exposed to the inhuman conditions, Bates’ feet badly decayed so that both of this feet had to be amputated.

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-execution-of-captain-henry-wirz.124610/
 
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