A fun discovery today

John Winn

Lt. Colonel
Joined
Mar 13, 2014
Location
State of Jefferson
I'm currently researching all the CW vets in a local historic cemetery and I found one today who was in the navy and was on the USS Minnesota when it was grounded at Hampton Roads.

He's only the second naval vet I've found here. The other guy was on ironclads and mortar rafts on the Mississippi and is mentioned in Admiral Porter's memoirs.

Great day for me !
 
For our knowledge, could you post some biographical info?
Well, I'm just getting started. Attached is his obituary. It has his enlistment year incorrect: he enlisted April 1861 and served until April 1864. On the 1860 census he's living a bit south of where he was born working as a shoemaker. I've not found him on the 1870 census yet but he and his parents moved to Kansas and they're all there in 1880 and 1900. He worked as a salesman in a farming implement store and farmed. I've not found him in 1910 yet but by 1920 he was in Medford, Oregon working as a truck farmer. He died in 1923. So, nothing startling other than his service in the war.
pillsbury_Medford_Mail_Tribune_1923_12_31_Page_8.jpg
 
Good stuff- thanks. So a New Hampshire whaler lives for decades in Kansas.

Westward movement, following the war, brought some interesting results. Great story.
So far what I think is that he initially apprenticed as a shoemaker but along the way decided that wasn't so great and became a mariner (where he was born is on a river near a major port). When the war came along he had experience that the Union needed so joined up. After the war many saw opportunity in the west as the homestead act had passed and so they packed up and moved to Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa. After a few years in one or more of those places the next moves were often to California or Oregon or Washington. More often the ones that ended up in Oregon went to California first. Probably because it was just better known than Oregon. But once in California I think competition was a problem and they heard about Oregon and that land was available so they just followed opportunity.

I think it's amazing that a guy who was on whaling ships out of New Hampshire would end up in Medford, Oregon. You have to realize how "out there" southwest Oregon was then. A good story methinks.
 
Very cool.

Two FindAGrave entries


Yeah, I've reported the duplicate.
 
I'm currently researching all the CW vets in a local historic cemetery and I found one today who was in the navy and was on the USS Minnesota when it was grounded at Hampton Roads.

He's only the second naval vet I've found here. The other guy was on ironclads and mortar rafts on the Mississippi and is mentioned in Admiral Porter's memoirs.

Great day for me !
Good find, @John Winn!
 

Learn About Us
About CivilWarTalk
Contact the Webmaster
Meet the Staff
Link to CivilWarTalk
Join Our Community
Register
Browse Forums
View Today's Discussions
Search the Forum
Get Help
FAQ
Student Guide
Forum Rules & Etiquette
Copyright / DMCA

     Contact Us CivilwarTalk on Facebook CivilWarTalk on YouTube CivilWarTalk on Twitter RSS Feed

Bringing the American Civil War and More to Life.
© 1999 - , CIVILWARTALK, LLC - Site Version 10.0

SlaveryTalk.com - SecessionTalk.com - CivilWarTalk.com - ReconstructionTalk.com
Back
Top