John H Brothers - Help Wanted

[Taylin]

Attached photograph of this headstone. So far as I can find the is no John Brothers in the 50th Indiana. This is at Green Hill Cemetery in Orleans Indiana

There were however two John Brothers in the area, both died during the war.

The first was age 21 at enlistment in the 24th Indiana and was killed at the Battle of Champion Hill. His brothers George, Henry and his father William are buried next to each other a ways from this stone and in a different row. Henry and William died during the war. I have nothing to prove he is even buried in this cemetery, but may lie in an unknown grave in the Vicksburg area.

The second, and I suspect to be the one for who this stone was made for was an 18 year old John Brothers in the 27th Indiana who died in January 1862. The American Legion Graves Registration done in the 1940s has him buried here and in the same row. This John was just across the county line in neighboring Lawrence County I'm 1860.

I will note that exact copies of this stone are found for at least 3 if not more civil war veterans in the cemetery and were all made at the earliest after 1870 so that could explain the incorrect regiment number, unless someone can find a John Brothers in the 50th.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Agree. Found no 'John Brothers' on the regimental roll of the 50th IN Infantry.

But found below five soldiers with this same last name on the rolls of various IN Infantry units:-

Cpl. John W. Brothers. Co. G, 24th IN Infantry
Pvte. George W. Brothers, Co. G, 24th IN Infantry
Pvte. James F. Brothers, Co. G, 24th IN Infantry
Pvte. John Brothers, Co. D, 27th IN Infantry
Pvte. Henry C. Brothers, Co. A, 38th IN Infantry

Cpl. John W. Brothers, a resident of Orange County, m/i on Jul. 31, '61, to Co. G, 24th IN Infantry.
(See https://archive.org/details/reporto...ails/reportofadjutant04indi/page/553/mode/1up @ p. 553).

Pvte. George W. Brothers (aged 22 years), a resident of Orange County, m/i on Jul. 31, '61, to Co. G, 24th IN Infantry, and later m/o on Jul. 31,'64. (See https://archive.org/details/reportofadjutant04indi/page/554/mode/1up @ p. 554).
He appears to have survived the war and died in 1900. (See https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15670237/george_w-brothers ).

Pvte. James F. Brothers, a resident of Orange County, m/i on Jul. 31, '61, to Co. G, 24th IN Infantry, but there is no record of his discharge. (See https://archive.org/details/reportofadjutant04indi/page/554/mode/1up @ p. 554).

Pvte. John Brothers, a resident of Lawrence County (next to Orange County), m/i on Sep. 12, '61, to Co. D, 27th IN Infantry. He is recorded as having died on Jan. 2, '62. (See https://archive.org/details/reportofadjutant04indi/page/619/mode/1up @ p. 619).

Pvte. Henry C. Brothers, a resident of Orleans, Orange County, m/i on Sep. 17, '61, to Co. A, 38th IN Infantry and died in a regimental hospital on Dec. 7, '61. (See https://archive.org/details/reportindiana05dougrich/page/198/mode/1up @ p. 198
& https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33413463/henry-c-brothers ).

Also. William Brothers (1798 - 1863), who is buried in Green Hill Cemetery died during the CW period but appears to have been too old to have served in this conflict. He was apparently the father of the above Pvte. George W. Brothers who survived the war and died in 1900. (See https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15670150/william-brothers ).

But could not establish a firm familial link between the other names listed above, although there is a strong possibility of a connection.

Bottom line. Without further evidence adduced, IMO the accuracy of details on this pictured headstone must be seriously questioned.

 

[lupaglupa]

Hardly the first stone we've seen with a mistake on it.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

So true. Thought the scant details (no birth or death years) shown on the headstone was also probably indicative of a lack of known information about the buried individual. The regiment number (without any company reference) may have been a guesstimate.

 

[digne]

All too common of a problem! I agree it's more likely the regiment number is wrong than record of a John in the 50th being missing.