looking for info.

[101combatvet]

Yep. Seems unlikely that a military surgeon would be in a position to get stuck with a bayonet.

It happens when they amputated the wrong limb.

 

[Shadow9216]

It's not clear that he even enlisted as a surgeon. He may have been a doctor in civilian life, but enlisted as a private or got a commission as a field officer.

No, it's certainly not. But even with your comments, I'm still confused- I know it's possible, I know there are numerous reasons why, but I just have a hard time understanding why a doctor would serve in anything other than a medical capacity...

On the other hand, weren't there numerous "doctors" or "surgeons" who left service/were dismissed once the Union Army started actually testing and validating skills? Maybe he was a "doctor" in that sense? Had some limited knowledge- maybe was a vet?- but not enough to actually qualify as a regimental surgeon?

 

[Shadow9216]

Ive been confused to this as well. I'm unsure if he was practicing while he served or not. I just know he was a doctor. Thank you for the insight. Ive been trying to upload the letter but its not taking. Im going to try again at my parents

Please do, and let us know anything else you find out, maybe we can help narrow it down. Meantime, you can at least start looking for two guys with the same name in PA regiments.

 

[Snicole1214]

Please do, and let us know anything else you find out, maybe we can help narrow it down. Meantime, you can at least start looking for two guys with the same name in PA regiments.

Where would I found a list of names of the PA regiments?

 

[Shadow9216]

You could try here: http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm
I think Pennsylvania has some of their info online. Google "list of Pensylvania Civil War soldiers"

 

[ErnieMac]

Pennsylvania Regiment info:

Bates has rosters for each regiment after its unit history.
http://www.pacivilwar.com/bates.html

Pennsylvania Monument at Gettysburg - the Pennsylvanians in the Civil War site has a link to the Monument. You can interactively call a regiments roster by clicking on the appropriate panel.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/sam21/cw1.html

 

[donna]

This book doesn't have the Pa. regiments listed but is good resource for learning how to locate Census and Military Records. It is W. Daniel Quillen's "Mastering Census & Military Records". There are many good reference books on learning to do genealogy research. This is a newer one I have recently found.

 

[James B White]

No, it's certainly not. But even with your comments, I'm still confused- I know it's possible, I know there are numerous reasons why, but I just have a hard time understanding why a doctor would serve in anything other than a medical capacity...

On the other hand, weren't there numerous "doctors" or "surgeons" who left service/were dismissed once the Union Army started actually testing and validating skills? Maybe he was a "doctor" in that sense? Had some limited knowledge- maybe was a vet?- but not enough to actually qualify as a regimental surgeon?

In addition to the above, other possibilities: He preferred to serve as a private with his son, or was a homeopath or otherwise disagreed with the army's medical philosophy, or was offered what he felt was a more attractive commission as a field officer, or wasn't a practicing doctor anymore in civilian life (it wasn't necessarily very lucrative)... But it's only guesswork. At this point, we don't even know his profession was a medical doctor. If it's because a letter spoke about "Dr. Jonathan Blank," he might have been a professor back in his hometown. If it's because he was identified as "Major Jonathan Blank, Surgeon, US Army," that's different. I'm really curious to see the scan.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

I am not sure if I have come to the right place or not but I am hoping someone can direct me to the right place to look or even someone I can talk to. I am doing some personal research on a soldier that served in the civil war. He is believed to have died during the battle of Gettysburg, 1863. I am taking a guess that it would have been at the battle of little round top. I know his first name was Jonathan, his profession was a Doctor and he fought in the union. He also had a (only) son that served with him and died as well although I am unsure as to whether or not it was the same time. I have no last name to go by however I am told he died from injuries sustained by bayonet, and I know only 1-6% of soldiers died due to bayonet. He had a wife ( name unknown) and I am led to believe Jonathan was his only child. He also had one female servant. Any help would be greatly appreciated

I am not sure if I have come to the right place or not but I am hoping someone can direct me to the right place to look or even someone I can talk to. I am doing some personal research on a soldier that served in the civil war. He is believed to have died during the battle of Gettysburg, 1863. I am taking a guess that it would have been at the battle of little round top. I know his first name was Jonathan, his profession was a Doctor and he fought in the union. He also had a (only) son that served with him and died as well although I am unsure as to whether or not it was the same time. I have no last name to go by however I am told he died from injuries sustained by bayonet, and I know only 1-6% of soldiers died due to bayonet. He had a wife ( name unknown) and I am led to believe Jonathan was his only child. He also had one female servant. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Pennsylvania Men ( 1st name of Jonathan ) Killed at Gettysburg, or died of wounds received there. Probably not an exhaustive list. Hope something is here to help ! - History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865
- These Honored Dead: The Union Casualties at Gettysburg

Jonathan Eagua

Residence Berks County PA;
Enlisted on 11/3/1862 as a Private.

On 11/3/1862 he mustered into "K" Co. PA 151st Infantry
He was Killed on 7/1/1863 at Gettysburg, PA
.................................................................
Jonathan E. Elmer

Residence was not listed;
Enlisted on 8/25/1862 as a Private.

On 8/25/1862 he mustered into "G" Co. PA 141st Infantry
He was Killed on 7/2/1863 at Gettysburg, PA
.........................................................................................................................
Jonathan E. Hampstead

Residence was not listed;
Enlisted on 12/16/1862 as a Private.

On 12/16/1862 he mustered into "F" Co. PA 141st Infantry
He died of wounds on 8/28/1863 at Philadelphia, PA


He was listed as:
* Wounded 7/2/1863 Gettysburg, PA
............................................................
Jonathan H. Himmelberger

Residence Berks County PA;
Enlisted on 11/1/1862 as a Private.

On 11/1/1862 he mustered into "G" Co. PA 151st Infantry
He was Killed on 7/1/1863 at Gettysburg, PA
.................................................................
Jonathan J. Miller

Residence Philadelphia PA;
Enlisted on 8/19/1862 as a Private.

On 8/19/1862 he mustered into "F" Co. PA 150th Infantry
He died of wounds on 8/18/1863


He was listed as:
* Wounded 7/1/1863 Gettysburg, PA
.................................................................
Jonathan W. Thompson

Residence was not listed;
Enlisted on 9/12/1862 as a Asst Surgeon.

On 9/12/1862 he was commissioned into Field & Staff PA 141st Infantry
He died on 7/4/1863
..................................................................

 

[James B White]

.................................................................
Jonathan W. Thompson

Residence was not listed;
Enlisted on 9/12/1862 as a Asst Surgeon.

On 9/12/1862 he was commissioned into Field & Staff PA 141st Infantry
He died on 7/4/1863
..................................................................

Nice work. More on the man above, from a regimental history at http://archive.org/details/cu31924030914992

"Of the losses not already enumerated
was that of the Assistant Surgeon, John
W. Thompson, who died July 4, 1863.
He was a young man of pleasant manners,
amiable disposition and upright life; skillful
in his profession, ever ready to expose him-
self to alleviate the sufferings of the men
whether in camp or field. He was greatly
respected by both officers and men in the
Regiment. Upon the promotion of Dr. Al-
len to be Surgeon of the Eighty-Third Regi-
ment, Dr. Thompson was appointed to fill
his place in the One Hundred Forty-First,
and came to the Regiment while it was at
Poolesville in the autumn of 1862. He was
a resident of Philadelphia, and a graduate
of Jefferson Medical College. He left the
Regiment soon after the battle of Chancel-
lorsville, sick with fever, brought on by ex-
posure on that ill-starred campaign, from
the effects of which he died at his home in
that city, at the age of twenty-five years."

Too young to have a son in the army, and although he coincidentally died during the battle of Gettysburg, it looks like he was far away, and not bayonetted.

 

[Snicole1214]

Thank you! you all have given mea lot to go on. Ive also contacted Gettysburg national park andthey are assisting as well. I'm still trying to upload the letter but we are still having trouble getting it to come through

 

[James B White]

I tried looking these up at Ancestry.com, using their fuzzy search. I didn't look for names with just a J first initial, though.

Jonathan Eagua

Residence Berks County PA;
Enlisted on 11/3/1862 as a Private.

Couldn't find any.

Jonathan E. Elmer

Residence was not listed;
Enlisted on 8/25/1862 as a Private.

No Jonathans, several Johns in Pennsylvania, listed as laborers or farmers.

Jonathan E. Hampstead

Residence was not listed;
Enlisted on 12/16/1862 as a Private.

There was a 40-year-old John Hamsted in Philadelphia, with a 13-year-old son also named John, in 1860. The father was a stone cutter. Couldn't find any other Jonathan or John in Pennsylvania.

Jonathan H. Himmelberger

Residence Berks County PA;
Enlisted on 11/1/1862 as a Private.

There was a 20-year-old with that name in Berks Co. in 1860, occupation millwright.

Jonathan J. Miller

Residence Philadelphia PA;
Enlisted on 8/19/1862 as a Private.

Three Jonathan Millers in Philadelphia, all colored. Too many Jonathan Millers outside of Philly to look at individually to see their occupation.

 

[Snicole1214]

I tried looking these up at Ancestry.com, using their fuzzy search. I didn't look for names with just a J first initial, though.



Couldn't find any.



No Jonathans, several Johns in Pennsylvania, listed as laborers or farmers.



There was a 40-year-old John Hamsted in Philadelphia, with a 13-year-old son also named John, in 1860. The father was a stone cutter. Couldn't find any other Jonathan or John in Pennsylvania.



There was a 20-year-old with that name in Berks Co. in 1860, occupation millwright.



Three Jonathan Millers in Philadelphia, all colored. Too many Jonathan Millers outside of Philly to look at individually to see their occupation.

Ive been using that site too. I did find a medical doctor that enlisted as a private, but I cat find much else on him. His name is John M'Illvaine Mustered April 20 1861 but mustered out july 24 1861. That's all I found on him

 

[Snicole1214]

Nice work. More on the man above, from a regimental history at http://archive.org/details/cu31924030914992

"Of the losses not already enumerated
was that of the Assistant Surgeon, John
W. Thompson, who died July 4, 1863.
He was a young man of pleasant manners,
amiable disposition and upright life; skillful
in his profession, ever ready to expose him-
self to alleviate the sufferings of the men
whether in camp or field. He was greatly
respected by both officers and men in the
Regiment. Upon the promotion of Dr. Al-
len to be Surgeon of the Eighty-Third Regi-
ment, Dr. Thompson was appointed to fill
his place in the One Hundred Forty-First,
and came to the Regiment while it was at
Poolesville in the autumn of 1862. He was
a resident of Philadelphia, and a graduate
of Jefferson Medical College. He left the
Regiment soon after the battle of Chancel-
lorsville, sick with fever, brought on by ex-
posure on that ill-starred campaign, from
the effects of which he died at his home in
that city, at the age of twenty-five years."

Too young to have a son in the army, and although he coincidentally died during the battle of Gettysburg, it looks like he was far away, and not bayonetted.

where did u find this info? I'm trying to find the info on the doctor enlisted private and I'm not sure I'm looking in the right place

 

[James B White]

where did u find this info? I'm trying to find the info on the doctor enlisted private and I'm not sure I'm looking in the right place

In that case, I googled 141st Pennsylvania and a couple related words, I think maybe Thompson surgeon or something like that.

 

[Barrycdog]

where did u find this info? I'm trying to find the info on the doctor enlisted private and I'm not sure I'm looking in the right place

I have read through the post. What was the wife's name Johnathan was writing too or was written about? any post mark or identity like written from Gettysburg Pa. or some other identifier?

 

[AUG]

Of those three regiments, the 151st PA, 141st PA, and 150th PA, to look at where they fought, none were at little round top, very few regiments were actually involved in that fight.

The 151st PA Infantry fought on the first day around the McPherson's and Seminary Ridges and on the third day was positioned on Cemetery Ridge with 113 officers an men left of 478 men originally engaged. They were positioned left of the copse of trees and helped repulse the Pickett's Charge. If they were close enough, they could have taken part in some of the hand to hand fighting around the angle, although they might have been to far left.

The 141st PA Infantry saw close range combat in the Peach Orchard fighting Kershaw's and Barksdale's Brigades. When the salient at the Peach Orchard collapsed, the 141st was separated from the rest of their brigade and had received no orders to retreat, so they stood their ground. Barksdale's Mississippians fired a devastating volley into them and withdrew with a loss of almost 70%. Of 209 men present, 149 were killed, wouned, missing, or captured.

The 150th PA saw combat on the first day around the Chambersburg Pike. On the second day they skirmished around the Emmitsburg Road. On the third day they were positioned on Cemetery Ridge and were held behind the front lines while Pickett's Charge took place and were not around the angle where the hand to hand combat was taking place.

The most likely place for a bayonet wound to take place at Gettysburg was around the angle on Cemetery Ridge, during Pickett's Charge on the third day. Regiments like the 69th, 71st, and 72nd Pennsylvania positioned right at the angle saw the heaviest close range hand to hand combat when Armistead's, Garnett's, and Fry's men reached the angle. Men in the 69th and 71st were in it thick and were holding the line by the bayonet and butts of their rifles. The 72nd was sent in to counter attack and pushed the remaining Confederates out of the angle.