New Guy doing some research

[brother steve]

Hey Guys , Fairly new here, and getting into the ancestor research. My ggg father was in the war and what I could find was this:

Wilson, John J.
22nd Cavalry
185th Pennsylvania Volunteers
Company K
Wilson, John J. Private February 26, 1864 Mustered out with Company K, 3d Regiment Provisional Cavalry, October 31, 1865

184th Regiment
Pennsylvania Volunteers

Company G

John Wilson Sergeant May 17, 1864 Promoted to Corporal, May 18, 1864; to Sergeant, January 1, 1865; mustered out with Company, July 14, 1865; Vet

My question is the mustered in and out dates don't match.
My grandmother told me he volunteered and was discharged? and went back in because he got payed to take someones place. I am just trying to do some more research and find some battles he was in. Can someone point me in the right direction. I have been on the Pa volunteer site ,but it only takes you so far. Thanks in advance!

 

[ExNavyPilot]

brother steve--

To me it looks like PVT John J. Wilson of Co K, 22nd PA Cavalry/185th PA Inf and the SGT John Wilson of Co G, 184th PA Infantry might be two different people. There should not be large overlaps in muster in/out dates as your data shows; a couple of days or a week or two might be explainable, but not 14 months. According to the Natl Park Service's Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database, there are over 500 listings for various John Wilsons from Pennsylvania. These could easily be records for two different John Wilsons. What documentation do you have that leads you to believe that the info you list might be associated with the same person?

Do you have your ggg grandfather's full name (including middle name) and county from which he enlisted (his pre-war residence)? That could help narrow down the search.

Based on what your grandmother told you, I would expect to find enlistment records for your ggg grandfather starting sometime earlier in the war, extending probably through a full 3-yr enlistment, and then an enlistment in the same or different unit for a later period (such as the periods you show above.) The second listing you have--SGT John Wilson--indicates he was a vet, or veteran volunteer. In the Civil War, the veteran designation was given only to the soldiers who reenlisted in their own units or who were mustered out (or discharged) and then signed up for another enlistment in a different unit. Thus, reenlistment was also known as "veteranizing." The fact that SGT John Wilson is listed as a vet indicates to me that he served in a different unit earlier in the war, got out (either by completing his first enlistment or by some sort of discharge, such as medical) and then enlisted in the 184th PA Inf in May 1864.

Let me know what info you have and we'll see if we can get you pointed in the right direction.

 

[brother steve]

His full name was john james wilson and he lived in Huntington county pa. It could be mifflin county recruitment as it would be a bigger county.I do know that he served and was discharged then went back as a sub.

 

[Yankeedave]

A quick search of 22nd Penn Cav and 185th PVI show a fair amount of info.

 

[brother steve]

Where do you find in dept details

 

[ExNavyPilot]

Where do you find in dept details

One source is the National Park Service's Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database:
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-regiments-detail.htm?regiment_id=UPA0022RC01

22nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Cavalry (185th Volunteers)

Overview:Organized at Chambersburg February, 1864, by consolidation of a Battalion of six months Cavalry and the Ringgold Battalion of five Companies, Washington County Cavalry Company and LaFayette Cavalry Company, assigned February 22, 1864. Moved to Martinsburg, W. Va., March 1, 1864, thence to Cumberland, Md. Attached to Reserve Division, Dept. of West Virginia, to April. 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, West Virginia, to August, 1864. (Dismounted men attached to Reserve Division, Pleasant Valley, Md., Dept. West Virginia, to June, 1864. Kelly's Command, West Virginia, to August, 1864.) 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Corps, Army Shenandoah, August, 1864 (dismounted men). 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, West Virginia, to December, 1864. Reserve Division, Dept. West Virginia, to April, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, West Virginia, to June, 1865.

Service:Sigel's Expedition from Martinsburg to New Market April 30-May 16, 1864. Lost River Gap May 10. Lynchburg May 12. New Market May 15. Hunter's Expedition to Lynchburg May 26-July 1. Piedmont, Mt. Crawford, June 5. Occupation of Staunton June 6. Lynchburg May 17-18. Newtown June 19. Salem June 20. Catawba Mountains June 21. (Dismounted men moved to Pleasant Valley April, 1864, and duty there till May 15. At Camp Stoneman till June. Moved to Martinsburg June 16. Leetown and Darkesville July 3. Operations about Harper's Ferry July 4-7. Hagerstown, Md., July 6. Maryland Heights July 6-7. Antietam Bridge July 7. Ordered to Pleasant Valley July 22. Joined Torbert August 8.) Moved to Shenandoah Valley July 5-15. Snicker's Ferry July 17-18. Ashby's Gap and Berry's Ford July 19. Near Kernstown July 23. Kernstown, Winchester, July 24. Bunker Hill and Martinsburg July 25. Near Moorefield August 7. Regiment reunite at Hagerstown August. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to November. Near Opequan Creek August 19. Opequan Creek August 20. Near Berryville August 21. Summit Point August 21. Charlestown August 21-22. Williamspor August 26. Martinsburg August 31. Darkesville September 2. Bunker Hill September 2-3. Darkesville September 10. Bunker Hill September 13. Near Berryville September 14. Near Martinsburg September 18. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Mt. Jackson September 23-24. Forest Hill or Timberville September 24. Brown's Gap September 26. Weyer's Cave September 26-27. Port Republic September 28. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Dry Run October 23. Moved to Martinsburg, and duty there till December 20. At New Creek and duty in Hardy, Hampshire and Pendleton Counties till June, 1865. Scout to Greenland Gap and Franklin January 11-15, 1865. Scout to Moorefield March 14-17, 1865. Consolidated with 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry June 24, 1865, to form 3rd Provisional Cavalry.

Regiment lost during service 33 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 96 Enlisted men by disease. Total 130.

 

[brother steve]

Thankyou!

 

[DixieRifles]

Bunker Hill and Martinsburg July 25. . . . . . . Bunker Hill September 2-3.

You hear Bunker Hill and you think Revolutionary War and Boston. Never heard of this battle.

 

[Jake Patterson]

I was successful getting military records from the National Archives. If you g to their site you can download a form.

 

[John Hartwell]

You hear Bunker Hill and you think Revolutionary War and Boston. Never heard of this battle.

Bunker Hill, West Virginia. Several small skirmishes took place there. It was also the home of Gen. Pettigrew, of Pickett's Charge fame -- his home there is open to the public. Also a Pettigrew Monument.

jno

 

[GenDeb]

Very important to get the military records like Mr. Patterson did. Found out my ancestor's unit, but not my ancestor - was at Chickamauga. My ancestor spent 75% of his service time in the hospital with typhoid fever so I had to match the unit history with his records to see what action he actually saw. Which wasn't much, contrary to family lore.

 

[brother steve]

Thanks Everyone I will start there.

 

[brother steve]

Thanks Again!