Profiles of low-ranking American Civil War soldiers

historicus

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Oct 12, 2016
I am interested in finding websites and books and other sources that profile low-ranking ACW soldiers. I am sure most of us are familiar with Edwin Francis Jemison and Sam Watkins. I am interested in finding profiles of ACW soldiers similar to what we have all seen with Jemison and Watkins.

Please give me links to websites with profiles of low ranking ACW soldiers.
 
I can't think of any website totally dedicated to doing this, but the closest thing I can think of is Wikitree, which has a section dedicated to the soldiers of the war (all ranks). Most of the profiles only tell you what unit they were in, but some are well done. More famous figures sometimes simply link to a bio online somewhere. It is also organized into the 2 sides, by branch, then by state and regiment, and sometimes down to company level. Here is the link.

Here are a few individual examples:
Frederick F. Arbuthnot (abt. 1845 - 1881)
Johann Wilhelm Gottlieb Last (1825 - 1872)
William Douglas (abt. 1820 - 1897)
John Henry DeVoe (1846 - 1928)
Edwin Gale (abt. 1843 - abt. 1923)
 
I've been working on creating profiles (genealogical and biographical) of 230+ soldiers, almost all of whom were low ranking. I don't know of any site devoted to (or even bordering on) this kind of soldier. However, there are places you can look--the most obvious (and often overlooked) is Google...of course, you have to have a particular person's name. You might also check Google Books and Hathi Trust. Lastly, look into the genealogy sites. While I am no fan of online trees, you may find profiles and family stories attached. Check the bibliographies of all these sources. The Wiki Tree site mentioned above is a genealogy site that may contain credible information.

If you don't have a specific name in mind, you can often find rosters of the various regiments online--and pick names at random. State web sites can be very good; Maine's is a useful one with many links. Maine has a website operated by the Maine Historical Society that is called "Maine Memory Network" which has profiles and similar information (it is free); other states are apt to have such websites as well.

Don't forget about online historical newspapers. Many are free--probably the best known of which is Chronicling America which is put out by the Library of Congress. Another site ("Ancestor Hunt") will provide links into historical newspapers by location. Several by-subscription sites (such as Ancestry and MyHeritage) have newspaper files. A major historical newspaper site is GenealogyBank--but it is not free.

You asked specifically for web sites but there is apt to be even more available in hard sources. Many historical societies (such as mine) have put out publications of their local soldiers. You could jump from historical society to historical society--or you could check the online catalogues of the various state libraries; even if the book is not online, you'll know where it is (and it may be possible to obtain via Interlibrary Loan). There are online catalogues for many colleges. There are the online catalogues of the two big genealogical groups: New England Historical & Genealogical Society (AmericanAncestors.org) and the Mormons (FamilySearch); on the later, don't use the usual search mechanism but look at the Collections (right hand side of search page) and the link on that page to "Catalog" (some of this material will be available online)
 
I can't think of any website totally dedicated to doing this, but the closest thing I can think of is Wikitree, which has a section dedicated to the soldiers of the war (all ranks). Most of the profiles only tell you what unit they were in, but some are well done. More famous figures sometimes simply link to a bio online somewhere. It is also organized into the 2 sides, by branch, then by state and regiment, and sometimes down to company level. Here is the link.

Here are a few individual examples:
Frederick F. Arbuthnot (abt. 1845 - 1881)
Johann Wilhelm Gottlieb Last (1825 - 1872)
William Douglas (abt. 1820 - 1897)
John Henry DeVoe (1846 - 1928)
Edwin Gale (abt. 1843 - abt. 1923)
I can't think of any website totally dedicated to doing this, but the closest thing I can think of is Wikitree, which has a section dedicated to the soldiers of the war (all ranks). Most of the profiles only tell you what unit they were in, but some are well done. More famous figures sometimes simply link to a bio online somewhere. It is also organized into the 2 sides, by branch, then by state and regiment, and sometimes down to company level. Here is the link.

Here are a few individual examples:
Frederick F. Arbuthnot (abt. 1845 - 1881)
Johann Wilhelm Gottlieb Last (1825 - 1872)
William Douglas (abt. 1820 - 1897)
John Henry DeVoe (1846 - 1928)
Edwin Gale (abt. 1843 - abt. 1923)

I am especially interested in profiles of low ranking ACW soldiers KIA.
 
I am especially interested in profiles of low ranking ACW soldiers KIA.
Do you have a geographical preference? This may involve some research on your part just to start! The War Department put out an annual report called the Adjutant General's Report (called the AGO); at the War's end, it put out a summary volume that listed all soldiers and their final status (I can't remember it it separates out those who died in battle from those who died of wounds from those who died of disease). An online site that has this information (by town) is Historical Data Systems out of Duxbury, Massachusetts. It has this information for both the Union and Confederate armies so there must be a Southern equivalent of the AGO (the only ones I know of are specific to states).
 
I am especially interested in profiles of low ranking ACW soldiers KIA.

This is a but trickier for a detailed bio, as they would not have survived to write down the details of their service after the war, or to fill out a pension. There might be widow pensions filled after the fact if they were married and those might have had letters in them detailing the service of the soldier. Here (Benjamin Terwilliger) is one that popped in my head. He would have been a second cousin of mine several times removed. It has a letter in there which describes his death from a member of the Christian Commission, which was published in a wartime newspaper in 1864.

Wikitree also has categories for all those killed in action, one for the Union, the other for the Confederates. Again, most simply give you their unit, death date, and place, but you might get lucky and find a detailed account. Either way, it is a good starting place.
 
This is a but trickier for a detailed bio, as they would not have survived to write down the details of their service after the war, or to fill out a pension. There might be widow pensions filled after the fact if they were married and those might have had letters in them detailing the service of the soldier. Here (Benjamin Terwilliger) is one that popp
This is a but trickier for a detailed bio, as they would not have survived to write down the details of their service after the war, or to fill out a pension. There might be widow pensions filled after the fact if they were married and those might have had letters in them detailing the service of the soldier. Here (Benjamin Terwilliger) is one that popped in my head. He would have been a second cousin of mine several times removed. It has a letter in there which describes his death from a member of the Christian Commission, which was published in a wartime newspaper in 1864.

Wikitree also has categories for all those killed in action, one for the Union, the other for the Confederates. Again, most simply give you their unit, death date, and place, but you might get lucky and find a detailed account. Either way, it is a good starting place.


ed in my head. He would have been a second cousin of mine several times removed. It has a letter in there which describes his death from a member of the Christian Commission, which was published in a wartime newspaper in 1864.

Wikitree also has categories for all those killed in action, one for the Union, the other for the Confederates. Again, most simply give you their unit, death date, and place, but you might get lucky and find a detailed account. Either way, it is a good starting place.


This is a but trickier for a detailed bio, as they would not have survived to write down the details of their service after the war, or to fill out a pension. There might be widow pensions filled after the fact if they were married and those might have had letters in them detailing the service of the soldier. Here (Benjamin Terwilliger) is one that popped in my head. He would have been a second cousin of mine several times removed. It has a letter in there which describes his death from a member of the Christian Commission, which was published in a wartime newspaper in 1864.

Wikitree also has categories for all those killed in action, one for the Union, the other for the Confederates. Again, most simply give you their unit, death date, and place, but you might get lucky and find a detailed account. Either way, it is a good starting place.
The letter about Benjamin Terwilliger is the type of thing i am looking for.

I have always found the Confederacy and Confederate soldiers more interesting than the Union and Union soldiers. So accounts about actual confederate soldier deaths are more interesting to me.
Edwin Francis Jemison is the most interesting Confederate soldier i have found so far. Jemison was only 17 years old, and he was decapitated by an artillery shell.
 
The letter about Benjamin Terwilliger is the type of thing i am looking for.

I have always found the Confederacy and Confederate soldiers more interesting than the Union and Union soldiers. So accounts about actual confederate soldier deaths are more interesting to me.
Edwin Francis Jemison is the most interesting Confederate soldier i have found so far. Jemison was only 17 years old, and he was decapitated by an artillery shell.

So are you only looking for details of how specific soldiers died in the war? Maybe along with the history of their enlistment and service? Or do you need a soldier that has a diary and/or letters that documents this first-hand?
I have read of many accounts of such incidents in good books that covered battles. Wiley Sword's books seem to have many accounts of combat. I used to remember where some of these were found in my books but now I couldn't recall where.
 
So are you only looking for details of how specific soldiers died in the war?

Yes

Maybe along with the history of their enlistment and service?

Yes.

Or do you need a soldier that has a diary and/or letters that documents this first-hand?

Yes, again.


I have read of many accounts of such incidents in good books that covered battles. Wiley Sword's books seem to have many accounts of combat. I used to remember where some of these were found in my books but now I couldn't recall where.

Do Wiley Sword's books with accounts of combat include details about specific low-ranking foot soldiers getting KIA?
 
Even though Confederate soldier Isaac Avery was a Colonel (not a private or other low rank), i always like the story of Isaac Avery. Avery was shot in the neck on Cemetery Hill on day 2 of Gettysburg. Some confederate troops found him as he was on the ground afterwards. He couldnt talk because the bullet damaged his vocal cords. His aide & former business partner Major Samuel Tate found him. Avery had a piece of paper but not pen or ink for a pen
Avery dipped a stick in Avery's own blood and Avery wrote "Major tell my father i died with my face to the enemy." Then died either later that day or the next day.
 
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Another place to look are the "virtual cemeteries" of Find a Grave. There is one for Civil War soldiers in general and one just for Confederate soldiers. Just go down the list and check out those with a death date during the ACW. A genealogist working on this person is apt to have posted a priofile.

The Iowa papers (specifically Davenport) have information on the Littleton Brothers, all privates--4 enlisted from Iowa and the 5th from Illinois. All died during the was, at least one was killed outright.

The Ellsworth (ME) Herald has an article on the death of Sgt. George Philbrook of Kendall's Mills (ME), a member of Company G of the 6th Maine Infantry. He was killed (short in the neck) at Fredericksburg and someone picked his pockets.
 
I am interested in finding websites and books and other sources that profile low-ranking ACW soldiers. I am sure most of us are familiar with Edwin Francis Jemison and Sam Watkins. I am interested in finding profiles of ACW soldiers similar to what we have all seen with Jemison and Watkins.

Please give me links to websites with profiles of low ranking ACW soldiers.

A while back I found an account of the death of one soldier in the Civil War (in front of his father, another soldier) which stuck in my mind. The rest of the article deals with the aftermath but it might be something interesting to you.
 
Do Wiley Sword's books with accounts of combat include details about specific low-ranking foot soldiers getting KIA?
Goood question. I browsed thru “Landscape Turned Red” and it seems most accounts are about officers. The officers were important so the account of their death was documented in some way. Then there are witnesses describing how an enemy soldier was observed to die.
it may take awhile to find an example of an Enlisted solder‘s Combat death.
Here is a quote about a private who was wounded.
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On page 269, it states that the youngest soldier killed at Antietam was 13-year old drummer Charlie King of the 49th Penn Regt. Killed by a shell fragment. Now that would be an interesting story to research.
 
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Even though Confederate soldier Isaac Avery was a Colonel (not a private or other low rank), i always like the story of Isaac Avery. Avery was shot in the neck on Cemetery Hill on day 2 of Gettysburg. Some confederate troops found him as he was on the ground afterwards. He couldnt talk because the bullet damaged his vocal cords. His aide & former business partner Major Samuel Tate found him. Avery had a piece of paper but not pen or ink for a pen
Avery dipped a stick in Avery's own blood and Avery wrote "Major tell my father i died with my face to the enemy." Then died either later that day or the next day.

I have a copy of the note that was included in Battles of the Civil War book. Barely readable... but you can see why.
 
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