This prosthetic leg served in both the Confederate and Union armies

CSA Today

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Honored Fallen Comrade
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Location
Laurinburg NC
10308124_631820096899448_1919042912639190725_n.jpg

When Confederate Captain John Newton Ballard of Mosby’s Rangers lost his leg in battle in 1863 like many of his fellow officers he didn’t waste time fretting over his amputated limb. Instead, he acquired a second hand artificial leg and got back to war. Unfortunately, he was left literally without a leg to stand on near Halltown, Virginia, when his horse collided with a Union cavalry soldier’s mount and his prosthetic was crushed, making him the only Civil War soldier to lose the same leg twice.
However, he was about to have a stroke of luck. In March 1864, Union Colonel Ulric Dahlgren was killed near Richmond, Virginia, during a cavalry raid. He, too, had lost a leg in 1863 (in fact, the severed leg was given a military funeral and is still sealed within the wall of Building 28 in the Washington Navy Yard). Dahlgren’s body was found by 13 year old Confederate, who took his wooden artificial limb as a souvenir. The Yankee prosthetic made its way to John Ballard, who wore it in active service to the end of the war.
 
View attachment 36558
When Confederate Captain John Newton Ballard of Mosby’s Rangers lost his leg in battle in 1863 like many of his fellow officers he didn’t waste time fretting over his amputated limb. Instead, he acquired a second hand artificial leg and got back to war. Unfortunately, he was left literally without a leg to stand on near Halltown, Virginia, when his horse collided with a Union cavalry soldier’s mount and his prosthetic was crushed, making him the only Civil War soldier to lose the same leg twice.
However, he was about to have a stroke of luck. In March 1864, Union Colonel Ulric Dahlgren was killed near Richmond, Virginia, during a cavalry raid. He, too, had lost a leg in 1863 (in fact, the severed leg was given a military funeral and is still sealed within the wall of Building 28 in the Washington Navy Yard). Dahlgren’s body was found by 13 year old Confederate, who took his wooden artificial limb as a souvenir. The Yankee prosthetic made its way to John Ballard, who wore it in active service to the end of the war.

Thanks! Just finished Eric Wittenberg's book on Dahlgren (again) and here you come with that awesome post!
 
That's a GREAT story, thanks so much! I smell a section here in the forum for ' Believe It Or Not ' stories- things like this are just way too good to become lost through time, don't you think Nate?

Thanks! Just finished Eric Wittenberg's book on Dahlgren (again) and here you come with that awesome post!

ANOTHER ONE I missed? ***sigh**** Am still making sticky notes through the last one I did not know existed, mostly questions to pester someone with. You sure can't find the answers on Google searches let me tell you.
 
That's a GREAT story, thanks so much! I smell a section here in the forum for ' Believe It Or Not ' stories- things like this are just way too good to become lost through time, don't you think Nate? I'm with you on that, Annie. This war is full of 'em!



ANOTHER ONE I missed? ***sigh**** Am still making sticky notes through the last one I did not know existed, mostly questions to pester someone with. You sure can't find the answers on Google searches let me tell you.

LOL. Because they don't go comb through the National Archives to find the answers! :smile: I love Eric's books even if they do give me nightmares.....
 
I don't have my copy around, but I was thinking there was something about the leg not fitting the guy properly--perhaps too tall? (maybe someone else got it first?) and it was handed around until someone did fit it?
 
I don't have my copy around, but I was thinking there was something about the leg not fitting the guy properly--perhaps too tall? (maybe someone else got it first?) and it was handed around until someone did fit it?

Union Colonel Ulric Dahlgren acquired a wooden leg to replace one lost in battle. After he was killed in the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren raid on Richmond, Virginia, the leg was displayed in a Richmond department store. Soon thereafter. Confederate Lieutenant James Pollard, who led the unit that killed Dahlgren, lost a leg. He claimed Dahlgren's leg as a war prize. When the leg did not fit him, he gave it to Confederate Captain John N. BaJlard.
of Mosby's Rangers. Thus, the leg served both with the North and the South.

Captain Ballard had lost his leg in a skirmish with a small party of Union Cavalry, at Ewell's Chapel, east of Bull Run Mountains. After the war, he married Miss Thrift, and the Thrift Farm on the site of the Battle of Chantilly became known as the Ballard Farm.

http://www.gfhs.org/local_lore/sanders_03.htm
 
I'd never heard of this story either until just a few days ago. Now, that is just plain interesting.

I personally think that Rear Admiral John Dahlgren had his son's leg removed from the wall at some point, but the story got lost in the mists of history. Perhaps it is buried with Ulric at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.
 
Back
Top