behind AotW

This fantastic photograph of Charles Powell Adams of the First Minnesota Infantry was contributed to his Findagrave memorial by Rocky Higginbotham; the original is probably with the Minnesota Historical Society.

Major Adams was slightly wounded, his shoulder grazed by a bullet, in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862. He was hit three times at Gettysburg in July 1863, by then Lieutenant Colonel, and not expected to survive, but he returned to duty in December and mustered out with his regiment in May 1864. He was in uniform again, as Lieutenant Colonel of a battalion of Minnesota Cavalry from July 1864 to June 1866, and was honored by brevet to Brigadier General of Volunteers for his service.

Private George Riley Leonard of Company H, 48th North Carolina Infantry was wounded at Sharpsburg in September 1862 and again three more times – at Gettysburg and Bristoe Station in 1863, and in the Wilderness in 1864. He survived all these was discharged for disability in March 1865, and lived to be 88 years old.

Private Alonzo Smith, Company C, 7th Michigan Infantry was wounded at Antietam on 17 September 1862 and again at Gettysburg in July 1863, by then a Corporal. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing a Confederate battle flag in action at Hatcher’s Run, VA on 27 October 1864. Soon afterward he was promoted to First Sergeant, then commissioned First Lieutenant, and he mustered out in July 1865.

He’s seen here on a page from Beyer & Keydel’s Deeds of Valor: How America’s Heroes Won the Medal of Honor (1901).

I just received a newspaper clipping about one of our Antietam soldiers from a descendant. It dates from 1940 when former Corporal Calvin Blanchard was about 95 years old. It’s a stirring story.

But see if you can spot the detail that’s probably not true …

Private Henry Dunning Burr of the 17th Michigan enlisted in Ypsilanti in August 1862 and was seriously wounded at Antietam just over a month later. That was the end of his military career and he was discharged for disability in April 1863.

His photograph was provided on his Findagrave memorial by collector Scott Hann.

Corporal Anson M. Vicory, Company C, 17th Michigan Infantry was wounded by gunshot to the leg in action at Fox’s Gap on South Mountain on 14 September 1862 and was discharged for wounds in Philadelphia in February 1863.

His photograph was contributed to his Findagrave memorial by Kenny Melton.

Private Joseph Dicey enlisted the day after his 21st birthday, on 11 August 1862, in Company F, 17th Michigan Infantry. He was mortally wounded in his left thigh and right leg in action at Fox’s Gap on South Mountain about a month later and died at the Casparis Hotel Hospital in Washington, DC just over a month after that, on 24 October 1862.

His photograph was contributed to his Findagrave memorial by Linda Heckerthorn.

Colonel Norval E. Welch was killed at the battle of Peeble’s Farm near Poplar Grove Church, VA on 30 September 1864. He’s pictured here “leaping the parapet” just before his death, in an illustration from Harper’s Weekly of 22 October 1864, posted on House Divided.

Welch was the Lieutenant Colonel of the 16th Michigan Infantry and led them at Antietam in September 1862, and again at Gettysburg in July 1863, and was promoted to Colonel after.

I’ve been pushing hard the last few months to get more soldiers into the database on AotW, focusing particularly on those who died on the Campaign.

As a result I’ve posted an update to the list of The Dead of the Maryland Campaign of 1862. It’s now up to just over 6,300 people out of the more than 7,600 who died.

There’s so much more to do, but this is a good jump from the previous edition.

Pages for those individuals and thousands more are available on AotW, of course, if you want to see more about them …

Captain William James McKaig took command of the regiment at Antietam after Major Maginnis was wounded on 17 September 1862.

This group photograph of officers of the 3rd Delaware was taken in May 1862 and is now in the Delaware State Archives. McKaig is third from the right, back row.