Friday, March 29, 2013

Wagonmaster John B. Smith


Wagonmaster John B. Smith
     Listed in the 1859-1860 Elgin Directory as living on South St.

       From the Elgin Reserved Militia Rolls
1861 Elgin Class II Reserve Militia
   Signed the roll July 27, 1861.

       From the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois
A Co.        58th Ill. Vol. Inf.
Three Years Service
Lyon Color Guard
   Enlisted Dec. 24, 1861 as a private.
   Home of record listed as Elgin, Ill's.
   Mustered In Feb. 11, 1862 at Camp Douglas in Chicago, Ill's.
   Unarmed the regiment is placed on the train south for Fort Donelson were the battle has started that day.
   At Cairo, Ill. Issued M-1808 & M-1816 Common Muskets Feb. 12, 1862.  These muskets have been rejected by the regiments before and are accepted only because the battle at Fort Donelson is in progress.
   Re-armed with acceptable muskets on April 1, 1862 at Pittsburg Landing, Tenn.
   Captured at Shiloh during the retreat from the Sunken Road.
   Paroled in Sept. of 1862.
   Exchanged in Dec. 1862, the regiment reforms at Camp Butler in Springfield, Ill.
   Promoted Wagon Master.
        Known Actions;
Fort Donelson, Tenn. Feb. 13, 1862
Shiloh, Tenn.             April 6, 1862

        From the Post #49 Files
Joined Elgin GAR Veteran's Post #49 Jan. 4, 1887.

   Death Notice; May 13, 1899 issue of Elgin's Every Saturday.
   John B. Smith, father of Mrs. James Dangerfield and a former resident of Elgin died at his home near Marengo Monday.  He was 87 years old.  When in Elgin he had a planng mill on the west side and afterwards a gun shop.  He was a wagonmaster of the 58th Illinois infantry.


Used with permission Dan Mallett
Many members of Post #49 sewed watch faces to their ribbons to show they were from Elgin.

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