Listed here are the ancestors of the members of General William H Lytle Camp #10 who by their sacrifices supported the cause of preserving the union.
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Allen Jay Crooker, Patriot Ancestor of Shaun Smith
Allen Jay Crooker, b Portland ME 16 Jan 1823 son of Isaac & Irena (Coy) Crooker: d South Paris ME 11 Mar 1897: m North Bridgewater MA 19 Apr 1849 Hannah Lenora Millett, b Norway ME 29 Sep 1825, d Paris ME 4 Dec 1884: m2 N Louise Smith, b 6 Jun 1844, d 2 Apr 1929.
Both of Allen’s grandfathers were Patriots in the Revolutionary War, Private Joshua Crooker and Private John Coy.
Isaac Crooker, Allen’s father, was a butcher in Portland, Maine. Isaac died on 3 Apr 1829. This left his mother Irena with the challenge of raising five boys. His mother, Irena (Coy) Crooker married second James Buck of Norway, Maine. Norway, Maine is where Allen spent the majority of his youth. Allen, like many others from Maine, moved to Massachusetts with members of his family to work in the factories.
On the first call for volunteers on 16 Apr 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. He mustered out of this Regiment in the late summer or early fall of 1861 and went into Company G, Second Regiment, District of Columbia Infantry. Allen was appointed Corporal on 20 Nov 1863. He reenlisted on 29 Feb 1864. He was mustered out of service on 12 Sep 1865. After leaving the service he moved back to Paris, Maine and then back to Norway, Maine. He was a member of the Harry Rust G. A. R. Post of Norway.
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Major John C Eversole, Patriot Ancestor of Kerry Langdon
My 2x great grandfather, Major John C Eversole was the Commanding Officer of the Kentucky 14th and the recruiting officer. His home was built by his grandfather, Jacob Eversole. In the year of 1789 before Kentucky was a state Jacob and Mary Eversole came to the present site of Krypton, Kentucky (now in Perry County). It was then included in Kentucky County within the state of Virginia. They built a one room log cabin with a dirt floor. In 1800 Jacob Eversole added on to their cabin, converting it into a large two story house that featured a “dog trot” in the middle. The Eversole settlement in 1789 is credited by at least one authority as being the first settlement in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.
Major John C Eversole’s home served as a recruiting and training camp for the Kentucky 14th Cavalry. The Confederate unit operating in the same area was Ben Caudill’s 13th Kentucky Cavalry, CSA.
In early Oct 1862, during a battle between the KY 13th and 14th, one of those killed was George Washington Noble, who was the recruiting officer for the KY 13th. In retaliation, the 13th KY staged an ambush on the KY 14th at their encampment at Major Eversole’s home. Eversole survived this battle. There were many skirmishes between the 2 units over the next 2 years. Then in March of 1864, Major John and his brother Joseph mustered out and went home. On May 2nd, 1865, John and his brother were again ambushed by a group of the Kentucky 13th who either did not believe they were no longer soldiers or were seeking retaliation. A battle ensued and both John and Joseph were killed. Family lore has it that my gr grandmother, Polly was hanging on to her father’s leg begging him not to go out to fight when a bullet took him down.
The Eversole cabin still stands and the holes from the musket balls are readily seen. Interestingly enough, the property is now owned by Denny Ray Noble, Judge Executive of Perry County. His ancestor was George Washington Noble. He has one side of the cabin decorated with a Confederate flag and the other side decorated with a Union flag.
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Hiram A Gosnell, Patriot Ancestor of Bradley Jarard
Hiram Gosnell entered the service with the creation of the 10th Iowa Infantry in Sept of 1861. As part of the 17th Corp the he was part of the Army of the Tennessee under Sherman. As part of the Vicksburg campaign, Hiram was severely wounded in the side during the battle of Champion Hills. Hiram was sent to Memphis, TN to recuperate. Hiram then rejoined the 10th as part of Sherman’s march to sea. The 10th IA, now part of the 15th Corp, turned north to Washington and took Gen Johnston’s surrender. The unit along with Hiram were mustered out in September of 1864. Hiram is the grandson of Benjamin Gosnell, a soldier in the Virginia Line during the Revolutionary War. Pictured is Hiram’s grave in the family cemetery in New Sharon, IA and a reproduction of the 10th IA forage cap based on historical pictures. No picture of Hiram exists.
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Americus Hedden, Patriot Ancestor of Larry Collins
Americus Hedden was a farmer in Daviess County, Indiana when he enlisted in the 91st Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry of the Union Army on October 1, 1862. He came from a line of people who were willing to take huge risks for what they believed to be right. From the stories that I have heard about Americus, I believe that he joined the Union Army because of his strong personal convictions, probably about the importance of keeping the Union together, but also quite possibly because of his views of slavery in our “free” country.
The 91st Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry was organized as a Battalion of seven Companies at Evansville, Indiana, and mustered in October 1, 1862. Americus left Indiana for Henderson Kentucky with the 91st Infantry on October 10th. He was hospitalized there with a respiratory ailment from December 1862 until April 1863. In June 1863, the 91st left Henderson in pursuit of John Hunt Morgan. Americus spent the remainder of 1863 in Kentucky and Tennessee. In January through May 1864, he served at Cumberland Gap. The 91st began the march that would lead them to Atlanta in May 1864. From June til August 1864, they participated in operations at Marietta, Kenesaw Mountain, Lost Mountain, Muddy Creek, Noyes Creek, Kolb’s Farm, Chattahoochie River, Decatur, Howard House, and the siege of Atlanta. Americus was with them through the beginning of the siege of Atlanta, but on July 25 he was again hospitalized in Knoxville, Tennessee for respiratory problems. He remained hospitalized at Knoxville through October, 1864. In December he was again hospitalized, this time at Chattanooga, Tennessee where he remained until January 1865. He then rejoined the 91st Indiana and participated in operations against General Hoke, the capture of Wilmington, Delaware, the Campaign of the Carolinas, the capture of Goldsboro, the occupation of Raleigh, and the surrender of Johnston and his army. He remained at Raleigh until May 3 and at Salisbury until he mustered out on June 26, 1865.
Service in the Civil War took a severe toll on Americus’ health. He was never able to work his farm following his service. On May 10, 1889, he applied for and received a disability pension due to disease of the respiratory organs, deafness of the left ear, and impaired eyesight as a result of his military service.
James Hervey Houston Jr., Patriot Ancestor of James H. Houston
My great-grandfather was born Dec. 5, 1839 on the family farm in the Pequea Valley of eastern Lancaster County, PA . He was the 9th of 15 children — 10 sisters and 4 brothers, the eldest of whom served in the Mexican War under future Conf. Gen. Jubal Early. We don’t know much about Jim’s life before the War. Military records indicate he was a salesman. From his “Letters Home” during the War, we learn that he was in love with Rachel Paxson, a Quaker girl, who lived on a neighboring farm and whom he would marry after the War.
He joined the Anderson Cavalry as a Private in Philadelphia on August 20, 1862. This unit had originally been formed in 1861 to be escort to Gen. John Anderson of Fort Sumter fame, and an early commander of the Army of the Ohio. After the Battle of Shiloh, the unit’s commander, Col. William J. Palmer, got permission to recruit throughout the state to bring the Andersons to regimental strength. It was during this time that Jim joined the unit and it was officially designated as the 15th PA Cavalry, although the name “Anderson Cavalry” stuck throughout the War. Weapons of the troop were: a light cavalry saber, a Sharps carbine, and a Colt revolver.
The recruits of the regiment were sent to Carlisle Barracks, PA for training. In less than a month, an invasion of PA by Gen. Lee, which led to the Battle of Antietam, put him in a detachment guarding roads in the Hagerstown/Sharpsburg area. During the Battle he was on picket and courier duty. In his first letter home he wrote:
I have been on my horse for four days without any sleep at all night & day. We have been in two skirmishes. One of my friends and myself was on picket and the Rebels sharpshooters were on the same duty. We were on our horses standing in an open field and one of the sharpshooters spied us and fired and the ball struck my partner in the side and went right through his heart and he turned around on his horse and said oh! oh! and fell back and expired. I called for help and took him off the field. Today our dead men were numerous, but oh the Rebels were awful. They laid three deep one on top of the other.
In Nov. 1862, the 15th was sent to Nashville, TN to join the Army of the Cumberland, now commanded by Gen. Rosecrans, who was preparing for the battle at Stone’s River. The darkest period of the regiment’s history took place during this time. Disobeying a direct order to move to the front because they were not properly officered and trained, the majority of the regiment, including my great-grandfather, refused to march and were imprisoned as mutineers. Although they later agreed to go to the front, Rebel cavalry blocked the roads. Fortunately for the mutineers, in Jan. 1863, Gen. Rosecrans reviewed the case in the regiment’s favor and no one was court marshaled. At this time the regiment was reorganized and fully officered, and the 15th PA officially became Headquarters escort of the Army of the Cumberland.
In the summer of 1863, the Army of the Cumberland moved south in the Tullahoma Campaign. Jim wrote of “the long and tedious marches” through the mountains. Upon arrival in Stevenson, AL in late August the regiment was assigned to scouting, preparing maps, guarding flank roads, and on courier duty, in which they were fully occupied prior to and during the Battle of Chickamauga. In a letter to his sister after the Battle he writes from Chattanooga:
I suppose by this time the news of the Great Battle has reached you. It commenced on Friday the 18th and has lasted ever since. I cannot tell when it will stop. So far our army has been defeated with many thousands killed wounded and missing. But they expect to be reinforced by Burnside and come off victorious yet. We all have perfect confidence in Gen. Rosecrans. Our Regiment has been in the Battle every day. And has been very lucky as we have lost but one killed and some few wounded. We were in the thickest of the Battle on Saturday & Sunday. The balls & shells blasted all around and amongst us but did no damage of any consequence except wound some horses.
Well I think it is the worst time here I ever seen. We are living on 1/4 ration of everything as they cannot get transportation from Nashville. And everything gets played out. We have to go ten, 12, and 15 miles to get food for our horses and have to do it all after night. I have not slept two hours one night for six days. We have to ride night and day until this Battle is over. It may last a week longer.
Because of the starving condition of the horses, the regiment was relocated into the Sequatchie Valley in November before the Battle of Chattanooga where they guarded supply trains.
In May 1864 his company was ordered to Nashville to remount and refit. It was August before they were ready for the field and moved to the Chattanooga area. In September, Jim was one of a 75-man detail picked by Col. Palmer to carry dispatches to Gen. Burbridge in Kentucky through 225 miles of Rebel-held territory. Beginning in Kingsport, TN the route went north through southwestern Virginia and ended in Catlettsburg, KY. Here they took a steamer to Louisville, stopping at Cincinnati, and subsequently rejoining the regiment in southern Tennessee.
Jim and his regiment remained on duty near Chattanooga through the Fall of 1864. After Gen. Thomas’s defeat of Hood at Nashville in December, the 15th PA was called on to pursue Hood’s fleeing army after they crossed the Tennessee River into northern Alabama. On December 31 they overtook and destroyed Hood’s pontoon train; the next day they also destroyed a supply train of 110 wagons and 500 mules. Two weeks later they surprised and routed the cavalry command of Gen. Hylan Lyon, capturing over 200.
In March 1865 the 15th PA was relocated to East Tennessee. On April 4 Jim’s detachment destroyed communications and burned the bridges between Salem and Lynchburg, VA – 20 miles from Appomattox. In early May, the regiment participated in the search for the fleeing Jefferson Davis. While the honor of that capture fell to others, they were successful in recovering $7 million in cash and bonds belonging to the Confederate Treasury and the official papers of Gens. Beauregard and Pillow near Greensboro, GA. This was their last assignment of the War. Pvt. Houston was mustered out with his company at Nashville on June 21, 1865
After the War, he worked in railroad construction, first for the Penna. RR on the Harrisburg-Altoona line, and then for the B&O at Parkersburg, WV were he was supervisor in the construction of the Ohio River railroad bridge.
My great-grandfather met an untimely death 18 years after the end of the War as a result of being shot in a duck hunting accident in Maryland. He is buried at Parkesburg, Chester Co., PA.
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John (Johann) Roth, Patriot Ancestor of Jeff and Zachary Roswenwald
John (Johann) Roth was born 1817 in Bavaria Germany.
John enlisted on Oct. 23, 1861 into the 75th Ohio Infantry in Glendale for a 3-year period. In January of 1862, the 75th set out for Virginia and engaged in action throughout Virginia until late June 1863 when they were sent to Gettysburg, PA. On July 1, the first day of battle, John Roth was shot in the left shoulder and back. He was sent to the hospitals where he spent almost a year recovering. In 1864, his enlistment expired and he reenlisted in the Veterans Reserve Corps. In April of 1864, John had been promoted to Sergeant. He mustered out in January of 1866.
In 1884, John went to the Veterans home in Dayton Ohio still suffering from the effects of his wounds and chronic diarrhea. He died Nov. 9, 1884.
John had applied for a pension so after getting out of service since his wounds made him unable to perform manual labor. After his death, Margaret applied for a widow’s pension. The pension file contains an affidavit of marriage showing John and Margaret were married at St Clements church in Cincinnati on June 26, 1853. The pension file also contains an affidavit given by John’s brother George Roth who states John served in the German army prior to coming to the states. He and Margaret met in Germany but did not want to marry until coming to America. George states he came on the same ship as John and Margaret in 1853.
John is buried at the Dayton VA Cemetery in Section E, Row 10, Grave 5.
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David Lewis Stockdale, Patriot Ancestor of David C. Stockdale
David Lewis Stockdale was born in 1843 on a farm in Brush Creek Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, the only child of Isaac V. Stockdale and Jane Woodruff Stockdale. On August 15, 1862, he enlisted in the Union Army for three years, and was mustered in September 2nd as a Corporal in Capt. Berkshire’s Company (K) of the 97th Regiment, Ohio Infantry. Except for periods when he was hospitalized or detailed to a hospital, he was with the regiment for the balance of the war.
The regiment entered the field almost immediately, proceeding by rail from Zanesville to Cincinnati and marching across the Ohio on a pontoon bridge to Covington, KY, to assist in opposing the rebel forces then threatening Cincinnati. Later in September the regiment proceeded down the Ohio by steamboat to Louisville, KY, where it became part of the Army of the Cumberland. In October the regiment was engaged in the pursuit of Confederate Gen. Bragg in Kentucky. It was present for the battle of Perryville, but was kept in reserve and did not see action.
From Kentucky, the regiment marched to Nashville, TN. It was part of the advance on Murfreesboro where it was eventually engaged in battle at Stone’s River in December, sustaining its first casualties. The regiment was on duty at Murfreesboro until June, when it moved out as part of the Tullahoma campaign leaving Cpl. Stockdale behind with what was probably dysentery. He was subsequently moved to the Army General Hospital in Nashville.
Stockdale rejoined the 97th later that summer; and in September they were the first regiment to enter Chattanooga, driving rebel sharpshooters from the city and occupying it three hours before the main army arrived. In recognition of its “energy and alacrity” in that regard, Gen. Rosecrans assigned the 97th provost duty in the city. Their provost duty spared them from participation in the disastrous battle of Chickamauga.
The 97th took a prominent part in the movement against Orchard Knob on November 23rd and the storming of Missionary Ridge two days later. Although in the second line of battle when the Missionary Ridge attack commenced, the 97th gained the crest of the ridge near Gen. Bragg’s H.Q. simultaneously with the first line, capturing 150 prisoners, and continued in pursuit of the rebels, dislodging their rear guard from the next ridge to the East. Of its 23 officers and 411 men engaged at Missionary Ridge, the regiment lost 16 men killed, 9 officers and 124 men wounded.
Following Chattanooga, the 97th marched to the relief of Gen. Burnside at Knoxville. It operated in East TN until May, 1864, when it joined Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. It was under fire more than 120 days in that campaign, fighting at Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Adairsville (where it lost 20 men in 15 minutes), New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain (where it lost 147 members including Stockdale’s company commander, Capt. Berkshire, who was killed in action), Smyrna Camp Grounds, Peach Tree Creek (where the remaining 300 soldiers of the regiment, holding the extreme left flank of the Union forces, withstood seven assaults on their position and won special recognition for its gallantry from Gen. O.O. Howard), the siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro and Lovejoy Station.
In September, following the fall of Atlanta, the regiment engaged in operations against Confederate Gen. Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama. On October 31st, Cpl. Stockdale was hospitalized at Bridgeport, AL, this time suffering from rheumatism, which would trouble him for the rest of his life. During his two month hospitalization, the regiment fought its final battles at Franklin and Nashville. Stockdale rejoined the regiment when it moved to Huntsville, AL for provost duty; and in February he was promoted to Sergeant. For two months in the Spring of 1865, Stockdale was detailed as a ward master at the Army’s General Field Hospital at Bridgeport. In that capacity he was responsible for securing the personal effects of the soldiers who were patients in the hospital. Thereafter he rejoined the regiment at Nashville where it was mustered out June 12, 1865.
Following his discharge, David L. Stockdale returned to his parents’ home in Brush Creek Township, where he resumed farming. In January of 1866 he married Martha Plants and together they had nine children. He was active in the G.A.R., serving at one point as Junior Vice Commander of the Dan Brown Post in Duncan Falls, OH. He retired from farming in 1900 and died in 1908 in Philo, OH, survived by his wife, his three daughters, and three of his sons.
SUVCW Cincinnati 