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Civil War Casualties
Filed Under: American History · Civil War · Family History · Great Americans · family stories
Filed Under: American History · Civil War · Family History · Great Americans · family stories
The American Civil War took over 600,00 lives and led to over 1,000,000 casualties. The war officially began on April 12, 1861. It lasted four long years where father fought son, brother fought brother and neighbor fought neighbor.
My second great-uncle, James Anthony Brown of Jackson County Indiana enlisted August 11, 1862 in Captain Ralph Applewhite’s K Company. This was the 67th Regiment of the Indiana Volunteer Infantry. From September 14 -17 1862, the regiment was at the battle of Mumfordville, Kentucky. The regiment was captured on September 17th but was paroled and sent to Indianapolis to reorganize. The 67th went on to fight battles in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. The 67th lost one officer and 52 enlistees to wounds. Two officers and 194 men died from disease. Sadly James Anthony Brown died March 25, 1862 of a staph infection at the Washington Military Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Back in Indiana, James’ wife Jemima Johnson Brown waited at home with their four month old son and five other children. According to family stories, when word came of James’ death, Jemima “took to her bed” to die also. While in this depressed state, their house caught on fire. She was carried from the house in her bed sheets. It was reported that she sat on a nearby hillside and watched her house burn to the ground. Jemima did recover and raised her children on the government pension she received of $16.00 a month. Jemima remained in Jackson County where she died at the age of 81.
James and Jemima’s story is just one example of why the Civil War has been called the bloodiest and saddest war in American history.
“We here highly resolve that the dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that the government by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” ( portion of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address given November 19, 1863.)
Genealogy tip: If your immigrant ancestor served in the Civil War he automatically became a U.S. citizen without going through the naturalization process.
