Sergeant John L. Jones

by John W. Petri

My great grandfather, John Louis Franklin Jones, was born May 17, 1842, in Platteville, Wisconsin. This was a mining and farming area in southwestern Wisconsin. He originally enrolled for the War of the Rebellion in Platteville, Wisconsin, on August 10, 1861. At that time his home of record was Fair Play and his occupation was listed as miner. He was 19 years old, 5' 10'' tall and fair complected. On August 21, 1861, he mustered in with Company C, 7^th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. This was at Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin. The 7^th Wisconsin left for the seat of war on September 21, 1861, and arrived in Washington City on October 1, 1861.

On November 28, 1861, while stationed at Arlington, Private Jones volunteered for duty with Battery B, 4^th U.S. Light Artillery ("Gibbon's Artillery"¹). He was on temporary duty with this unit until March 25, 1862, when he was discharged with a disability at Camp DuPont near Fairfax, Virginia.

On August 14, 1862, he mustered in with Company H, 6^th Maryland Volunteer Infantry at Baltimore. On November 11, 1862, he was transferred to Company I and promoted to Corporal. On January 1, 1864, he was promoted to Sergeant as Sergeant Hanson T. Murray had died. On September 19, 1864, at the Battle of Opequon or 3^rd Winchester, he was wounded in the left hip while carrying the colors and spent five months recuperating at Mower Hospital in Chestnut Hill near Philadelphia. He was later noted as Duty-Sergeant on the date he was wounded. He returned to service at the siege of Petersburg on February 27, 1865. His mustering out was June 20, 1865, in Baltimore.

The 6^th Maryland was part of the III Corps and was transferred to the VI Corps in early 1864. They served in the following campaigns and battles:

• 1863 - Opequon, Winchester, Waping Heights, Brandy Station, Kelley's Ford and Mine Run.

• 1864 - The Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Laurel Hill, Po River, Ptolapotomy, Cold Harbor and Ream's Station; Sheridan's campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, battles of Winchester, Flint Hill, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek.

• 1865 - Petersburg and Sailor's Run, and the pursuit of the Army of Northern Virginia to Appomattox Court House.

The 6^th Maryland was the first regiment to enter the Rebel fortifications in front of Petersburg on the morning of April 2^nd.

My great grandfather had continual health problems after the war, primarily from the lung disease "Plethisis Pulmonalis," now known as tuberculosis. There were also complications, along with bullet fragments that had been left in his body, from his severe hip wound. An application was made for pension because of his total disability in 1879. He died from "Plethisis Pulmonalis" on January 23, 1880, and had been totally disabled for three years. He was 37 years of age at the time of his death and left a wife and three young children.

His widow, Martha Jane Reed Jones, my great grandmother, had two brothers who served in the war. 1^st Lt. Alexander N. Reed volunteered in early 1861 and died at Antietam while serving with the 3^rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Private Richard S. Reed was drafted late in 1863 and served with both the 1^st and 21^st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, which included Sherman's March to the Sea, and mustered out with the 3^rd Wisconsin at the end of the war.

Notes:

1. Captain John B. Gibbon, soon promoted to Brigadier General and commander of divisions and corps.

The Civil War Service of John L. (Louis Franklin) Jones

Sgt. John L. Jones was wounded while carrying the 6^th Maryland Regimental colors during the battle called Opequon that was fought near Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864.  Union forces under the command of General Sheridan had formed up on a massive front across a valley that day and attacked the Confederate II Corps commanded by General Early. It was just before noon as the VI Corps moved forward.

The first color bearer of the 6^th Maryland Volunteer Infantry colors was soon shot and killed. 2^nd Lt. William H. Burns of Company A then picked up the regimental colors and went forward. He was almost instantly killed by a Confederate cannon ball that decapitated him as it went through the line of men. He fell with his body laying on the regimental colors. Sergeant John L. Jones saw this and rolled Lt. Burns body off of this blooded flag. He then took the flag, raised it and carried it forward. In a very short time he was shot in the left hip and was sent to the rear for medical attention. Another soldier then took the regimental colors and carried them forward.

Sergeant Jones spent five months recovering from his wound at Mower General Hospital in Chestnut Hill near Philadelphia. He returned to duty at the siege of Petersburg.

From the report of Captain Clifton Prentiss, Commanding Officer, 6^th Maryland Volunteer Infantry:

"Three times on this day were the color bearers shot down, yet the colors never fell."

"and Lieut. William H. Burns, while bearing our colors forward, was struck with a shell, crimsoning our colors with his blood."

From an affidavit by John L. Jones' former Company Commander:

"Sergt. John L. Jones of Co I, 6^th Regt. Md. Vol. Inftry. has whilst gallantly bearing his countrys colors in an engagement with the enemy, wounded, and sent to the rear, all this at Winchester, Va. on the 19^th day of September 1864."

John J. Bradshaw
Late Capt. of Co. I, 6^th Regt., Md. Vol. Inftry.
October 15, 1879

Private John L. Jones
Company C, 7^th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry
Circa 1861

All information on this page courtesy of John W. Petri, Great Grandson of Sergeant John L. Jones and Great Great Nephew of First Lieutenant Alexander N. Reed and Private Richard S. Reed.

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