If anyone has a letter written by or about an original member of Battery B, 4th U.S. Light Artillery, we would really like to see it. It could also be displayed here so that others might understand the war better.
John Nelson Hubbard, was a private in Company A, 7th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, 2nd Bridgade, 1st Division, 1st Corps at Gettysburg and later with the 1st "Iron Brigade", 4th Division, 5th Corps. He served from September 13, 1861 until September 20, 1864. Hubbard was born on June 9, 1843 in Dearborn County, Indiana and died on September 19, 1927 in Boyd County, Kentucky. If you lookup his record, don't be confused by his friend, John N. Hubbard who served with the 19th Indiana Volunteer Infantry and died at the Veterans Home of California in Yount (now Yountville), California. Following is Hubbard's writing concerning "Bloody B". Also included a letter from one J. N. Hubbard to another J. N. Hubbard. Hubbard became a lawyer and judge after the War and was very active with the reunion groups from Indiana and Ohio. He wrote many articles and letters to the National Tribune located in Washington City (Washington, DC).
Read his writings about Battery B and an interesting from one J. N. Hubbard to another here.
[Editor's Note: Thanks to grandson Daniel Renfroe of Los Gatos, CA for Pvt. Hubbard's writings about Battery B.]
William Lucas Johnson was born about 1835 and his brother, James Dow Johnson, was born about 1837. Both were born in Cayuga County, New York, the sons of Isaac William Johnson and his first wife Nancy Dow. Nancy Dow died in about 1840 and Isaac Johnson married Mary Kelsey, the widow of Alfred Lewis. Children of this second marriage were Vestalina Johnson and Alfred Lewis Johnson. Alfred Lewis Johnson somehow kept the Civil War letters of William Lucas and James D. Johnson. He passed these family letters on to his son Edwin Sheldon Johnson. When Ed died the letters were passed on to his nephew, Alfred Edwin Johnson, Sr, the son of Ed's brother, Isaac William Johnson. Alfred, Sr, passed them on to his son Alfred, Jr. When Alfred, Jr. talked of putting them in the Archives of the Kansas State Historical Society, Alfred, Sr, said "No", and gave them instead to his sister Marian Johnson West, who, when Jim Woodworth was provided with this information. He was living in Oregon at the time. Jim Woodworth is indebted to Ann Johnson, of Baldwin, Kansas, for providing him with computer printouts of these letters.
His family lived in Sycamore, DeKalb County, Illinois. He volunteered in the Wisconsin Militia, however. His friendship with Mary Cramer of Sauk County, Wisconsin, revealed in his letters, may be the reason that he served from Wisconsin rather than Illinois.
Read all about his experiences in the army during the Civil War here.
[Editors Note: Thanks to Jim Woodworth for providing these letters.]
The Official Record of William:
Johnson, William L. Residence: DeKalb Co., IL. Enlisted: July 5, 1861 in Company H, 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Remarks: Veteranized; Detached to Battery B, 4th U.S. Light Artillery on Dec. 2, 1861. Wounded at Laurel Hill; prisoner; died on Oct. 24, 1864 at Andersonville, GA.
If anyone would like more information on William L. or James D. Johnson, please feel free to contact Jim Woodwoth.
