Re: Family Members in the War
My G-G-Grandfather Joseph Charlton enlisted in the then forming 3rd US Cavalry in the summer of 1861. When the Regular Army's mounted regiments were all redesignated as "Cavalry" the new regiment was redesignated as the 6th US.
Charlton served in company "F". He was wounded on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, taking a pistol ball to the chest and a saber wound to his hand during the fighting at Fairfield, PA. He was discharged the following summer with a Surgeon's Certificate of Disability. Finding that he missed the life of a soldier, 6 weeks later he hid his injuries and his prior service and enlisted in company "G" of the 14th PA Cavalry. In Dec. '64 Charlton was captured near Millwood, VA and held prisoner until February of '65. He returned to the regiment until he was mustered out on May 30th.
Like many veterans Charlton suffered from what we would call "post traumatic stress" today. Of course back then it was not something that was diagnosed or treated. His wife's application for a widow's pension notes that at night he would think he was back in the war. He died in an asylum suffering from dementia, very much a casualty of a war that ended 19 years earlier.
A more detailed essay that I put together on Charlton's service is at: http://suvcw.org/pr/art026.htm
Regards,
Mike Nugent
My G-G-Grandfather Joseph Charlton enlisted in the then forming 3rd US Cavalry in the summer of 1861. When the Regular Army's mounted regiments were all redesignated as "Cavalry" the new regiment was redesignated as the 6th US.
Charlton served in company "F". He was wounded on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, taking a pistol ball to the chest and a saber wound to his hand during the fighting at Fairfield, PA. He was discharged the following summer with a Surgeon's Certificate of Disability. Finding that he missed the life of a soldier, 6 weeks later he hid his injuries and his prior service and enlisted in company "G" of the 14th PA Cavalry. In Dec. '64 Charlton was captured near Millwood, VA and held prisoner until February of '65. He returned to the regiment until he was mustered out on May 30th.
Like many veterans Charlton suffered from what we would call "post traumatic stress" today. Of course back then it was not something that was diagnosed or treated. His wife's application for a widow's pension notes that at night he would think he was back in the war. He died in an asylum suffering from dementia, very much a casualty of a war that ended 19 years earlier.
A more detailed essay that I put together on Charlton's service is at: http://suvcw.org/pr/art026.htm
Regards,
Mike Nugent
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