Enlistment Up in Georgia

[lukegilly13]

I was talking to friend of mine this morning and he asked me a Civil War question. This happens from time to time, but
This time his question really got me thinking. His 3xgreat Grandfather, John Robert Draper, was enlisted in the 16th Iowa.
He told me that his grandfather fought for Sherman and was involved in the "March to the Sea". I have not been able to
varify this because I am at work and cannot access any sources. He also told me that John Draper was in Georgia when his
enlistment ran out. He stayed with the army until they reached Savannah and then went home. His question was actually two
questions. The first one was: "What happened to his stuff (gun, knapsack, personal items, etc)? The second question
was a little more difficult to answer. He asked: How did a union soldier fighting that far south make it home from all
the way down there?" My instinct was by train and foot...and then I started thinking...it would be a difficult task for
a Union soldier to make it from deep south Georgia back to Iowa during this time and the only train I'm aware of would have
taken him to Richmond.

I think I can handle his two questions after I do a little research for myself over the weekend. However, what I wanted
to ask/discuss on the forum is 1st person accounts of folks whose enlistment ran out while they were "marching through
Georgia". And I would of course welcome any comments to exactly what happened to their "stuff" when their enlistment
was up down there.

Keep in mind, I am looking for accounts of what happened to Union soldiers whose enlistment ran out while they were serving
in the deep south. To me, this particular experience may be different than the accounts of union soldiers serving in N. VA
or PA for example. My friend raised a couple of interesting points. He wondered how rough that trip may have been with no
weapon.
He also commented that his ancestor was practically broke upon his departure from the army. He actually owed the army $3
after his paycheck had cleared according to his records. My thought was how difficult it may have been for federal gear
to make it back to Sherman's supply...or did it perhaps immediatly go back into circulation?

[dirtyshirt]

Re: Enlistment Up in Georgia

Luke, PM James Donelson on here. He has many resources on Iowa regiments, especially the 16th.

[lukegilly13]

Re: Enlistment Up in Georgia

Thanks Brandon. I'll send him one right now.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Enlistment Up in Georgia

From Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion:

"DRAPER, John R. Age 24. Residence Muscatine, nativity Tennessee. Enlisted Nov. 1, 1863. Mustered Dec. 11, 1861. Mustered out Jan. 5, 1865, Savannah, Ga., expiration of term of service."

So we do have verification of Mr. Draper's unusual departure from the Army, although this source lists his enlistment as November 1, 1861, more in line with the raising of the 16th.

I am at this time unable to find good primary document sources discussing mustering out at Savannah, but will continue looking, since I've run across some (I believe) in other research. Conjecture would lead me to believe that whatever he turned over to the government would either be condemned or, if needed, returned to the pool of available replacement resources. The amount of goods issued to Sherman's troops at Savannah was tremendous (another list I can't find at the moment). As to his return to Iowa, conjecture would tell me that he took advantage of naval transportation along with the sick and injured to a friendly naval station and then sought civilian transportation home from there. Didn't the government utilize vouchers to pay for a soldier's transportation home?

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Enlistment Up in Georgia

On further thought, if any of the naval vessels servicing Savannah came from or went to the port of New Orleans, that route would have been the easiest for Mr. Draper to go home, as a river passage to Muscatine would be simplest.