Military Monday - The Boys of the 69th - Deserters

The following is an excerpt from the book These Men Were Heros Once: The Sixty-Ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Pages 101-102.

Headquarters 69th Ind. Vol Infantry

Youngs Point, LA, Feb. 13, 1863

General Order No. 17

The following named soldiers have been mustered on the Rolls of the 69 Regiment Ind. Vol. Infantry as Deserters.

Co. E.

Lieut. Francis French, Williamsburg
Thomas. H. Cadwalader, Lynn
David Mann, Lynn
Daniel Taylor, Williamsburg
Wm.F. Loe (Odle), Lynn
Daniel H. Miller, Williamsburg
Nathan Harris, Lynn
John. B. Longfellow, Lynn
John. R. Fisher, Lynn
Urbane (Albin) Baldwin, Lynn
Pleasant W. Bales, Lynn
Isaac N. Bales, Lynn
Curtis L. Neal, Lynn
Jesse Hodgins, Lynn
Mark Sclagle, Williamsburg

Baldwin, the two Bales, Neal and Hodgins deliberately deserted from the transports on the Mississippi River; the others never left the state with the regiment.

If you ancestor is named on the above list don't be so sure they actually deserted! Further research shows that:

Lieut. Francis French, Williamsburg was a member of the 69th, Company E. He enlisted August 1982 for a period of three years. He was promoted to 2nd LT and was taken prisoner at Richmond, KY, exchanged and resigned.

The History of Randolph County Indiana by E. Tucker page 256, shows William F. Odell 69th Regiment, Company E missing since battle of Richmond, KY, August 20, 1862. This proves that he did leave the state with his regiment contrary to what the report shows although he may have left his unit at or after the battle.

More research is needed to determine the true story of these soldiers.