Comments on: My Wife Calls This a “God Wink”

By: Milann Daugherty

Milann Daugherty — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:47:19 +0000

Rick, I have been away from the blog for a while and just saw this. I appreciate knowing more about John’s service which was indeed extensive. It also says much about him that he was sent home as a recruiting officer. Did you find his obituary in the Bedford Gazette? So glad you enjoyed the book. Thanks and hope to see you on the book’s Facebook page. Regards, Milann

By: Chasing Relatives « Bull Runnings

Chasing Relatives « Bull Runnings — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:34:15 +0000

[...] Son: Letters from a Civil War Soldier, from its author, Milann Ruff Daugherty. I wrote about it here. As you read (if you followed the hyperlinked “here”), at about the same time I [...]

By: Previews Coming « Bull Runnings

Previews Coming « Bull Runnings — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:23:47 +0000

[...] me access to the park’s file on the 8th PA Reserves. What I found in that file pertaining to my great-grandmother’s brother was startling. Fantastic, in [...]

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:47:39 +0000

Great story, Rick. Thanks for sharing.

By: Rick Wherley

Rick Wherley — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:56:52 +0000

Milann Daugherty has indeed done a number of people a favor by publishing James Cleaver’s letters. Years ago I found an old manuscript detailing my wife’s great grandfather’s Civil war experiences. His name was John B. Tobias. As it happens he enlisted with company F, 37th PA, the 8th Reserves. Even though it was written 40 years after the war it had a few interesting tidbits, particularly about his wounding at Fredericksburg. Even later I made a copy and gave it to the Park Service in Fredericksburg thinking it might be of some limited value to a future researcher. Every once in while I would google John Tobias’ name to see if something new would come up. Then, this past fall, the web site for Milann’s new book popped up. It listed a number of soldiers who were mentioned in Cleaver’s letters. John Tobias was one of them. I received the book as a Christmas present from my wife and am thoroughly enjoying reading about James Cleaver’s experiences as they must have related to my wife’s great grandfather.

John Tobias must have had a very interesting life in the service. Three years with the 8th Reserves, captured and incarcerated at Libby and Belle Isle prisons after Mechanicsville, exchanged, saw action in 5 major battles, wounded at Fredericksburg, sent home to recruit for his regiment, mustered out, signed up again, guarded Confederate prisoners at Ft. McHenry, mustered out and signed up again, serving into 1866. He was present as a guard at the hanging of the Lincoln conspirators and came home with a remnant of the rope and scaffold that hung Mary Surratt.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:19:59 +0000

Thanks Susan!

By: Susan Evelyn McDowell; Cole

Susan Evelyn McDowell; Cole — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:00:17 +0000

It might seem freaky deaky but when I found my Civil War ancestors and some of the parallel medical symptoms, it actually led to funding fo research in that medical area. Good job Harry.

By: Will Hickox

Will Hickox — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:38:23 +0000

I also remember reading in Military Images magazine of a collector who dug up a Pennsylvania soldier’s ID badge. It turned out he owned a CDV of the man, wearing the same badge.

By: Will Hickox

Will Hickox — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:34:40 +0000

That’s some interesting story! To my mind, stories like yours of uncovering ordinary but fascinating individuals in the family tree are much more interesting than bragging by DAR types about their distinguished lineages going back to the Mayflower. A couple of similar incidents happened to me. At the library I once opened a book of a Civil War surgeon’s letters at a random page–only to read him praising my g-g-g uncle, a hospital steward serving in an entirely different army corps. Another time I bought a book of another soldier’s letters and diary. In the latter, he mentioned having the sad duty of writing to the wife of his friend who had died of disease. Several years later, my research revealed that the man who died was my g-g-g-g grandfather. Small world.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:55:26 +0000

It might be, Jim!