|
NATHANIEL C. HAYCOOK |
||||
|
CIVIL WAR
SOLDIER |
||||
|
Nathaniel C. Haycook was born in West Milford Township, Passaic County, New Jersey (1) on November 16, 1838. (2) His farmer father, Amos Haycook (Haycock in New Jersey), was born in New Jersey on August 9, 1813 (3). In 1834 in New Jersey, Amos married Phoebe Ann Hartrum, who was born in the state on October 6, 1821 to New Jersey natives George and Anna (Tharp) Hartrum. Amos and Phoebe had nine children, the oldest born in New Jersey and the other eight born in Harlem Township, Delaware County, Ohio: Nathaniel C. (born in 1838), George W. (1840), Margaret (1841), Mary E. (1844), Joseph (1847), Amanda (c.1849), Russell (1853), Martha Susan (1859), and Elbert (1862). (4) Amos and Phoebe came to Harlem Township between the births of Nathaniel and George (i.e., between 1838 and 1840). Amos and Phoebe died in Harlem Township, he on August 24, 1887 and she on May 29, 1910, and were buried in Fancher Cemetery. (5) On August 27, 1861 at Centerville, Harlem Township, Nathaniel Haycook, enlisted for three years’ service as a Private in Company I, 32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment (32nd O.V.I.). (6) Company I was composed of men from Ashland, Paulding, Richland, and Van Wert Counties, plus 50 men from Delaware County. (7) Nathaniel’s brother, George, who had served three months (April 18 to August 15, 1861) in Company G, 3rd O.V.I., (8), and Nathaniel and George’s uncle (mother’s brother), Enoch Hartrum of Harlem Township, who had served in Company G, 3rd O.V.I. with George (April 20 – June 1861) (9), enlisted as Privates in Company I, 32nd O.V.I. on August 27. (10) This sketch will focus on Nathaniel. The 32nd O.V.I. was organized at Mansfield, Richland County, beginning on August 20, and mustered in on September 7. They moved to Grafton, Virginia (now West Virginia) on September 15 and then to Cheat Mountain Summit. (11) Nathaniel was hospitalized for three months at Cheat Mountain with typhoid fever. (12) He rejoined his company while they were stationed at Beverly, WV (December until April 1862). They saw action at Monterey, VA (April 12) and Staunton, VA (until May 7). They participated in the Battle of McDowell in Highland County, VA (May 8) and the Battle Cross Keys in Rockingham County, VA (June 8). They were stationed at Strasburg, VA and Winchester, VA until September. They were involved in the defense of Harpers Ferry (September 12-15). On the 15th, the 32nd O.V.I., including Nathaniel, was captured. The men were paroled the next day and sent to Annapolis, MD, then to Chicago, IL, and finally to Cleveland, OH. On January 12, 1863, they were exchanged. They were ordered to Memphis, TN (January 20-25), to Lake Providence, LA (February 20), and then to Milliken’s Bend, LA (April 17). They moved then to Grand Gulf, MS (April 25-30) and were involved in the Battle of Port Gibson, MS (May 1). (13) In a charge during the Battle of Raymond, MS (May 12), Nathaniel suffered a hernia and was injured in the hip. (14) It is not known if Nathaniel was involved in the following actions involving the 32nd O.V.I.: Jackson, MS (May 14), Champion Hill, MS (May 16), and Vicksburg, MS (May 18-July 4), followed by garrison duty there. (15) On October 22, Nathaniel was transferred to Company F, 4th Regiment of the Veteran Reserve Corps (V.R.C.), (16) which had been created to make use, in a military or semi-military capacity, of soldiers who had been rendered unfit for active field service because of wounds or disease contracted in the line of duty, but who were still fit for garrison or other light duty, and were, in the opinion of their commanding officers, meritorious and deserving. (17) Nathaniel was promoted to Sergeant in Company F. During 1864, he did duty at Rock Island, IL prison camp gates, located on the east and west sides. (18) Rock Island prisoner of war camp was one of the largest and most notorious Union prison camps during the Civil War. The limestone island was a 3 mile long and ½ mile wide U.S. government-owned island in the Mississippi River between Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island and Moline, IL. In 1862, it was converted into a Union arsenal. Twelve acres of swampy land at the center of the north end of the island were designated as the spot to build the prison with a planned capacity of 10,080 prisoners. Building began in mid-1863 and was far from completed on December 3 when the first prisoners arrived. 468 Confederates captured in battles around Chattanooga, TN (i.e., Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge) were joined by prisoners from Camp Douglas in Chicago, IL. In all, there were 5,592 prisoners by the end of December. The temperatures were below zero when the first prisoners arrived, the water supply was deficient, and the sanitation was deplorable. In the overcrowded conditions, disease quickly broke out, including a smallpox epidemic which killed hundreds of prisoners in the prison’s first few months. The dead were buried next to the prison. In the spring of 1864, the bodies of the dead were moved, a hospital built, and sewers installed, which improved health conditions and ended the epidemic. In June 1864, the federal government ordered rations to be cut in response to the treatment of Union prisoners at the Confederate prison camp at Andersonville, GA. The resulting malnutrition and scurvy contributed to the death toll. During the 20 months of its operation, over 12,400 Confederates were imprisoned on the island with recorded deaths numbering 1,964. During the same period, 171 Union guards died from disease. The last prisoners were released on parole in July 1865. Following the release of all the prisoners, the camp was completely destroyed. (19) Nathaniel was discharged from the service at Washington, D.C. on September 7, 1864. (20) Within a week, on September 10, he applied for a U.S. government pension as an “invalid” veteran of the Civil War. (21) In 1883, Nathaniel Haycock was receiving $8.00 per month for “injury to abdomen.” (22) In the 1890 Veterans Schedule, it states that he was suffering from “hernae (hernia); injury in left hip joint.” (23) It was during his service at Rock Island that Nathaniel met and fell in love with Eliza (“Lizzie”) Jane Harris, who was born in Indiana on July 29, 1845. (24) Her parents were New Jersey native Caleb Russell (born c.1797) and Indiana native Elizabeth (Waite) Harris (c.1805). (25) Following his discharge, Nathaniel returned to Rock Island County and married Eliza on October 16, 1864. (26) When the 1870 U.S. federal census was taken in Harlem Township, Delaware County, Ohio on July 22, Nathaniel, with Eliza and family, was living and farming next to his parents near Centerville. Nathaniel and Eliza had seven children, all of whom who were born in Harlem Township: Luella May (born in1865), Etta Bell (1868), Amos Russell (1870), Arthur Roland (1874), George (1880), Raymond Earl (1884), and Mary (1885). (27) In August 1882, the Lawrence A. Myers Post Number 252 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was formed in Sunbury. Nathaniel, at an unknown date, was mustered into the Post. (28) On August 5, 1925, Eliza Jane Haycook died at the age of 80 years, (29) and on February 20, 1929, Nathaniel C. Haycook died at the age of 91 years. (30) Both died in Harlem Township and were buried in Fancher Cemetery. (31)
Compiled by John
W. Quist NATHANIEL C. HAYCOOK FOOTNOTES
1
“Amos Haycock.”
1840 U.S. Federal Census, West Milford Township, Passaic County, New
2
There is confusion regarding the year of Nathaniel’s birth. Ohio
Deaths, 1908-1953 for Nathaniel C. Haycock and the Fancher
Cemetery, Harlem Township, Delaware County, Ohio records have
1835. However, 1838 is consistently reported in the 1900 census
information given by Nathaniel himself and in family records (e.g.,
“Haycook, Nathaniel C.” David C.
3
“Amos Haycook.”
Haycook-Kollar Family Tree, RootsWeb’s WorldConnect Project,
4
“Phebe A. Hartrum.”
Haycook-Kollar Family Tree; dates corrected with birthdates from 5 “Haycook.” Fancher Cemetery records, Delaware County, Ohio, delaohio.com/Cemetery/DelCo_cem/ h.txt 6 “Nathaaniel Haycook.” U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, Ancestry.com 7 “32nd Ohio Infantry; Companies by County.” ohiocivilwar.com/cw32 (online) 8 “George Haycook.” American Civil War Soldiers, Ancestry.com 9 “Enoch Hartrum.” American Civil War Soldiers.
10
“Haycook,
George” and “Hartrum, Enoch.” 32nd Infantry, Official
Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the
Rebellion, 1861-1866, Vol. III, The Ohio Valley Pub. & Mfg. 11 “32nd O.V.I.” Wikipedia.com (online)
12
The
Military History of Ohio.
H.H. Hardesty, Publisher; New York, 1886 (with special 13 Footnote 11 14 Footnote 12 15 Footnote 11 16 Footnote 12 17 “Veteran Reserve Corps.” Wikipedia.com 18 Footnote 12
19
“Rock Island
Arsenal.” Wikipedia.com; “Rock Island Prisoner of War Camp.”
American 20 Footnote 12 21 “Nathaniel Haycock.” Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, Ancestry.com 22 “Betsey Stark.” List of Pensioners, Ohio, Delaware County, The Executive Documents Printed by Order of the Senate of the United States for the Second Session of the Forty-Seventh Congress, 1882-’83. Vol. V-Part 3, page 82 23 “Nathanael Haycook.” 1890 Veterans Schedules, Ancestry.com 24 “Eliza Jane Harris.” Haycook-Kollar Family Tree
25
“Eliza
Harris.” 1850 U.S. Federal Census for District 37, Rock Island
County, Illinois, 26 Footnote 24 27 Ibid; with additions and corrections from Ohio Births and Christenings, 1821-1962, familysearch.org; Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997, familysearch.org; “Orndorff.” Fancher Cemetery records 28 Footnote 12; page 326 29 “Eliza Haycook.” Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953, family search.org 30 “Nathaniel Haycook.” Haycook-Kollar Family Tree 31 Footnote 5 |
||||
| Goto
George W. Haycook, his
brother Return to Local History Index |
(08/27/2011) |
|||