William Thomas Wise
Corporal Company K
32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
My great great grandfather,
William Thomas Wise, enlisted in the Company
K of the 32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry at Coshocton, Ohio on August
15, 1861. William T. experience the severe winter of 1861-62 in the
Allegheny Mountains and was then taken prisoner and paroled with the rest
of his regiment at Harper's Ferry in September of 1862.
When the regiment was re-organized in January of 1863 after their
"french leave", William T. returned to the war and was present at
the capture of Jackson, Mississippi, and Vicksburg. While on the
skirmish line in Mississippi, his gun ignited the power prematurely, the
resulting powder flash caused William T.'s right eyebrow to be burned off
and his right eye slightly blurred. William T. shortly returned to
service and was present during his company's involvement at the battle
of Kenesaw Mountain.
On July 20, 1964,
at Peachtree Creek, William T. received a musket ball shot to the left
leg just above his knee. Though we cannot say if ever returned to action
after this wound, we do know that he mustered out with his company in July
of 1865.
William T. returned
to his home in Newcomerstown, Ohio where in 1871 he married Almira DeLong
and began to raise his family. Soon he found employment working on the
railroad as a laborer. On day, while cutting a rail, a sliver of iron entered
his left eye. This eye would eventually be removed leaving him only the
right eye which was steadily failing.
William was receiving a six dollar per month pension for his gunshot
wound to the leg, but when he lost his left eye, he went back to the government
for additional pension benefits "on account of his right eye" which received
the powder flash in the war.
The government responded
by sending a special investigator to the Newcomerstown
area who took depositions from William T.'s family, friends, fellow
soldiers, employers, and near neighbors. These depositions
and others like them of other soldiers of Company K in the National
Archives in Washington D.C. will become part of this web site and will
enhance the current research being performed on..
Company K of the 32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry!
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