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  and 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  enhance the current research being
performed on..............
William Thomas Wise, Corporal, Company K of the 32nd Ohio Volunteer
Infantry!
 
 

The Deposition of Richard Fowler
 
                         Case of William Wise, No. 122.544

     On this 28th day of April, 1892, at Coshocton, County of Coshocton,
State of Ohio, before me, Jacob Carlies, a Special Examiner of the Pension
Office, personally appeared Richard Fowler, who being by me first duty
sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this
Special Examination of aforesaid pension claim, deposes and says....

     "My name and post office address is as above. Age 47, ........ Carpenter. I was a member of Co. K 32nd Ohio .....  enlisted March 3, 1861 and was
discharged August 7, 1865.
      I knew this claimant, William Wise, who was also a member of said
company. I did not know him until  we met in the service and have only seen
him once since discharge.
     Wise and I were not in the same mess and I do not know much about him except that I was present and saw him when he got his eyes injured while we were in front of Vicksburg, Mississippi in June of 1863. It happened in this way. We were on the skirmish line and Wise had been firing his gun. When he was in the act of  loading his gun, he had tore his cartridge and emptied his powder into his gun when it exploded and burned his eyes badly. I was right along side of him and saw this whole ......
     I am unable to say how badly his eyes were injured. I knew that his eye
lashes were burned off, his eyes were red and the powder was buried in his
face. He was sent to the rear. I saw him afterwards with his eyes tied up and
he complained after that in the service.
     It has been a long time since then and I do not remember much of Wise,
but I will always remember the time his eyes were burnt. I was right there
and saw the whole thing and know that this statement as  ..  ... the thing
happened is true.
     I do not remember of his being sick, injured, or wounded at any other
time. As I have said before I did not know him very well and probably would
not of known of his eye trouble if I had not have been present at the time and
seen it.
     I do not remember of him having lame back or of him being wounded. I
can't tell you anything about that.  I knew that he had his eyes injured, as I
have told you, and that is all I know about it.
     I am not related and have no interest in his claim. My answers are
correctly recorded.
                                                                                        Richard Fowler
 
witness
Jacob C..
 Sworn to and subscribed before me this 28th day of April  1892 and I certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing
 
                                                                                       Jacob Carlies
                                                                                       Special Examiner

Taken from the Wise Family Web Site at  web.tusco.net/wisenct/
 
 

Feedback!!!!!!!!
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Mitchell Wise
335 N. College St.
Newcomerstown, Ohio 43832
or E_MAIL---mitchlwise@tusco.net

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FAMILY TRIVIA--
From Newsletter #1
Which family member was shot in the leg at the Battle of Peachtree
Creek  near Atlanta?  William Thomas Wise

From Newsletter #2
Which family member fought for the Union Army in the Civil War but
wasn't born in the United States? William Clough

#3 Which family member was died as the result of a Fourth of July
parade?
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The Wise Family Research Center

Surnames

The Mitchell L. Wise Family

mitchlwise@tusco.net

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