John Varner was born on July 6th 1836 in Fayette Township Juniata County. John is my third Great Granduncle. And since today is his birthday and he is the ember that sparked my project I wanted to tell his story today.
In December of 1863 John was living in Cocalamus Pennsylvania outside of McCallisterville with his Wife Elizabeth and three children, Barbara (5), William (2) and Levi (2 months) when he recieved his draft notice.
From Cocalamus he travelled to Harrisburg where he was mustered in an attached to the 49th Pennsylvania Infantry "New" Company G
The 49th was much decimated from the battles they had been in over the first few years of the Civil War. By December of 1863 its numbers were so low that they had to consolidate their companies, giving them the moniker of "New" (ie New Company G etc)
On December 31st 1863 on a rainy, cold and muddy day, John and 55 other recruits arrived at the 49ths camp at Brandy Station Virginia. He would spend the next few months learning how to be a soldier, building winter quarters and enduring the snowy, rainy cold weather of upper Virginia winter.
In March of 1864 General Grant took over the Union Army and set forth on the 1864 campaign (The Overland Campaign) and the 49th was sent South on the quest to attack the Confederate Capitol of Richmond and end the war.
On May 4th the men crossed the Germania ford on a pontoon bridge and entered the area known as the "Wilderness". This area was logged heavily for nearby Iron production leaving a labyrinth of gnarled trees, thick underbrush, and shadowed ravines near Locust Grove, about 20 miles west of Fredericksburg.
On May 5th as they continued south ont he plank road they heard firing in the distance. They turned right and faced the green wall of dense underbrush, on the order they moved in.
(from the Regimental History of the 49th)
"Thursday, May 5, '1864. — We resumed our march on the plank road this morning, and Company C was deployed as flankers. Soon our skirmishers came in contact with the enemy, and about 9 A. M. the flankers were withdrawn and joined the regiment. We advanced about one mile through the forest in line of battle, or most of this time it was a charge. We drove the rebels in our front like a lot of sheep. On account of the woods and underbrush the four old companies and colors of our regiment was cut loose from our new companies, and are still going ahead. Colonel Hulings rode out and ordered us back. We must get reformed. Some of Company B starts to run down on an old road to the left. After running about 50 yards we capture a rebel Major and his horse. We came on him very unexpectedly, and in an instant the bayonets of the guns of William Blatt, Billy White, John Ginethan and R. S. Westbrook were not a foot from his head. It is a wonder that one of us did not shoot. The major threw up his left hand and surrendered. Ed. Miller and Peter McGonigal, of Company B, join us; they are wounded. They take charge of the major and his horse, and go back fast as they can. We now run back up the road about fifty yards, and with some others form. Now the 119th Pennsylvania Volunteers are coming up, and they fire into us. We drop to the ground, and are very angry. We say some bad words and fire a few shots at them and hollow that they are firing into the Forty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers. Soon we get straightened out arid move back to the new companies and form. While going back we find James McCord, of Company B. He is standing up, holding his entrails in; a ball has cut him across the stomach. Our loss in the regiment is about thirty-four killed and wounded. We remained in the line during the night and had several more wounded."
They enguaged for a few days in the Wilderness then pulled out and moved South. For the next few months they would be enguaged in battle almost every day.
On May 9th they arrived at Spottsylvania Courthouse. It began to rain turning the area into a muddy mess. The Confederates had dug in pretty heavily creating well emplaced fortifications.
On May 10th Colonel Emory Upton led an attack with 12 hand-picked regiments (including the 49th). After 30 minutes of bombardment the regiments would rush across 200 yards of open ground and attack the Conffederate works.
(from the Regimental History of the 49th)
"We are laying low, and not a word is spoken above a whisper in our ranks. We see the duty we are expected to perform, and orders are quietly passed along the line in a whisper. Soon as the order is given every man is to move forward on the charge, hollow and take the works. We are ready, and when we got the order, "Forward, charge!" every man in the twelve regiments is on his feet. Up we go, and no rebel army could have stopped us, and in less than ten minutes we have their works, artillery and about 1,000 prisoners. We have taken everything in our immediate front, but we had a hand to hand fight. No time now to load our pieces, and many of our boys are using bayonets, butts of guns and fists — anything to ,get the rebels back out of our way. Color Corporal Riden hit a big rebel with his fist because he forgot to drop his gun, and five minutes later the former was wounded. Color Corporal T. H. McFarland was wounded in the arm, and the boys told him to get back, but he said, "No, damned if I do," and over the works he goes. Lieutenant Howell is in a tight place, three rebels being at him. He cuts one over the head with his cavalry saber, he knocks the second over with his left hand, and Miles Wakefield put the bayonet into the third just in time to save the lieutenant, as the rebel's bayonet was within one foot of the lieutenant's stomach.
Lieutenant G. E. Hackenberg, of Company I, grabs a stand of rebel colors from a big rebel, tears them from the staff and sticks them in his bosom. Bob Davison, on the left of the regiment, runs in the advance and captures a piece of artillery. All the rebels had left it but a boy, who sat on the gun until Davison laid hold of it and made him get down. On account of his grit Davison would not shoot him, but sent him to the rear. We are now to the second line of the works, or near it. It has taken several minutes to get the rebels out of our way. Here a rebel lieutenant, after passing to the rear, orders his men to pick up the guns that our dead and wounded have left on the field and fire on us from the rear. Sergeant Sam Steiner, of Company F, now a resident of Gallitzin, Pa., hears this order, and quick as lightning he puts a ball into the rebel's back, who threw his' hands up and dropped to the ground. This stopped the picking up of guns. God only knows what they would have done had Steiner not acted promptly. Some of our boys have reached the third line of works, and about twenty-five of us runs to the right about sixty yards for three pieces of artillery that have been giving us grape and cannister."
The battle over the next few days would be a back and forth wet slog of hand to hand combat
The 49th would continue to fight on, through the battles at Anna River, Cold Harbor and finally in the outer limits of the Dimmock line at Petersburg.
Hearing that Jubal Early was on his way to attack Washington, regiments, including the 49th were sent north to reinforce Washington.
On July 10th the 49th left the trenchworks at Petersburg and headed to City Point where they boarded a ship and headed north.
After three months of almost daily constant fighting the men were grateful for a reprieve. All were battered and beaten and exausted.
When they reached Washington a good number of them (including John) were sent to the Hospital.
On Friday July 15th 1864 while at camp at Poolville Maryland Troutman Burkhammer of the 67th New York was hung for desertion and acting as a spy. His body was left to hang in camp for most of the day and evening. After this act some of the men had enough...
The next day at roll call a few of the men including John deserted.
I cant imagine what it was like to fight in some of the most horrific battles of the Civil War. With what we know of PTSD today you have to imagine the physical and mental toll fights like had on these men.
John probably was never the same as he returned to his wife and young family in Juniata County. Not only did he have to live with the horrors that he witnessed and no doubt committed but now he also had to live with the stigma of being a "deserter"
It is this story that inspired me to create this project. Stories like Johns should not be forgotten. Men like John should not be forgotten. All around the commonwealth stories like this are hidden underneath the silent stones of these soldiers final resting place.
I hope that through this project the stories of these brave men who fought to keep our nation whole is not forgotten.
You can find the route John took while in service on the map page of this site
