Civil War Finds

Notes on recent discoveries on the area history of the war period hereabouts

Medal of Honor

In the Town of Bethel, N.Y. some time before 1845 there was born a man who later was to win the Medal of Honor in the Civil War.

John Simmons of the 2nd Regiment of New York Heavy Artillery gave his age as 28 years old when he enlisted Sept. 5, 1862 at Hancock, N.Y.

He said he was a lumberman. At Elmira. N.Y. he was given $25.00 bounty for enlisting plus a premium of $4.00 for the trip he made by walking from Hancock to Elmira to join his regiment. On the rolls he had aged 10 years. By the next report on the rolls of the regiment his age was given as 38 years old. On April 6, 1865 at Sayler's Creek he was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for the caputure of a Confederate flag.

His records in Washington, D.C. in the National Archives are over two inches thick. One of the biggest ones I have ever seen.

After his discharge in New York City on October 8, 1865 he moved to Hancock and married Ann M. Post and applied for a pension.

On his application he said he was 60 years old and was wounded at Petersburg on the 8th of October, 1864. His middle finger on his right hand was shot off. He also said he had chronic diarrhea from eating nothing but apples and corn for two years. He further says that at Fort Morton, Va., a tornado blew down the hut he was in and the house landed on.his right shoulder. Also he was ordered to sit under a cannon in May 1864 at Cold Harbor and the stupid gunners fired it and after that he couldn't hear. Well after all these problems the government gave him a pension of $2.00 a month.

He died January 9, 1891 and his death certificate gives his age as 72. I wonder if they ever figured out what his age was.