52 Ancestors 2025: Military

 

I’ve already touched on some of my family’s military experience this year. There was the ordeal Benjamin McWilliams underwent as a prisoner of war during the Civil War, and the unusual prisoner/adoption story of Christian Fast during the American Revolution. We also explored the militia service of the Cossarts, also during the Revolutionary War.

This time, I want to focus on two more soldiers who rose to defend the Union during the Civil War: David Cossairt (Cassatt), my great-grandfather, and Anthony Gilmartin, my 2nd great-grandfather. Unlike Pvt. McWilliams, they did not leave behind personal memoirs of their time in service; however, through service records, unit histories, and pension files, we can get a feel for what their experiences were like. This is where libraries, archives, and online resources came in for me.

Both men served in the Western Theater, in battles that may not have reached the fame of Gettysburg but were crucial to the Union victory.

My first experience using ChatGPT last year involved piecing their stories together. I had copies of their service and pension records from the National Archives, collected back in the last century. By scanning these handwritten documents, I was able to generate digital transcripts, filling in words that had been misread or were previously unclear. I then entered the service details, including dates and locations, and let AI assemble a narrative. Perhaps influenced by the dramatic accounts of wartime disability, the resulting stories were a bit flowery, yet they gave new life to these old records. I also used ChatGPT to identify and verify online references to supplement the story.

David Cossairt

We’ve already met David, but here is his military story:

On May 9, 1864, at the age of 20, David volunteered for the 146th Ohio National Guard Regiment, Company G. This unit, comprised primarily of men from his community, was mustered into service during a critical phase of the war. The 146th was part of the Hundred Days Men—a strategy employed by the Union to bolster forces for a crucial summer campaign. David and his comrades were assigned to guard duty and logistical support in Fayetteville, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Though not on the front lines, their role was essential in maintaining the Union’s strategic foothold and ensuring that frontline soldiers had the support they needed.

After serving with the 146th, David’s unwavering commitment to the Union cause led him to re-enlist with the 183rd Ohio Infantry Regiment on September 26, 1864. This newly formed regiment was quickly thrust into the heart of the conflict, joining the Army of the Cumberland under Major General George H. Thomas. The 183rd played a significant role in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign—a series of battles that proved decisive in the Western Theater.

One of the most notable engagements David participated in was the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. This brutal confrontation saw Union forces repelling repeated assaults by Confederate troops under General John Bell Hood. The 183rd held their ground with remarkable tenacity, contributing to the devastating losses suffered by the Confederate Army.

Following the victory at Franklin, David and the 183rd marched to Nashville, where they once again faced Hood’s Army in the Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864). The Union’s decisive counteroffensive shattered the Confederate Army of Tennessee. The 183rd was crucial to this triumph, further cementing their place in Union military history.

As the war drew to a close, David fell ill. On April 10, 1865, he was admitted to the U.S.A. General Hospital in Troy, New York. The final months of his service were spent in recovery, far from the battlefields. He was discharged on May 18, 1865, and his military career officially ended on May 27, 1865.

Born on January 23, 1844, in Warren County, Ohio, David’s story is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought to preserve the Union and end the scourge of slavery in America.

Anthony Gilmartin

Anthony Gilmartin also served in the Western Theater, although he spent a considerable portion of his service on the disability list. Here is a summary of his story:

Anthony Gilmartin was born on January 10, 1840, in Cook County, Illinois, and died on January 7, 1918, in Hannon, Barton County, Missouri. He spent much of his early life in Illinois and was living in Pleasant Plains, Sangamon County when he enlisted in the Union Army.

Gilmartin enlisted at age 21 in Company A, 32nd Illinois Infantry Regiment—a volunteer unit raised in central Illinois. He was mustered into service on August 29, 1861, though one affidavit later stated he held the rank of corporal at some point. His early service was marked by hardship. While stationed at Camp Butler in November 1861, he was stricken with a severe case of rheumatism, which became so serious he was sent home.

Despite this, Gilmartin returned to duty in late December 1861 and participated in major campaigns across the Western Theater. He served at Cairo, Illinois, and then moved with Union forces to Fort Henry and Pittsburg Landing (Shiloh), participating in some of the roughest fighting of the war.

In June and July 1862, while stationed at Grand Junction, Tennessee, his health again declined—this time due to a severe eye condition later diagnosed as amaurosis, a disease causing partial or complete blindness.

On January 2, 1864, Gilmartin reenlisted as a Veteran Volunteer at Natchez, Mississippi, and was mustered in at Vicksburg on February 2, 1864. But cold, wet conditions during that winter severely worsened his eye problems. He was eventually discharged for disability on September 12, 1864, at Camp Butler. Though official documents first noted that he was discharged for reenlistment, later records clarified that his final discharge was due to near-total blindness resulting from disease and exposure during service.

In reading these records, I was struck by the ill health suffered by my Western ancestors. One possible explanation is that many of those living “out west” were from rural farms, not crowded city centers, and may not have developed resistance to common infectious diseases of the time. Once placed in crowded military camps, where sanitation was poor and exposure was constant, their immune systems were quickly overwhelmed. Add to that the harsh weather, poor nutrition, and stress of battle, and it’s easy to understand how even the strong fell ill.