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ORIGINAL CIVIL WAR DIARY –
INCLUDES THE NOTIFICATION OF THE OF DEATH OF PRESIDENT
ABRAHAM LINCOLN ON THE MORNING FOLLOWING THE
ASSASSINATION:
Periodically a special
piece comes to light, that while not available on the
market, is of interest to many in the collecting world
and through the generosity of the family can be shared
here.
A friend of our family recently shared the contents of
one of the diaries kept by his great-grandfather through
his service during the Civil War. Of particular note is
the entry on Saturday, the 15TH of April,
1865, wherein Lt. John B. Jones of the 44TH
Wisconsin Infantry wrote:
“Received the awful news today that our beloved
President and Servant
was assassinated by Booth
and others in the rebel employ.”
John Butler Jones, a native of Lewis County, New York
was born in 1836. As a young adult he visited
Washington County, Wisconsin for a short period
returning to New York in 1860, and then in 1861 he
returned to Wisconsin to enlist as a private in the 12TH
Wisconsin Infantry.
Attaining the rank of sergeant, Jones was mustered out
of the 12Th and commissioned as a 2ND
Lieutenant in the 44Th Wisconsin Infantry.
According to his diary entries, he was serving with the
44TH on picket duty around
Paducah, Kentucky
in April of 1865. Upon
mustering out at the end of the war, Jones was appointed
as the United States Consul to the city of Hamilton,
Canada. He went on to private endeavors that included
farming and book keeping, eventually settling in New
Jersey with his wife and family. After a full life that
included government service and elected office, Jones
passed away in 1921.
Lt. Jones left behind an extensive record of his Civil
War service, documented in a series of diaries – three
of which are held by the family today for the years
1862, 1863, and 1865. These diaries, his original
commission as Lieutenant, his Model 1850 Foot Officers
Sword, and a Colt pistol owned by Lt. Jones have
remained together in the family collection. Shown below
is a photograph of the diary pages which contain the
entries for April 14 and 15, 1865.
While we all endeavor to build collections of weapons,
uniforms, images and documents of the various periods of
history, it is very special to find family collections
that have remained intact and have been passed down
through the generations and appreciated for the history
they represent.
A special thank you is extended to the family for
allowing us to share this diary entry with you.
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