LYDICK & CHANCE FAMILIES
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LYDICKS IN MILITARY SERVICEAny records of a Lydick's military service will be documented on this page. Much of the information comes from pension files (from National Archives & Records Administration), especially on people who served their country prior to 1900. A pension file was created only for those soldiers (or their widows) who applied for assistance because of injuries received during service. They are good sources of information for family historians because of all the details (personal as well as military) provided in the depositions. Do you have military records to share on this page? Especially looking for letters written by or to soldiers. Email sllydick@yahoo.com
Most information taken from Ancestry.com Military Records of Civil War Soldiers. George was the son of Thomas and Hannah (Leidig) Dunlap, grandson of Joseph Leidig, Jr. Enlisted as a Private on August 22, 1862 at the age of 26, in Dubuque, Iowa. Enlisted in Company K, 32nd Infantry Regiment, Iowa on September 3, 1862. Promoted to Full Corporal 7th Class on January 23, 1863. Promoted to Full Corporal 6th Class on April 9, 1864. Died of disease on May 24, 1864 in Memphis, Tennessee. Recognized for distinguished service. His widow Elizabeth applied for a widow's pension on October 10, 1864. Application #68,222; Certificate #41,180. Those pension file papers can be requested by any interested party from the National Archives & Records Administration. George Dunlap is buried at Mississippi River National Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee in Section 1, grave number 289 (per Civil War Records for Iowa, published by Guy E. Logan, usgenweb.com Story County Civil War pages).
HIRAM CARPENTER LYDICK This information taken from The History of the State of Nebraska, The Western Historical Company, A.T. Andreas, Proprietor, 1882, and from an obituary in an unidentified Tekamah, Nebraska area newspaper. Submitted for inclusion at the website by Jeff Bush of Oakland, Nebraska. Hiram was the son of William and Eve Carpenter Lydick, grandson of Joseph Leydig, Jr. Hiram C. Lydick enlisted for nine month's service in Company B. 2nd Regiment, Nebraska Cavalry on October 24, 1862, during the American Civil War period. He served for two months more than his term of enlistment and was mustered out in September, 1863. Most of his time in the service was spent at Fort Kearney, in western Nebraska. His company was sent there to look after settlers who were struggling with Indian attacks.
He became a longtime member of the Boomer Post of the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic), an association of veterans who served with the Union during the Civil War.
JOHN BLACK LYDICK
Service record of John B. Lydick (Samuel, Joseph Jr., Jost), inferred from National Archives pension file #816705. For some time prior to his enlistment, John B. served as a recruiter for the Union Army. In a statement he gave to the pension board he responded, "I was commissioned by the Governor of West Virginia as a recruiting officer, and served in that capacity until I was mustered into the U.S. Service as Second Lieutenant of Company C, 12th West Virginia Infantry by Major B.H. Hill at Wheeling, West Virginia on August 23, 1862." He enlisted July 29, 1862, was mustered into service August 23, 1862, and discharged December 25, 1862. Starting rank: Second Lieutenant. Rank at time of discharge: Second Lieutenant. Details from his pension file tell us the following about his time in service. Once the Company was formed, the men "drilled and marched a little". About November 1, 1862 the Company received orders to march from where they were stationed in Buckhannon, West Virginia to Beverly, West Virginia over 30 miles away. About three weeks prior to the march John B. contracted diphtheria and was recovering, but thought he could make the march. He gave out on the road at the foot of Moss Mountain (he referred to it thus, although Moss Mountain is quite a way from that area) and climbed into a wagon and rode a while on a road laid with "trees split in two and the round side up". They halted about 2:00 in the afternoon and when he got out of the wagon he had to lie down on the ground, too hurt to move. Their Adj. General George Caldwell lent him his horse and John rode the remaining eight miles to Beverly to see the Surgeons stationed there. He had been ruptured ("oblique inguinal hernia on the left side") either during the march or the wagon ride. Said John, "They put a truss on me and fixed me up in a poke." Just as an aside, while in the hospital at Beverly, John got to visit with his brother Perry whose army unit was also stationed there at the time. From there he was taken by ambulance to Webster, and returned by train to his Company in New Creek, West Virginia. The Company was ordered to march, but the surgeons determined that John would "never be fit for duty". He tendered his resignation, returned home on a thirty day leave and while there received word that he was honorably discharged. He began receiving a pension on July 10, 1873 as a result of the injury he received. Additional notes: Before the government approved a soldier's pension request, they would interview (take depositions from) all sorts of friends, fellow soldiers, physicians, family members and neighbors in an attempt to determine the legitimacy of the man's claim. In the case of John Black Lydick, the overwhelming majority of deponent's statements defended him as an honest and very likeable fellow and supported his claim that his disability occurred during his army service. But there were two men who seemed rather vengeful toward him in their statements. One was John's brother Josiah, and the other was William Richmond. Both of these men left West Virginia a short time after the war and relocated to Parsons, Kansas. And that is where they were when they gave their statements to the pension board investigator. In his deposition, Josiah suggested that John B. Lydick had been ruptured since boyhood, indeed that he was "a kind of pet in the family on that account" and that he thought he could remember his mother talking about it being "someway about the bandage after birth". But, Josiah also admitted that he and John were not on friendly terms with each other (they were partners in a sawmill before the war and had some financial difficulties; John bought out Josiah's interest and their problems seemed to stem from this). William Richmond worked for John before the war and was a soldier in John's Company during the war. His deposition included the following: When their Company was formed, the men presented John with a sword (because he was their 2nd Lieutenant). When John met with his men to tell them he was leaving the service, he offered to return the sword to them since he had not seen any active service (the pension file does not indicate what happened to the sword). Richmond stated that while he didn't have any ill feeling toward John, he didn't have any "love for him. He didn't treat the boys right after he left us" (didn't explain what he meant by that). And he suggested that John used a pre-existing condition to get out of the service. It is worth pointing out that no other family members, good friends, neighbors or employees could remember John having a hernia or injury before the war. As a matter of fact it appears that he did the heaviest kind of lifting in his saw mill business, at one time getting out timber for the railroad. His brother William mentioned that he slept with John when they were boys and frequently saw him nude and never knew him to have a hernia before the war. L.C. Martin who lived near John in Rosby's Rock before the war stated that John frequently went to the creek with the (saw mill) hands where they all went swimming without their clothes (suggesting that they would have noticed if he had a hernia at that time). His brother Jesse said that he never knew John to be injured before the war and suggested that he couldn't have been, because of the type of work he did. He stated, "I am a wagon maker and blacksmith.... and I rented my shop to him at Glen Easton... and he ran it for a year. He was a blacksmith and wagon maker also and I left all my tools with him and he did all the work of the shop himself and did not hire any help." Another comment made by Jesse, "He was a small man but a strong man and did the heaviest kind of lifting about the saw mill before enlistment and I never heard him make any complaint." Mary Ann (Lydick) Harris stated, "I am a sister of John B. Lydick... and lived in the same house with him until I was married when he was about 10 years old. After John B. had grown up to be a young man and before he entered the army and before he was married, he worked a great deal off and on with my husband and made his home with us when so employed. I also nursed him through an attack of the measles about 1854 and about two years before he was married and I never knew or heard of him suffering from any physical defect until he was discharged from the army." She further stated, "before enlistment my brother John B. Lydick was able to do all kinds of hard work and did a great deal of chipping and clearing on my husband's farm and I never knew him to complain of being unable to lift or handle logs or to do anything belonging to such labor before he was in the army."
JOSIAH LYDICK
from the West Virginia Militia Database, West Virginia State Archives: Josiah Lydick of Marshall County, WV enrolled in the Marshall Guards 134 Militia. Commissioned Second Lieutenant on August 21, 1862 to rank from August 18, 1862. Oath of office dated September 27, 1862. (Record ID: 12217).
OLIVER H. PERRY LYDICK ("PERRY") Oliver H. Perry Lydick (Samuel, Joseph Jr., Jost) had just turned seventeen years old when he enlisted in Company I, 3rd Regiment Virginia Infantry on July 1, 1861. "The Third Virginia Infantry was a Union regiment that later became the Third West Virginia Infantry, then the Third West Virginia Infantry Mounted, and finally the Sixth West Virginia Veterans' Volunteer Cavalry."*
His pension file #XC2672497 provides the following information: He was present on the rolls from July, 1861 until December 31, 1863 (Service during this period consisted mostly of protecting the West Virginia border counties from rebel skirmishes). Absent on veteran's furlough in January and February, 1864. Re-enlisted January 28 (or 30), 1864 in Company "C", 6th West Virginia Veterans' Volunteer Cavalry. In March, 1864 he was absent with leave. The rolls for May and June, 1864 show him absent, under arrest (tried by court martial and acquitted). Present on the rolls in July, August, September and October, 1864. Present in November, 1864.
On November 28, 1864 near New Creek, W.Va., Perry and a few others escaped capture by some Confederate soldiers by swimming a river and hiding out overnight, in the mountains. He incurred a severe cold from exposure to the elements, resulting in permanent damage to his ears, eyes and back. Here is an account of his capture and escape, from his letter dated October 10, 1887 to General Black's Commission (the pension board). No corrections have been made to the original letter. It is interesting to note how he refused to be treated at a hospital... something he considered scarier than any enemy.
"Dear Sir, I was in my camp at New Creek, W. Va. on about the 28 day of Nov., 1864, the morning the Reble General Rossau and his men raided our camp. I was capturd or surounded with the rest of our regment that was in camp at the time. I and a number of other of our regment and other got away from the rebles and I got soaking wet crossing the river and swimming it and I and another comrade layed in or on the mountain Back of Piedmont, West Va. that night we nearly froze to death and I took a severe cold it settled in my head and back. I lost the hearing intirely in one ear and my eyes has been failing every since, getting worse all the time. I have been crippled up with the rheumatism in my back (?) since so bad I can hardly get around at the cold and wet season I am not able to be about at all. I never had a hospital record. I did not fear the Rebles, but I did the hospital. The next morning after we got away from the Rebles several of us met in Piedmont and we all went home and stayed 5 or 6 days untill we herd the balance of our command was back at New Creek. I amediately went and reported to my company and was put under arrest and sent to Cumberland, Md. that was done for spite, (?) and cusedness for it never amounted to a thing all for making an officer dismount in the mud at night and obey orders, for well you no what a sentinal orders are. Capt. Cantner of Co. F. and H.H. Armstrong and Wm. H. Brown of Co. E 8 West Va. Cav. was with me but I can't find them. I have advertised for them don't no if they are living or not. I will send you all the evidence it is posible for me to find at present. I am badly in need of help, have a large family to support and not able to work to do it. This is as near the facts in the case as I can give at this time. Signed, O.H.P. Lydick, Co. C 6 West Va. Cav., Glen Easton, Marshall Co., West Va."
B.C. Davis, one of Perry's comrades who also escaped capture by the Rebels gave additional details of that episode, here described by a pension examiner: "...on or about the 27th day of November A.D. 1864, a portion of General Averill's Brigade, that were mounted, went on an expedition towards Petersburg, W.V. and all the disabled and dismounted men were left in camp at New Creek, among those remaining were this affiant and the claimant O.H.P. Lydick, because their horses were not fit or able to go on the expedition. The claimant O.H.P. Lydick was not under arrest at that time, on the morning of the 28th day of November 1864. The Rebels came in on us and this affiant and the claimant, O.H.P. Lydick, made their escape, and on the morning of the 29th day of November A.D. 1864, this affiant met the claimant O.H.P. Lydick near Piedmont, W.V. They then went to Piedmont and traveled the National Pike, together until we got home to Cameron, W.V. on or about the first day of December 1864. As soon after that as we found out that the Post was re-established at New Creek, this affiant and claimant O.H.P. Lydick went back to report to their command for duty. The claimant reported to his Company or started to do so, about a week before this affiant. When this affiant got to New Creek, he reported to his Company and was arrested and put in the guardhouse, where he also found O.H.P. Lydick. This occurred on or about Dec. 21st 1864. Through the influence of Lt. Davis of Co. B, 6th Reg. Cav. W.V. Vols. who had command of our company at that time, Lt. Davis did not like this affiant nor the claimant and put us in the guardhouse for spite. Out of thirty who had wandered away from their command we were the only soldiers put in the guardhouse for the offence, if it can be called one. The claimant had contracted a severe cold, and complained about his head hurting him a great deal, and the surgeon gave the claimant a plaster to put on his head, which caused delirium for several days. The cold had settled in his eyes and together with the effect of the plaster, I think, injured his eyesight."
He stayed, in arrest, in Cumberland, MD until April 30, 1865. May and June, 1865 he was absent without leave. July and August, 1865... absent, deserted. On subsequent rolls until February, 1866 his name was "not borne". Mustered out of Company, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas May 22, 1865. Reports show he deserted while enroute to Kansas from Washington, D.C. June 21, 1865. His army service was terminated with a dishonorable discharge. Amended to an honorable discharge on August 4, 1886 after charges were reviewed and dropped.
Additional injury received during service: Buckshot wound in proximity to left knee, resulting in a stiff-legged gait.
Pension approved in 1890 (took seven years to approve).
*from the Civil War page of Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants at www.rootsweb.com/~hcpd/3rdinf/3rdinf.htm
SAMUEL LYDICK
from the West Virginia Militia Database, West Virginia State Archives: Samuel Lydick of Marshall County, WV enrolled at Glen Easton in the Marshall Guards 134 Militia on April 27, 1863. Roll Dated: May 4, 1863. Rank: Private. Company: Capt. F. Harris "A" Co. (Record ID: 12397).
SAMUEL LYDICK
Samuel Lydick (Samuel, Joseph Jr., Jost) volunteered for service in the Civil War and later became eligible for a pension as a result of injuries received during active duty. The information provided here has been extracted from his pension file #WC327-077.
He first enlisted, age 20, in April, 1861 at Cameron, Virginia (now West Virginia) in Company H, 1st Reg. West Virginia Volunteers Infantry for three months service. He was on special duty and "away from the surgeon" during this detachment.
Then enlisted as a private in Company D, 1st Regiment, West Virginia Volunteer Infantry on March 23, 1864 at Wheeling, West Virginia. At this time he was 23 years old and married for two years. They formed the regiment at Webster, WV, then went to Grafton, and then to Martinsburg. From there they went to Winchester, then Mt. Jackson, then New Market where they "got whipped" and drove back again to Cedar Creek in May, 1864. They marched to Piedmont (referred to as being both in Virginia and West Virginia) and had a battle, about the 5th of June. It was there that Samuel got wounded.
"We went into battle there and I was struck with a piece of shell on the left side near the fourth rib. I was taken back to an old barn, I do not know the man who took me back, he did not belong to our Regiment. He saw me sitting by a tree and asked me was I hurt. I told him I was, and he helped me back. The next morning I was taken in ambulance from there to Stanton, Virginia. I stayed in the rebel hospital the next night, the next morning we were taken back to the regiment, where I was treated by Drs. Bagley and English for my wound. It had swollen up to a great lump. The command laid there five or six days." (During the Battle of Piedmont nine men were wounded and two were killed from Company D. A day after the battle they were about 18 miles east of Stanton, Virginia. Samuel was not with the Company during this time; he was with the wagon trains or ambulance) "Then I was taken in an ambulance along with the command, I think I got my gun back on July 18, 1864. I carried my gun then until about August 1, 1864. I then took the intermittent fever (malaria or undulant fever) and was at the hospital for several days and I was sent from there to Baltimore to Jarvis G. Hospital." (He was treated at his regiment between June 5th and July 28th, 1864 for wound of left side, fever and diarrhea. Entered field hospital at Sandy Hook, Maryland on July 29th, and entered Jarvis Hospital on July 30th because of debility). " I was there about two weeks and got well enough to join my Company, they then put me on detached duty, this was in August '64 and remained there until 1865, the 9th of July when I was discharged (at Baltimore, honorable discharge). I was treated in the hospital by a doctor by the name of Studifer or some such name. When I came home I went to Glen Easton... I went to farming." He arrived home about July 12, 1865.
He did go home once on furlough during his second enlistment. It was right after his injury (he was still bruised), and he was sick at the time.
The shell fragment that hit Samuel was said to be a blunt instrument, but must have hit him with enough impact to damage the pleura (membrane surrounding the lungs and important for respiration.) This injury continued to plague him throughout his life with recurring hemorrhages and pain. He kept farming after the war, but had to take care because overexertion would cause bleeding and pain at the site of injury. His pension was approved in 1886. His death, on May 2, 1890 was said to be due to "disease of the lungs".
WILLIAM LYDICK
from the West Virginia Militia Database, West Virginia State Archives: William Lydick of Marshall County, WV was enrolled July 23, 1863/April27, 1863 at Glen Easton, WV into Marshall Guard attached to 6 Militia, 134 Militia. Roll Dated: May 4, 1863. Rank: Private. Company: Capt. F. Harris "A" Company. (record ID: 12398) |