John F. Johnson enrolled as a Private in Captain James C. Campbell's Company I (Mountain Marksmen), Virginia Volunteers, age 29 years, on June 18, 1861 at Washington County. He mustered into service July 3, 1861 at Abingdon.
The Regimental Return of October 1861 records him as "Sick in hospital" as of October 31.
On a register of C. S. A. General Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia
Complaint Rheumatism, admitted Jan 2, 1862. Returned to duty March 10, 1862
The Regimental Return of February 1862 records him as "Absent without leave"
Listed POW 6/8/1862 Cross Keys, VA
On a list of Confederate prisoners paroled at Winchester, Va., June 1862, "Age 29; height: feet 5 inches 7"
On a Roll of prisoners on board Steamer Coatzacoalcos, not dated, taken prisoner June 8, 1862 at Cross Keys
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Says his grandson in a letter a century later:
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John Frank Johnson (of Walter) married Julia Ellington, prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Their children: Robert and James Nathaniel. After the war he decided to join a wagon train and move his family to the West. Upon reaching the State of Illinois they turned back for Virginia, where they separated.
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Interestingly, there’s no mention anywhere of John Frank Johnson in any Confederate records after his trip to Aiken’s Landing on the Coatzacoalcos.
Afterward, John Frank settled in Welch WV, just across the border from his family, and married a young woman more than two decades younger, Marinda Compton, with whom he had at least six more children. After John Frank’s death, the following was written of him in the History of West Virginia, Old and New, by James Morton Callahan, published in 1923:
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As a soldier of the Union in the Civil war he took part in many engagements, was captured by the enemy on more than one occasion and was to have been shot, but contrived to make his escape.
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So, here we have evidence that he was known among his WV friends and neighbors as a Union veteran.
I wonder if John Frank didn't join an Illinois regiment, then after the war, relocate to Illinois with his fellow soldiers. Soon after, he might have returned to retrieve his family and convinced them to join him in Illinois, but wife Julia had second thoughts and turned back. Perhaps John Frank then relocated in Yankee territory as close to his family as possible, which would have been McDowell county.
There’s 64 John F. Johnsons listed at http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm from all Union staes, 9 from Illinois (and none from West Virginia).
I admit: this is a long shot. But I know of no other place to look for his military records (if they exist) after August 1862. Do any visitors to this bulletin board know of a way to check the records of these Illinois John F. Johnsons (without paying $50 each to some research service)?