"Using the name John Highstreet, he enlisted in the 2nd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery, on August 14, 1861, and served in the great Civil War fought in the United States 1861 – 1865. John was wounded, his artillery piece over-run by Rebel forces, and was taken prisoner on April 18, 1864 at the battle of Poison Springs, near Camden, Arkansas. From that time until the end of the Civil War he was not known to be alive and Louisa was considered a widow.
"After being wounded at Poison Springs he was captured and taken to the Camden, Arkansas hospital by southern soldiers were he sent six months recovering from a gunshot to his left shoulder. This wound would never completely heal and John would have no use of the left arm and hand for the remainder of his life. From the Camden hospital he was moved to Shreveport, Louisiana and then to a prison near Tyler, Texas. While in prison John contracted chronic diarrhea, malarial, and rheumatism, most of which was brought on by food poisoning and bad water.
"After spending 13 months as a prisoner of war, John was paroled at the end of the Civil War from the Rebel prison on May 16th 1865. John was sent to New Orleans, Louisiana where he obtained transportation north to Indianapolis. Image Louisa’s happiness when she first saw John. John was discharged from the Union Army on July 7th, 1865. From this date until his death he would spend considerable effort getting a disability pension and getting it increased as his health further deteriorated. In 1875 a surgeon’s report listed John’s physical attributes as 6 feet, 155 pounds, and fair complexion.
"John died in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 6, 1900 of meningitis believed to have been the result of his Civil War wound."
I trust this will help to clear up some facts concerning John Highstreet. ...Cliff