"Failing to catch Jeff Davis, Captain J.W. Hamilton, 88, 2540 Summit Street., captured General Joseph Wheeler and his staff instead, and helped end the war with an adventure that kept him in the saddle almost constantly for 78 days.

In 1861 Hamilton enlisted in Company K 60th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. When he later reenlisted in Company L 12th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (Note: that should have read 12th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and his name was listed as John W. Hamilton) he was promoted from orderly sergeant to lieutenant and then to captain. In all he served through 48 engagements and skirmishes without a scratch and without taking a single furlough. He gave his chances for furloughs to men with families.

Captain Hamilton was at Athens, Georgia, when General Johnston surrendered as the war dragged on toward its end. (Note: General Johnston surrendered to General Sherman on April 26, 1865) General Wheeler had refused to give up although further resistance was hopeless.

From Athens he was ordered to take his company to Social Center, Georgia, on a mysterious service which involed patrolling all the roads and villages in the vicinity. He soon learned, however, that he had been sent to watch for Jeff Davis. (Note: it is believed that he was sent to Social Circle, in Walton County, Georgia)

After one of his patrols had a brush with a party of Confederate Cavalry Captain Hamilton set out in pursuit with eight men. He followed them from early in the morning until near midnight, catching occasional glimpses of these men. Then he suddenly ran into them in the dark and list his horse when they fired a volley. After this encounter the trail was lost.

Picking up the trail again in the morning, Captain Hamilton and his men followed the Confederates through swamps and across rivers until they finally were cornered in a swamp and forced to surrender. Then he saw that these Confederates seemed to be high officers but he was unable to gain any information from them.

Later he found that he had captured the famous General Joseph Wheeler and his entire staff. General Wheeler was taken to Covington, Georgia, whre he bid an affecting farewell to his men and told them to return to their homes and be good citizens as the war was over.

Several years later when General Wheeler was a Congressman from Alabama, Captain Hamilton wrote to him and received a long and friendly reply which he treasured for many years. "

OSJ May 4, 1928 3/4

It should be stated that these bio's are stories of the Union Soldiers and may or may not be historically accurate. More than 50 years had passed since the War and some of their memories may have been at fault or misunderstood by the reporter.