1.
Valentine Sweeney
Regiment Name 29th Wisconsin Infantry
Side Union
Company F&S
Soldier's Rank_In Adj't.
Soldier's Rank_Out Adj't.
Film Number M559 roll 29
Name: Valentine Sweeney
Side: Union
Regiment State/Origin: Wisconsin
Regiment Name: 29 Wisconsin Infantry
Regiment Name Expanded: 29th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry
Company: F&S
Rank In: Adj't.
Rank In Expanded: Adjutant
Rank Out: Adj't.
Rank Out Expanded: Adjutant
Film Number: M559 roll 29

Thomas P. Major
Regiment Name 29th Wisconsin Infantry.
Side Union
Company D
Soldier's Rank_In Pvt.
Soldier's Rank_Out Pvt.
Film Number M559 roll 18
Name: Thomas P. Major
Side: Union
Regiment State/Origin: Wisconsin
Regiment Name: 29 Wisconsin Infantry.
Regiment Name Expanded: 29th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry
Company: D
Rank In: Private
Rank In Expanded: Private
Rank Out: Private
Rank Out Expanded: Private
Film Number: M559 roll 18

29th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry

Organized at Madison, Wis., and mustered in September 27, 1862. Moved to Cairo, Ill., thence to Helena, Ark., November 2-7, 1862. Attached to 3rd Brigade, 12th Division, District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. of the Tennessee, to January, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 12th Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to February, 1863. 1st Brigade, 12th Division, 13th Army Corps, to July, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 13th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to August, 1863, and Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1864. District of LaFourche, Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, Reserve Corps, Military Division West Mississippi, to February, 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Reserve Corps, Military Division West Mississippi, February, 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps (New), Military Division West Mississippi, to June, 1865.

SERVICE.-Expedition from Helena, Ark., to Arkansas Post, November 16-21, 1862. Duty opposite Helena till December 23. Action at Helena December 5. Moved to Helena December 23, thence to Friar's Point, and duty there till January 7, 1863. Expedition up White River to Devall's Bluff January 11-23. At Helena till April 10. Ordered to Milliken's Bend, La., April 10. Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25-30. Battle of Port Gibson , May 1 (Reserve). Battle of Champion Hill, May 16. Siege of Vicksburg , Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Ordered to New Orleans, La., August 6, thence to Brashear City September 15, and duty there till October 2. Western Louisiana Campaign October 3-November 30. Carrion Crow Bayou November 3. At New Iberia till December 19. March to Berwick December 19-21, thence to Algiers December 22-25. Moved to Pass Cavallo, Texas, January 5-12, 1864. Duty at DeCrow's Point till February 20. Moved to New Orleans February 20-23, and duty at Algiers till March 5. Red River Campaign March 10-May 22. Advance from Franklin to Alexandria March 14-26. Battle of Sabine Cross Roads , April 8. Monett's Ferry, Cane River Crossing, April 23. At Alexandria April 26-May 13. Construction of dam at Alexandria April 30-May 10. Graham's Plantation May 5. Retreat to Morganza May 13-20. Duty at Morganza till June 13. Expedition to the Atchafalaya May 30-June 6. Moved to Carrollton June 13, thence to Kennersville June 21, and to Thibodeaux June 26, and duty there till July 9. Moved to Algiers July 9, and to Morganza July 26. Morgan's Ferry Road and Atchafalaya River July 28. Moved to Port Hudson August 23. Expedition to Clinton August 23-29. Moved to Morganza August 29, thence to St. Charles, Ark., September 3-11, and duty there till October 23. Expedition to Devall's Bluff October 23-November 12. Moved to Little Rock, Ark., November 12, thence to Memphis, Tenn., November 25, and duty there till January, 1865. Expedition to Moscow to assist Gen. Grierson December 21-31. Ordered to New Orleans, La., January 1, 1865, thence to Kennersville Station, and duty there till February 5. Moved to Dauphin Island near Mobile, Ala., February 5. Campaign against Mobile and its defences March 17-April 12. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26-April 8. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely , April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12 to May 26. Moved to New Orleans, La. thence to Shreveport May 26-June 8, and duty there till June 22. Mustered out June 22, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 1 Officer and 76 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 242 Enlisted men by disease. Total 322.

Thomas Major
Regiment Name 16th Indpt. Batt'y Ohio L. Art'y.
Side Union
Company
Soldier's Rank_In Pvt
Soldier's Rank_Out Pvt
Film Number M552 roll 66
Name: Thomas Major ,
Enlistment Date: 14 Aug 1862
Side Served: Union
State Served: Ohio
Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 14 August 1862.
Enlisted in 16th Light Artillery Regiment Ohio on 14 Aug 1862.
Died of disease 16th Light Artillery Regiment Ohio on 10 Feb 1864 at New Orleans, LA.
UNION OHIO VOLUNTEERS

16th Independent Battery, Ohio Light Artillery

Organized at Springfield, Ohio, August 20, 1861; the 3rd Battery organized in Ohio. Ordered to St. Louis, Mo., September 5. Mustered in September 6, 1861. Moved from St. Louis to Jefferson City, Mo., October 13, and duty there till February 14, 1862. Moved to St. Louis, Mo., thence to Pilot Knob, Mo., March 6. Attached to 1st Division, District of Southeast Missouri, Dept. of Missouri, to May, 1862. Artillery, 1st Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, to July, 1862. District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. of Missouri, to January, 1863. Artillery, 12th Division, 13th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to July, 1863. Artillery, 3rd Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee, to August, 1863, and Dept. of the Gulf to January, 1864. Artillery, 1st Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1864. Defences of New Orleans, La., Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1864. Artillery Reserve, Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1865.

SERVICE.-March to Doniphan March 21-31, 1862. Action at Pitman's Ferry April 1. Moved to Pocahontas, Ark., April 5-11; thence to Jacksonport May 3. To Batesville May 14, thence march to Augusta, Ark., June 20-July 4. March to Clarendon, thence to Helena, Ark., July 5-14. Duty at Helena and at Old Town Landing till April, 1863. Ordered to Milliken's Bend, La., April 8. Movement on Bruinsburg and turning Grand Gulf April 25-30. Battle of Port Gibson May 1. Fourteen-Mile Creek May 12-13. Battle of Champion's Hill May 16. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 5-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Ordered to New Orleans, La., August 21, and duty there till September 20. Moved to Berwick Bay and duty there till December 27. Ordered to New Orleans, thence to Texas January 1, 1864. Duty at Matagardo Peninsula, Indianola, Powder Horn and Matagorda Island till June, 1864. Ordered to New Orleans, La., and garrison duty there till July 13, 1865. Ordered home July 13, and mustered out at Camp Chase, Ohio, August 2, 1865.

Battery lost during service 1 Officer and 1 Enlisted man killed and 45 Enlisted men by disease. Total 47.

2. No answer, although it should not have been that hard for him to find out via other union units he would travel near to, along his way back. They had been at Helena, Arkansas when he left on April 2, 1863. He would have been told that they were at Port Gibson [as was the 16th Ohio Lt Arty] and could have hooked up with either one on the way to Vicksburg.

3. The only answer that makes sense to me is that someone in the 16th Ohio Lt Arty knew that Thomas was a blacksmith and that they needed one - hence the note to General Grant requesting him. Since both units were at Champion's Hill on May 16, 1863 and the Vicksburg Siege after that, it would be no big deal to grant the request.

4. While it's not usual, it is possible, especially if the dead friend and Thomas were travelling with Adj Sweeney at the time. That would indicate that 'the friend' came from the same town as Thomas. They were at Helena, Arkansas from January 23, 1863 to April 10, 1863 as was the 16th Ohio Lt Arty. Both were regrouping after the White River Expedition.