The Wounded at Antietam: Battery B 4th U. S. Artillery Part 3

Private Harvey Harvison Childs, the fourth of six children of Elijah and Sabrina (Atwood) Childs, was born August 16, 1840 in New York.  In 1840 the family lived in Massena, Saint Lawrence County, New York where Elijah was a farmer.  Harvey was living in Lindina, Juneau County, Wisconsin with his parents and 14 year old brother Selden in 1860.  He enlisted in Company A, 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry on May 15, 1861.  He was detached to serve with Battery B, where his younger brother Henry L. Childs also served, on June 7, 1862.  Private Childs received a gunshot wound to the right shoulder  at the Battle of Antietam and was discharged for disability on February 27, 1863.

On May 4, 1864 Harvey enlisted in Company E, 41st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry which was organized at Milwaukee on June 8, 1864.  He was promoted to Captain June, 9, 1864.  The regiment  left Wisconsin for Memphis, Tennessee on June 15 where they were engaged in garrison duty, as railroad guards and on pickets duty.  The 41st Wisconsin was garrisoning Memphis with other federal troops on August 21, 1864 when Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest and his cavalry raided the town. The 41st Wisconsin, including Captain Childs,was mustered out at Camp Washburn when they disbanded the 100 day regiment on September 23, 1864.

On February 9, 1865 Harvey Childs was mustered into Company E, 49th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, a one year regiment.  On February 16 he was appointed Captain.  The regiment was sent to Missouri where Company E was employed as guards at Benton Barracks near St. Louis.  Captain Childs was mustered out of the 49th February 9, 1866 ending his military career.

By 1870 Harvey Childs and his wife Luthera (Atwood) Childs were living in Spring Creek, Johnson County, Nebraska where Harvey was a farmer.   They continued to live in Spring Creek through 1880 with their 9 year old son Frank.  By 1900 the Harvey's were living in McWilliams, Otoe County, Nebraska where Harvey was a coal and lumber merchant.  Harvey died December 21, 1905 and is buried in Grant Evergreen Cemetery, Nemaha County, Nebraska.

                             Find A Grave Photo by Roger Newby

Private Amos G. Burdick, a son of John and Catherine (Clarke) Burdick, was born October 30, 1839 in Darien, Genesee County, New York.  In 1850 Amos lived in Bennington, Wyoming County, New York with his parents and seven siblings.  In 1860 Amos was living in Milton, Rock County, Wisconsin where he was apprenticing as a wagon maker under Nathan Burdick.  On April 24, 1861 Amos enlisted in Company H, 2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.  He was detached to serve with Battery B in May 1862.  He was wounded during the Battle of Antietam.  He was on detached service with Battery B until April 1863.  Amos died of disease at Milton, Wisconsin, in either March or April 1864.  He is buried in the Milton Cemetery, Rock County, Wisconsin.  Amos's older brother Albert served with the 22nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry from August 1862 until June 1865.

Private William Dickerson was born November 8, 1837 in Boone County, Indiana to parents Samuel and Elizabeth (Barnett) Dickerson.The 1850 Census found the family living in Washington, Brown County, Indiana.  At that time Samuel and Elizabeth had 5 sons.  William was the second youngest. In 1860 William and his older brother Samuel Franklin were farm laborers in Johnson County, Indiana.  William Dickerson mustered into Company H, 19th Indiana July 29, 1861.  He was detached to Battery B in March 1862.  Private Dickerson received a gunshot wound to the right thigh on September 17, 1862 at Antietam which made him unfit for service.  He was mustered out in March 1863.  On February 24, 1864 William married Nancy Ellen Paul.

In 1870 William was living in Taylor, Sullivan County, Missouri with his wife Nancy, daughter Laura and son William F. Dickerson.  In 1880 William was farming near Liberty Missouri.  He was still living in Missouri farming in 1900 but by 1906 he was homesteading near Liberal, Kansas.  William Dickerson died March 10, 1922.  He is buried in the Liberal Cemetery, Seward County, Kansas.  William Dickerson's brother Samuel Franklin served with Company H, 19th Indiana from July 29, 1861 until July 28, 1864.

  
                                Find A Grave Photo by Ronaca

Information in this post is obtained mostly from U. S. Census records, Regimental Rosters, Pension Indexes, Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, U. S. National Home for Disabled Volunteers records, Registers of Deaths of Volunteers, New York, Town Clerks Register of Men Who Served in the Civi War. Giants in Their Tall Black Hats,  and other Civil war related Records on Ancestry.com and Fold3.com.