Joseph Wilson - From Leicester to Andersonville
© Max Wade Matthews
In 1988, whilst researching an entirely different subject, I found the following announcement in the
Leicester Chronicle dated 8 July 1865:
On the 6th October last at Andersonville, Georgia, United States, Joseph Wilson, of the
Pennsylvania Volunteers, son of Mr Thomas Wilson, St Nicholas Square, Leicester.
As I have a deep interest in the civil war, I made a note to find out more about Joseph as and when time permitted. Twelve years on, this is the result of my research.
Joseph was baptised on 31 July 1831 in St Martin's church, Leicester (the present cathedral). He was the son of Thomas (a woolcomber) and Mary, who were living in Jewry Wall Street. Joseph became a weaver and in his late teens decided to try to better himself by emigrating to the USA.
On 8 May 1848 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia, Joseph married Phoebe Marshall, who had been born in Mansfield Nottinghamshire. They were to have five children:
William Marshall (born 20 March 1852), Edward (born 4 April 1854), James (born 13 August 1856), Mary Ann (born 15 October 1858) and George Bender (born 31 March 1862- died 1871).
On 6 August 1862 Joseph was mustered into Company D, 118 Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry. Joseph, who signed on for three years or, if longer, the duration of the war, was given a bounty of $25. The regiment, known as the Corn Exchange Regiment, due to the funds for the raising of the regiment being supplied by the Philadelphia Corn Exchange, was organized at Philadelphia in May 1862.
Commanded by Colonel Charles M Prevost, the 118th, which was attached to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, first saw action in the Maryland campaign of September 6-24 1862. Held in reserve at the Battle of Antietam (16-17 September) Joseph and his comrades received their baptism of blood.
