Private Walter G. Jones, 8th New York Cavalry, Co. C., U.S.A.

Jones, Walter G., Pvt. 8th New York Cavalry, Co. C., U.S.A.

 

"I am not a Hobson, a Dewey, a Schley, nor a Sampson, but I was a High Private in Co. C., 8th N. Y. Cavary, and carried this little Testament in my blouse pocket, which in two battles, saved my life from bullets, as represented in the above photo. The bullet in the upper corner was shot at me at Cedar Creek, Va., October 19, 1864. The bullet in the centre crashed into the Testament during the battle of Appomattox (better known as Lee's surrender), April 8th and 9th, 1865. Walter G. Jones

McDonough, N. Y.

 

From NPS:

 

Walter G. Jones (First_Last)

Regiment Name 8 N. Y. Cavalry

Side Union

Company C

Soldier's Rank_In Priv.

Soldier's Rank_Out Priv.

Alternate Name

Notes

Film Number M551 roll 72

UNION NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS

 

8th Regiment, New York Cavalry

 

Organized at Rochester, N. Y., and mustered in November 23, 1861. Moved to Washington, D. C., November 28-30, 1861. Attached to Cavalry Brigade. Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. Cavalry Brigade. Banks' 5th Corps, to April, 1862. Hatch's Cavalry Brigade. Department of the Shenandoah, to May, 1862. Railroad Brigade, 8th Corps. Middle Department, to September, 1862. 4th Brigade. Pleasanton's Cavalry Division. Army of the Potomac. to November, 1862. 1st Cavalry Brigade, Right Grand Division, Army of the Potomac. to February, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, and Army of the Shenandoah. Middle Military Division, to June, 1865.

 

Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862, and at various points in Maryland by detachments, till May. Operations in the Shenandoah Valley May 15-June 17. Berryville May 24. Retreat to Williamsport May 24-25. Battle of Winchester May 25. Stevenson's Station May 25. Harper's Ferry May 28-30. Near Charlestown September 4. Summit Point September 3. Siege of Harper's Ferry September 12-15. Near Williamsport and Greencastle September 15. Antietam, Md., September 16-17. Near Shephardstown September 20. Snlcker's Gap Oetober 27. Philomont November 1-2. Union and Bloomfield November 2-3. Barbee's Cross Roads, Chester Gap and Markham November 5-6. Waterloo Bridge November 7. Corbin's Cross Roads near Amissville November 10. Jefferson November 14. Uniontown November 20. Fredericksburg December 12-15. Near Warrenton December 30-31. Warrenton January 4, 1863. Somerville February 9. Belle Plains February 11. Near Dumfrles March 2. Independence Hill, Prince William County, March 4. Near Dumfries March 29. Beverly Ford April 1. Beverly Ford, Freeman's Ford and Hazel Run April 15. Stoneman's Raid April 27-May 8. Kelly's Ford April 29. Culpeper April 30. Rapidan Station May 1. Ely's Ford May 2. Rapidan Bridge May 4. Brandy Station and Beverly Ford June 9. Aldie June 17. Ashby's Gap June 20. Upperville June 21. Aldie June 23. Near Middleburg and Upperville June 27. Fairfield, Pa., June 30. Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Williamsport July 6. Funkstown July 6. Boonsboro July 8. Benevola or Beaver Creek July 9. Funkstown July 10-13. Falling Waters July 14. Chester Gap July 21-22. Wapping Heights July 23. Barber's Cross Roads July 25. Kelly's Ford July 31-August 1. Brandy Station August 1, 4 and 10. Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13-17. Culpeper Court House September 13. Rapidan Station September 14-15. Raccoon Ford September 19. Reconnoissance across the Rapidan September 21-23. Jack's Shop, Madison Court House, September 22. Germania Ford October 1. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Germania, Raccoon and Morton's Fords October 10. Stevensburg and near Kelly's Station October 11. Brandy Station October 12. Oak Hill October 15. Hunter's Ford October 17-18. Bealeton October 24-26. Snicker's Gap October 27. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Muddy Run November 8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Locust Grove November 27. Parker's Store November 29. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864. Morton's Ford February 6-7. James City March 4. Rapidan Campaign May-June. Craig's Meeting House May 5. Wilderness May 5-7. The Furnaces May 7. Alsop's Farm, Spottsylvania. May 8. Sheridan's Raid to James River May 9-24. North Anna River May 9-10. Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern May 11. Fortifications of Richmond and Meadow Bridge May 12. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Demonstration on Little Creek May 26. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Mechump's Creek May 30. Hanover Court House May 31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Gaines Mill, Totopotomoy and Salem Church June 2. Sumner's Upper Bridge June 2. Haw's Shop June 3. Old Church June 10-11. Riddell's Shop and Long Bridge June 12. White Oak Swamp June 13. Near Harrison Landing June 14. St. Mary's Church and Malvern Hill June 15. Before Petersburg June 17-July 30. Wilson's Raid on South Side & Danville Railroad June 22-30. Ream's Station June 22. Black and White Station and Nottaway Court House Juno 23. Staunton Bridge and Roanoke Station June 25. Columbia Grove June 27. Sappony Church or Stony Creek June 28. Ream's Station June 29. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28. Winchester August 17. Charlestown Summit Point August 21. Halltown August 23. Kearneysville August 25. Berryville September 3. Near Brucetown and near Winchester September 7. Locke's Ford September 13. Snicker's Gap September 16. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Near Cedarville September 2O. Front Royal Pike September 21. Milford September 22. Luray September 25. Staunton September 26. Waynesboro September 29. Mt. Crawford September 30. Columbia Furnace October 7. Tom's Brook, "Woodstock Races," October 8-9. Mt. Olive October 9. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Near Kernstown November 10. Newtown and Middle Road, Cedar Creek, November 12. Rude's Hill, near Mt. Jackson, November 22. Expedition to Lacy Springs December 19-22. Lacy Springs December 21. Expedition from Winchester to Moorefield, W. Va., February 4-6, 1865. Sheridan's Raid from Winchester February 27-March 25, 1865. Waynesboro March 2. Occupation of Charlottesville March 3. Beaver Dam Station March 13. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Dinwiddie Court House March 30-31. Five Forks April 1. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Namozine Church April 3. Jettersville April 4. Sailor's Creek April 6. Appomattox Station April 8. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Expedition to Danville April 23-29. March to Washington, D. C., May -. Grand Review May 23. Mustered out June 27, 1865, and honorably discharged from service.

 

Regiment lost during service 14 Officers and 91 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 5 Officers and 200 Enlisted men by disease. Total 310.

 

 

Library of Congress

TITLE: [Photograph of Walter G. Jones, Pvt., 8th New York Cavalry, Co. C., U.S.A., half-length, facing front and his New Testament with bullet holes, and the two bullets which lodged in the book]

 

CALL NUMBER: Civil War Reference File [item] [P&P]

 

REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-ppmsca-09873 (digital file from copy neg.)

LC-B8184- 10398 (b&w film copy neg.)

 

RIGHTS INFORMATION: No known restrictions on publication.

 

Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the Chenango County Civil War Commemoration Project Team, The Evening Sun will present a monthly series chronicling items of local interest during the war between the states, compiled and written by a number of local history enthusiasts.

 

 

By Christine E. Buck

 

Smithville Historical Society President

 

In 1840, Walter Godfrey Jones was born into religion. His father was the Reverend A.B. Jones, a respected Baptist clergyman and farmer. Not only did Walter have an early religious start, but faith served him well during the Civil War.

 

When Walter was six years old, the Jones family moved from their Broome County home to Chenango County. Reverend Jones was engaged as the resident pastor of the small Baptist Church in Genegantslet, a hamlet in the Town of Greene. For a time, he also served two miles away at the Baptist Church in Smithville Flats.

 

The only boy in a family of six sisters, Walter had blue eyes, light hair, and a fair complexion. As an adult, he was tall, compared with many men. His height was five feet, ten and one-half inches. On Christmas Eve of 1859, at age nineteen, he became a married man. Miss Lola Nusom was his bride.

 

Walter was a farmer. He, his wife, and their year-old son Eddie lived in Smithville in the summer of 1862. The Civil War was raging. The Union Army called for additional troops to quell the rebellion, and the Town was responsible for raising fifty-two volunteer soldiers. If the County’s quota wasn’t met by September 1, men would be drafted into service. Each town was to do its part.

 

To generate volunteers, Smithville held motivational meetings – called War Meetings – with booming cannons, martial bands, and skillful speakers from around the County. The meetings were meant to arouse patriotism and motivate men to volunteer. At the meetings, citizens pledged funds to help promote enlistments.

 

Greene’s Chenango American newspaper articles of that time are a mix of community news – agricultural fairs, fires, and festivals – and war news, including deaths of soldiers from the area. One brief item reported that a recruiting officer from the 8th NY Cavalry Regiment was in the area, and “the opportunity for enlisting is yet open.” Walter G. Jones took that opportunity in Smithville and enlisted for three years. Walter, age twenty-two, a man with a wife and young son and farm work to be done. He was mustered in that same day. Lucy Jones, his stepmother, gave him a small pocket Bible to carry to the battlefront.

 

Two weeks later, Walter’s name appeared in the newspaper as one of a full company of recruits quartered in Greene – more than 100 men. They awaited their official orders to leave for the South. Mr. R.P. Barnard of Greene presented the men with “Soldiers Kits” that had been made by the Ladies’ Aid Society.

 

During the war, the 8th NY Cavalry performed constant, hard service. Their loss of officers and men was great. But because of his stepmother’s gift, Walter was one of the fortunate men.

 

At the Battle of Cedar Creek in Virginia, October 19, 1864, Walter was shot in the chest. In what should have been a fatal shot, the Bible he carried in his left pocket took the strike and stopped the bullet. Six months later, at the Battle of Appomattox (Lee’s surrender), he was shot with another bullet. Again, it struck the Bible and stopped. Each bullet entered the front cover and tore through the Bible’s pages, one traveling back to the Book of Revelations. Walter’s life was saved twice by the Bible given him by his stepmother.

 

Walter was discharged from service in Washington, DC in June of 1865. Despite some crippling injuries, he returned safely to a full life in Chenango County. He bought a farm in McDonough (just over the Smithville border) two years later. For many years, he farmed that land and later was a merchant in McDonough. In addition to the son born before he volunteered, he and Lola had three daughters.

 

The rest of his life, Walter told his Bible story to family, friends, and fellow soldiers. He preserved the Bible and the two bullets and declared that if the shots had been fired at a two-inch white oak board, they would have penetrated it.

 

In 1896 Walter attended a National Encampment in Boston, and he took along his treasured war souvenir. He was offered $200 for it. “I am a poor man,” he said, “but $5,000 wouldn’t buy it today.”

 

He had taken part in forty-two military engagements and lived to tell his story of the Bible until 1909. He and Lola are buried in the McDonough Union Cemetery.

 

Private Walter G. Jones had descendants through his children Eddie Jones, Lydia Jones Morse, and Carrie Jones Purdy. Some live in the area, and we’re told his story has been passed down through the generations. Walter, one of the fortunate men, would be pleased.

www.evesun.com/news/stories/2013-01-04/16572/Chenango-in-...

Done