John Sperry
Co. I, 75th IND. Infantry
He was born November 18, 1841, at Cambridge City, Wayne County, Indiana, his parents being George and Catherine (Delano) Sperry. His father was born in 1804, near the Rhine, Alsace-Lorraine, Germany, and as a youth learned the trade of cabinet maker, which he followed in his native land. There he was married to Catherine Delano, who was born in the same year and in the same locality, and in 1833, with one son, came to the United States and located at Dayton, Ohio. There he continued to work as a cabinet maker and followed that vocation for a time after he had removed to Cambridge City, Indiana, but eventually turned his attention to farming near Strawtown, Indiana, where his death occurred in 1853. He was a republican in politics, and both he and his wife were faithful members of the Evangelical Church. Mrs. Sperry survived her husband for many years and passed away on the farm of her son, near Thayer, in 1885. They were the parents of the following children: George, who fought through the Civil war as a Union soldier, subsequently took up milling at Noblesville, Indiana, and died there as the result of an accident; Samuel Alexander, who was a farmer and merchant and died at Strawtown, Indiana; Catherine, who married Anton McGassi, one of the great "Seven McGassi Brothers," theatrical performers, now deceased, and died in 1915, at Rigsby, Oklahoma; John H., of this notice; Mary E., who married first Amos Cooper, deceased, a farmer, and married second Mr. Crooks, and died on a farm near Cicero, Indiana, where Mr. Crooks still resides; David, who enlisted in the Thirty-ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which was later mounted and became the Eighth Indiana Cavalry, and was killed during the McCook raid in the rear of Atlanta, while fighting with the forces of General Sherman; Jacob, who is farming four miles east of Cicero, Indiana; and Charles, who died on his farm near Dennis, Kansas. Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry belonged to the same branch of the family.
John H. Sperry received his education in the district schools of Hamilton County, Indiana, and the public schools of Cambridge City, but at the age of sixteen years gave up his studies and learned the carpenter's trade, at which he was working when the Civil war came on. He had not yet reached his majority when, in the fall of 1862, he enlisted as John Sperry in Company I, Seventy-fifth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which organization he served until the close of the war, rising from private to corporal and later to sergeant. This regiment was organized at Wabash, Indiana, and was mustered into the United States service August 19, 1862, and two days later left the state for Lebanon, Kentucky, but retired to Louisville at the time of Bragg's advance. It then moved to Frankfort, Scottsville, Gallatin and Cave City, in pursuit of Morgan, and was in camp near Gallatin during December, moving in January, 1863, to Murfreesboro, being engaged in scouting and brief expeditions with the Second Brigade, Third Division, Fourteenth Army Corps. On June 24th it started for Tullahoma and participated in the Battle of Hoover's Gap, being the first regiment to enter the enemy's works at Tullahoma. Moving then towards Chattanooga, it was engaged at Chickamauga, and remained near Chattanooga during the fall and winter, taking part in the Battle of Missionary Ridge. It moved to Ringgold, Georgia, in the spring of 1864, joined the campaign to Atlanta, and was engaged at Dalton, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, in front of Atlanta and at Jonesboro. At Atlanta Mr. Sperry was severely wounded, when part of his shoulder-blade was shot off by a shell. He was subsequently detained in a hospital for several months, but rejoined his regiment as soon as he was able for service. On October 4 the Seventy-fifth removed with its corps to Pine Mountain and arrived in time to threaten the rear of French's Division of Hood's army, which was investing the garrison at Allatoona, where he was acting captain. The regiment returned in time to join the march upon Savannah and the march through the Carolinas, participating en route in the battles of Fayetteville and Bentonville, and then moved with the advance of the army to Raleigh, thence to Richmond, and finally on to Washington, D. C., where it was mustered out of the service, June 8, 1865, having participated in thirty-seven engagements.