Area Civil War veterans notable

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Kim Keiser writes, “I am the second great-granddaughter of Eli Brown, who was born in Hancock County. He did three terms of service in the Civil War, the longest being in Company E, 26th Regiment of the Indiana Volunteers. I have his file records from the National Archives and also have the disability home record. Brown was a single farmer when he enlisted. He died in 1903 and is buried in Mooresville.

“I know you do some Civil War and Hancock County research and wanted to introduce myself. I think he registered in Morgan County, which may invalidate his Hancock County connection, which was his place of birth as it is listed on his Civil War records, so I wanted to introduce myself and see if you were interested in any of my findings. He was a Quaker, and he got in trouble with the church later on for bearing arms. I am a member of the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War and have many uncles who served, but just this one grandfather that was able to be proven.”

Keiser’s fourth great-grandfather settled in Hancock county from Kentucky. His name was Elisha Whorton or Wharton. He was born in 1817 and died in Nashville in 1864.

Sue Baker wrote a book on Hancock County Civil War veterans. Do any of you have any information on these two?

According to Binford’s History of Hancock County, 209 county residents died in the Civil War. Our community was pro-Union. Many Hancock County residents served in Company G of the Eighth Regiment. The roster included Reuben Riley and Lee O. Harris. Upon starting for the front, the company was presented with a large flag made by the Greenfield ladies. The work on the flag was done at the Thayer home on Main and Pennsylvania. The site is the empty gas station west of the Ricks Centre for the Arts.

Hancock County had one general who claimed the community. Oliver Gooding, who distinguished himself in the 1864 Red River Campaign, considered Greenfield his home. He was appointed colonel of the Massachusetts regiment and rose to the rank of brigadier general. He returned to Greenfield to practice law for a period of time. He eventually went to Missouri and became attorney general there, but he is buried in Park Cemetery.

Enough. I have told you everything that I know and some things I don’t. Talk to me.

Joe Skvarenina is a scholar of Hancock County history and has authored several books on the county’s past. He can be reached at [email protected].