I have just finished researching history about my Great Great Grandfather Richard B Ashmore. I did this for my Grandmother Eulala (Ashmore) Dowty who is 97 and is the Grand Daughter and for my two sons.

He is buried in Noble, IL Cemetery. Died Mar 17, 1917. When we found his tombstone he did not have his date of death or Civil War unit. This was rectified and the local American Legion places a flag on a forgotten vetern's grave every Memorial Day.

His story according to his pension papers is quite an adventure.

Enlisted in Aug 61 in Vermilion County. Got the mumps like a lot of country soldiers and complained about his lungs hurting 20 years later. Fought at Ft Donelson where the 30th took the brunt of a Confederate break out attempt. His brother Alexander Ashmore was killed there. (We are researching about having the VA placing a Memory marker in the old Ashmore cemetary. He is most likley buried in a common grave with 500 other Union soldiers.)

The 30th missed Shiloh because they were too hurt to travel and were left for guard duty.

Private Ashmore was taken captive during the fight in Jackson, TN on Sept 1, 1862. He complained in his pension papers about artritis because he slept on the ground in Mississippi during the winter without a blanket. This is from his pension papers.

He was paroled back to the 30th in Feb 1863 in time to take part in Grant's Vicksburg campaign. He was wounded on May 23, 1863 during Grant's assult on the lines. Complained about his right eye not having vision and his right arm not being useful at all.

Reenlisted in Jan 1864 and took part of the Atlanta GA campaign. Part of the March to the Sea. Marched in the Grand review in Washington, DC and was discharged in July 1865.

All of this without ever being promoted beyond Private.

Went back to farming and married in September 1865 and had seven childern who lived into adulthood. I remember his first daughter Great Great Aunt Liad who was born in June 1866 and died in Feb 1965. She ran a dress shop in Terre Haute, IN. His first son Great Grandfather Ashmore (my Grandmother's Father) lived until 1965 and I remember him quit well. He lived on our farm most summers when I was little.

Just a little history about a forgotten Private who endured more than we can imagine.


Eric Patton

PS:

As history would have it I live about five miles from where his unit crossed the Chattachoochee River durign their assult on Atlanta, GA