McCraken Family Honor Roll of Civil War Veterans

When the Civil War began, John McCracken and his wife Sarah Jane (Webber) McCracken were the parents of seven sons and two daughters. Four of their sons enlisted in Company "G" 42nd Indiana Regiment of Volunteer Infantry on 28 September 1861. They were: Thomas, William Nelson, John James and Henry. Thomas McCracken Was twenty-five years old at the time of his enlistment, having been born 5 October 1835 in Barr Township, Daviess County, Indiana.

Shortly after enlistment the "boys" of the 42nd Indiana were vaccinated for smallpox at their camp near Calhoun, Kentucky. This was unusual, as very little was known about what caused the disease--let alone how to prevent it. During the first winter of their service, the 42nd Regiment experienced a great deal of sickness. There was an outbreak of measles in the camp causing several deaths, and many soldiers had such severe complications that they were never fit for duty again. Thomas McCracken was one of the soldiers who was so sick that he was sent to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee in late February 1862. After about a month, he was transferred to a hospital in Louisville, and at that time he wrote to his family telling them about his illness. His older brother Samuel Clark McCracken was sent to Louisville by their father to bring Thomas Home. He was able to obtain a furlough and went home to Barr Township for two months, hoping to regain his health. In a short time, his brother "Clark" Became ill with what was at first believed to be chickenpox. But, they soon discovered that "Clark" had smallpox and had exposed the rest of the family. It is believed that "Clark" contracted the disease while visiting the hospital at Louisville. By the time that all of the family was out of danger, Thomas was well enough to report back to the hopital at Louisville. He was sent to the front and reached the regiment at Huntsville, Alabama.

At the battle of Missionary Ridge, Tomas McCracken was wounded on the right side of the face. A musket ball entered through the cheek and lodged in the jaw damaging the jaw and the facial muscles. It was removed by a doctor at a field hospital set up in a Methodist Church at Chatanooga. he was transferred to a hospital in Nashville, and after a short convalescence returned to his regiment.

Thomas McCracken saw combat in approximately twety-four battles and skirmishes, including Perryville, Stones River, Chickamauga, the Battles for Chattanooga and the Battles for Atlanta before he was discharged 17 october 1864 at Villanova, Georgia. His gunshot wound healed, but he suffered from the effects of his illnesses for the rest of his life and was pensioned from the U.S.Government as a result.

In 1871 he married Amanda Jane Bastin in Monroe County, Indiana. He was 35 and she was 16. Amanda was the younger sister of Nancy (Bastin) McCracken who was married to Thomas' first cousin, Charles McCracken. Thomas died 8 April 1901 at the age of 65 and is buried at Mount Olive Baptist Church Cemetery.

William Nelson McCracken was the son of John McCracken and Sarah Jane Webber.He was born 11 November 1828 in Daviess County, Indiana, On 27 March 1853 he married Sarah (Berry) McGehee who was the widow of his first cousin Charles McGehee. Sharah had one son, William Henry McGehee, who was born 2 December 1848. her first marriage lasted less than two years and she was a widow when she was not quite nineteen years old.

William Nelson McCracken enlisted at the age of 32 as a private in Company "G" 42nd Regiment of Indiana Volunteers on 28 September 1861 at the same time his three younger brothers and two first cousins enlisted. They wer all mustered in at Evansville on 10 October 1861. He left a wife, four children and a step-son behind when he joined the 42nd.

The 42nd was in camp near Huntsville, Alabama from April until August 1862. Their duties included brigade drill, picket duty and building stockades. The men considered it "featherbed soldiering".

Comfederate General Bragg and his men were then occupying Chattanooga, which was the key to transportation and communication in that part of the south. On August 19th General Bragg began his invasion of kentucky, Hoping to obtain supplies and recruit soldiers for his army. It was not long before the Federal forces at huntsville, including the 42nd, began their march northward in pursuit of the Confederates. They marched from Huntsville to Louisville, Kentucky, in a month. During the grueling march they were cut off from supplies most of the time. Through parts of kentucky the line of march often followed in the wake of the Confederate drive north. As a result, the countryside had been depleted of most of its food supply, and the water supply (which is normally poor during late summer) amounted to stagnant ponds which were often contaminated by dead mules left by the rebs.

Nelson was driving a regimental train wagon, and he became overheated due to the extremely hot weather. His left arm and shoulder "played out" and he had to be relieved from duty. He was treated in regimental hospitals several times during the next two years because of the chronic illness that he contracted on the march. In March of 1864 he was transferred to the Beterans Reserve Corps and was discharged 14 October 1864 at Lexington, Kentucky.

William nelson McCracken returned home to Daviess County. He and Sarah lived on farms in Barr and Reeve Townships and had five more childre. They moved to Washington, Indiana, about 1893 and retired. Sarah died 25 September 1906 and William N. died 15 May 1910 at the age of 81. Both are buried in Mount Olive Baptist Church Cemetery.

Another of the fast thining ranks of the boys in blue passed to his eternal reward when William Nelson McCracken died at 1:10 o'clock Monday morning at his home 513 Cosby Street. Mr. McCracken served three years in the war of the rebellion in the Forty-second Indiana regiment of Infantry and he was one of the best known veterans of the county.

Born November 11, eighty-one years ago, Mr McCracken lived in Barr and Reeve townships until 1893 when he moved to Washington. He was a farmer and a man of high ideals, known for his honesty and integrity. He married Sarah Berry McGehee in 1853 and they had nine children. Mrs. McCracken died in this city in 1906. Mr. McCracken united with the Baptist church while a young man and his membership was with the Mt. Olive church in Barr township at the time of his death.

The surviving children are: John B. McCracken of hamilton, Washington: H.R. McCracken of Denver:Mrs. Nivrod Victor Maynard, Minn: Mrs. Walter Levey and Mrs. Rolland Roselle of Pine Bluff, Ark: Mrs. Henry Villwock of Edwardsport: Mrs.Levi Hunter and matthew McCracken of Washington. Besides these he leaves four brothers and sisters. They are John James McCracken of Maysville and Henry McCracken of Barr township, and Mrs. Henry Rudolph and Mary J. McCracken of Montgomery.

The death of Mr. McCracken was not expected. He had been declining for about a year and while bedfast for some time his condition did not become critical until last week. he suffered from ailments of old age.

RIchard McGehee was born 16 July 1835 in Mayslick, Mason County, Kentucky. His parents were Jesse McGehee and Sarah McCracken. The McGehee family moved to Daviess County before 1840 and lived near the mcCrackens in Barr Township. Three McGehee brothers served in the Civil War--none of them in the same unit.

The death of Richard McGehee left Evaline to raise six children alone. Tragedy continued to plague the family, however, and Evaline died 8 January 1865--just two years after her husband's death. Now the six children were orphans. The oldest daughter died a few months after her mother, leaving five orphans. They were appointed a guardian, but tradition has it that they were raised in different families of relatives. At this time most of the relatives lived in the same neighborhood and attended Mount Olive Baptist Church. It was common for them to take in children who needed a home and raise them along with their own.