McCraken Family Honor Roll of Civil War Veterans
Back to McCracken Family Main Page.
William Henry Harrison Gilley, was born 6 March 1838. Both of his parents died by the time he was seven years old. William Ratton (who married Lucinda Gilley in 1843) was appointed guardian of William and four of his sisters who were under 14. When his sister Winney married Jesse Colbert, William H.H. Gilley was indentured to Jesse to learn the trade of farming. He lived near Hudsonville, Harrison Township, with Jesse andWinney Colbert until he enlisted in the U.S. Army.
On 28 September 1861 William H.H. Gilley enlisted as a private in Company "G" 42nd Regiment of Indiana Volunteers. He was mustered in at Evansville on 10 October 1861 at the age of 23.
Early in February 1862 the 42nd received orders to move to the area of Fort Donelson, Tennessee on the Cumberland River in preparation for a battle. The 42nd was to leave its camp at Calhoun and proceed to Owensboro, Kentucky, where it would be transported by steamer down the Ohio River and then up the Cumberland River to Fort Donelson. They responded to the order immediately and began striking tents and loading wagons. By 9:00 p.m. they were ready to march. During the night they marched twenty-six miles through rain, mud and slush. In the morning they boarded steamers which headed down the Ohio, stopping at Evansville just long enough for the men to greet a large crowd of friends and relatives.
It was during this time that William came down with typhoid fever which is an infectious and sometimes fatal bacterial desease spread by contaminated water or poor sanitary conditions. He was sent to a hospital in Evansville where he remained for three months. Upon being released from the hospital, William H.H. Gilley reported to Pittsburg Landing. Benjamin Hopkins of Company "G" 42nd was also released from the hospital at the same time. They traveled together to Pittsburg, Tennessee (near Shiloh) expecting to rejoin their regiment. The regiment, however, had been sent in another direction. They were placed with the 49th Ohio and did duty there until the fall of Corinth, Mississippi.
William never recovered from the effects of the Typhoid Fever. He returned to the 42nd and remained in the army, but was assigned to detached duty much of the time due to his health. On 9 October 1864 he was discharged at Billanova, Georgia, as a corporal.
He returned to Daviess County and lived with Jesse and Winney Colbert for a while. When his health permitted he farmed--some of the time for himself and some of the time as a hired hand. On 28 December 1864 William H.H. Gilley and Margaret Alice McCracken were married by Reverend Slater of Mount Olive Baptist Church. The Gilleys lived in Daviess County and continued their membership at Mount Olive until 1871 when they moved to Clay County, Illinois. They lived near Flora, Illinois, and William worked at farming and, for a short time, on the railroad.
William first applied for a pension in 1879. It was rejected, apparently for lack of hospital records from Evansville, Indiana. Several more attempts were made to secure a pension and it was finally granted in 1885. It took an Act of Congress to accomplish it.
In 1886 William and Margaret moved back to Washington, Indiana. They lived at 1306 W. Walnut. William H.H. Gilleydied 26 October 1906 in Washington at the age of 68. Margaret received a widow's pension after his death. She lived at 1216 E. JVanTrees and owned realestate valued at $1200.00 and household goods valued at $25.00. She lost her rights to a pension when she married John M. Jackman on 13 August 1911.
Responding to the last reveille that mustered him out of service forever, W.H.H.Gilley answered the roll call at 2o'clock Friday night. An illness of three days duration resulting from an attack of paralysis of the kidneys caused the death of another Union soldier of the rebellion.
The news of the death of Mr. Gilley came as a surprise and a shock to nearly everyone as few knew of his illness. He was down town on Wednesday evening of this week. Shortly after going home that evening he received the paralytic stroke and grew steadily worse until death.
He was born in this county near Hudsonville. All his life except three years during the war and a short residence in Illinois was spent in this county. He enlisted in company "G" of the 42nd Indiana regiment volunteers September 27, 1861, and served in this company to the end of his enlistment. Captain Palmer speaks highly of the services rendered the country by this veteran. When he was mustered out of service he returned to Daviess county and for years made his home south of the city near Veale's Creek church. Six years ago he moved to this city and since then has lived on east VanTrees street. Mrs. Gilley whose maiden name was McCracken survives him as do two sons, Austin and Charles Gilley.
He was a member of the G.A.R. post of this city, the Red Men's lodge of this city and the First Baptist Church. He always took an active part in the organizations to which he belonged.
Francis Marion Hunter was born 19 September 1845 in Barr Township, Daviess County, Indiana. His birth was recorded in the Bible that had belonged to his grandfather John Hunter, a Revoluntionary War Soldier. The Bible record reads "Franklin Marion Hunter" but his Civil War records give his name as Francis. The name he actually used was Frank. He was the fourth child of William Hunter and Martha Davis
In September of 1861 Frank's older brothers Henry and reuben enlisted in Company "G" 42nd Indiana Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. At the Battle of Perryville, 8 October 1862 the 42nd was attacked in a ravine where they were filling their canteens and eating their rations. The 42nd was ordered to break into companies and to reform at the top of the hill. In the confusion there were many casualties. Henry Hunter was killed and Reuben Hunter was wounded. Reuben received a medical discharge on 3 January 1863, a little more than a year later, Reuben enlisted again in the 42nd as a Corporal, and Francis Marion Hunter enlisted at the age of 18 and went off to war with his older brother.
the 42nd joined General Sherman's army at Chattanooga, Tennessee and fought in the Atlanta Campaign from 1 May through 8 September 1864. They fought at Buzzard's Roost Gap, Resaca, Dallas, New Hope "Church, Allatoona Hills, Picketts' Mills, Pine Hill, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Smyrna Camp Ground, Nancy's Creek, and the Peachtree Creek. It was at Peachtree Creek, Georgia that Reuben Hunter was mortally wounded. He died at the Federal Field Hospital in Kingston, Georgia, 5 August 1864. Frank Hunter was also wounded at Peachtree Creek on the 20th of July. A rebel bullet hit him in the left shin. Frank was treated by a regimental surgeon and was soon returned to duty. The wound caused him a good deal of pain while on the marches that followed the Battle of Peachtree Creek, but it eventually healed completely.
Sherman's army soon occupied Atlanta. The next capmpaign was Serman's March to the Sea. It began in Atlanta 15 November 1864 and ended in Savannah 21 December 1864. Then came the Carolinas Campaign early in 1865. The Grand Army of the West marched 425 miles from Savannah, Georgia to Goldsboro, North Carolina in fifty days.
The 42nd was present at the surrender of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston on 26 April1865 near Durham Station, North Carolina. The war was nearly over. The 42nd began its long march to Washington, D.C. on the 29th of April and arrived in the capital city on the 19th of May where a Grand Review of the vicotious armies was held on 23 and 24 May 1865.
Francis M. Hunter, was discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, 21 July 1865 and returned home to Daviess County. Paul Hunter never remembered hearing his grandfather Frank talk about the Civil War. The subject must have brought many painful memories to the old man.
Tradition has it that the Hunter family moved to Texas and "burnt up" in the dustbowl. Most of the family moved up into Kansas except Frank who came back to Barr Township where he and Susan Dell Banta were married. Susan's parents were Abram T. Banta and Eliza Stephens, and her grandparents were William Stephens and Elizabeth McCracken. Fraklin M. Hunter and Wusan Dell Banta were married 27 December 1871.
Frank and Susan Dell lived in a log house built by Susan Dell's grandfather, Henry Banta. They purchased 72 acres of land in Barr Township that had been in the Banta family since 1818. Tour of the five Hunter children were born in the log house.. In 1888 a frame house which still stands, was built, and in 1889 ,b>Annie Gertrude, the youngest Hunter child was born there. The house is still owned by the Hunter family and is the home of Leota Hunter, widow of J.Paul Hunter.
Frank and Susan celebrated their golden wedding anniversary 27 December 1921 with a family gathering. All five of their children and nine of their ten grandchildren celebrated with them. The highlight of the party was an elaborate wedding cake trimmed with sweet peas and gold lietters. Baked inside the cake was a gold ring for Susan and a gold pen for Frank. The gold ring is a treasured family heirloom. It now belongs to Jerome Hunter and was given to him by Curt Wildridge on the occasion of the golden wedding anniversary of Jerome's parents Paul & Leota Hunter
Frank Hunter died 7 March 1924 from a heart attack brought on by the exertion of using an old fiddle--style seeder to sow grass seed. He was buried in Bethany Cemetery. One of the obituries written about him said, "The deceased man whose word was as good as his bond was an outstanding representative of the fast-passing type of citizen that has done much to make Daviess County a leading Inadiana community. It can be said with all candidness that in his death the county has suffered an irrepairable loss."
Francis M. Hunterage 78 years, died this morning at 8:40 at his home south of Montgomery. He had been in poor health for a long time, and had been confined to his bed for ten days. Mr. Hunter was a farmer, and was well known throughout the county. He leaves a widow and five childre, Mrs. Daniel liddle, of Vincennes, Austine Hunter, Mrs. Lewis Harris, Mrs. Robert Wildridge all of Barr Township, and Mrs. Curtis Ellis of Steele Township. He is also survived by a brother, William Albert Hunter of Chanute, Kan., and a sister, Mrs. Laura McGehee of Howard, Kan. He leaves ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Mr. Hunter was a member of the Bethany Christian church, where the funeral services will be conducted Sunday morning at 10:30. Burial in the churchyard.
Last update on --