DANIEL PLATT WADSWORTH -- 4th ARTILLERY and 142nd INFANTRYIN THE ARTILLERY THEN THE INFANTRY - Daniel Platt Wadsworth was about 8 inches taller than the average Civil War Soldier -- 6' 3½". He first enlisted in the 4th Artillery in August 1862, when he was 21 years old and received a town bounty of \$50 and a county bounty of \$48 from the Town of Wells in Hamilton County. He almost immediately became ill and was sent to hospital. When he left of his own accord, he was recorded as being deserter in November 1863.After a few months, he enlisted in the 142nd Infantry on September 3, 1864, and his enlistment was credited to Plattsburgh. The regiment was in need of recruits after a hard three months of fighting before Petersburg where they had over 200 casualties. Daniel arrived on the field from the Recruit Depot just in time to fight at the Battle of Darbytown Road which started on October 27th. During this battle, they had 103 casualties, mostly from the new recruits.After this battle, the 142nd spent the rest of the war in North Carolina. Following the battles at Fort Fisher, they joined the Campaign of the Carolinas under General Sherman and were at the Bennet House near Raleigh when General Johnston surrendered to Sherman on April 26, 1865.When he mustered out at Raleigh in June, Daniel went back to Hamilton County and worked in the lumber business to support his four children from his two marriages. He died in 1907 and was buried in the Wells Cemetery in Wells next to his first wife, Mary Craig. He chose to record his service in the 142nd Infantry on his stone.
