JOHN DUNN (JOHN COOLAW) -- 83rd and 97th INFANTRYUSED AN ALIAS IN THE ARMY - After the Battle of Gettysburg on July 4,1863, the 83rd Infantry recruited almost 80 men in Plattsburgh. JohnDunn used the alias, John Coolow. Even though he was born in Ireland, hegave his birthplace as New York. His name had been on the DraftRegistration List since May, and he was drafted. In addition to thebounty he got for enlisting, he received \$300 for being a substitute.The new men spent the rest of the year in the Army of the Potomac underGeneral Meade fighting against General Lee and his Army of NorthernVirginia. Meade had over 75,000 men under his command and Lee had about45,000 -- their two major engagements that fall were the BristoeCampaign and the Mine Run Campaign before the regiment settled in forthe winder along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad.During their first engagement of 1864 at the Wilderness John was injuredand sent to hospital. While he was in hospital, the 83rd came to theend of its term of service and the men who still had time to serve weretransferred to the 97th Infantry. John recovered and spent the rest ofhis enlistment with his new regiment engaged in the Siege of Petersburgand eventually, the Appomattox Campaign. The regiment mustered out atBall's Crossroads in Arlington, VA, while he was using the name JohnConlon.Immediately after the war, he and his wife moved to Michigan and when hedied in 1922, his wife had his body sent back to Norwich in ChenangoCounty where he had extended family. Isabella received her WidowsPension until 1938 when she died and was buried beside him in the MountHope Cemetery.
