NATHAN GIBBS AXTELL -- 192nd INFANTRYTHREE FROM CLINTONVILLE WENT SOUTH - Inthe third week of March 1865, three 18-year-olds from the Town of AuSable enlisted in the 192nd Infantry. Thomas Corrigan, of Clintonville,was born in Ireland, the son of Andrew and Sarah Corrigan. He was 5' 2¼"tall and had red hair and blue eyes. For enlisting, he received a townbounty of \$300 and a county bounty of \$33. Elbridge Edwards, thetallest of the three was 5' 5" tall, with blue eyes and light hair. Hewas a moulder in Clintonville, the son of Lazarus Edwards and Sarah Gay,and received a \$675 town bounty for enlistment. The third, John Keese,a shoemaker from Clintonville, was the son of Daniel Keese and MargaretSpellman, and was 5' 4" tall with grey eyes and dark hair. He received atown bounty of \$850.They were mustered into Company H of the newly-formed regiment on March28th, less than a month before the surrender of General Lee. Theregiment was formed under Colonel Nathan G. Axtell, formerly of the 30thand 142nd Infantries, 2-year regiments that had been disbanded in 1863,was known as the "fighting Chaplain." In all he recruited, 1,347 men forthe regiment. Fully a third of them deserted, many before they got tothe field or while they were sick in hospital in Cumberland, MD.The 10 companies of the 192nd were sent to Washington in detachments inMarch and April 1865 and served with the 3rd Provisional Division of theArmy of the Shenandoah. The regiment weren't in any engagements butprovided garrison services before they were mustered out on August 28,1865 at Cumberland, MD. John was mustered out for disability on August2nd, and spent most of his time in the military in hospital. He waslucky. During the 6-month tenure of the 192nd, 26 of his comrades diedof disease -- 3 from his own company.Thomas Corrigan is a common name in the Clinton County area, but nograve for this Thomas can be found. Fourteen men by that name appliedfor pension -- none of them him. Seven were on the 1890 VeteransSchedules. One Thomas Corrigan, son of Owen and Ann Corrigan of Saranac,was murdered in Mexico in 1889 while he was mining there, leaving awife, Josefa Amavisca, and two daughters.\Elbridge Edwards died of tuberculosis in 1905 and is buried in theMountain Home National Cemetery in Johnson City, TN. The home is on thesite of the Mountain Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.
