(later to be darkened after years in the sun). He had dark, auburn hair and blue eyes. [9] He considered himself to be a good swimmer. [10]
John
was a literate man who had taken two years of common education. [11] Though nothing is known of his early
religious affiliations, he later stated that he belonged to Reformed
Presbyterian Church. [11] Though John was
Irish, his Protestantism would be consistent with his father’s upbringing in what
is now modern day Northern Ireland. At
the time of his enlistment, John Henry had listed his occupation as a farmer. [7]
Military Service
On July 29th, 1863, when he was 19, John Henry Walkinshaw enlisted in the army in Northfield County Iowa. As no personal letters are available, it is unclear whether he enlisted out of patriotism, adventure, or for the bounty he collected for his enlistment. He would receive $25 bounty and an advance of one month's pay of $13. [9] (This was not necessarily a substantial sum in those days as a farm hand could expect to be paid between $2 and $3 per day in season. [9] He joined the 8th Cavalry (Iowa), Company D as a private soldier under Captain Christy. [7] He would never rise above that rank.
The Unit
The 8th Iowa Calvary was organized in Davenport, Iowa on September 30th, 1863. The unit was originally attached to the Military Division of the Mississippi from November of 1863 to March of 1864. The unit was first moved to Tennessee [continued on page 5]
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