The 175 mile trip was likely the farthest he had ever traveled from his home in Franklin County, Illinois. He had traveled, mostly by train, with his brother, Abraham (age 29), and his brother-in-law, William Phillips (age 20). Two other brothers-in-law, Jefferson (age 38) and Joseph (age 27), were among the 21 men sworn in three days later after the regiment had reported to Jefferson Barracks just south of St. Louis.
John joined 45 other men from Franklin and surrounding counties in the mustering in ceremony for Company F on that Saturday morning. During the war, there would be 100 men who were in his company and spent most of those four years in states that had seceded from the Union.
Most of the men inn Company F could read and write. John’s brother, his three brothers-in-law, as well as his wife, could read and write. John could not do either and so was unable to keep a journal nor write letters home to record his experiences. The lack of these basic skills was probably a major factor in his failure to be promoted – he enlisted as a private and was still a private at the end of the war.
This is John’s story as written by his 3rd great grandson, David A. Krueger, Ph.D. It is also the story of the other men in Company F.
Various sources that depict actual events that happened to the men of Company F or other soldiers who fought in the American Civil War have been used to create the journal John might have written.
This website is dedicated with love and appreciation to the memory of John Lance and the men who were in Company F, including at least 14 who died during those four terrible years. It is also dedicated to all of the descendants of those men.
If you have stories, pictures or documents that relate to the 40th Illinois, the author would greatly appreciate your forwarding them to [email protected] along with a statement authorizing their use on this website and on other genealogy websites.
