Spouse:
Martha J. McHenry Potter (1849-1885)
Edward Potter
"E" Co. IL 14th Infantry
Residence Petersburg IL;
Enlisted on 5/25/1861 as a Private.
On 5/25/1861 he mustered into "E" Co. IL 14th Infantry
Edward enlisted into Company E, 14th Illinois Infantry. His side was crushed by a cannon during a battle at Shiloh and he was hospitalized, then released. On a march between Pittsburgh Landing, TN and Corinth, MS, he contracted dysentary and chronic diarreha. Edward was granted a medical leave of absence and went to his home in Menard County to recuperate and expected to be discharged. For some reason his company commander did not receive his certificate of disability and Edward was labeled a deserter. While the army considered him to be a deserter, Edward was at home for two years, where he was arrested and put in prison. A personal friend of Edward and law partner of President Lincoln (who was William Herndon) interceeded on his behalf and Lincoln pardoned him. Edward went back into service and was soon captured by Confederate troops. I have read where he was at Andersonville Prison for a time, but I have not been able to confirm this. He was released in a prisoner exchange at Sisters Ferry, GA May 04, 1865. Soon therafter as the war was coming to a close. Later, Edward applied for a pension and the subject of his desertion came up, but he was cleared of this charge again.
OAKLAND CEMETERY OBITUARIES
Petersburg Observer, June 3, 1927, Page 1
Springfield Illinois State Journal, 28 May 1927, page 5.
~SOLDIER WHOM LINCOLN FREED~
Military Information submitted to me (Bev) by Mike Keller of Windsor, CA. Family researcher of the Potter family.
Thank You Mike!
In 1880, Edward Potter lived in Missouri at the same time as his brother Andrew Jackson Potter(1848-1932), his wife Mary, and another brother James Potter (1843-1890) and his wife Martha Jane Clary (1847-1923). His wife, Martha J. McHenry Potter (1849-1885) died there in 1885.
Edward Potter's father, John, was a close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and quoted frequently in the book "Herndon Informants". Most likely John Potter was involved in the contact with Mr. Lincoln regarding his son's enlistment.
Abraham Lincoln interceded on behalf of many members of the extended families of Potter, Green and Armstrong in Menard County. Most of the members of those families were related to each other through intermarriage over their travels together before reaching Illinois. They were all personal friends of Mr. Lincoln from his days in New Salem.
In fact, Edward's second cousin William "Duff" Armstrong(1833-1899) was given a handwritten discharge from an Army Hospital where he was being treated for typhus during the Civil War. It was the only handwritten discharge from the service ever hand written by a President of the United States, and it was done while Mr. Lincoln and Duff's mother, Hannah Jones Armstrong (1810-1890)were talking over old times in the Whitehouse. Aunt Hannah went to the Whitehouse gate and asked to see Mr. Lincoln and was admitted after Mr. Lincoln was told she was there.
Martha J. McHenry Potter (1849-1885)
Edward Potter
"E" Co. IL 14th Infantry
Residence Petersburg IL;
Enlisted on 5/25/1861 as a Private.
On 5/25/1861 he mustered into "E" Co. IL 14th Infantry
Edward enlisted into Company E, 14th Illinois Infantry. His side was crushed by a cannon during a battle at Shiloh and he was hospitalized, then released. On a march between Pittsburgh Landing, TN and Corinth, MS, he contracted dysentary and chronic diarreha. Edward was granted a medical leave of absence and went to his home in Menard County to recuperate and expected to be discharged. For some reason his company commander did not receive his certificate of disability and Edward was labeled a deserter. While the army considered him to be a deserter, Edward was at home for two years, where he was arrested and put in prison. A personal friend of Edward and law partner of President Lincoln (who was William Herndon) interceeded on his behalf and Lincoln pardoned him. Edward went back into service and was soon captured by Confederate troops. I have read where he was at Andersonville Prison for a time, but I have not been able to confirm this. He was released in a prisoner exchange at Sisters Ferry, GA May 04, 1865. Soon therafter as the war was coming to a close. Later, Edward applied for a pension and the subject of his desertion came up, but he was cleared of this charge again.
OAKLAND CEMETERY OBITUARIES
Petersburg Observer, June 3, 1927, Page 1
Springfield Illinois State Journal, 28 May 1927, page 5.
~SOLDIER WHOM LINCOLN FREED~
Military Information submitted to me (Bev) by Mike Keller of Windsor, CA. Family researcher of the Potter family.
Thank You Mike!
In 1880, Edward Potter lived in Missouri at the same time as his brother Andrew Jackson Potter(1848-1932), his wife Mary, and another brother James Potter (1843-1890) and his wife Martha Jane Clary (1847-1923). His wife, Martha J. McHenry Potter (1849-1885) died there in 1885.
Edward Potter's father, John, was a close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and quoted frequently in the book "Herndon Informants". Most likely John Potter was involved in the contact with Mr. Lincoln regarding his son's enlistment.
Abraham Lincoln interceded on behalf of many members of the extended families of Potter, Green and Armstrong in Menard County. Most of the members of those families were related to each other through intermarriage over their travels together before reaching Illinois. They were all personal friends of Mr. Lincoln from his days in New Salem.
In fact, Edward's second cousin William "Duff" Armstrong(1833-1899) was given a handwritten discharge from an Army Hospital where he was being treated for typhus during the Civil War. It was the only handwritten discharge from the service ever hand written by a President of the United States, and it was done while Mr. Lincoln and Duff's mother, Hannah Jones Armstrong (1810-1890)were talking over old times in the Whitehouse. Aunt Hannah went to the Whitehouse gate and asked to see Mr. Lincoln and was admitted after Mr. Lincoln was told she was there.
Spouse:
Martha J. McHenry Potter (1849-1885)
Edward Potter
"E" Co. IL 14th Infantry
Residence Petersburg IL;
Enlisted on 5/25/1861 as a Private.
On 5/25/1861 he mustered into "E" Co. IL 14th Infantry
Edward enlisted into Company E, 14th Illinois Infantry. His side was crushed by a cannon during a battle at Shiloh and he was hospitalized, then released. On a march between Pittsburgh Landing, TN and Corinth, MS, he contracted dysentary and chronic diarreha. Edward was granted a medical leave of absence and went to his home in Menard County to recuperate and expected to be discharged. For some reason his company commander did not receive his certificate of disability and Edward was labeled a deserter. While the army considered him to be a deserter, Edward was at home for two years, where he was arrested and put in prison. A personal friend of Edward and law partner of President Lincoln (who was William Herndon) interceeded on his behalf and Lincoln pardoned him. Edward went back into service and was soon captured by Confederate troops. I have read where he was at Andersonville Prison for a time, but I have not been able to confirm this. He was released in a prisoner exchange at Sisters Ferry, GA May 04, 1865. Soon therafter as the war was coming to a close. Later, Edward applied for a pension and the subject of his desertion came up, but he was cleared of this charge again.
OAKLAND CEMETERY OBITUARIES
Petersburg Observer, June 3, 1927, Page 1
Springfield Illinois State Journal, 28 May 1927, page 5.
~SOLDIER WHOM LINCOLN FREED~
Military Information submitted to me (Bev) by Mike Keller of Windsor, CA. Family researcher of the Potter family.
Thank You Mike!
In 1880, Edward Potter lived in Missouri at the same time as his brother Andrew Jackson Potter(1848-1932), his wife Mary, and another brother James Potter (1843-1890) and his wife Martha Jane Clary (1847-1923). His wife, Martha J. McHenry Potter (1849-1885) died there in 1885.
Edward Potter's father, John, was a close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and quoted frequently in the book "Herndon Informants". Most likely John Potter was involved in the contact with Mr. Lincoln regarding his son's enlistment.
Abraham Lincoln interceded on behalf of many members of the extended families of Potter, Green and Armstrong in Menard County. Most of the members of those families were related to each other through intermarriage over their travels together before reaching Illinois. They were all personal friends of Mr. Lincoln from his days in New Salem.
In fact, Edward's second cousin William "Duff" Armstrong(1833-1899) was given a handwritten discharge from an Army Hospital where he was being treated for typhus during the Civil War. It was the only handwritten discharge from the service ever hand written by a President of the United States, and it was done while Mr. Lincoln and Duff's mother, Hannah Jones Armstrong (1810-1890)were talking over old times in the Whitehouse. Aunt Hannah went to the Whitehouse gate and asked to see Mr. Lincoln and was admitted after Mr. Lincoln was told she was there.
Martha J. McHenry Potter (1849-1885)
Edward Potter
"E" Co. IL 14th Infantry
Residence Petersburg IL;
Enlisted on 5/25/1861 as a Private.
On 5/25/1861 he mustered into "E" Co. IL 14th Infantry
Edward enlisted into Company E, 14th Illinois Infantry. His side was crushed by a cannon during a battle at Shiloh and he was hospitalized, then released. On a march between Pittsburgh Landing, TN and Corinth, MS, he contracted dysentary and chronic diarreha. Edward was granted a medical leave of absence and went to his home in Menard County to recuperate and expected to be discharged. For some reason his company commander did not receive his certificate of disability and Edward was labeled a deserter. While the army considered him to be a deserter, Edward was at home for two years, where he was arrested and put in prison. A personal friend of Edward and law partner of President Lincoln (who was William Herndon) interceeded on his behalf and Lincoln pardoned him. Edward went back into service and was soon captured by Confederate troops. I have read where he was at Andersonville Prison for a time, but I have not been able to confirm this. He was released in a prisoner exchange at Sisters Ferry, GA May 04, 1865. Soon therafter as the war was coming to a close. Later, Edward applied for a pension and the subject of his desertion came up, but he was cleared of this charge again.
OAKLAND CEMETERY OBITUARIES
Petersburg Observer, June 3, 1927, Page 1
Springfield Illinois State Journal, 28 May 1927, page 5.
~SOLDIER WHOM LINCOLN FREED~
Military Information submitted to me (Bev) by Mike Keller of Windsor, CA. Family researcher of the Potter family.
Thank You Mike!
In 1880, Edward Potter lived in Missouri at the same time as his brother Andrew Jackson Potter(1848-1932), his wife Mary, and another brother James Potter (1843-1890) and his wife Martha Jane Clary (1847-1923). His wife, Martha J. McHenry Potter (1849-1885) died there in 1885.
Edward Potter's father, John, was a close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and quoted frequently in the book "Herndon Informants". Most likely John Potter was involved in the contact with Mr. Lincoln regarding his son's enlistment.
Abraham Lincoln interceded on behalf of many members of the extended families of Potter, Green and Armstrong in Menard County. Most of the members of those families were related to each other through intermarriage over their travels together before reaching Illinois. They were all personal friends of Mr. Lincoln from his days in New Salem.
In fact, Edward's second cousin William "Duff" Armstrong(1833-1899) was given a handwritten discharge from an Army Hospital where he was being treated for typhus during the Civil War. It was the only handwritten discharge from the service ever hand written by a President of the United States, and it was done while Mr. Lincoln and Duff's mother, Hannah Jones Armstrong (1810-1890)were talking over old times in the Whitehouse. Aunt Hannah went to the Whitehouse gate and asked to see Mr. Lincoln and was admitted after Mr. Lincoln was told she was there.
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