John Hammer

A 37 year old laborer, he enlisted at Erie, PA on 27 September 1861 and mustered into service as Sergeant, Company H, 111th Pennsylvania Infantry on 2 November 1861. He was reduced to Private on 12 April 1862 and was the regimental color bearer at Cedar Mountain, VA in August.

He was the color bearer and was wounded by gunshot to the mouth while carrying the flag in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862.

He was first treated at the Smoketown field hospital near Sharpsburg, then at a US Army hospital in Frederick, MD from 4 October to 3 December 1862. He was discharged on 29 January 1863 for wounds - for the inability to bite a cartridge. He later served in Muehler's Independent Battery (Battery B), Pennsylvania Volunteers from 5 January 1864 to their muster out on 12 October 1865.

Basic service from Bates1. Further information from the Company H Descriptive Book in the US National Archives, transcribed and provided by Patrick Knierman. Wound and hospital details from Nelson2 and the Patient List.3 His gravesite is on Findagrave.

c. 1824 in SWITZERLAND

12/28/1881; Erie County, PA; burial in Trinity Cemetery, Erie, PA