Peter Close

Born Pierre Clausse, he was a 23 year old laborer at Meadville, PA when he enlisted and mustered on 13 May 1861 as a Private in Company I, 13th Pennsylvania Reserves.

He was with his company in Maryland that September of 1862, and briefly noted his experience in his diary:

Sept. 11, we march today as far as the Pike. It rains all day and night. We are all glum/grumpy.

Sept. 12, we leave this morning after we change our rifles and camp 4 miles beyond New Market, Md. I am well. We hear gunfire.

Sept. 13, we march to the bridge of the Monocacy River; we stay there all day.

Sept. 14, we leave at --- a.m., pass by Frederick, Md., and Middletown, Md., and go as far as [South] mountain, where we have a battle which lasts all afternoon, until 10 p.m. We stay at the top of the mountain.

Sept. 15, we go to the base of the mountain after --- and pass near the batteries. --- all evening we stay at Killersville [Keedysville].

Sept. 16, we go into town this morning, from afternoon to 4 p.m. We begin a battle. Lafety [Lafferty] and --- are wounded.

Sept. 17, this morning at 3 a.m. we advance on the enemy, picket and all. I am wounded early. I go to the rear. Lieut. Bell is also wounded this morning. Antietam.

Sept 18, I go to Killersville, and walk. I do not suffer much.

Sept. 19, I leave this morning. I go to Frederick and climb aboard an ambulance and go to the depot. We stay there until 7 a.m. and leave on the train slowly for Baltimore.

Sept. 20, we arrive at Baltimore at 9 a.m. and go to Stewarts Mansion [Stuart's/Jarvis US General] Hospital. It is thought that my wounds will get better.

In December he was detailed as an orderly in the hospital. In October 1863, still disabled for field service, he was transferred to the 72nd Company, 2nd Battalion, Veteran Reserve Corps. He mustered out at the end of his term of enlistment on 11 June (or 13 August) 1864.

He died relatively young, from complications of his Antietam wound, not yet 36 years old. His widow began to receive a pension in August 1889 based on his service.

Service information from Bates1 and the Card File.2 Antietam and other details from his wartime diary, quoted above, kindly shared by transcriber Annette L Lynch. Further detail from family genealogists, his pension cards online from fold3, and Crawford County, PA court records introduced online by Thomas L. Yoset.

He probably had an illegitimate son Jules (c. 1860) with Rose Curty (later Jacoulet/Jackett) in Meadville, PA. He married the widow Mary Augusta Kuster Hoppe (1841-) in July 1864 in Baltimore and they had 4 children.

He wrote his diary in French and a copy is on microfilm in the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville [finding aid].

11/27/1836; Rillans, Doubs, FRANCE

11/02/1872; Baltimore, MD