John W. Young

In 1861 he was a 24 year old training to be a lawyer in Springfield, Otsego County, NY. He helped recruit a company in the Otsego Regiment and enrolled with them on 28 September 1861 as Captain; they became Company K, 76th New York Infantry when the regiment completed organization in January 1862.

He took over command of the 76th New York Infantry as senior officer present on 14 September 1862 when Colonel Wainwright moved up to command the Brigade.

He and the rest of the brigade were held in reserve north of the Poffenberger farm to protect General Hooker's First Corps artillery at Antietam on 17 September 1862.

He was wounded at Gettysburg, PA on 1 July 1863 and briefly captured there, but was left behind on the field on 4 July and returned to his own army. He was promoted to Major to rank from 30 September 1863 and rejoined his regiment in October. He was slightly wounded and captured in the Wilderness, VA on 5 May 1864 and held at Danville, VA, Augusta and Macon,GA, Charleston and Columbia, SC, and Charlotte, Raleigh and Goldsboro, NC. He escaped from the prison camp at Columbia, SC in November 1864 and got 300 miles before he was recaptured after a month in the open. He was paroled on 1 March 1865, and was at Camp Parole in Annapolis, MD by 14 March, when and was discharged.

He was a lawyer in Cooperstown, NY and went to Ypsilanti, MI to practice, date not given.

His service from the Adjutant General1 and Smith.2 His picture from a photograph shared by collector Jeff Kowalis to accompany a biographical sketch on the 76th NYSV website. Personal details also from his death notice in the Anne Arbor Argus of 31 October 1879. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

1836; Springfield, NY

10/22/1879; Ypsilanti, MI; burial in Highland Cemetery, Ypsilanti, MI