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Confederate (CSV)

Private

Joseph T. Hay

(c. 1839 - ?)

Home State: Virginia

Branch of Service: Artillery

Unit: Parker's Richmond (VA) Battery

Before Sharpsburg

Age 23, he enlisted and mustered as a Private in Parker's Richmond Battery, Light Artillery on 14 March 1862 in Richmond.

On the Campaign

At Sharpsburg on 17 September 1862:

Not only in front, but from the flank the enemy pour their fire into us. A shot ploughs through the bowels of our lead horses, and crushes the leg of Warburton, the driver. The two remaining horses plunge wildly about, trying to extricate themselves from the fallen horses in front. At this critical moment Joe Hay, with his pocket-knife, cuts the harness, and we are then ordered to fall back ...

The rest of the War

He was captured on Marye's Heights near Fredericksburg, VA on 3 May 1863 and wounded at Knoxville, TN in December. He was detailed to the battalion headquarters in March 1864 to make harnesses, with no further military record.

References & notes

Service information from Musselman1 via the Historical Data Systems database. The quote above from Royall W. Figg in "Where men only dare to go!" or, The story of a Boy Company (C.S.A.) (1885); thanks to Andy Cardinal for the pointer to that volume.

The Historical Data Systems database says he was admitted to the Lee Camp Soldier's Home in Richmond, VA on 26 October 1907, died there on 7 November 1908, and was originally buried in Hollywood Cemetery. That Joseph Hay (1837-1908) identified his service as being in Company H, 9th Virginia Infantry 1861-65 [via Findagrave].

Birth

c. 1839

Notes

1   Musselman, Homer D., The Caroline Light, Parker and Stafford Light Virginia Artillery, Lynchburg (Va): H.E. Howard, Inc., 1992  [AotW citation 23394]