William Madison

In 1860 he was a 32 year old brick layer in Philadelphia. At age 44 he mustered as a Private in Company H, 118th Pennsylvania Infantry on 8 August 1862.

He was wounded in action at Boteler's Ford near Shepherdstown, VA on 20 September 1862 (his 45th birthday) by a gunshot through his left cheek which exited just below his right ear, breaking his jaw and carrying away his uvula and "lateral half arches."

He lost a lot of blood and a surgeon removed some tissue from his mouth in a field hospital. He was admitted to the Broad & Cherry Streets Hospital in Philadelphia on 27 September and improved rapidly: his wounds healed, his jawbone knit, and he was walking about by 1 November. He transferred to Company D, 16th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps on 10 September 1863 and was discharged as a Sergeant.

He began receiving a pension for disability in December 1865. In that month a pension examiner noted that he had no sense of taste, his tongue was paralyzed on the left side, and his hearing in the right ear and sense of smell were impaired. By 1880 he was in Camden, NJ, still laying bricks at age 62.

His service from Smith1 and Bates.2 Wound and hospital details from the MSHWR.3 Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1860 & 1880.

He married Mary Ann Wister (1818-1853) and they had 6 sons and a daughter between 1837 and 1850. He married again, Sarah (?, c. 1820-) and had another son, William, Jr. (c. 1858-) by 1860.

09/20/1817 in PA

07/19/1889; Camden, NJ