John Norton Haney

In 1860 he was a 19 year old carpenter, like his 5 younger brothers, living with his parents on their farm at Culpeper, VA. He enlisted in Fredericksburg, VA on 13 April 1862 and mustered as a Private in Company A, 30th Virginia Infantry. He was promoted to Corporal on 1 September 1862.

He was in action in and near the West Woods at Sharpsburg on the morning of 17 September 1862 ...

The men were rushing over the fence in the face of the withering fire, some of them falling at every step, in fact from the cornfield to this point they had been falling continually, killed or wounded. Oh, it was a proud but an awful moment in my life’s passage to see the beautiful battle flag presented to us by the fair ladies of your town [Fredericksburg, VA] borne gallantly forward by our brave young sergeant J. N. Haney who, clearing the fence at a bound, carried it proudly in front of the regiment until it was halted.

Then the work of death commenced in earnest There we stood alone against a host. Sergeant Haney with the flag was shot down [by a gunshot to his jaw], but it was immediately caught up by one of guard who was wounded in his turn, until nine out of the ten of the colour-guard were wounded, but fortunately only one was killed.

He was furloughed home to recover and returned to duty on 5 March 1863 and was promoted to 5th Sergeant on his return. He was commissioned regimental Ensign on 20 July 1864, was captured at Five Forks, VA on 1 April 1865, and was paroled at Burkeville, VA on 25 April.

By 1880 he was a miller at Granby in Hood County, TX but in 1900 was again a carpenter, in Dallas, TX. By 1910 and to at least 1920 he was a contractor building houses there.

His service from his Compiled Service Records,1 online from fold3, and Krick.2 The battle quote above from a narrative by "J.H.C." (Lt Jacob H. Cridlin?), Company A, in the Fredericksburg Daily Star of 28 June 1912. Personal details from family genealogists (who give a range of birth years for him, from 1839 to 1845) and the US Census of 1860, 1880-1920. His gravesite is on Findagrave; his stone has his birth in 1839.

He married Martha Katharine “Kate” Blake (1850-1944) about 1870 and they had 7 daughters and a son between 1875 and 1896.

11/09/1841; Orange County, VA

12/01/1924; Dallas, TX; burial in Oakland Cemetery, Dallas, TX