Thomas Abbott

Age 26, he enrolled at Great Neck and mustered in as 2nd Lieutenant, Company B, 42nd New York Infantry on 22 June 1861. He transferred to Company A on 22 July and was promoted First Lieutenant the next day. He transferred to Company D on 19 September, and mustered as Captain, Company E on 19 February 1862.

He was wounded by gunshot in the left thigh, with compound fracture, in action on 17 September 1862 at Antietam.

He was in the Stone House Hosptial, Sharpsburg, and then in Frederick, MD. He was still in Frederick in December 1862 when he wrote of his experience at Antietam:

When we first engaged the enemy, my command, being the third company in line, were resting on high mound, or rise of ground, which exposed them to the raking fire of the enemy. There the brave Louis (Souvey) fell with several others, badly wounded. Seeing that I was fast losing my men I advanced the remainder of my command about ten paces off the high ground, into a hollow, where there was some cover. There I had the misfortune to fall myself, being shot through the thigh, from which I was still confined to my bed on the following day.

Basic information from State of New York1. Casualty details from Nelson2. The letter quoted above originally from the National Archives, transcribed online by John Banks in a fine post about the search for Private Louis Souvey, also of Company E.

c. 1835