Lee Military
Jesse M. Lee - Civil War veteran
Jesse M. Lee enlisted in the Army on August 13, 1861 in the 2nd Ohio Infantry, Company B and served as a private. He was with the company in the campaign through eastern Kentucky in Fall of 1861 under General Nelson and was with Co. B at Louisville and after there with the company at New Johnesboro, Tennessee.
A letter from the Adjutant General's Office (dated November 1881) says Jesse was absent without leave in Sept and Oct 1861 and was listed as a deserter on Nov. 28, 1861. He was listed as absent in the muster rolls in 1862. until he supposedly returned to the company in March 1863. According to his former captain, John F. Gallaher (Doc #131) Jesse was with the regiment at Manchester, Tenn. but was unable to march and was sent to the rear to guard property. Gallaher also said that Jesse rejoined the regiment August 25, 1863. But then Jesse was "left sick" at Bridgeport Tenn. (other records say Bridgeport Alabama; Bridgeport was originally known as Jonesville)) Sept. 5, 1863 and was in hospital at Camp Dennison Ohio in Nov. and Dec. 1863 (although Doc #131 says he wasn't admitted to the hospital until Dec. 2, 1863). If the other story of his being in the hospital in Tennesse first is true, then he likely injured himself in September or October in Tenn. and was moved to Ohio in November and took him nearly two months to die of his wounds. He died on Dec. 22 or 23, 1863 at Camp Dennison in Ohio. According to some of his military papers, he cut himself while recuperating in a Nashville, Tenn. hospital but later died at Camp Dennison of gangrene after a "suicidal incised wound." Whether he committed suicide or died of wounds suffered in battle was debated between the government and his widow. His widow's application for his military pension was rejected under Sec. 6 of the Act of July 4, 1864, requiring further inquiry - presumably because he was supposed to have committed suicide. There is testimony from a former neighbor stating he wasn't in a sound mental state in the months before his death. His wife, Catherine Floyd Lee, spent many years attempting to receive his military pension and refuting the suicide determination. Signed affidvaits from other soldiers - dated 1882 - said Jesse was with the company in Kentucky in the fall of 1861 and according to Joseph Woodward (#105-106) he was involved in 2 skirmishes in this campaign - one at West Liberty and one at Pike Town Ky. Considering these affidavits are used to support the government's position that Jesse was in a poor mental state and committed suicide, and that the soldiers' statements to Jesse's whereabouts weren't disputed, I believe he was involved in those campaigns. You can't say he was a deserter and then a year later claim that he went crazy from his involvement in campaigns that he was supposedly never in because he'd deserted. Because of the circumstances of his death - a possible suicide - his widow was never able to successfully receive his pension. Her children, John R., Prudence and Charles, tried to claim his pension after her death but they also were rejected - this time on the grounds that they were over 16 years old when Catherine died. However, they were minors when Jesse M. Lee had died. To see his military pension files, courtesy of Peggy Dyas who scanned them all, please check out her yahoogroups site for the 2nd Regiment Ohio Infantry (she may have other documents of interest) or click here for some of the files. Peggy Dyas and I formed a free Facebook group for descendants and researchers of Jesse Lee called Lee Family History if there are others interested in joining our group and sharing information. |
National colors of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry where Jesse M. Lee served during the Civil War. Rectangular flag measures 208 cm high by 195 cm wide. Text on flag reads: Ivy Mountain; Stone River; 2nd OVI; Lookout Mountain; Perryville; Hoover's Gap; Chickamauga; Missionary Ridge. Pinned to flag are three streamers from reunions held in Addison, Goshen and Middletown.
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