John Dunn Company A, 92nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry

Submitted by Debbie Meyer

John Dunn moved to (probably Winslow), Stephenson Co., Illinois in 1843 where he became a blacksmith. He married Priscilla Drane in 1854 and had three children: James, Emma and Lillie. Besides serving as a scout in his regiment, he also worked at his trade, shoeing horses. Several years after John died, Priscilla and the children moved to Nebraska where she homesteaded. Many of Emma and Lillie's descendants are located in Burwell and Lincoln, Nebraska. Many of the descendants of John's siblings remained in Stephenson Co., IL. A Soldier's Obituary Mr. John Dunn was born in Girard, Erie County, Pennsylvania, April 11, 1832 and died about 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, October 8th, 1872, being 40 year 5 months and 27 days of age. In the late Rebellion he served as a soldier of Co. A, 92d, Regiment Illinois Volunteers. He enlisted August 13th, 1862, and was mustered out January 24th, 1865. He endured many privations incident to a soldier's life in active warfare. During a portion of his service he acted the part of a scout, penetrating the revel lines to obtain important information as to the situation of the rebel forces in many of those perilous adventures barely escapting with his life. Serving thus, he not only did his duty without one complaint, but also obtaine valuable information for his commanders. On his return home, while in Baltimore, Md., in 1865, he fell from the cars while in motion, receiving severe injury on his left side, that eventually caused him to bleed to death on the day above mentioned. He was a faithful soldier. lMany of us have known him long and well. Quiet, unpretentious, liberal according to his means, ever genial in spirit and ready for every good word and work, we could not fail to esteem him, nor to regret his loss as a citizen. And now we mourn him as we mourn good men whose lives have been linked with ours upon the field of strife and are numbered with the slain. Noble John Dunn has numbered himself with those for whom a nation mourns, and over those fate the lovers of our county, in our land where he was known, will drop a tear. But while we mourn, let his name be enrolled on the long list of heroes enshrined in the hearts of a grateful nation His funeral was largely attended by soldiers and citizens. The soldiers followed the body to the grave with crape about their arms, thus testifying their esteem for their fallen comrade.

Return to our Civil War Photo Album  * * * Return to The Illinois Civil War Project