Joseph Fuller Buchanan
Representing: Union
Unit History
- 17th Illinois Infantry B
Full Unit History
17th ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: 5/1861 Peoria, IL
Mustered In: 5/26/1861 Peoria, IL
Mustered Out: 6/4/1864 Springfield, IL
Regimental History
REGIMENTAL HISTORY:
The 17th was a three year infantry regiment. During the American Civil War (ACW) its period of service was within the western theater of operations.
In late 7/1861 the unit departed the state and moved into Missouri where it performed garrison duty at Birds’ Point. From there, it proceeded to Kentucky where it aided in the construction of Ft. Holt Following that, the regiment was sent in pursuit of Confed. forces under the command of Gen. Jeff Thompson. The Rebels were met and defeated at Fredericktown, MO (10/21/1861), but the clash cost the 17th several killed and wounded. One day later, at Greenfield, AR, the regiment lost one (1) killed and several wounded. Early 1862 found the 17th at forts Henry and Donelson in Tennessee. Again, several men were lost.
Next, on 4/6/1862 came the sanguinary battle of Pittsburg Landing/Shiloh, TN. Following a disastrous first day, on the second the Gray forces were driven from the field. The two days of fighting cost the 17th some one hundred thirty (130) killed and wounded.
A period of provost (military police) duty at Bolivar, KY preceded a late, 1862 expedition to Luka. In December the unit marched to Memphis, TN.
The dawn of 1863 saw the 17th join the forces of Union Gen. U.S. Grant as they moved upon Vicksburg, MS. After the investment (siege) and fall of that city (7/4/1863) the regiment remained there performing garrison duty and making incursions into enemy territory in both Mississippi and Louisiana. The unit then returned to Vicksburg for the winter.
In the spring of 1864 the 17th returned to Springfield, IL for final muster and discharge. A sufficient number of men not having re-enlisted to maintain the 17th as a veteran unit, those men not discharged and sent home were assimilated into the 8th Illinois Infantry. That unit was mustered out and discharged during spring, 1866.
REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 3; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 1; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 71; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 71.*
*The 17th is the only known regiment to have lost an equal number of enlisted men in combat and to accidents, disease, etc.
Soldier History
SOLDIER:
Residence: Lacon Marshall County, IL Age: ca. 27 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 5/25/1861 Peoria, IL Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 5/25/1861
Discharged: 1/3/1862 Cape Girardeau, MO
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.
Family History
PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:
Joseph F. Buchanan was born during 4/1834. No specific birth date is documented. The place of his birthing was Janesville, OH.
Father of Joseph was Fuller Buchanan. His mother was Mahala (nee Bowen) Buchanan.
Sometime during the year 1856 Joseph married. His bride was Sophia Jane (nee Truitt) Buchanan. Sophia had been born 10/12/1846 in Ohio.
During their years together Joseph and Sophia produced at least five children. They were May Buchanan, Henry Buchanan, Jeannie Buchanan, William Buchanan and John Buchanan.
By mid-1912 the Buchanans were residing in the Silver Beach area of Whatcom County, WA. It was there on 7/8/1912 that Sophia died.
MRS. S.J. BUCHANAN IS CALLED TO REST (in part):
Mrs. Sophia Jane Buchanan passed away at the family residence, corner Adams and Bennett streets yesterday morning after suffering for several months with rheumatism. She was 75 years old at the time of her death. She leaves a husband and three children to mourn her loss. (Burial was/is in the Buchanan Cemetery).
Joseph, too, died in Silver Beach. Burial was/is in the Buchanan Cemetery with Sophia. **
Newspaper Notice (In Part):
J.F. Buchanan, civil war veteran and resident of Whatcom County for the past thirty-two years, was found dead in his bedroom on Flynn Avenue of Silver Beach yesterday morning by a neighbor. Mr. Buchanan had not been feeling strong for some time, but on Saturday spent several hours digging potatoes, but whether his death was due to over exertion is not known. He was 85 years of age. He is survived by two daughters and one son.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
** Joseph’s remains may have been sent to Seattle King County, WA before being returned to Whatcom County for interment.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________NOTE: The preceding courtesy of Whatcom Genealogical Society. See our Links page for information on obtaining the down load Civil War Veterans in Whatcom County (with June 2014 updates) from which the bulk of the above information was drawn.
Posted: 3/25/2024
Updated:
(NOTE: If Joseph Fuller Buchanan grave was ever marked, and it may have been marked by a government issued marker, one of the owners of the property decided that the cemetery was an eyesore and, apparently, removed all the monuments. Their parents and grandparents were apparently not buried there. SAD! SAD! SAD!)
Private JOSEPH FULLER BUCHANAN, Co. B, 17th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry & Co. B, 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Joseph Fuller Buchanan was born c. April 10, 1832 in Zanesville, Ohio in Muskingum County. Joseph F. Buchanan was the son of Fuller Buchanan and Mahala (Bowen) Buchanan. Joseph Fuller Buchanan was married to Sophia Jane Truitt c. September of 1856/58. Sophia was born c.
According to the 1900 census, Joseph and Sophia were the parents of six children, only three of whom were still living in 1900. They include;
- Mahala A. "May" Buchanan, born c. 1865 in Illinois. May died on 13 Jan 1919 and her mortal remains were laid in the Bayview Cemetery in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington.
- Henry Buchanan, born c. 1866, most likely in Illinois, but at least record says Ohio.
- William Buchanan, born c. 1869.
- Jennie Nancy Buchanan, born 24 Aug 1870 in Kansas.
- John L. Buchanan, born c. 20 Aug 1872, possibly in Minnesota.
At some point prior to 1861, Joseph came west to Illinois, where he settled in or near Lacon, Illinois in Marshall County. On May 10, 1861, less than a month after Fort Sumter had been fired on by rebel forces in Charleston, South Carolina's harbor, Joseph Fuller Buchanan was among the first men from the State of Illinois to volunteer to defend the Union. The company he volunteered to serve in was assigned as Co. B of the 17th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Joseph would serve for several months before apparently suffering some sort of "Rupture." Joseph was sent to a hospital in Camp Girardeau, Missouri, where after recovering to some extent, was discharged from the service on January 3, 1862.
Following is the record of his service with the 17th Illinois from the Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report in the Illinois State Archives;
Name BUCHANAN, JOSEPH Rank PVT
Company B Unit 17 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence LACON, MARSHALL CO, IL
Age 26 Height 6' Hair BROWN Eyes BLUE
Complexion LIGHT Marital Status MARRIED
Occupation FARMER Nativity JANESVILLE, OH
Service Record
Joined When MAY 25, 1861 Joined Where PEORIA, IL
Joined By Whom ______ Period 3 YRS
Muster In MAY 25, 1861 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom _____ Muster Out _____
Muster Out Where ____ Muster Out By Whom ____
Remarks DISCHARGED JAN 3, 1862 CAPE GIRARDEAU MO "RUPTURED"
Joseph Buchanan returned to his home in Central Illinois after he was discharged and with the help of family, some rest and some home cooking, he slowly regained his health. During this time of recovery, it appears that he and his family moved a little west into Stark County, Illinois, where they apparently resided in Peru Township.
By August of 1862, with the Civil War still raging and with burning desire to serve his country, Joseph Buchanan felt he was well enough to, again, serve his country in uniform and he volunteered to serve in a company that was being raised in the Marshall County area by a well known farmer, Orlando Fountain.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report
from the Illinois State Archives:
Name BUCHANAN, JOSEPH Rank PVT
Company E Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence PERU, STARK CO, IL
Age 26 Height 6' Hair BROWN Eyes BLUE
Complexion LIGHT Marital Status MARRIED
Occupation FARMER
Nativity ZANESVILLE, MUSKINGUM CO, OH
Service Record
Joined When AUG 15, 1862 Joined Where PENN, IL
Joined By Whom O FOUNTAIN Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom ____ Muster Out ____
Muster Out Where ____ Muster Out By Whom ____
Remarks DISCHARGED
When Orlando Fountain had about 100 volunteers, he led the company on a march into Peoria, Illinois, where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Fountain and 88 of his volunteers, including now Private Joseph Buchanan, were mustered into the service as Co. E of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Fountain was elected by the men of Co. E to be their Captain.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out of the gates of Camp Lyon, with much fanfare, through the streets of Peoria down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. At the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt in Jeffersonville, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. Three weeks later the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois were in the field in Kentucky as part of Colonel Daniel McCook's Brigade as part of the Union army commanded by General Buehl, who was in pursuit of Confederate troops. The 85th & 86th would remain together for the entire war.
On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were briefly engaged with those Confederate troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, suffering their first casualties. There would be many more in the next few years. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee, where they would go into winter camp.
Even before the men of McCook's Brigade had left Camp Joe Holt back in Indiana, the green troops were already having health issues from the change in diet and living conditions. Many were left behind sick in Army Hospitals in Louisville when McCook's Brigade went on the Kentucky Campaign. After the Battle of Perryville, the men of McCook's Brigade passed through and spent several days in Bowling Green, Kentucky and then Gallatin, Tennessee on their way to Nashville. More men were left behind sick in makeshift Army Hospitals in Bowling Green and in Gallatin, as the men of McCook's Brigade continued their march to Nashville. It now appears that Private Joseph Buchanan was one of those sick soldiers left behind in Gallatin, Tennessee.
Whatever his ailment, it now appears that nothing the doctors did seemed to help Private Buchanan. They again, like before, decided that the best thing they could do for Private Buchanan and send him home. So, apparently, sometime in January of 1863, Private Joseph Fuller Buchanan was honorably discharged from the service for disability and sent home. After he discharged he returned to Central Illinois and his family.
What few records that have been found on this family after the Civil War are very confusing. Some records have them in Ohio, or Minnesota, or Kansas in the 1860's and 1870's, though they have yet to be found in any 1870 or 1880 census. Then about 1885/86, Joseph and Sophia are known to have moved the family west to Washington State, where they settled in the Silver Beach area of Whatcom County, Washington. Sophia Jane (Truitt) Buchanan died there on July 8, 1912. Following is part of her obituary;
"MRS. S. J. BUCHANAN IS CALLED TO REST
Mrs. Sophia Jane Buchanan passed away at the family residence, corner Adams and Bennett streets yesterday morning after suffering for several months with rheumatism. She was 75 years old at the time of her death. She leaves a husband and three children to mourn her loss."
Sophia's mortal remains were laid in the Buchanan Family Cemetery.
Joseph Fuller Buchanan lived another five years, passing away on October 21, 1917 in or near Silver Beach as well. His mortal remains were laid beside those of his beloved Sophia Jane.
Following is a portion of his obituary;
"J.F. Buchanan, civil war veteran and resident of Whatcom County for the past thirty-two years, was found dead in his bedroom on Flynn Avenue of Silver Beach yesterday morning by a neighbor. Mr. Buchanan had not been feeling strong for some time, but on Saturday spent several hours digging potatoes, but whether his death was due to over exertion is not known. He was 85 years of age. He is survived by two daughters and one son."
It is not known if Civil War veteran Joseph Fuller Buchanan's grave was ever marked with the Government Marker that he EARNED and sadly, the Buchanan Cemetery which has always been on private property in no longer owned by a member of the Buchanan Family. The current owner of that property does not allow access to the cemetery, so the final resting place of this veteran of the Civil War can not be marked or flagged.
by Merrily Lawson and Baxter B. Fite III, Historian, 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Last NameFirst NameBirth DateDeath DateNotes
BuchananHenry1865Oct. 2 1890Age 23 y 6 m; Born in Ohio
BuchananJoseph FullerApr. 1834Oct. 20 1917Died in Bellingham
BuchananSophia JaneSept. 5 1901..
BuchananSophia JaneOct. 12 1836July 8 1912Age 75; Born in Ohio
BuchananWilliam.May 25 1893Age 21
JensenAndreaJan 1865Mar. 17 1907Age 41; Born in Germany
JensenJonas P....
JensenJonas P....
JensenWolff1820Dec. 2 1907Born in Schleswig-Holstein Denmark
LarsonLaurisJan. 3 1891Aug. 8 1891.
LarsonOleNov. 1861Dec. 20 1891.
LombardGeorge R.Aug. 5 1848Apr. 1 1916Born in New York
PerrySilas...
PetersonIsaac.Jan. 10 1908.
PopeWilliam Everett..Age 6
RowlandAnna May.Aug. 1901Age 12
RowlandHarrison M.Aug. 18881902Born in Nebraska
Gravesite Details
Cemetery located on private and inaccessible land. No markers visible as of 1974.
Cemetery
Buried at Buchanan Cemetery