John Richard Laughlin was born in Lawrence County, Indiana after August 8, 1835 and before August 9, 1836. In his Volunteer Enlistment papers dated August 8, 1862, he listed his occupation as farmer and his age as 26 years. According to his military records, he was between 6' 1 3/4" and 6' 2 1/2" tall, had a light or fair complexion, blue or gray eyes, and brown hair. John perhaps could not write, as evidenced by his making his mark on his enlistment papers. However, in later papers in which he petitioned for a pension, he did appear to sign his name. His marriage to Sarah A. Smith on December 31, 1853 was performed by Joseph G. Laughlin (presumably his father, Joseph Gillis Laughlin), who signed himself as a "[m]inister."
During the American Civil War, John was a member of Company B of the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, having enlisted for 3 years. In addition to John, two of his brothers, James O. Laughlin and Joseph Hamilton Laughlin, and two of his first cousins, Joseph Dunn Laughlin and John Duncan Laughlin, served in Company B of the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Joseph Dunn Laughlin, John's cousin, enlisted at the same time as John and lied about his age so that he would be accepted (he was too young to fight). Like John, many of the soldiers in the 27th Indiana were tall, well more than half were at least six feet tall, which was considered very tall in that time. One officer was reportedly 6'11". As a result, the 27th came to be known as the giants.
From June 1862 through September 1862, the 27th Indiana Infantry was attached to the Third Brigade, First Division, Second Corps, Army of Virginia. From September 1862 through October 1963, it was attached to the Third Brigade, First Division, Twelfth Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. During his time of service, at the rank of private, the 27th Indiana Infantry saw action at the Battle of Cedar Mountain (though he could not have been present, as the battle took place on August 9, 1862, the day after he had enlisted in Washington, Indiana) and the Battle of Antietam. It also participated in Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia from August 16 - September 2, 1862 and guarded trains of the army during the Second Battle of Bull Run, August 28-30, 1862. From September 6 through September 22, the 27th Indiana Infantry participated in the Maryland Campaign.
John was wounded at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, just six weeks after enlisting. According to his Certificate of Disability for Discharge, a "[b]all entered at the apex of left elbow, passing through joint, & out on the inner side of forearm, 3 inches below joint. Wounds entirely healed, with permanent anchylosis of elbow." In his Declaration for Invalid Army Pension, dated June 15, 1865, it is stated: "[S]aid wound was received at the battle of Antietam on the 17th day of Sep't 1862, in the State of Maryland, whilst the battle was raging and when I was in the act of loading my gun. By reason of said wound the applicant for pension herein sayd [sic] further that he has entirely lost the use of said arm." He asserted the shot had been fired by "the Rebels." John's brother James was also wounded at Antietam, where he was shot "in the left thigh, shattering the femoral bone and severing the tendon connecting with the tibia and fibula."
John's brother Joseph spent a month in a hospital in York, Pennsylvania after the Battle of Gettysburg, but it is unclear from the records if he was injured or was assigned to care for the wounded. His cousin, Joseph Dunn Laughlin, "served for two years and ten months in the 'Army of the Potomac' , then went with the Sherman detachment on the seige and capture of Atlanta, then on with Sherman on the famous 'March to the Sea'. He then entered Co. C. of the 70th Regiment serving till the close of the war. As a loyal supporter of the Union [c]ause, he fought in many of the great battles of that seige, viz. Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gett[y]sburg, Resaca, New Hope Church, Peach Tree Creek and many others on the famous march. He was in the Grand Review and saw the Great Emancipator, Lincoln, as he gazed upon the remnants of this once great army."
John was discharged for disability on February 6, 1863 from the U.S. Army Hospital at Philadelphia and gave his address as of that date as Scotland, Greene County, Indiana. His Declaration for Invalid Army Pension showed that he lived in Daviess County, Indiana. The papers filed to secure a pension stated that he continued to farm after the war, "but [was] unable by reason of his crippled condition to do much." An Application for Increase of Invalid Pension dated May 1, 1868 stated that he suffered from "Anchylosis of left elbow joint, with complete paralysis of fingers, that his arm is perfectly stiff below the shoulder, . . . that said wound often breaks out as a running sore, and is at such times so painful that declarant is compelled to take to his bed and procure the service of a physician." Among papers filed for a pension for his minor children, in which the names and dates of birth of several of his children are recorded, the physician who attended him at the time of his last illness stated: "I could detect no other cause for his exhaustion than the wounds said to have been received while in the service of his country." The physician noted: "I found him suffering from a [l]ow grade of fever [e]vidently caused from septic poisoning which . . . was caused by the formation of pus near [and] in the place in which he was shot. . . . [T]he effects of said septic poisoning caused by absorption of pus I verily believe caused the death of said Laughlin." John died on August 30, 1873, aged approximately 36 years.
Despite many years of research, neither his grave nor an identifiable photograph has ever been located.
For an article on the 27th Infantry regimental flag from the Battle of Antietam, see Rare flag, 150 years old Saturday, survived major Civil War battles.
The children of John Richard and Sarah Ann (Smith) Laughlin for whom a Find A Grave memorial does not currently exist were:
John H. LAUGHLIN
John Richard Laughlin was born in Lawrence County, Indiana after August 8, 1835 and before August 9, 1836. In his Volunteer Enlistment papers dated August 8, 1862, he listed his occupation as farmer and his age as 26 years. According to his military records, he was between 6' 1 3/4" and 6' 2 1/2" tall, had a light or fair complexion, blue or gray eyes, and brown hair. John perhaps could not write, as evidenced by his making his mark on his enlistment papers. However, in later papers in which he petitioned for a pension, he did appear to sign his name. His marriage to Sarah A. Smith on December 31, 1853 was performed by Joseph G. Laughlin (presumably his father, Joseph Gillis Laughlin), who signed himself as a "[m]inister."
During the American Civil War, John was a member of Company B of the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, having enlisted for 3 years. In addition to John, two of his brothers, James O. Laughlin and Joseph Hamilton Laughlin, and two of his first cousins, Joseph Dunn Laughlin and John Duncan Laughlin, served in Company B of the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Joseph Dunn Laughlin, John's cousin, enlisted at the same time as John and lied about his age so that he would be accepted (he was too young to fight). Like John, many of the soldiers in the 27th Indiana were tall, well more than half were at least six feet tall, which was considered very tall in that time. One officer was reportedly 6'11". As a result, the 27th came to be known as the giants.
From June 1862 through September 1862, the 27th Indiana Infantry was attached to the Third Brigade, First Division, Second Corps, Army of Virginia. From September 1862 through October 1963, it was attached to the Third Brigade, First Division, Twelfth Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. During his time of service, at the rank of private, the 27th Indiana Infantry saw action at the Battle of Cedar Mountain (though he could not have been present, as the battle took place on August 9, 1862, the day after he had enlisted in Washington, Indiana) and the Battle of Antietam. It also participated in Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia from August 16 - September 2, 1862 and guarded trains of the army during the Second Battle of Bull Run, August 28-30, 1862. From September 6 through September 22, the 27th Indiana Infantry participated in the Maryland Campaign.
John was wounded at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, just six weeks after enlisting. According to his Certificate of Disability for Discharge, a "[b]all entered at the apex of left elbow, passing through joint, & out on the inner side of forearm, 3 inches below joint. Wounds entirely healed, with permanent anchylosis of elbow." In his Declaration for Invalid Army Pension, dated June 15, 1865, it is stated: "[S]aid wound was received at the battle of Antietam on the 17th day of Sep't 1862, in the State of Maryland, whilst the battle was raging and when I was in the act of loading my gun. By reason of said wound the applicant for pension herein sayd [sic] further that he has entirely lost the use of said arm." He asserted the shot had been fired by "the Rebels." John's brother James was also wounded at Antietam, where he was shot "in the left thigh, shattering the femoral bone and severing the tendon connecting with the tibia and fibula."
John's brother Joseph spent a month in a hospital in York, Pennsylvania after the Battle of Gettysburg, but it is unclear from the records if he was injured or was assigned to care for the wounded. His cousin, Joseph Dunn Laughlin, "served for two years and ten months in the 'Army of the Potomac' , then went with the Sherman detachment on the seige and capture of Atlanta, then on with Sherman on the famous 'March to the Sea'. He then entered Co. C. of the 70th Regiment serving till the close of the war. As a loyal supporter of the Union [c]ause, he fought in many of the great battles of that seige, viz. Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gett[y]sburg, Resaca, New Hope Church, Peach Tree Creek and many others on the famous march. He was in the Grand Review and saw the Great Emancipator, Lincoln, as he gazed upon the remnants of this once great army."
John was discharged for disability on February 6, 1863 from the U.S. Army Hospital at Philadelphia and gave his address as of that date as Scotland, Greene County, Indiana. His Declaration for Invalid Army Pension showed that he lived in Daviess County, Indiana. The papers filed to secure a pension stated that he continued to farm after the war, "but [was] unable by reason of his crippled condition to do much." An Application for Increase of Invalid Pension dated May 1, 1868 stated that he suffered from "Anchylosis of left elbow joint, with complete paralysis of fingers, that his arm is perfectly stiff below the shoulder, . . . that said wound often breaks out as a running sore, and is at such times so painful that declarant is compelled to take to his bed and procure the service of a physician." Among papers filed for a pension for his minor children, in which the names and dates of birth of several of his children are recorded, the physician who attended him at the time of his last illness stated: "I could detect no other cause for his exhaustion than the wounds said to have been received while in the service of his country." The physician noted: "I found him suffering from a [l]ow grade of fever [e]vidently caused from septic poisoning which . . . was caused by the formation of pus near [and] in the place in which he was shot. . . . [T]he effects of said septic poisoning caused by absorption of pus I verily believe caused the death of said Laughlin." John died on August 30, 1873, aged approximately 36 years.
Despite many years of research, neither his grave nor an identifiable photograph has ever been located.
For an article on the 27th Infantry regimental flag from the Battle of Antietam, see Rare flag, 150 years old Saturday, survived major Civil War battles.
The children of John Richard and Sarah Ann (Smith) Laughlin for whom a Find A Grave memorial does not currently exist were:
John H. LAUGHLIN
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