William Bridges

William Bridges fought in Company G of the 22^nd U.S.C.T. He was born around 1837. While he was married before he joined the military, there is no record of his wedding or wife, and nothing else is known about his life before joining the U.S.C.T. He enlisted as a private on December 30, 1863, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and was mustered out on the same date. According to his military records he was born in Lancaster or Carlisle, he was five feet and seven inches tall, and had a light copper complexion, with brown eyes and hair. He was about 26 years old at the time. His records state that he was a laborer before enlistment.¹ On February 29, 1864, he was promoted to the rank of corporal.² In April of 1864 he was admitted into Summit House General Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a general disability. His hospital records state that he is married to Emma Jane, who lived in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.³ On May 15, 1864, he was reduced to a private for absence without leave, and records state that ranking was effective as of the beginning of that month.⁴ His company muster rolls list him as absent due to sickness starting June 24, 1864, and whether that is the same reason he was admitted into Summit House is uncertain, but it is possible his absence without leave was a failure to report his illness, either by himself or a commanding officer.⁵ At some point he was moved to White Hall Hospital, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he was mustered out on May 24, 1865, by order of the Secretary of War, due to the end of the Civil War. At that point he was accountable for one knapsack, one haversack, one canteen, a half shelter tent, and other miscellaneous supplies, and he owed $6.00 to the regiment.⁶ The rest of his company was mustered out of Brownsville, Texas, on October 16, 1865.⁷

Not much is known about his life after the war. In August of 1888 he was elected treasurer for a Harrison and Morton marching club organized by the African American voters in Mechanicsburg.⁸ He appears in a list of jurors in July 1989 that records him working as a laborer and living in Mechanicsburg.⁹ He died on September 16, 1900, and a funeral was held on the 18^th at his home.¹⁰ He is buried in Lincoln Cemetery, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, section D15, grave number one.¹¹

1. Company Descriptive Book, Company G, 22^nd U.C.S.T.
2. Company Muster Roll to Feb 29, 1864, Company G, 22^nd U.S.C.T.
3. William Bridges Military Records, Summit House General Hospital, Fold3.com.
4. William Bridges. Adjutant General’s Office, Record Room, Nov 12, 1878.
5. Company Muster Roll March/April 1965, Company G, 22^nd U.S.C.T.
6. Detachment Muster-out Roll, May 24, 1865, Company G, 22^nd U.S.C.T.
7. Company Muster-out Roll, Oct 16, 1865, Company G, 22^nd U.S.C.T.
8. “Mechanicsburg”, Carlisle Weekly Herald, 1, Aug 24, 1888.
9. “List of Jurors”, Carlisle Evening Herald, 1, Jul 11, 1898.
10. “Mechanicsburg”, The Sentinel, 3, Sep 19, 1900.
11. William Bridges. Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012.

Bibliography:

“Mechanicsburg”. Carlisle Weekly Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Aug 24, 1888. Page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/270411295

“List of Jurors”. Carlisle Evening Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Jul 11, 1898. Page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/270457259

“Mechancisburg”. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Sep 19, 1900. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/344574785

William Bridges. Pennsylvania, U.S. Civil War Muster Rolls, 1860-1869. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Civil War Muster Rolls, 1860-1869 - AncestryLibrary.com

William Bridger, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Company Descriptive Book. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163160

William Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Company and Descriptive Roll of a Detachment of U.S. Vols. Dec 30, 1863. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163163

William Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Company Muster-in Roll. Jan 12, 1864, Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163165

William Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Company Muster Roll to Feb 29, 1864. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163167

William Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Company Muster Roll, May/June 1864. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163171

Wm. Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Company Muster Roll, March/April 1865. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163181

Wm. Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Company Must Roll, July/Aug 1865. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163186

Wm. Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Detachment Muster-out Roll. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May 24, 1865. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163188

William Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Company Muster-out Roll. Brownsville, Texas. Oct 16, 1865. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163188

William Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Summit House General Hospital. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163196

William Bridges, Company G, 22 Regiment U.S.C.T. Adjutant General’s Office, Record Room. Nov 12, 1878. Fold3.com. NARA: Washington, n.d. https://www.fold3.com/image/263163202

William Bridges. Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. NARA: Washington, n.d.