The second result:
The records were intriguing but not conclusive. Genealogists with Swiss ancestry know that first names used over and over based on a traditional naming system. So the first question was how many Henry Hoesly's were there in New Glarus at the beginning of the Civil War. The primary record is the 1860 U.S. Census. The census is not definitive but my search only turned up one Henry Hoesly, my ancestor.
The next resource I used was the Wisconsin Veteran's Museum database. A search there returned the following records:
This indicated that there was only one Henry Hoesly listed in the muster rolls. By the way, using the last name Hoesly did not return any results. Company K contained at least 18 men from New Glarus. One key piece of evidence missing from these online records is age. If Henry Hoesly enlisted in 1863 he would have been around forty-five years old.
The next resource was the 1890 Veteran's schedule.
Based on the service record Henry might have participated in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor,siege of Petersburg, and culminating the in the pursuit of Lee to Appomattox Courthouse. Without seeing the muster rolls it cannot be determined what part he may have played in any of the battles. These online records do not indicate when he was shot in the left arm. The wound does not appear serious enough that he was discharged early. He served a little over a year and a half.
Was my great-great-great grandfather Henry Hoesly in the Civil War? The evidence does not contain conclusive regarding his age or family. An obituary in the Deutsche Schweizerische Courier for Henry did not mention Civil War service. Further evidence is need to determine if the Henry Hoesle in the records is my ancestor.
