The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

SS Gen. Lyon Disaster-- Part 9: Barnet Losey of the 5th West Virginia

At this point, I am sure that Barney Losey must have been a member of the 5th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment, not the 5th Virginia.

The 5th West Virginia Regiment was organized at Ceredo, West Virginia and mustered in October 18, 1861.

Veterans of the 5th who chose to reenlist were almagamated with the 1st West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment on November 9, 1864, to form the 2nd West Virginia Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

However, I have seen another source that said the 2nd West Virginia Veteran Volunteer Regiment was a combination of the 1st and 7th West Virginia.  The 1st West Virginia Veteran Infantry Regiment was made of of the 5th and 9th West Virginia Volunteer Regiments.

Either way, it appears that Barney Losey did not re-enlist as both regiments served the remainder of the war in West Virginia.  How Mr. Losey came to be in Wilmington, North Carolina, is anybody's guess.

I have been unable to find out anything about Barney Losey after his survival of the SS General Lyon Disaster.  

--Old Secesh

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Coincidence. I am researching the Genl Lyon (US army transport) and I see you quoted the Wikipedia entry that I updated recently. Barnet Losey was indeed in the 5th (West) Virginia union. Here's my brief notes from sources. SURVIVED Captured Oct 1864; NFR. Escaped Salisbury camp. On Lyon per F W Foster USSC; as Leinsay P., 5th VA; paroled. NPS has Benet Losey aka Barnet Locy. 1864 Report has Barnett Lacey. 1865 Report has Barnes Lacey. NARA records show Barnett Locy. Andhttp://genforum.genealogy.com/losey/messages/392.html
Barnett Losey born 1845 Served in Union Army Co. G, 5th WVA Infantry – and special raider group. Captured at Summit Point, VA in fall of 1864 and escaped from Salisbury Confederate prison in spring of 1865. One of only 29 to survive the sinking of the General Lyon steamship in 1865 while returning to the North. Congrats on noting that ISAAC WILHITE (not White) was the unnamed 56th Illinois survivor. I'd be interested in sharing info if you continue to write about the disaster. Cheers! MajGenl.Meade

MajGenl.Meade said...

I'm researching/writing that book on the US army transport Genl Lyon that you thought should be done. You are correct that B Losey was in the Union 5th (West) Virginia. He had escaped from Salisbury Prison camp according to sources. In Wilmington and on the General Lyon he was joined by a 5th WVa "comrade", Robert Defoe who had also got out of Salisbury but achieved it by joining the rebel army! Defoe did NOT survive the voyage on the Lyon. I see you have picked up the Wikipedia stub that I edited just a couple of weeks ago. I'm following your blog - would be glad to share info and hope you'll find plenty of things that I've missed!

RoadDog said...

This certainly clears up the question of how Barney Losey ended up in Wilmington when the rest of the regiment was in West Virginia.

I am glad to hear you are writing a book on the General Lyon an I have gotten very interested in the story.

I have been interested in the Civil War for many years, but until a month ago, had never heard of the disaster. I had heard of the Sultana, however.

I was not able to find out what happened to Mr. Losey after the disaster. Did he return to West Virginia? Where is he buried?

MajGenl.Meade said...

I don't have much on his post-war life. Note: 5th Regiment Virginia Volunteers mustered out Dec 24 1863. It was reconsistuted Dec 25 1863 with re-enlisted men (veterans) and recruits as the 5th WVa Infantry.

Barnett Locey is the NARA name that gets best results. He was born in Indiana. After surviving the Lyon, he was at Camp Parole MD Apr 5; Camp Chase, OH Apr 10;
mustered out Jul 14 at Camp Chase according to one summary. He is not on 1860/1870 census. He filed for an Invalid pension on June 15 1880 and the Census of that year shows him living with his parents 72 years old – Abram (apparently a boat builder) and Nancy; also with his elder brother David in Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, Indiana.

An odd thing. His pension index card shows a filing by his "Widow" in January 1865 (a little premature!). And on the Boyd County, KY records one Barnett Locey (21) of Indiana married Emily Turner (18) of Virginia on Feb 26 1863. Our Barnett enrolled in the 5th Va. in Ceredo, VA October 1861 with age stated as 18 so the age 21 is OK. [Mind you, the census shows him as born in 1845; if that's true he could only have been around 16 when he signed up). But that's it - he is not in 1890 census and it appears his father applied for a dependent pension that year.

RoadDog said...

I just came across the March 22, 2015, Southern (Southern Illinois) article "Civil War Timeline: Pvt. Joseph Beavers and the Carolina Campaign." Private Beavers was in the 56th Illinois and on the Lyon.

It follows him up to his muster out after the Battle of Bentonville. The next article will no doubt be about the Gen. Lyon.

From someone who knew nothing of the Gen. Lyon less than a month ago, I sure have been finding out a lot.