Young Trooper,Co. M, 11th Michigan Cavalry

[Henry4440]

Joseph Carey (or Corey) enlisted in Company M., 11th Michigan Cavalry in December 1863 and is listed as "missing May 20, 1865." The 11th Michigan Cavalry was serving with Stoneman in western North Carolina at the end of the war hunting Jefferson Davis. The regiment was near the Savannah River in the vicinity of Ashville, North Carolina when Carey disappeared. A cursory review of regimental records did not reveal any enemy contact on May 20th and Carey's ultimate fate is unknown.

[Two Flints]

Lonesome Henry, 

Thanks for the photo



Do you have a source or link you might share with me?

Thanks for posting it.

Two Flints

[Henry4440]

I found the pic at Cowan's Auctions, Dec.2004 Lot.340 .
http://www.cowanauctions.com/auctions/item.aspx?ItemId=15353

They wrote:...armed with Remington and saber with Sharps carbine leaning nearby.

But it is obvious a Spencer carbine.

[5judge]

The distance between Asheville, N.C. and the Savannah River leaves a deal of geography for this boy to disappear into. One suspects May 20th, 1865 was a militarily quiet day.

[Two Flints]

Hello Lonesome Henry and others,

Received the following information from the Web Master of the 11th Michigan Cavalry web site.

Hello Two Flints:



If you notice, he is listed with 2 names in the records. Carey, Joseph A. lists the information. That name contains an -or- which shows the alternate name in the next line. I just didn't include the information twice.

Sorry for the confusion,
Don

To the above was also added by the web master:

Hi Two Flints:

At that time men were loyal to their state and not the US Government.  When a man enlisted he was still loyal and under the orders of the state.  After enlistment he took an oath to support the US, this was called mustering in.  At the end of his service he was mustered out and was then once again owed his allegiance to the state.  He was then returned to his state and discharged.  Sort of confusing;but, our founding fathers did not want a large standing army under control of a central government as it was in Europe, so every state had its own military, hence regiments were always called by their state, such as the 11th Michigan Cavalry.  The federal government had provisions for a small army to repel a foreign invasion and these were known as US soldiers.  You can have a 1st Michigan Infantry and also a 1st US Infantry. The CW was fought primarily with state soldiers that had mustered in to US service temporarily.  (hard to explain)  This all changed during WW 1.  Why he went missing could be for any number of reasons, that are usually listed; but, in many cases are not.

Happy Holidays to you and your family also,
Don