John Hill (424) was born on the Hill homestead, Fairfield Township, Crawford County, PA 23 September 1841. He is a son of Timothy Hill (83) and Sarah Montgomery (84).

John is listed with his parents family in the 1860 census, enumerated 9 July 1860. He apparently moved west not long after, since he was living in Illinois when he volunteered for service during the Civil War.

(See for information on the 52nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, or visit the website of the 52nd Illinois)

John enlisted 2 November 1861 in Chicago in Company C, 52nd Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He is described in muster documents as having brown eyes, red hair, a sandy complexion, height 5 feet 11 1/2 inches and by occupation a farmer.

The 52nd Illinois was formed at Geneva, Kane County, Illinois and mustered into the US Army 19 November 1861. The 52nd Illinois arrived at Fort Donelson on 17 February 1862, the day following the forts surrender. On 6-7 April 1862, the 52nd Illinois was involved in the battle of Shiloh; in May 1862, the regiment took part in the siege of Corinth and in skirmishes at Iuka and Bear Creek, Alabama during April 1863.

John was promoted to Corporal on 21 June 1862 and by orders dated 23 Feb 1863, promoted to the rank of Sergeant effective 12 Jan 1863. He reenlisted 25 December 1863 in DeKalb County, Illinois, as a Veteran Volunteer, at the rank of Private. He was mustered into US service at Pulaski, Tennessee with an effective date of 19 November 1861, and was promoted to Sergeant effective 31 December 1863. The 52nd Illinois Infantry was remustered 8 January 1864 as a veteran unit.

John received a thirty day furlough on 2 January 1864. He returned home to Crawford County, Pennsylvania. While at home, he came down with small pox (probably contracted enroute) and was unable to travel again until April. He reported to the Provost Marshall in Meadville and was arrested as a straggler for being AWOL, but returned to his unit 18 April 1864. He was taken sick again at Pulaski, Tennessee 29 Apr 1864.

John was present during the "March to the Sea." On 14 Feb 1865, John was placed on detached service with the Smallpox Hospital, serving with the Ambulance Corps. On 11 Mar 1865, John was captured at Antioch Church near Fayetteville in North Carolina and was sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, VA. He was paroled at Aiken's Landing, Virginia on 2 April 1865, the day Union forces entered Richmond, and was sent to Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland, reporting there 4 April 1865. He reported to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri on 12 April 1865 where he received a thirty day furlough on 14 April. He returned 13 May and was sent to Camp Butler, Illinois on 22 May and was discharged a short time later. The veterans of the 52nd, including John, were mustered out 6 July 1865, and received final payment and discharge on 12 July 1865.

John returned home to Crawford County where he lived with his parents, a sick man. He was treated by three doctors for various ailments including consumption (tuberculosis) from the time he returned home almost until his death. In 1879 or early 1880, John, in the final stages of consumption, traveled with his brother William (158) to Jacksonville, Florida, where he died 20 February 1880 in the care of a nurse. William returned his body to Crawford County to be buried in Conneaut Cemetery near his brother Archibald (425), who had died in 1865.

Some documents exist stating that John died and was buried in February 1879. However, a sworn and witnessed document exists in the National Archives showing that he was alive on 26 March 1879. Another document, filed 6 November 1889 on behalf of his mother, supports the 1880 date.

John was buried in Conneaut Cemetery, Fairfield County, Pennsylvania on 27 February 1880. His headstone reads "Hill, Jno., Sergt., Co. C, 52 Ill. Inf."

John corresponded during the war with Archibald Fulton Hill (379), his cousin, of the 150th Pennsylvania Volunteers. Some of these letters survive.

[HILL: AFHillLtrs, ConneautCemRecs, CrawfordPACemIns, CSRIndex, GenAffTMcCabe, GenPenIndex, HillDyeLines, IllinoisSoldier, JHAff22Mar1872, JHArrearsMar1879, JHill424MilRecs, LegalFile2JHill]