91st PA--deaths

91st PA--Deaths

Index

number of deaths

causes of deaths

number and causes of deaths in company E

names and other information about deaths [separate file]

chronological list of deaths [separate file] (this is the only list of deaths that includes deaths after mustering out]


Number of deaths

The number of deaths reported varies from source to source; careful study of the original records is needed here (as elsewhere).

One error is that Bates claims that Stephen Kelly has a death record, but in fact he survived the war. A second problem is that Bates reports Michael Stufft (G) as having died on 22 June 1865, but according to the company descriptive book, he was discharged on 1 June 1865, before dying. Some mistakes were caused by misinformation. For example, the consolidated morning report for 29 June 1864 reports several men dead of wounds received in action who did not die, including John Beaver (A), and Conrad Brown (C) [see the consolidated morning report for 4 Sep 64]. Finally, Captain Horace Faust (D) died on 18 December 1863, two days after he was discharged because of disability. On 24 December, the Fifth Corps revoked his discharge. However, they did not revoke the discharge of Private William Roberts (H), who was discharged because of disability on 20 November 1863, but died of battle wounds on 20 December 1863.

I have found three sources of numbers: Dyer's A compendium of the war of the rebellion (v.3 p.1604), Taylor's Philadelphia in the Civil War 1861-1865 (p.112), and the lists of members of the 91st PA in Bates' History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. (These lists treat John Stewart as an enlisted man; he was commissioned first lieutenant, but died before being mustered in as first lieutenant.)

  Bates Dyer Taylor best number
killed/died from wounds officers 6 6 6 6
other 113 110 102 107
other deaths officers 2 2 2 2
other68 82 84 72
total deaths officers 8 8 8 8
other 181 192 186 179
grand total 189 200 194 187

Causes of deaths

killed in action 64
died of wounds 49
died in Confederate prisons 6
drowned 3
accidentally killed 7
died of disease 48
committed suicide 3
unspecified 7
total 187

Causes of deaths from illness

(Note that the three diseases that killed the most soldiers in the civil war were diarrhea/dysentery, typhoid, and pneumonia [James M McPherson, Battle cry of freedon (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), pp.487-488, citing Paul E Steiner, Disease in the civil war (Springfield, IL, 1968), pp.10-11].)

typhoid fever1633.3%
chronic diarrhea24.2%
delirium tremens24.2%
apoplexy12.1%
bilious pneumonia12.1%
chronic bronchitis12.1%
consumption12.1%
cramp colic12.1%
exposure12.1%
heart disease12.1%
measles12.1%
meningitis12.1%
pleurisy and pneumonia12.1%
pulmonary disease from exposure12.1%
smallpox12.1%
sunstroke12.1%
[unknown]1531.3%

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revised 23 Oct 05
contact Harry Ide at [email protected] with comments or questions