Promotions in company E: analysis
In some cases, people were promoted because they had done something unusual. For example, John D Lentz was promoted to major after leading almost all his men safely across the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg Virginia, when they were left behind by mistake after the rest of the army had crossed (on 15 December 1862). The promotion may well have been the reward the Corps Commander, Butterfield, suggested Lentz deserved.
That event also led to James Clark's being promoted to corporal. He was discharged on surgeon's certificate on 21 August 1863, because of an illness he contracted while swimming the Rappahannock River to find someone to get the company across. After he re-enlisted on 4 September 1864 as a veteran volunteer, he was promoted to corporal effective December 1863, for bravery at the Battle of Fredericksburg.
In other cases, people were simply moved up one level. For example, when Lentz was promoted, his first lieutenant, Matthew Hall, was promoted to captain (on the same day, 20 December).
For some promotions at the non-commissioned officer level, the descriptive book gives a reason for the promotion. Unfortunately, different lists sometimes give different reasons for the same promotion. For example, the descriptive roll for Louis Brophy gives the reason for his promotion to sergeant as "for soldierly appearance", while the list of corporals gives it as "for soldierly conduct". I suspect that the reasons were simply catch phrases used to justify promotions. They include: soldierly conduct, bravery in battle, and soldierly appearances.
Promotions in company E: list
Commissioned officers- John D Lentz, from captain to major, 20 December 1862
- Matthew Hall, from first lieutenant to captain, 20 December 1862
- Theodore A Hope, from first lieutenant to captain, 31 October 1864
- David H Lentz, from second lieutenant to regimental quarter master, 1 January 1863
- David B Baker, from first sergeant to first lieutenant, 1 January 1863
- Theodore A Hope, from second sergeant to first lieutenant, 2 July 1864
- John L Graham, from sergeant to second lieutenant, 31 October 1864
- John L Graham, from second lieutenant to first lieutenant, 9 August 1864
- John J Griffith, from first sergeant to second lieutenant, 26 May 1865
- Samuel E Conrad, from sgt to 1st sgt, 26 May 1865
- Louis Brophy, from sgt to 1st sgt, for soldierly conduct in late battle, 1 January 1863
- John L Graham, to 1st sgt, 23 June 1864, replacing Brophy (dead)
- John J Griffith, to 1st sgt, 16 September 1864, replacing Graham (promoted), for soldierly conduct
- Samuel E Conrad, from private to sergeant, for soldierly conduct during the campaign of 1864, 23 June 1864
- Philip S Stotsenberg [or Stetsberg?], from corp to sgt, 16 Sep 1864, for soldierly conduct during the 1864 campaign
- Louis Brophy, from corp to sgt, for soldierly appearance [or perhaps conduct, according to his entry in the list of corporals], March 1862
- Cyrus Cartledge, to sgt, for soldierly conduct
- John L Graham, to sgt, 1 January 1863, replacing Brophy
- Francis O Dell, to sgt, Feb 1862
- William H Jeffries, to sgt, from corp, 16 Sept 1864, for bravery on the battlefield
- Montgomery Burr, to sgt, from corp, 16 Sept 1864, replacing Hope
- George Hampton, to sgt, from corp, 1 June 1865 [not in list of non-coms] [perhaps 5 July]
- John Fenn, to sgt, from corp [not in list of non-coms], 1 June 1865
- George Young, to sgt, from corp [not in list of non-coms], 1 June 1865
- Francis D Harrigan, to corp, 1 May 1862, replacing Brophy, for soldierly appearances
- Augustine Montgomery, to corp, 25 February 1862, replacing Dell, for soldierly conduct
- Samuel Burns, to corp, 25 Feb 1862, replacing Snyder, for soldierly appearance
- Jacob W Afflenback, to corp, 23 June 1864, for soldierly conduct in late battle, or soldierly appearances (descriptive roll)
- Frank Donahue, to corp, 23 June 1864, for soldierly appearances [soldierly conduct, according to the descriptive book]
- William Burns, to corp, 23 June 1864, for soldierly (or gallant) conduct in late battle
- George Hampton, to corp, 18 September 1864 (perhaps 16 September), for soldierly conduct in late battle [soldierly appearances, according to the descriptive book]
- John Fenn, to corp, 22 October 1864, for soldierly conduct in late battle (or bravery on the field)
- William Dougherty, to corp, 18 Sept 1864 (perhaps 16 September), for soldierly conduct (bravery on the battlefield)
- George Young, to corp, 22 October 1864, for soldierly conduct in late battle (non-com's list) or soldierly appearances (descriptive roll)
- James Clark, to corp, December 1863, for bravery at the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia
- William H Jeffries, co E, to corp, for soldierly conduct [descriptive roll only]
- George W Keever, co E, to corp, 1 July 1865 [Bates] or 5 July 1865 (company orders)
- Charles Yost, co E, to corporal, 1 June 1865 [Bates only]
- Edward Farrell, co E, to corporal, 1 July 1865 [Bates] or 5 July 1865 (company orders)
- Michael McCartney, co E, to corporal, 1 June 1865 [Bates only]