He was born in 1834/35.
[source:
date: 2 (26 in 1861)]
During the war
He enlisted and was mustered into service on 16 December 1861.
He enlisted at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He was mustered in as a private, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He was a private in company B.
[sources: 1, 2, 3, 4]
He deserted on 19 August 1862, at Alexandria, Virginia.
He was a private, in company B.
[sources: 1, 2, 3, 4]
Sources
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233.
(In the roster)
(John Bales)
3index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania
(John Bales)
4index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania
(John Bales)
Note on identification
candidate 1
a John E Bales, Jr, company E [?] 119th PA, son of John E and Mary J Bales, 25 years old, died on 14 May 1864, near Spotsylvania Court House, VA (see death notice, Public Ledger, 7 June 1864, page 2, available on GenealogyBank (accessed 6 Aug 12))
--he was buried at Mt Moriah, on 28 March 1866 (see death certificate, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, 14 May 1864, buried 28 March 1866, John E Bales Jr (FamilySearch (accessed 6 August 12))
--he was registered for the draft, 24 years old, occupation soldier, married, born Philadelphia, living on Pear Street in the 24th ward of Philadelphia (US Civil War draft registration records, on Ancestry, 4th Congressional District, volume 5 o 11, class 1/2, A-D, page 51, image 209 of 257)
--I have not found him or his parents in the 1850 or 1860 census
--I did not find a card for him in the ARIAS Civil War database (see the pages beginning with this (accessed 6 August 2012))
Sources checked unsuccessfully
pension index by name
Ancestry index (accessed November 2006)
1850 US census
Ancestry and FamilySearch indices (accessed 6 August 2012)
multiple candidates appear, none with an obvious connection to Philadelphia; I have no way of determining which, if any, is this John Bales
a John Bail, 15, born Pennsylvania, did live in Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with Lewis (44), Sarah (48) and other Bail's (FamilySearch)
1860 US census
Ancestry and FamilySearch indices (accessed 6 August 2012)
multiple candidates appear, none with an obvious connection to Philadelphia; I have no way of determining which, if any, is this John Bales
a John Bail, 24, born in Delaware, lived in Chester Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania (FamilySearch)
a John Bayle, 23, born in Ireland, lived in Ridley Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania (FamilySearch)
1870 US census
Ancestry's index has 7 John Bales born 1833-1837, including a John Bales born in Pennsylvania, living in Honey Creek Iowa
1880 US census
the FamilySearch index (accessed 6 August 2012) has 9 John Bales born 1833-1837, including one born in Pennsylvania in 1835 and living in Honey Creek Iowa; note also one born in Ireland in 1838 and living in Chester, Delaware, Pennsylvania
1890 US census, veterans' schedules
Ancestry index (accessed November 2006)
1900 US census
the FamilySearch index (accessed 6 August 2012) has 13 John Bales born 1833-37, including one born in Pennsylvania in May 1835 and living in Iowa, and another born in April 1834 in New Jersey and living in Gloucester County, NJ, and one born in February 1836 in Delaware and living in the Southern Branch of the National Soldiers Home (in Elizabeth City County, Virginia)
1910 US census
the FamilySearch index (accessed 6 August 2012) has 8 John Bales born 1833-37, including one born in Pennsylvania in 1836, and living in Benton County, Iowa, and another born in 1834 in New Jersey and living in Delaware County, Ohio
1920 US census
the FamilySearch index (accessed 6 August 2012) has 1 John Bales born 1833-37
1930 US census
the FamilySearch index (accessed 6 August 2012) has 0 John Bales born 1833-37
Pennsylvania veterans' burial cards
Ancestry index (accessed 3 April 2012)
records of headstones of deceased Union veterans, 1879-1903
[index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania]
[transcribed 13 Mar 2014, from Fold3]
[the Fold3 digitization does have two cards, with the same information, one immediately after the other; the handwriting at least appears to be identical]
Bales John
Co. B, 91 Pennsylvania Inf.
Pvt | Pvt
See also [blank]
GENERAL INDEX CARD.
[card 2, transcribed 16 March 2014]
Bales John
Co. B, 91 Pennsylvania Inf.
Pvt | Pvt
See also [blank]