He was born in 1820/21 (2 (44-1/2 in 1865), 4 (44 in 1865)). He was born in Boston, Massachusetts (2, 4).
When he enlisted, he was a farmer, and was living in Stroudsburg, [Monroe County,] Pennsylvania, when he enlisted (2, 4).
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 7-1/2 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, grey eyes, and dark hair (2, 4).
He enlisted and was mustered into service as a private for one year, as a recruit, by Captain Yerkes, on 18 January 1865, at Norristown, Pennsylvania (1, 2, 4). He was a private in company E (1, 6).
He received a slight wound in the head on 6 February 1865, while charging enemy works at Hatcher's Run, Virginia (1, 2, 5 [neck]).
He was discharged, at the Fifth Corps Hospital near Alexandria Virginia, on 19 May 1865 either on surgeon's certificate of disability (1, 4) or on orders from the War Department (3). He was a private, in company E (6).
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)
2 descriptive roll, company E, entry 148 (Joseph Lathrop)
3 company E, register of men discharged, number 42 (Joseph Lathrop)
4 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 17 May 2004 (Joseph Lathrop)
5 'Gen. Grant's recent movement', Philadelphia Inquirer 10 February 1865 p.2 (J Lathrop)
6 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (Joseph Lathrop)