Person:John Pitman (10)

Early Life

John Spencer Pitman was born in Cambridge City, Indiana in abt 1837 to Eli and Hannah (Reed) Pitman. His father was a cabinet maker and undertaker there and John grew to adulthood in the town along with his four brothers and two sisters.

Military

In October 1862, at the age of 25, John enlisted in the Union army in the 19th Regiment Indiana] of the Volunteer Infantry. He was placed in Company A (aka the Union Guards), under the command of Capt. Isaac May. The 19th Regiment was part of the Iron Brigade of the West (aka the Black Hats Brigade) which fought in the major battles of the eastern theater along with the Army of the Potomac.

Private Pitman served for three years, fighting in the Battle of Fredericksburg (Dec 1862), the Battle of Gettysburg (Jul 1863) and the Battle of the Wilderness (May 1864, VA), where he was wounded and taken prisoner along with nine others from his regiment.

Living conditions for the prisoners of war were harsh. They were shipped to Andersonville, South Carolina where they were put to work for the Rebel army, and food was scarce. One of the prisoners was Pvt. Ben Duke of Company B - the same company as John's brother, William Pitman. Records exist of Duke exchanging goods for food while working as a prisoner at the railroad station in town. One of the items he exchanged for Irish potatoes and biscuits was a watch belonging to John Pitman.^{Citation needed}

Pitman's imprisonment lasted five months before he was eventually paroled and exchanged. Pitman returned to Petersburg, Virginia to join his regiment, but the 19th had suffered the so many casualties that there were not enough soldiers left. John Pitman was promoted to Full Corporal, and on 18 Oct 1864, he transferred into Company I, 20th Infantry Indiana. He served eight months in this regiment, mustering out on 12 Jul 1865 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Marriage and Family

John returned home to Cambridge City and married Miss Sarah Jane Toms two months later on 13 Dec 1865. John and Sarah set up housekeeping in the town and had two children, Luella and Edward. John worked in the lime business and as a painter to support his family.

Death

On 29 Aug 1873, John died tragically when he was hit by a train while on a business trip to New Paris, Elkhart, Indiana. He was 36 years old and left behind his wife Sarah with seven year old Luella and 3 year old Edward. The Cambridge City Tribune reported the incident as follows:

Fatal Accident - John S. Pitman, of this place, was run over and killed by a train at New Paris last Friday. He had left here by the 5:45 train in the morning for Richmond. There he stopped and waited for the mail train, which came up at 10 o'clock. Arriving at New Paris on this train he started to walk along the track of the Little Miami road to the lime kiln where he was in the habit of dealing and where he was going to make further purchases. While thus proceeding he was overtaken and run over by a train which he is supposed to have mistaken for the train on the Pan Handle road, the track of which runs near by at this point. His face and head were badly crushed and one of his arms broken, occasioning injuries from which he died in a few hours. The remains were brought home on Friday night. The funeral was conducted from the Baptist church on Sunday afternoon, attended by a large concourse of friends. We are requested by the Pitman family here to return their heartfelt thanks to the citizens of New Paris, the railroad agent at that place and to the citizens of Cambridge for the sympathy and kindness shown the deceased and the family in their trying affliction.¹

The remains of John S Pitman were interred at Riverside Cemetery in Cambridge City, Indiana.⁵

After John's death, his brother, Lee, continued the lime business for some time. Sarah and the children moved in with her parents.

1. ↑ Mentioned, in Cambridge City Tribune. (Cambridge City, Indiana).

   1873 Sep 4 – The lime business heretofore conducted by J.S. Pitman, deceased, will be continued by Lee Pitman.

2. ↑ Household Recorded, in Wayne, Indiana, United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication M432).

   Year: 1850; Census Place: Cambridge City, Wayne, Indiana; Roll: M432_180; Page: 18B; Image: 42.
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   Name: John S Pitman Age: 13 Birth Year: abt 1837 Birthplace: Indiana Home in 1850: Cambridge City, Wayne, Indiana Gender: Male Family Number: 257

   
3. ↑ 1860 census goes here?.
4. ↑ Household Recorded, in Wayne, Indiana, United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication M593).

   Year: 1870; Census Place: Cambridge, Wayne, Indiana; Roll: M593_370; Page: 398A; Image: 321; Family History Library Film: 545869.
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   Name: John S Pitman Age in 1870: 32 Birth Year: abt 1838 Birthplace: Indiana Home in 1870: Cambridge, Wayne, Indiana Race: White Gender: Male Post Office: Cambridge City

5. ↑ Grave Recorded , in Find A Grave.

   [Includes headstone photo and Military Bio by Cindy Coffin.]

6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} .

   http://19thindianaironbrigade.com/Pitman_John.html
   [Includes headstone photo]