Submitted by Elaine Suhre
Daniel POTTER, son of Hiram and Ellen (HAYNES) POTTER of Wayne Co. IL., was born 11 May 1847 and he died on 7 May 1865, at Camp Butler IL.
He enlisted as a Private in Co. C. 136th Regiment, IL Volunteers on Thursday, May 19, 1864 under Capt. Berry. The record says he was 18, but he was only 17. He served five months and was mustered out at Springfield on 22 Oct., 1864. On 15 March, 1865, Daniel, still only 17, enlisted for another year in Co. C., 18th IL Volunteers.
Daniel was hospitilizad at Camp Butler, IL with "lung fever" on 30 April, 1865. He died on 7 May, 1865 of "smallpox".
Records indicate he was 5'7" tall, dark hair and eyes, light complexion. He was single and listed as a farmer. His home was in Wayne Co. IL.
Daniel POTTER was the older brother of Elaine Suhre's Great Grandfather Asa Haynes POTTER, who lived in Wayne Co, IL all his life.
One evening a young boy of seventeen sat down to write the following. The boy was Daniel POTTER son of Hiram and Ellen HAYNES POTTER. Daniel's mother Ellen HAYNES had died in 1860 and in 1864 his father Hiram POTTER died leaving his estate insolvent. The care of the children was left to Daniel's Grandparents Asa HAYNES and Nancy TURNEY HAYNES, Ellen HAYNES' parents. Life must have been difficult for the Grandparents trying to raise a second family. Daniel was the oldest b. May 11, 1847. The next in age was Asa HAYNES POTTER b. Sept. 19, 1849, Nancy J. POTTER b. Nov. 12, 1851, Elvira Lucretia POTTER b. Jan. 11, 1854 and the youngest, Lewis Marshall POTTER b. Apr. 23, 1858. He was only two when his mother died in 1860.
In the application for his military pension requested by Daniel's sister Elvira and brother Lewis Marshall POTTER, their grandmother Nancy TURNEY HAYNES states that their (the children's) "education was neglected due to lack of funds."
As Daniel was the oldest, I think he felt some compunction and responsibility to help care for his brothers and sisters. He had enlisted as a Private in Company C. 136th Regiment, IL Volunteers in Olney, IL on Thursday, May 19, 1864 under Captain Berry. The record says he was 18, but he was only 17. He served five months and was mustered out at Springfield on 22 Oct. 1864. On 15 Mar., 1865, Daniel re-enlisted for another year in Co. C., 18th IL Volunteers. The following are his words to his family as best I could transcribe them.
On April 30, 1865 Daniel was hospitalized at Camp Butler IL for "lung fever". He died on May 7, 1865 of "smallpox". Although records show he was buried at Soldier's Cemetery in Wayne Co. IL, this is doubtful, for two reasons. First, the Soldier's Cemetery in Wayne Co. IL did not exist at that time. Secondly, I believe the body would not be transported from Camp Butler IL to Wayne Co. IL for fear of spreading smallpox. To this date, his resting place has not been found.
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