Massachusetts 3rd Cavalry 1838 - 1864 |
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| Early Life Coming to America Civilian to Soldier Action on the Mississippi Capture at Port Hudson Andersonville Prison Epilogue Documents / References |
Bernard was an Irish immigrant who came to America in the late 1850s. He brought his wife and young child with him and settled in Taunton, Massachusetts. In 1861 the family was joined by his mother.
Bernard's attempts to accept conscription bounties while avoiding being mustered eventually found him under federal guard until being physically inducted as a member of the Massachusetts 41st Infantry. Capture by Conferderate forces at Port Hudson resulted in his internment at Camp Sumter located near Andersonville, Georgia in the spring of 1864. Bernard survived the horrible conditions of the prison until August 10, 1864 when he died. This web site tells the story of Private Bernard McKnight. |