Private Nathan Flanders

Report of the Posthumous Sale of His Possessions

The military service of Nathan N. Flanders was all too brief. He enlisted in the Thirty-Third Iowa Volunteer Infantry on January 14, 1864, and within a month illness had confined him to the hospital. The official regimental roster describes it succinctly: "died of disease February 18, 1864, Cairo, Illinois. Buried in National Cemetery, Mound City, Illinois."

However, Stroud's Civil War News Emporium has come across a fascinating evidence of his life which provides a rare glimpse into one sad aspect of the War Between the States… the disposal of the property of men who died in the ranks. The image above is the outside title page of the detailed document. It reads:

Voucher No. 18
REPORT OF THE PROCEEDS
of the effects of
N.N. Flanders
Late of Company "D"
33d Regiment of Iowa V.I.
Who Died at
U.S. Post Hospital
at
Cairo, Illinois
on the 17th day of February, 1864

Presumably, following the sale of the soldier's meager possessions, the proceeds would be returned to his family. The actual document provides a simple checklist for the officers overseeing the sale, and Nathan's possession were, indeed, modest: one cap
one forage cap
one blouse
one pair of trowsers
two pairs of cotton drawers
two flannel shirts
one pair of boots
four pairs of socks
one blanket
one canteen
one haversack
one knapsack
For the entire sale of his worldly possessions at the time of his death (without reference, of course, to any property he may have left behind in Iowa), the government received for transfer to his survivors the grand amount of one dollar and seventy-five cents! The document itself can be viewed here.

One of what must have been the least pleasant duties of military officers on garrison duty was to administrate in cases such as this. To prevent the temptation to take advantage of this trusted position, the Union required that three officers see to the disposition of the items. In this case, the three officers were members of the Forty-Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. The Forty-second had a brief period of service, and never saw actual combat, but provided an invaluable service on the home front. The Wisconsin 42nd Volunteer Infantry website offers a fascinating account of their duty, including a particularly interesting description of their Provost duty. The three officers who signed Nathan's final official military document, with a brief summary of their military service, were:

Captain George M. Humphrey
Company C
Residence, Lodi, Wisconsin
Enlisted on September 7, 1864 as a Captain.
He was mustered out on June 20, 1865
Second Lieutenant Cassius M. Bush
Company C
Residence, Racine, Wisconsin
Enlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant
On July 20, 1864 he transferred into C Company
Also served in Company A, 19th Wisconsin Infantry
He was mustered out on June 20, 1865
Second Lieutenant (later Captain) Andrew Jackson
Company D
Residence, Menasha, Wisconsin
Enlisted as a Private
On July 29, 1864 he transferred into D Company
Also served in Company D, 21st Wisconsin Infantry
He was mustered out on June 20, 1865