Diaries of George H. Warner

Page from diary. Photo by Allan Deitz

The Civil War diaries of George H. Warner from 1862 and 1863 are posted on the Berne Historical Project site.

Pvt. George H. Warner was born on August 23, 1845, when his father, John Warner was 37, and his mother Catherine West Warner, was 24. They lived in a small brick house across from St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Berne, N.Y.

George was 17 years old when he went off to war with the 177th New York State Volunteers infantry regiment. Private Warner’s regiment experienced only 42 days of actual combat. (May 25 - July 5, 1863) Except for this six-week period under fire battle was with disease, work, drills, boredom, and malnutrition. He died September 28, 1863, at home, from the sickness he had contracted while serving in the Union Army in Louisiana. He was 18 years, one month and five days old.

The following January his younger brother, Peter William Warner, lied about his age and joined the Union Army. Peter died November 1864 in Andersonville Prison at the age of 15 and was buried there at Andersonville, Georgia.

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List of area soldiers from Warner's 1862 Diary

List of Soldiers in the Albany Co. Regiment from Berne Residence: Lucius Ball, Henry Ball, John B. Shultes, Charles Bogardus (all from Switzkill), William Mc Cullouch (Reidsville), William Wilbur, Henry Post, Jacob Haverly (all from Berneville), Nelson Matice, Orville Merihue, William Haverly, William Blade (all from Peori), Elias Shafer (Switzkill), Siras Barber, William Shultes, Adison Miller, James Fermin, G. H. Warner, J. D. Wood, Alonzo Ludden, George Stiner, David Stiner, Isac Dietz, Joel Wilson (all from Knox), David Gathan (Ren), Oct. 13- Albert Bell, Charles Hochstrasser, Charles Rinhart, William Bell, Norton Zeh.

List of people mentioned in Warner's 1863 diary

• Corporal Hallenbeck X
• Fred Brickner
• Daniel Stiner
• Jededia Tompkins X (from Middleburgh)
• Alonzo Hempstreet
• Capt. Harris
• Abigail Engle - girl at home (dau. of Ira Engle)
• Lt. Phillips
• Lieutenant J. White
• Richard M. Strong X
• Captain Tomlinson
• Lt. Williamson X
• Brigadier General Nickerson
• Mat Ball (Madison Ball)
• Jesse D. Wood (See Note) X
• George Joise X
• Mann (Co. C)
• William Merselis
• George A. Simons
• Col. Ainsworth
• Elias Nashold
• Sgt. Wood
• Lieutenant Bennet
• John Blackman X
• Joel Wilson (See Note) X
• Robert Douglas X
• Lieutenant Bronson
• Cpl. Thomas
• Lieutenant Lintener
• Arthur Haswell - Knox X
• David Gathan
• Charles Hochstrasser
• Armilla Bedell - at home - died in February 1863
• Datus J. Cole X
• Mathia Hook
• A. G. Ludden (Alonzo Grove Ludden)
• Frank Cortney X
• Captain Morgan L. Filkins
• Edmund Bell X
• Captain MacRoberta
• W. E. Becker
• ________ Folka
• Jerome Ecker
• Henry A. Crary
• Captain Harris
• Jerry Nashold [Jeremiah Nashold, Town of Wright, Schoharie)
• Libbie R. Engle - girl at home
• Corporal Niblock
• William Rice
• George Reynolds
• John W. Mullens
• George Todd
• Madison Settle [of Schoharie County]
• Edward Stephenson
• Cpl. Quelie Lenard Harington
• Jacob Sherman X
• Richard Wood
• Sgt. Brigman X
• Cpl. Baranger X
• Johnny Springer
• Lt. Russia X

X = Died

Notes

Some of the soldiers mentioned in George’s diary were not from Berne, but from adjoining townships of Knox and Wright. A few were from Schoharie County. These people were all grouped together in one area of conflict.

The bodies of Joel Wilson and Jesse D. Wood, both of whom died from the fever at Port Hudson, Louisiana in August 1863, were brought home to Berne by Captain Morgan L. Filkins for burial.

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  Page from diary.<br.>Photo by Allan Deitz
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  From the Diary of George H. Warner, March 9, 1863: 4 large gunboats went up the river towards Vixburg<br.>Photo Allan Deitz