The son of Jacob & Lydia (Bixler) Nauss, in 1860 he was a farmer presumably living in Goldsboro, Newberry Township, York County, Pennsylvania, although much of that portion of the census is unreadable. He stood 5' 8" tall and had light hair and brown eyes.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted in Newberry Township August 29, 1861, overstating his age by two years, and mustered into federal service in York September 14 as a private with Co. B, 87th Pennsylvania Infantry. He suffered a rupture on the right side while carrying two camp kettles full of water (he also said "a box of crackers") at New Creek, Virginia (now Keyser, West Virginia) in late June 1862. Hospitalized for several months, he claimed he was never able to perform normal duty for the rest of his army stint. Captured at the battle of Carter's Woods June 15, 1863, he was incarcerated on Belle Isle in Richmond. Following his parole, he deserted from Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland, but returned on his own and was back on duty with the regiment on October 22, 1863.
At the battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864, the regiment was "marching by the flank" until it reached the top of a hill where fighting was going on. Alexander decided on his own that he should leave the lines and search for water (as he later explained) and wasn't seen again until July 11 in Baltimore. He was arrested and court-martialed for desertion in the face of the enemy, the 87th Pa's own Col. John W. Schall presiding. Although the court found him guilty of a capital offense, they sentenced him only to have the missing time added to his term of service and forfeit all due pay and bounty. Therefore he honorably discharged at term's end in York on October 13, 1864.
Cause of death is listed as "heart disease, bronchitis, indigestion."
There are discrepancies in his reported date of birth. Calculating it using his stated age at death of 68-1-7 arrives at December 18, 1843. His death certificate says he was born December 16, 1838, which doesn't agree with any other stated age, including censuses. The birth date shown here is as the family claimed it to be in their pension application.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted in Newberry Township August 29, 1861, overstating his age by two years, and mustered into federal service in York September 14 as a private with Co. B, 87th Pennsylvania Infantry. He suffered a rupture on the right side while carrying two camp kettles full of water (he also said "a box of crackers") at New Creek, Virginia (now Keyser, West Virginia) in late June 1862. Hospitalized for several months, he claimed he was never able to perform normal duty for the rest of his army stint. Captured at the battle of Carter's Woods June 15, 1863, he was incarcerated on Belle Isle in Richmond. Following his parole, he deserted from Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland, but returned on his own and was back on duty with the regiment on October 22, 1863.
At the battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864, the regiment was "marching by the flank" until it reached the top of a hill where fighting was going on. Alexander decided on his own that he should leave the lines and search for water (as he later explained) and wasn't seen again until July 11 in Baltimore. He was arrested and court-martialed for desertion in the face of the enemy, the 87th Pa's own Col. John W. Schall presiding. Although the court found him guilty of a capital offense, they sentenced him only to have the missing time added to his term of service and forfeit all due pay and bounty. Therefore he honorably discharged at term's end in York on October 13, 1864.
Cause of death is listed as "heart disease, bronchitis, indigestion."
There are discrepancies in his reported date of birth. Calculating it using his stated age at death of 68-1-7 arrives at December 18, 1843. His death certificate says he was born December 16, 1838, which doesn't agree with any other stated age, including censuses. The birth date shown here is as the family claimed it to be in their pension application.
The son of Jacob & Lydia (Bixler) Nauss, in 1860 he was a farmer presumably living in Goldsboro, Newberry Township, York County, Pennsylvania, although much of that portion of the census is unreadable. He stood 5' 8" tall and had light hair and brown eyes.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted in Newberry Township August 29, 1861, overstating his age by two years, and mustered into federal service in York September 14 as a private with Co. B, 87th Pennsylvania Infantry. He suffered a rupture on the right side while carrying two camp kettles full of water (he also said "a box of crackers") at New Creek, Virginia (now Keyser, West Virginia) in late June 1862. Hospitalized for several months, he claimed he was never able to perform normal duty for the rest of his army stint. Captured at the battle of Carter's Woods June 15, 1863, he was incarcerated on Belle Isle in Richmond. Following his parole, he deserted from Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland, but returned on his own and was back on duty with the regiment on October 22, 1863.
At the battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864, the regiment was "marching by the flank" until it reached the top of a hill where fighting was going on. Alexander decided on his own that he should leave the lines and search for water (as he later explained) and wasn't seen again until July 11 in Baltimore. He was arrested and court-martialed for desertion in the face of the enemy, the 87th Pa's own Col. John W. Schall presiding. Although the court found him guilty of a capital offense, they sentenced him only to have the missing time added to his term of service and forfeit all due pay and bounty. Therefore he honorably discharged at term's end in York on October 13, 1864.
Cause of death is listed as "heart disease, bronchitis, indigestion."
There are discrepancies in his reported date of birth. Calculating it using his stated age at death of 68-1-7 arrives at December 18, 1843. His death certificate says he was born December 16, 1838, which doesn't agree with any other stated age, including censuses. The birth date shown here is as the family claimed it to be in their pension application.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted in Newberry Township August 29, 1861, overstating his age by two years, and mustered into federal service in York September 14 as a private with Co. B, 87th Pennsylvania Infantry. He suffered a rupture on the right side while carrying two camp kettles full of water (he also said "a box of crackers") at New Creek, Virginia (now Keyser, West Virginia) in late June 1862. Hospitalized for several months, he claimed he was never able to perform normal duty for the rest of his army stint. Captured at the battle of Carter's Woods June 15, 1863, he was incarcerated on Belle Isle in Richmond. Following his parole, he deserted from Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland, but returned on his own and was back on duty with the regiment on October 22, 1863.
At the battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864, the regiment was "marching by the flank" until it reached the top of a hill where fighting was going on. Alexander decided on his own that he should leave the lines and search for water (as he later explained) and wasn't seen again until July 11 in Baltimore. He was arrested and court-martialed for desertion in the face of the enemy, the 87th Pa's own Col. John W. Schall presiding. Although the court found him guilty of a capital offense, they sentenced him only to have the missing time added to his term of service and forfeit all due pay and bounty. Therefore he honorably discharged at term's end in York on October 13, 1864.
Cause of death is listed as "heart disease, bronchitis, indigestion."
There are discrepancies in his reported date of birth. Calculating it using his stated age at death of 68-1-7 arrives at December 18, 1843. His death certificate says he was born December 16, 1838, which doesn't agree with any other stated age, including censuses. The birth date shown here is as the family claimed it to be in their pension application.
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