Courtship, Community, and Conflict: Montgomery County in the Civil War

Louis Harkey

Louis Harkey was born in Montgomery County and was one of the earliest in this edition to enlist during the Civil War. He enlisted on July 7th of 1861 into the Illinois 1st Cavalry Regiment and was mustered in a month later. However, a little less than two months into his service he was captured by Confederate soldiers and was a prisoner of war. When he was exonerated by Union soldiers he was discharged from his service early in October of 1862. After his discharge, he traveled to the Colorado Territory to drive horse-drawn caravans and often sent letters back to his cousin in Montgomery County, Sophronia McNitt.
  1. “Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report” Accessed 10/5/18. https://www.ilsos.gov/isaveterans/civilMusterSearch.do ↵

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