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JOHN BLAIN John Blain’s parents migrated from Ireland to Australia where John Blain was born in Sydney, Australia around 1845. After his birth the family migrated back to Ireland and in 1852 they emigrated again; this time to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. When the American Civil War broke out, John enlisted in 1861 as a Private, as part of the "Buck tail", 1st Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Infantry regiment, also known as the “30th Volunteers”, from Pennsylvania; into Co. “F” and later he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. His card also carries the spelling of his last name as “Blane”. The Bucktails were Pennsylvania's most famous Civil War unit; the regiment being first formed in April 1861, and each man who came to the regiment's rendezvous point wore civilian clothes and a buck's tail in his hat as a symbol of his marksmanship. The 1st Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Infantry regiment was organized at West Chester, Pennsylvania on June 9, 1861 and moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on July 20. It saw action at the Battles of Mechanicsville, Virginia on June 26; at Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Virginia on June 27; at Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale, in Henrico County, Virginia June 30; at Malvern Hill, also in Henrico County, Virginia on July 1; the Battles of Groveton or the Second Battle of Bull Run on August 29; at Bull Run near Manassas on August 30; the Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., on December 12-15; the Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., on July 1-3; the Battles of the Wilderness in Virginia on May 5-7 and many others in between. On February 4, 1864 John re-enlisted as First Sergeant into the 190th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and was mustered into Co. “H” . The 190th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry was organized in the field from Veterans and Recruits of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps on May 31, 1864. With the 190th John saw action at the Battles around Cold Harbor, Va., on June 1-12, 1864; the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia on June 16, 1864, and at the Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, south of Petersburg, Virginia on August 18–21, 1864; where he was wounded and captured. The Union army had gained its first victory during the Siege of Petersburg and achieved a major objective. Union casualties during that battle, however, amounted to 251 killed, 1,148 wounded and 2,897 missing/captured. It was at the Battle of Weldon Railroad at Petersburg, Virginia in 1864 that John was wounded in his left hand and was taken prisoner by Confederate forces on August 19, 1864. He was transported to and incarcerated in the Confederates Salisbury Prison in North Carolina, where he suffered badly from starvation and frostbite. He may also have been moved to Andersonville prison but that remains unclear. John was eventually released and upon his release he mustered out of the army as a First Sergeant, with the rest of his regiment at Arlington Heights, Virginia., near Washington, D.C. on June 28, 1865. One source, records a ‘John’ Blain who enlisted as a Private on July 10, 1861, and mustered into Company "F", Pennsylvania 30th Infantry, was transferred out on June 1, 1864 and transferred into Pennsylvania 190th Infantry on June 1, 1864. It stated he was promoted to a Corporal on March 1, 1863 and to a Sergeant on March 1, 1864. It is believed that record was confused and mixed up with our John Blain. John Blain was married to Ella Antoinette Field of New Hampshire in Washington D.C. on May 25, 1875. One of their children was John Frederick Blain. After the war John Blain went on to become a well known and respected individual throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York and eventually ended up being one of the people in charge at the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania Reformatories; where he was a teacher and Superintendent of Military training. He eventually moved with his family to Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and his son, had a sailing and shipping career after he ran away from home in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania; and eventually was placed in charge of World War I ship production for all of Washington and Oregon. John Blain was buried in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Sources: "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion", Frederick H. Dyer A History of Civil War Volunteers, Edwin A. Glover Donald O. DeMers, Jr., Descendant Historical Data Systems, civilwardata.com. History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865 National Archives Microfilm Records, M554, Roll 9 Pennsylvania Infantry Pension Index The Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield Guide, John S. Salmon The Union Army, vol. 1