Researcher: Nick Anderson

 

            Sergeant James M. Ryan was a solider of the Civil War that had come from Franklin, Mass. When he had joined the military he was 21 years old. He left his mother, father, and a wife. When he had joined he was assigned to the 45th regiment of Massachusetts which had consisted to soldiers from all over mass. The 45th regiment was organized at Camp Meigs, Reedville on September 26. They stayed there until October 28, 1862. Then they had moved to Morehead City, North Carolina. They camped in the banks of the Trent River till December 12, 1862. They set out on an expedition to Goldsboro on December 12, 1862. On there way they had encountered a battle at Kinston on the 14th of December. After that they had encountered another one at Whitehall on the 16th of December. The 45th regiment had company c which Sergeant James was in ant that company was the heavy artillery. The artillery consisted of high powered guns like cannons. Throughout the entire war the 45th regiment had only lost 19 men that were killed or seriously injured and 32 men to disease. In the total count they lost 50 men. Company C had broken away from the 45th regiment and had joined with the 12th regiment that was all heavy artillery. When they joined they were currently in Boston but then they were shipped down to New Orleans. When this regiment had joined they battle they had only lost 25 men by disease but no men were killed during the war. Company C had broken away from that regiment and had joined the 3rd regiment that was also heavy artillery. This regiment was organized only for one year and it consisted of the 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th Unattached Companies Heavy Artillery. The regiment lost during service 2 Enlisted men killed and 1 Officer and 38 Enlisted men by disease. Consisted a total of 41 people. When Sergeant James had final gotten out of the military he had ranked out as Sergeant because an officer during the war killed in action he was the next person to become that rank. When he had come back home he rejoined with his family and wife. He was locksmith in Franklin, Massachusetts. After the war, he three kids and lived a happy life. He died in the year of 1874 because of a disease that he had caught.