GDG- to be shot to-morrow, as a deserter

[Dennis J. Francis]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis Lawrence" <denlaw at kc.rr.com>
> I am appealed to in behalf of August Blittersdorf, at Mitchells Station, 
> Va. to be shot to-morrow, as a deserter. I am unwilling for any boy under 
> eighteen to be shot; and his father affirms that he is yet under sixteen.
>
> Please answer. His Regt. or Co. not given me.
-----------------------------------
My curiosity got the better of me and I tried looking him up.
No August Blittersdorf is listed in the Soldiers and Sailors System; the 
only Blittersdorf is a Charles who was in the 28th OH Inf (not a A of P 
unit).
Ancestry lists an August B in the pension index, but I'm unsubbed from that 
database so I couldn't find out more.  Census data for 1860-1920 lists an 
August B born Germany whose year of birth ranges from 1846 to 1851; the 1860 
census shows him in Philly, age 12.
Took a chance he enlisted in a PA unit, so tried the index cards at the PA 
Archives site.  Didn't see him, but there is an August Blitt, who was in Co 
M, 13th PA Cav.  That's all the info there.  Bates says Blitt mustered in 17 
Apr 1863, but is not on muster-out roll.  Maybe this is him, and he got sent 
packing home.

DJ