"John" Wesley Wallick

Biography

It appears that two persons living in Peru, Indiana in 1864 would answer to the name Wesley Wallick. Both served for 100 days in the same unit of the Union Army — the 138th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Company A. This fact, compounded by errors written in family histories and on government documents, required hours of research to resolve. Once the two soldiers' service records were obtained, the simple truth became obvious: the two Wesleys were a generation apart and were uncle and nephew to each other. One Wesley was a forty-five-year-old 1st lieutenant, while the other was a twenty-year-old private.

Fortunately, different given names were consistently used in their military records — Wesley Wallick for the uncle and John W. Wallick for the nephew. Wesley "the Elder" (1819–1890) was simply called Wesley in most documents. His nephew, John Wesley Wallick "the Younger" (1844–1889), answered to both John and Wesley throughout his life. The interchangeable usage of his given name caused most of the problems in writing this soldier's story. John Wallick or John W. Wallick will be used in this biographical sketch when referring to nephew John Wesley "the Younger."

John Wallick was a brother to William Wallick of the 51st Indiana Volunteer Infantry and twin brother to Charles Fletcher Wallick of the 87th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Both William and Charles volunteered in 1861 and spent three years in the South fighting against the Confederacy. William was well-known for being one of 109 Union prisoners-of-war who tunneled out of Libby Prison in the winter of 1864. Charles was wounded in the left hand at the Battle of Chickamauga and participated in General Sherman's March to the Sea and the Grand Review of the Union Armies in Washington at the close of the war.

Although the quality is poor, these are the only pictures known to exist of Charles F. Wallick and his twin brother John Wesley.

In the spring of 1864, thousands of men enlisted for 100 days to help support the Union Army's grand offensive. General Grant wanted to mobilize as many troops as possible so they could attack the Confederate armies on multiple fronts. Tens of thousands of fresh troops and state militias were called into service to strike one mighty blow against the Confederacy. For the most part these new recruits were given rear echelon assignments so the more experienced veteran soldiers could be made available for combat operations.

John's first enlistment was with the 138th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Here he served as a private for three weeks, and was then promoted to 3rd Corporal. His uncle, Wesley Wallick, was a 1st lieutenant in his company. The two immediately went south with their regiment to Tennessee and Alabama, where their primary responsibility was security for the southern and northern railroads. There appears to be no extraordinary military action during their 100 days of service.

Three months after his discharge from the 138th Infantry, John enlisted for a second time in the 151st Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The war was drawing to a close but there was still a great need for new recruits, since three-year veteran enlistments were beginning to expire. A one-hundred-dollar bounty was paid by the U.S. Government to each recruit for one year's service. John enlisted at the same time as his cousin, William F. M. Wallick, although they served in different companies of the regiment.

John Wesley Wallick returned home to Miami County, Indiana after the war, where he continued to help his father at the mill. In 1874 John married Rebecca A. Buskirk, a lady with a strong sense of family history. Before her passing in 1943, she had donated to the Miami County Historical Society pictures, letters, and household possessions once owned by the Benjamin Wallick pioneer family — including Benjamin's trundle bed, dishes that belonged to John's mother Eliza, and personal letters. John Wesley Wallick passed away on March 22, 1889, at the young age of forty-five. He was survived by his wife Rebecca and his twelve-year-old son, Rutherford.

Research Note

A Tale of Two Wesleys

Two examples illustrate the special care one must take when examining the records of John Wesley Wallick. First, John Wallick "the Younger" is simply called Wesley — his uncle's preferred name — in the 1870 census. Without a doubt this person is nephew John Wesley, for he is living in the household of his father, Benjamin, and twin brother, Charles. Both Charles and Wesley are recorded as being twenty-six years old in the census. Second, Wesley "the Elder" is called John W. Wallick — his nephew's preferred name — on a headstone application from the Veterans Administration written in 1890. Certainly this is Wesley "the Elder" who received the headstone and who is buried in the Dayton National Cemetery.

It is rare to find Wesley "the Elder" referred to as John, but there are many instances where John Wesley "the Younger" is called Wesley, John, or a combination of both. All this is to say that when researching Wesley Wallick or John Wesley Wallick from Peru, Indiana, one must always take into consideration the historical context.

Legacy

The Miami County Historical Society

In 1874 John Wallick married Rebecca A. Buskirk, a lady with a strong sense of family history. Before her passing in 1943, she had donated to the Miami County Historical Society pictures, letters, and household possessions once owned by the Benjamin Wallick pioneer family. Among those items donated were Benjamin's trundle bed, a few dishes that belonged to John's mother Eliza, and some personal letters. A few of these items are currently on public display at the museum; others may be viewed by appointment. Rebecca Buskirk Wallick was extremely instrumental in preserving the Wallick family heritage in Miami County, Indiana.

Comrades-in-Arms