The items in this group are identified to Private John G. Weilein (spelled Wilyne in the records) of Company E, 124th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.

The first item in this group is a sixth plate tintype in a full cloth case repaired at the hinge. The image is very clear and shows a young Union soldier seated by a table. He wears a forage cap and dark frock coat with a waist belt sporting the NCO version of the rectangular Model 1851 sword belt plate. With both hands the soldier is reaching for pistols tucked in his belt. One pistol is a pocket Model Colt and the other looks like it may be a Smith & Wesson but not sure. The image is clear with good contrast. There are two small rub spots high above the subjects head. Image comes with full frame and mat. The case is decorated with a US flag in gold on the front.

With the image is a ladder badge made up of three scalloped silver bars. Each bar is chased around the edge. The top bar is engraved with “CO. E” and has a pin on the reverse. The second bar is suspended to the first by a link on each end. This second bar reads “124.” The third bar is attached similarly as the second and is engraved “ILLINOIS.” Suspended from the third bar is a shield with crossed rifles engraved at center with “VOL.” above them and INF.” below. All the engraved lettering is filled in with black enamel. A minor amount of the enamel has chipped off. Attached to the back of the ladder badge is a split blue ribbon approx. 2.50 inches long. The overall condition of the badge is very good.

Also with the group is a patriotic cover with crossed full-color US flags in the left corner over the motto “WE ARE ALL HERE.” This is surrounded by a circle made up of thirty-four small triangles each one containing the initials of a state.

The last piece in the group is a 13.00 x 10.00 inch piece of cardboard shrink wrapped to hold a post card photo of Private Weilein as an old man and two newspaper obituaries one of which also contains a photo. Looking at both photos of Weilein as an older man and comparing the faces to the soldier in the tintype leaves no doubt that all three are the same man.

In the large obituary it is stated that Mr. Weilein was born in Bavaria, Germany September 27, 1841. After the death of his father he came to the United States with his mother who eventually settled in Aurora, Illinois.

In 1858 Weilein and three of his friends decided to work their way down the Mississippi cutting timber and digging ditches. They eventually reached Lake Province, Louisiana and were hired to dig a ditch on a plantation near Berry’s Landing that belonged to Jefferson Davis.

On the way back north the group split up. Upon reaching Springfield, Illinois Weilein and a friend needed more money to reach home. On May 5, 1859 they came upon a large fellow sitting on his porch and asked for food. This turned out to be Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln fed the two men and offered a job for one of them to help around the house. Weilein took the job and worked for Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln until late fall when he returned home.

When the Civil War came Mr. Weilein enlisted as a Private in Company E, 124th Illinois on August 15, 1862 and was mustered in the following September 10th. While with his regiment Mr. Weilein was engaged at Raymond, Champion Hill, Vicksburg and Spanish Fort. He was mustered out at Camp Douglas, Illinois on August 15, 1865. Mr. Weilein’s obituary says that he was severely wounded but no date or place is mentioned. Nothing in the short research done indicates he was wounded. Pulling his records from the National Archives will surely settle the question.

After the war he was a member of the GAR and made a living as a master stone mason. He moved around some and eventually ended up settling in Waterloo, Iowa in 1879. Mr. Weilein died on February 11, 1920 and was laid to rest in Elmwood Cemetery in Waterloo, Iowa.

Private Weilein’s stories of Davis and Lincoln may or may not be true. It does provide interesting possibilities for a researcher.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.

THANK YOU!