Biographical Note

John R. Cason was born ca. 1843. He lived in Watson, Marshall County, MS, and enlisted as a private on 1 June 1861 in Company 'I' of the 17th Mississippi Infantry. He was in and out of hospitals throughout his military career, but despite that he was promoted to third Lieutenant on 27 April 1862. He was captured by Union forces in the Battle of Gettysburg on 2 July 1863. He spent the next three years in various Union prisons, and was one of the officers in the "Immortal 600" group of 600 POWs who were used by Union troops as human shields for 45 days during the assault on Charleston. Cason took the oath of allegiance and was released on 12 June 1865. On 14 August 1866, he may have married Susan M. Bryant (conflicting information in the Confederate Veteran article suggests that it may have been a different John R. Cason who married Susan M. Bryant). In 1905, at the age of 61, he entered the Confederate Soldiers Home in Higginsville, MO, which was established to house indigent veterans of the Confederate military. He died in 1909 and was buried in the cemetery associated with Higginsville, MO.

Chronology:

Chronology of Cason's service

1 Jun. 1861

Enlisted as Private in Co. 'I' 17th Mississippi Infantry at Corinth, MS

19 Jul.-4 Aug. 1861

Admitted to the General Hospital in Charlottesville

27 Apr. 1862

Promoted to 3rd Lieutenant

14 Nov. 1862

Admitted to the General Hospital in Charlottesville with bronchitis

6 Dec. 1862

Returned to duty

18 Feb. 1863

On 30 day furlough

2 Jul. 1863

Captured at Gettysburg

18 Jul. 1863

Transferred to Fort Delaware

20 Aug. 1864

Forward to Charleston, SC

21 Oct. 1864

Transferred to Fort Pulaski, GA

19 Nov. 1864

Sent to Hilton Head, SC

12 Jun. 1865

Received at Fort Delaware

12 Jun. 1865

Took oath and released from Fort Delaware

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records: