David was the son of James & and Susannah Adams who were from Mercer, Kentucky. His siblings were Robert, Ellen Adams Woodward, Margaret, Flex and Emma. On the 1850 Census, he is counted in Edgar, Vermilion County, Illinois. On the 1860 Census, he is listed as a farm hand and is in Elwood.
He enlisted in the Union Army August 22, 1862 as a private in Company E of the 66th Illinois Infantry. The 66th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Western Sharpshooters) was originally known as "Birge's Western Sharpshooters" and later as the "Western Sharpshooters – 14th Missouri Volunteers. They were a specialized regiment of infantry sharpshooters. The regiment was intended, raised and mustered into Federal service as the Western Theater counterpart to the Army of the Potomac's 1st and 2nd United States Volunteer Sharpshooters ("Berdan's Sharpshooters"). General John C Fremont envisioned this regiment as a representation of every state in the West. As marksmen, Fremont intended that they should have a special uniform based on "hunter's dress" and be armed with the highly accurate Plains Rifles (handmade half-stock rifles), provided by the famed St. Louis firearms firm of Horace (H.E.) Dimick. While the "special uniform" didn't last long (except for an extraordinary sugar loaf hat decorated with three squirrel tails), Dimick provided over 1,000 long rifles. The Western Sharpshooters found the "Dimick Rifle" to be lethally accurate and declared themselves "well pleased" with the Plains Rifle.
The regiment was stationed at Corinth, Mississippi, skirmishing ahead of the main force almost every day. In mid-September 1862, Confederate Generals Earl Van Dorn and Sterling Price led an offensive to re-gain Corinth. The full regiment fought in the Second Battle of Corinth on October 3rd-4th. General John Fremont was relieved of command by Major General Halleck in November 1862. In December, 1862, after the strong intervention of Governor Yates of Illinois, the Sharpshooters were transferred to Illinois service as the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry on November 20, 1862. The regiment was allowed to maintain Western Sharpshooters as part of its official designation following a request by letter to Governor Yates from Colonel Burke. Beginning in the autumn of 1863, the men of the regiment became equipped with the new 16 shot Henry Repeating Rifle. This gave them a major advantage in firepower over their Confederate opponents. Over 250 of the Sharpshooters spent an average of 40 dollars out of pocket (over three months pay for a Private) to arm themselves with this highly effective new weapon. Although the government did not purchase the weapons, it did provide Henry rifle cartridges for companies whose soldiers had purchased the Henry rifles.
The regiment remained at Camp Davies until November 12, 1863, when 2nd Division, XVI Corps, moved to Pulaski, Tennessee and established "Camp P.E. Burke". On April 29, they left for Chattanooga to join the Atlanta Campaign and on May 6, they left Chattanooga. They fought on August 31, 1864 at Jonesboro, Georgia. The Battle of Jonesboro was the culmination of a four-month campaign by Sherman to capture Atlanta. He had spent the summer driving the enemy down a 100 mile corridor from Chattanooga. In late August, Sherman swung his army south of Atlanta to cut the main rail line supplying the Rebel army. Confederate General William Hardee's corps moved to block Sherman at Jonesboro and attacked the Union troops, but was thrown back with staggering losses. The entrenched Yankees lost 178 men, but the Confederates lost nearly 2,000. On September 1, Sherman attacked Hardee. Though the Confederates held, Sherman successfully cut the rail line and effectively trapped the Rebels. Hardee had to abandon his position and Hood had no choice but to withdraw from Atlanta.
While stationed at Pulaski, David's lungs became infected and he got Erysipelas in his feet which extended to his ankles. Erysipelas is an acute streptococcus bacterial infection (today we would call it a type of cellulitis) with symptoms of high fevers, shaking, chills, fatigue, headaches, vomiting and general illness with 48 hours of the initial infection. The skin lesion enlarges rapidly and it appears as a red, swollen, warm, hardened and painful rash similar in consistency to an orange peel. The initial episode healed, but he had scarring and recurrences of this the rest of his life. At the Battle of Jonesboro, David was wounded. He was struck with a spent mini-ball in his right thigh and another ball hit the third and fourth fingers of his left hand. The ball in the right thigh had caused sciatic nerve damage. The 5th metacarpal was also damaged on his left hand – the little finger was drawn toward the palm surface because of tendon contractions. It was also about one-half inch shorter than the little finger on the right hand. David was honorably discharged 2 June 1865. His pension file describes him as 5'11", weighing 147 pounds, dark complexion with black eyes and black hair.
About one and one-half years after he was discharged from the 66th Illinois Infantry, David married Elvira Arizona on 14 February 1867 at Edgar County, Illinois. Elvira was born on 20 April 1847 in Edgar County, daughter of George R and Margaret Fisher Moke. George served in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk Wars as a Second Lieutenant in Captain Robert Griffin's company. He also was an attorney who is named in the Lincoln Logs because he opposed Abraham Lincoln in court. He and Margaret owned and operated the Old Moke Inn, a relay-stagecoach stop south of Paris, Illinois on Lower Terra Haute Road. David and Elvira's family was counted on the 1870 and 1880 U S Census in Edgar County. In the 1900 and 1910 US Census, they were counted in Montgomery Township, Wright County, Missouri.
He was the father of Charles Franklin Adams, Amanda Melvina Adams, Margaret Ann (Adams) Butts, Julia Eveline (Adams) Wilson, Oakley Ella (Adams) Briggs, Orlando Mac Adams, Melissa Ellen (Adams) Wade, Mary Lucy (Adams)Lloyd, David Oliver Adams, John Frances Adams, and Dora Emma (Adams) Butts.
He enlisted in the Union Army August 22, 1862 as a private in Company E of the 66th Illinois Infantry. The 66th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Western Sharpshooters) was originally known as "Birge's Western Sharpshooters" and later as the "Western Sharpshooters – 14th Missouri Volunteers. They were a specialized regiment of infantry sharpshooters. The regiment was intended, raised and mustered into Federal service as the Western Theater counterpart to the Army of the Potomac's 1st and 2nd United States Volunteer Sharpshooters ("Berdan's Sharpshooters"). General John C Fremont envisioned this regiment as a representation of every state in the West. As marksmen, Fremont intended that they should have a special uniform based on "hunter's dress" and be armed with the highly accurate Plains Rifles (handmade half-stock rifles), provided by the famed St. Louis firearms firm of Horace (H.E.) Dimick. While the "special uniform" didn't last long (except for an extraordinary sugar loaf hat decorated with three squirrel tails), Dimick provided over 1,000 long rifles. The Western Sharpshooters found the "Dimick Rifle" to be lethally accurate and declared themselves "well pleased" with the Plains Rifle.
The regiment was stationed at Corinth, Mississippi, skirmishing ahead of the main force almost every day. In mid-September 1862, Confederate Generals Earl Van Dorn and Sterling Price led an offensive to re-gain Corinth. The full regiment fought in the Second Battle of Corinth on October 3rd-4th. General John Fremont was relieved of command by Major General Halleck in November 1862. In December, 1862, after the strong intervention of Governor Yates of Illinois, the Sharpshooters were transferred to Illinois service as the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry on November 20, 1862. The regiment was allowed to maintain Western Sharpshooters as part of its official designation following a request by letter to Governor Yates from Colonel Burke. Beginning in the autumn of 1863, the men of the regiment became equipped with the new 16 shot Henry Repeating Rifle. This gave them a major advantage in firepower over their Confederate opponents. Over 250 of the Sharpshooters spent an average of 40 dollars out of pocket (over three months pay for a Private) to arm themselves with this highly effective new weapon. Although the government did not purchase the weapons, it did provide Henry rifle cartridges for companies whose soldiers had purchased the Henry rifles.
The regiment remained at Camp Davies until November 12, 1863, when 2nd Division, XVI Corps, moved to Pulaski, Tennessee and established "Camp P.E. Burke". On April 29, they left for Chattanooga to join the Atlanta Campaign and on May 6, they left Chattanooga. They fought on August 31, 1864 at Jonesboro, Georgia. The Battle of Jonesboro was the culmination of a four-month campaign by Sherman to capture Atlanta. He had spent the summer driving the enemy down a 100 mile corridor from Chattanooga. In late August, Sherman swung his army south of Atlanta to cut the main rail line supplying the Rebel army. Confederate General William Hardee's corps moved to block Sherman at Jonesboro and attacked the Union troops, but was thrown back with staggering losses. The entrenched Yankees lost 178 men, but the Confederates lost nearly 2,000. On September 1, Sherman attacked Hardee. Though the Confederates held, Sherman successfully cut the rail line and effectively trapped the Rebels. Hardee had to abandon his position and Hood had no choice but to withdraw from Atlanta.
While stationed at Pulaski, David's lungs became infected and he got Erysipelas in his feet which extended to his ankles. Erysipelas is an acute streptococcus bacterial infection (today we would call it a type of cellulitis) with symptoms of high fevers, shaking, chills, fatigue, headaches, vomiting and general illness with 48 hours of the initial infection. The skin lesion enlarges rapidly and it appears as a red, swollen, warm, hardened and painful rash similar in consistency to an orange peel. The initial episode healed, but he had scarring and recurrences of this the rest of his life. At the Battle of Jonesboro, David was wounded. He was struck with a spent mini-ball in his right thigh and another ball hit the third and fourth fingers of his left hand. The ball in the right thigh had caused sciatic nerve damage. The 5th metacarpal was also damaged on his left hand – the little finger was drawn toward the palm surface because of tendon contractions. It was also about one-half inch shorter than the little finger on the right hand. David was honorably discharged 2 June 1865. His pension file describes him as 5'11", weighing 147 pounds, dark complexion with black eyes and black hair.
About one and one-half years after he was discharged from the 66th Illinois Infantry, David married Elvira Arizona on 14 February 1867 at Edgar County, Illinois. Elvira was born on 20 April 1847 in Edgar County, daughter of George R and Margaret Fisher Moke. George served in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk Wars as a Second Lieutenant in Captain Robert Griffin's company. He also was an attorney who is named in the Lincoln Logs because he opposed Abraham Lincoln in court. He and Margaret owned and operated the Old Moke Inn, a relay-stagecoach stop south of Paris, Illinois on Lower Terra Haute Road. David and Elvira's family was counted on the 1870 and 1880 U S Census in Edgar County. In the 1900 and 1910 US Census, they were counted in Montgomery Township, Wright County, Missouri.
He was the father of Charles Franklin Adams, Amanda Melvina Adams, Margaret Ann (Adams) Butts, Julia Eveline (Adams) Wilson, Oakley Ella (Adams) Briggs, Orlando Mac Adams, Melissa Ellen (Adams) Wade, Mary Lucy (Adams)Lloyd, David Oliver Adams, John Frances Adams, and Dora Emma (Adams) Butts.
David was the son of James & and Susannah Adams who were from Mercer, Kentucky. His siblings were Robert, Ellen Adams Woodward, Margaret, Flex and Emma. On the 1850 Census, he is counted in Edgar, Vermilion County, Illinois. On the 1860 Census, he is listed as a farm hand and is in Elwood.
He enlisted in the Union Army August 22, 1862 as a private in Company E of the 66th Illinois Infantry. The 66th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Western Sharpshooters) was originally known as "Birge's Western Sharpshooters" and later as the "Western Sharpshooters – 14th Missouri Volunteers. They were a specialized regiment of infantry sharpshooters. The regiment was intended, raised and mustered into Federal service as the Western Theater counterpart to the Army of the Potomac's 1st and 2nd United States Volunteer Sharpshooters ("Berdan's Sharpshooters"). General John C Fremont envisioned this regiment as a representation of every state in the West. As marksmen, Fremont intended that they should have a special uniform based on "hunter's dress" and be armed with the highly accurate Plains Rifles (handmade half-stock rifles), provided by the famed St. Louis firearms firm of Horace (H.E.) Dimick. While the "special uniform" didn't last long (except for an extraordinary sugar loaf hat decorated with three squirrel tails), Dimick provided over 1,000 long rifles. The Western Sharpshooters found the "Dimick Rifle" to be lethally accurate and declared themselves "well pleased" with the Plains Rifle.
The regiment was stationed at Corinth, Mississippi, skirmishing ahead of the main force almost every day. In mid-September 1862, Confederate Generals Earl Van Dorn and Sterling Price led an offensive to re-gain Corinth. The full regiment fought in the Second Battle of Corinth on October 3rd-4th. General John Fremont was relieved of command by Major General Halleck in November 1862. In December, 1862, after the strong intervention of Governor Yates of Illinois, the Sharpshooters were transferred to Illinois service as the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry on November 20, 1862. The regiment was allowed to maintain Western Sharpshooters as part of its official designation following a request by letter to Governor Yates from Colonel Burke. Beginning in the autumn of 1863, the men of the regiment became equipped with the new 16 shot Henry Repeating Rifle. This gave them a major advantage in firepower over their Confederate opponents. Over 250 of the Sharpshooters spent an average of 40 dollars out of pocket (over three months pay for a Private) to arm themselves with this highly effective new weapon. Although the government did not purchase the weapons, it did provide Henry rifle cartridges for companies whose soldiers had purchased the Henry rifles.
The regiment remained at Camp Davies until November 12, 1863, when 2nd Division, XVI Corps, moved to Pulaski, Tennessee and established "Camp P.E. Burke". On April 29, they left for Chattanooga to join the Atlanta Campaign and on May 6, they left Chattanooga. They fought on August 31, 1864 at Jonesboro, Georgia. The Battle of Jonesboro was the culmination of a four-month campaign by Sherman to capture Atlanta. He had spent the summer driving the enemy down a 100 mile corridor from Chattanooga. In late August, Sherman swung his army south of Atlanta to cut the main rail line supplying the Rebel army. Confederate General William Hardee's corps moved to block Sherman at Jonesboro and attacked the Union troops, but was thrown back with staggering losses. The entrenched Yankees lost 178 men, but the Confederates lost nearly 2,000. On September 1, Sherman attacked Hardee. Though the Confederates held, Sherman successfully cut the rail line and effectively trapped the Rebels. Hardee had to abandon his position and Hood had no choice but to withdraw from Atlanta.
While stationed at Pulaski, David's lungs became infected and he got Erysipelas in his feet which extended to his ankles. Erysipelas is an acute streptococcus bacterial infection (today we would call it a type of cellulitis) with symptoms of high fevers, shaking, chills, fatigue, headaches, vomiting and general illness with 48 hours of the initial infection. The skin lesion enlarges rapidly and it appears as a red, swollen, warm, hardened and painful rash similar in consistency to an orange peel. The initial episode healed, but he had scarring and recurrences of this the rest of his life. At the Battle of Jonesboro, David was wounded. He was struck with a spent mini-ball in his right thigh and another ball hit the third and fourth fingers of his left hand. The ball in the right thigh had caused sciatic nerve damage. The 5th metacarpal was also damaged on his left hand – the little finger was drawn toward the palm surface because of tendon contractions. It was also about one-half inch shorter than the little finger on the right hand. David was honorably discharged 2 June 1865. His pension file describes him as 5'11", weighing 147 pounds, dark complexion with black eyes and black hair.
About one and one-half years after he was discharged from the 66th Illinois Infantry, David married Elvira Arizona on 14 February 1867 at Edgar County, Illinois. Elvira was born on 20 April 1847 in Edgar County, daughter of George R and Margaret Fisher Moke. George served in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk Wars as a Second Lieutenant in Captain Robert Griffin's company. He also was an attorney who is named in the Lincoln Logs because he opposed Abraham Lincoln in court. He and Margaret owned and operated the Old Moke Inn, a relay-stagecoach stop south of Paris, Illinois on Lower Terra Haute Road. David and Elvira's family was counted on the 1870 and 1880 U S Census in Edgar County. In the 1900 and 1910 US Census, they were counted in Montgomery Township, Wright County, Missouri.
He was the father of Charles Franklin Adams, Amanda Melvina Adams, Margaret Ann (Adams) Butts, Julia Eveline (Adams) Wilson, Oakley Ella (Adams) Briggs, Orlando Mac Adams, Melissa Ellen (Adams) Wade, Mary Lucy (Adams)Lloyd, David Oliver Adams, John Frances Adams, and Dora Emma (Adams) Butts.
He enlisted in the Union Army August 22, 1862 as a private in Company E of the 66th Illinois Infantry. The 66th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Western Sharpshooters) was originally known as "Birge's Western Sharpshooters" and later as the "Western Sharpshooters – 14th Missouri Volunteers. They were a specialized regiment of infantry sharpshooters. The regiment was intended, raised and mustered into Federal service as the Western Theater counterpart to the Army of the Potomac's 1st and 2nd United States Volunteer Sharpshooters ("Berdan's Sharpshooters"). General John C Fremont envisioned this regiment as a representation of every state in the West. As marksmen, Fremont intended that they should have a special uniform based on "hunter's dress" and be armed with the highly accurate Plains Rifles (handmade half-stock rifles), provided by the famed St. Louis firearms firm of Horace (H.E.) Dimick. While the "special uniform" didn't last long (except for an extraordinary sugar loaf hat decorated with three squirrel tails), Dimick provided over 1,000 long rifles. The Western Sharpshooters found the "Dimick Rifle" to be lethally accurate and declared themselves "well pleased" with the Plains Rifle.
The regiment was stationed at Corinth, Mississippi, skirmishing ahead of the main force almost every day. In mid-September 1862, Confederate Generals Earl Van Dorn and Sterling Price led an offensive to re-gain Corinth. The full regiment fought in the Second Battle of Corinth on October 3rd-4th. General John Fremont was relieved of command by Major General Halleck in November 1862. In December, 1862, after the strong intervention of Governor Yates of Illinois, the Sharpshooters were transferred to Illinois service as the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry on November 20, 1862. The regiment was allowed to maintain Western Sharpshooters as part of its official designation following a request by letter to Governor Yates from Colonel Burke. Beginning in the autumn of 1863, the men of the regiment became equipped with the new 16 shot Henry Repeating Rifle. This gave them a major advantage in firepower over their Confederate opponents. Over 250 of the Sharpshooters spent an average of 40 dollars out of pocket (over three months pay for a Private) to arm themselves with this highly effective new weapon. Although the government did not purchase the weapons, it did provide Henry rifle cartridges for companies whose soldiers had purchased the Henry rifles.
The regiment remained at Camp Davies until November 12, 1863, when 2nd Division, XVI Corps, moved to Pulaski, Tennessee and established "Camp P.E. Burke". On April 29, they left for Chattanooga to join the Atlanta Campaign and on May 6, they left Chattanooga. They fought on August 31, 1864 at Jonesboro, Georgia. The Battle of Jonesboro was the culmination of a four-month campaign by Sherman to capture Atlanta. He had spent the summer driving the enemy down a 100 mile corridor from Chattanooga. In late August, Sherman swung his army south of Atlanta to cut the main rail line supplying the Rebel army. Confederate General William Hardee's corps moved to block Sherman at Jonesboro and attacked the Union troops, but was thrown back with staggering losses. The entrenched Yankees lost 178 men, but the Confederates lost nearly 2,000. On September 1, Sherman attacked Hardee. Though the Confederates held, Sherman successfully cut the rail line and effectively trapped the Rebels. Hardee had to abandon his position and Hood had no choice but to withdraw from Atlanta.
While stationed at Pulaski, David's lungs became infected and he got Erysipelas in his feet which extended to his ankles. Erysipelas is an acute streptococcus bacterial infection (today we would call it a type of cellulitis) with symptoms of high fevers, shaking, chills, fatigue, headaches, vomiting and general illness with 48 hours of the initial infection. The skin lesion enlarges rapidly and it appears as a red, swollen, warm, hardened and painful rash similar in consistency to an orange peel. The initial episode healed, but he had scarring and recurrences of this the rest of his life. At the Battle of Jonesboro, David was wounded. He was struck with a spent mini-ball in his right thigh and another ball hit the third and fourth fingers of his left hand. The ball in the right thigh had caused sciatic nerve damage. The 5th metacarpal was also damaged on his left hand – the little finger was drawn toward the palm surface because of tendon contractions. It was also about one-half inch shorter than the little finger on the right hand. David was honorably discharged 2 June 1865. His pension file describes him as 5'11", weighing 147 pounds, dark complexion with black eyes and black hair.
About one and one-half years after he was discharged from the 66th Illinois Infantry, David married Elvira Arizona on 14 February 1867 at Edgar County, Illinois. Elvira was born on 20 April 1847 in Edgar County, daughter of George R and Margaret Fisher Moke. George served in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk Wars as a Second Lieutenant in Captain Robert Griffin's company. He also was an attorney who is named in the Lincoln Logs because he opposed Abraham Lincoln in court. He and Margaret owned and operated the Old Moke Inn, a relay-stagecoach stop south of Paris, Illinois on Lower Terra Haute Road. David and Elvira's family was counted on the 1870 and 1880 U S Census in Edgar County. In the 1900 and 1910 US Census, they were counted in Montgomery Township, Wright County, Missouri.
He was the father of Charles Franklin Adams, Amanda Melvina Adams, Margaret Ann (Adams) Butts, Julia Eveline (Adams) Wilson, Oakley Ella (Adams) Briggs, Orlando Mac Adams, Melissa Ellen (Adams) Wade, Mary Lucy (Adams)Lloyd, David Oliver Adams, John Frances Adams, and Dora Emma (Adams) Butts.
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