in sight of them, which they signaled. This proved to be a United States gunboat, in command of Captain Goodon, afterwards Commodore Goodon. They were taken aboard, carried to Hilton Head, and turned over to Gen. O. W. Mitchell, who, after questioning them as to the Confederate armies in South Carolina and Georgia, sent them to New York, each going from there to home. Merrill reached his home, in his Confederate suit, about December 20, 1961, in feeble
condition.

The following summer, having partially regained his health, he enlisted in the Ninth New Hampshire under the name John Mooney, was commissioned a
lieutenant, and went to the front with his regiment. He served with his regiment faithfully (being closely engaged at the Battle of Antietam with a Georgia regiment), until in 1863, when stationed in Newport News, Va., his health again failing, he resigned and returned to New Hampshire. He
afterwards was employed as a clerk in Willard's hotel, Washington, D. C., until the summer of 1866, when he completely broke down in health and went to the old folks home, where on December 23 of that year he died of consumption. The foundation of his disease was undoubtedly laid in the sufferings incident to his bold escape from the Confederate service.
Lieutenant Mooney was a true patriot, a genial companion, and had friends wherever he was known. At Willard's hotel he often met Commodore Goodon, who was his friend during his life. He was never married, and his remains lie in Green Grove cemetery, at Ashland, beside those of his father and mother.

This information was copied from History of the Ninth Regiment, New Hampshire Volunteers in The War of the Rebellion, Edited by Edward O. Lord, A. M., Concord, N. H., Printed by the Republican Press Association, 1895 Copyrighted by Wakefield, Wilcox & Blaisdell, Publishing Committee, 1895.

Continued on Page 3

THE MYSTERY OF LT. JOHN
MOONEY, 9TH NEW
HAMPSHIRE VOL. INF.

Antique stores often yield mysteries and the one in Bunker Hill, WV was no exception. An old paper with typewritten information on it, told me that the small picture, a collapsible drinking cup and a soldier's "Housewife" for sewing supplies had belonged to Lt. John Mooney of the 9th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry. These were troops that had fought at Fox's Gap before going on to Antietam and fighting at Burnside's Bridge. It would be easy to write up a brief summary of Lt. Mooney's part in the action. I could not imagine the surprise that awaited me when I received a copy of the regimental history.

Lieut. John Mooney of Company A. Ninth New Hampshire volunteers, was born in Holderness village (now Ashland), November 19, 1840. His real name was Rufus M. Merrill. His father was John Mooney Merrill, also born in
Holderness, and was in his time one of the most prominent business men in this town. His mother was the daughter of Deacon Moses Cheney, and a sister of Gov, P. C. Cheney. Young Merrill's father died in 1857, and a year or more
later he went South, to Thomasville, GA., where he was employed upon a railroad. There the Rebellion caught him. Not being able to get through the military lines, he was impressed into the Confederate army. His regiment was stationed for drill and guard duty at Fernandina, Fla. Late in the autumn of 1861 he, with a friend named John I. McCarthy, of  Philadelphia, who had also been impressed, stole a boat and put to sea. They had but little food and only a small supply of fresh water, and with no compass were soon out of sight of land. They drifted they knew not where. Their provisions and water were soon gone. After drifting in this manner for several days, and when nearly dead from hunger and thirst, a vessel came

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