Individual Details

Military

John served on both sides in the Civil War. He was "walking on the street" when a group of Confederate soldiers conscripted him into the CSA on 17 May 1862. He was enlisted for three years, a standard length of service. John was forced to serve in the 1st South Carolina Heavy Artillery, possibly in Company H, where his company commander was Captain Farley. He served on detached duty with Ripley (late 1862), and at Mom's Island (1863). He became sick and was sent to a hospital on 13 Jul 1863, then left the hospital and went home without permission on 27 Jul 1863.

Military

On 8 Feb 1864 he enlisted in the Union Army at Nashville, TN, for three years. His brothers Barney and Jacob enlisted with John, who was 20 years old at the time. He served in the 10th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry Volunteers, Company H, under Captain John O. A. Bryan. John was injured while in the service. On 1 Jun 1864, he was on a scout during a forced march to repulse a Rebel advance. The Company had been in the saddle for several days, while continuously scouting and skirmishing on horseback and with exposure to excessive heat and irregular diet. John fell from his horse, injuring his spine and giving him kidney problems that bothered him the rest of his life. He was not hospitalized, but after that was frequently on sick call. His service record shows he was sick 9-22 May 1864, 7-10 Aug 1864 and 10-17 Oct 1864. He was discharged on 1 Aug 1865 in Nashville.

Living

With his mother.

Emigration

About four years before he died, he left Texas to live with his daughter Belzena "Millie" Panter, Mrs. Jamesw Maxwell, in Paulding Co., GA

Emigration

When he became too ill for her family to care for him, his brother, James Painter came to Georgia and picked John up. James took John to James' in Copperhill, Polk Co., TN. This was a trip of about 95 miles. James also hired a man to care for John. From that day, John refused to see another doctor, and died six months later, in March 1921.

Alt name

John's last name was spelled differently depending on where he lived and with whom he dealt. The government always listed his name as Painter, with the "i". While in Georgia and Tennessee, his name was spelled the same way, with the "i". He could not read or write, so didn't know that when he was in Texas the spelling of his name was changed to Panter, dropping the "i". The descendants of his siblings in Georgia spell their name with the "i", while John's descendants in Texas and Oklahoma use Panter without the "i".