Whitney William Meglone 25 Dec 1837-?

Whitney William Meglone, sometimes listed as William Whitney, was the son of Montgomery Meglone and Maria Sharpe.

Whitney was a gunsmith in Lexington just prior to the Civil War, and was a Private in Morgan's Men/Duke's Cavalry (Co. F, 2nd KY Cavalry) during the war. According to Whitney's service records, it appears he spent the majority of the war as a prisoner, spending months in several different prisons in the North. He was assigned 1 horse, and was paid $96 from December 1862-August 1863 (which he may not have received). According to his Confederate service records, he was captured in Harrodsburg, KY, about Nov. 20, 1862, and taken to Vicksburg via Cairo on Dec. 5. He was 24 years of age. Whitney was captured again at Harrodsburg (or nearby at Salvisa) on July 7th of 1863, taken to the military prison at Louisville by way of the Provost Marshall of Lexington, and discharged to Camp Morton, Indianapolis, IN, on July 29, 1863. From there he was sent to Camp Douglas, Chicago, IL on Aug.18, 1863, and arrived on Aug. 22, 1863. He applied for the oath of allegiance in January of 1865, and the comments on his record state:
"Claims to have been loyal. Enlisted through false representations. Was captured & desires to take the oath of allegiance to the US & become a loyal citizen."

He remained at Camp Douglas until he was released Feb. 7, 1865, when he apparently signed his Oath of Allegiance. His record states he had fair complexion, light hair, and blue eyes, and stood at 5 feet 8 inches tall. His place of residence is listed as Mercer County, KY, which could mean that he either lived with or near his mother Mary Meglone Walden and stepfather Atterson Lewis Walden, who lived in or near Harrodsburg. Could he have been at home when he was captured both times? Where were Morgan's Men stationed during the times he was captured? Several other variations of his name are attached to his records, including Whitman Meglone, Whiting Meglone, W.W. Meglone, W.W. Malum, Whitney W. Meglone, and Robert McGlone. Another question is if Morgan's Raid was going on when Whitney was captured in Harrodsburg, why was he not with his unit? His dates of capture are similar to those of the dates of capture of Morgan's Men, but not exact, and not in the same location where the 2nd Cavalry was known to be at the time of their capture. More research needs to be done on Whitney's company from the 2nd Cavalry (Company F).

Just after the Civil War, Whitney may have lived in Nashville, TN, where he filed a patent for a dispensing nozzle for a soda bottle. His patent number for this device is #57, 256, patented August 14, 1866. This patent record is the last known record regarding Whitney William Meglone, though another researcher reports a mention of him in his stepfather Atterson Lewis Walden's will, which is possibly located in or near Harrodsburg (Mercer County) in the 1880s, but has not yet been located.

Whitney appears in the 1859/1860 Lexington City Directory as a gunsmith, living at his mother's home. There is also a listing for a Robert Maglone who was a laborer, living at Main and Water. There is a possibility this Robert is associated with the Irish Meglone family (John and Mary) of Bourbon/Jessamine County, and he may be the reason the name Robert was associated with Whitney Meglone's service records.

It is unknown when and where Whitney William Meglone died, or if he ever married or had children.