The John Falls in companies H and K seems to be a different person. This isn't clear, because of the order transferring John Falls from company A to company H (16 February 1864). (He may have been mistakenly transferred to company A when he reenlisted (see fact of the week #102).) Unfortunately, his pension card lists only service in company A, and the company A descriptive book does not mention the transfer. But there are two different pension cards, listing different pension application and certificate numbers, and the two men mustered in on different dates and had a different status when the regiment mustered out.
Because of the evidence (from the pension index) that the John Falls in company H enlisted under the alias John Kelly, I have assumed that all references to John Falls are to this John Falls. However, this isn't complete clear, either: Bates (1) has a John Falls in company K, who was transferred to company H, and the Pennsylvania State Archives Civil War Service Cards record the man in company H and K as John Falls. <sigh>
Unfortunately, the John Falls (A) in the Philadelphia National Cemetery was buried on 4 April 1891, and John Falls (H) was also interred on 4 April 1891 (in Palmer Vault). This strongly suggests that either they are the same person, or I have misidentified one of them.
I have reported other problems with the data below.
He was 39 years old when he enlisted in 1864 (?) (12 [39 in 1864?], 13 [33], 15 [57 in 1881?], 16 [53 in ? 1877]). He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (12, 15, 16).
He was a wheelwright (12, 13 [laborer]). He was living in Philadelphia when he was enrolled (13).
He was 5 feet 8-1/2 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, gray eyes, and dark hair (12, 13 [5'6", dark complexion, blue eyes, dark hair]).
He was enrolled and mustered into service as a private on 11 October 1861, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (13).
He was again mustered in, as a veteran volunteer, in company A, on 26 January 1864 (1, 2, 12 [no reference to veteran status]). He was enlisted for three years, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Lieutenant Burke (12).
He was transferred from company A to company H on 16 February 1864 (4).
On 30 July 1864 Colonel Gregory ordered him to report to the Fifth Corp Hospital at City Point, as a nurse (5, 8, 11 [1 Aug], 14). The detail was to report to brigade headquarters at 8 am on 1 August 1864 (8). On 10 September 1864, Sellers asked that he be returned, because the drum corps was "entirely broken up" (6). Sellers repeated the request on 16 September 1864, this time suggesting a replacement (7).
On 9 January 1865, he was ordered to replace musician George Black, when Black was discharged because his term expired (9).
On 3 February 1865, he went on a furlough, which ended on 18 February 1862 (10). He returned on 25 February 1865 (10).
He was absent, sick, when the regiment mustered out (1, 13, 15 [18 months service], 16 (6 [sic) months service!]).
He applied successfully for a pension on 25 August 1865 (2).
On 17 December 1877, he was admitted to the National Soldiers Home (16). He had a wound in his left s[houlder?] (16). He was receiving a pension of $8 per month (16).
He was discharged from the Central Branch on 6 July 1881 (16).
On 6 July 1881, he was admitted to the Central Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (15). He had a wound in his left s[houlder?] (15). He received a pension of $8 per month (15). He was discharged apparently on the same day (15).
He died on 4 April 1891, and was buried in plot 70 of Philadelphia National Cemetery, Philadelphia PA (3).
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster) (John Falls)
2 pension index by regiment (John Falls)
3 Philadelphia National Cemetery, interment records (searched 2 November 2000) (John Falls, A)
4 special order 4, HQ 91st PA, 16 February 1864 (John Falls)
5 letter, Tayman to Reed, 13 August 1864 (John Falls)
6 letter, Sellers to Bennett, 10 September 1864 (John Falls)
7 letter, Sellers to Bennett, 16 September 1864 (John Falls)
8 special order 186, HQ 5th Army Corps, 30 July 1864 (Jno Falls)
9 special order 4, HQ 91st PA, 9 January 1865 (John Fall)
10 enlisted men's furloughs (John Fall)
11 [list of detailed men, probably from Sept 1864] (John Falls)
12 company A descriptive roll, entry 128 (John Falls)
13 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 5 May 2004 (John Falls)
14 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 1 August 1864 (Jno Falls)
15 National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Report of Managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, transmitting the report of the said board for the year ending June 30, 1884. January 5, 1885. Serial Set volume 2310, session volume 1, 48th Congress, 2nd Session, House Miscellaneous Document 11, page 216 (John Falls)
16 Annual report of the Board of Managers of the National Soldiers Home, 30 December 1882 [for the fiscal year ending 30 June 1882]. Serial Set volume 2115, session volume 1, 47th Congress, 2nd Session, House Miscellaneous Document 13, page 378 (John Falls)
[I did not find him in the index on <www.ancestry.com> to the pension index by name (searched 21 September 2005)]
I did not find him in the index on <www.ancestry.com> to the 1890 veterans' census (searched October 2005)