He was born in Tyrone, Ireland (9). He was 36 years old when he was enlisted (10).
He was a laborer when he was enlisted (10). He was living in Philadelphia (10).
He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, and had a light complexion, blue eyes, and light hair (9, 10).
He was enlisted and mustered into service on 18 September 1861 (1, 9, 10). He was enlisted for three years, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Colonel Burr [?] (9, 10). He was mustered in as a private, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (10). He served as a private in company H (1). He had rifle number 617 (9).
He probably went on leave on 10 March 1863 (3), and returned on 21 March 1863 (4).
He fought at the Battle of Gettysburg (11).
He was declared absent without leave on 22 December 1863 (5).
He reenlisted as a veteran volunteer on 26 December 1863, at Bealton, Virginia (1, 10).
He was wounded on 18 June 1864 at Petersburg Virginia (1, 8, 9, 10). He died in hospital, on 23 June 1864, of those wounds (1, 7, 8 [22 (?) Jun], 9, 10).
He was buried at the City Point National Cemetery, Virginia, section E, division 2, grave 141 (1; 2 has section C). The Record of the Federal Dead lists him as being originally buried on Prince George Road, one-half mile east of Meade Station; other soldiers from this same area were moved to Poplar Grove Cemetery, but most of them are now listed as unknown soldiers at Poplar Grove (6, 12).
On 16 February 1865, his minor dependent, J B Markley, successfully applied for a pension (13, 14).
Cindy Mull is researching John Keys. Contact her at caomull@yahoo.com.
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)
2 City Point National Cemetery, interment index (searched 26 November 2000)
3 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 10 March 1683 (not named; inferred)
4 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 21 March 1863 (John Key)
5 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 22 December 1863 (Private Keyes)
6 Poplar Grove Cemetery records (thanks to Elizabeth Dinger-Glisan for the information!) (John Keys)
7 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 29 June 1864 (Pri Keys)
8 company H, register of deaths (John Keys)
9 company H, descriptive roll, #9 (John Keyes)
10 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 29 January 2005 (John Keys)
11 Pennsylvania Memorial, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (John Keys)
12 'Our illustrious dead', Philadelphia Inquirer 20 July 1865 page 2 (John Keys)
13 pension index, by name (John Keys)
14 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company H (John Keys)
[I did not find an entry for him in the index on <www.ancestry.com> to the 1890 veteran's census (searched May 2007)]