May is Preservation Month and the time of year when Naper Settlement hosts Civil War Days. A researcher wanted to know, were there any Napers who served in the Civil War?
Consulting the files I was able to find Mark Naper, Joseph Naper’s son and George Austin and John Nelson Naper, Joseph Naper’s nephews. Mark served in the 105th Ills. Vol. Regt. attaining the rank of Sergeant. George and John served in the 13th Ills. Vol. Regt. John Naper was a Private throughout the War. He was discharged in Alabama with a Surgical Certificate of Disability. George Naper was one of the first in DuPage County to enlist. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in 1862. Mark and John returned from the War but George did not. He was wounded in the Battle for Chickasaw Bluffs in Mississippi December 29, 1862. While being helped off the field, a shell exploded under his feet killing him instantly.
But a little more digging found that a forgotten son of John Naper served in the Civil War. John’s second oldest son, Joy Howland Naper left Naperville during the Gold Rush days of the early 1850s. When the Civil War broke out – he joined Company I of the 2nd California Cavalry attaining the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Little was known about Joy until I started digging. With the help of volunteers and family members I was able to piece together the story of a forgotten Naper son.
Some genealogies list Joy as “Jay” and most often he is cited as just “J.H.” After the Civil War, Jay, settled in Los Angeles and later returned to Placerville. He was engaged for a brief time in the soda making business, but primarily mining. It was a mining accident that killed Joy in 1889. Joy never married.
One of Joy’s friends published a memorial in the El Dorado County Democrat newspaper. He said, “[Joy] was a noble and generous comrade as true as steel to his country.”
The Naperville Clarion published the following about Joy, “He was strictly honorable in all his dealings, industrious and a kind neighbor, eccentric in some respects, but liberal to a fault.” He was buried in California by the Placerville Post of the Grand Army of the Republic.
