William Newby -- The Soldier's Return

Fascinating book! Found it while looking for an old movie. The copy I read is online at archive.org and in various other forms including downloadable PDF at William Newby alias Dan Benton alias Rickety Dan alias Crazy Jack The book is not fiction. The story, however, is somewhat similar to the movies "The Return of Martin Guerre" and "Sommersby". (I never did find the old movie I was looking for.)

Daniel Benton, alias William Newby

The real William Newby served with the 40th Illinois Infantry, and was wounded and supposedly killed at the battle of Shiloh in 1862. Almost 30 years later, a man claiming to be William Newby showed up alive at a reunion, and was recognized by men who had been fellow-prisoners at Andersonville Prison. He tried to apply for a discharge from the Army, apply for a pension, and collect his back pay. The authorities believed he was impersonating Newby and was actually a person named Daniel Benton. He was arrested, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to two years in prison at Chester, Illinois.

Read more abut this amazing story at http://www.carolyar.com/Illinois/Bios/Newby.htm

As far as I know, neither William Newby nor Daniel Benton is closely related to me in any way. [ Of course we are all related, through our original parents Adam and Eve, and also through Noah and his wife. ]

However, the Appendix of this book, pages 266-289, details the contribution of Col. Stephen G. Hicks to the war effort. Col. Hicks is my 2nd cousin 4 times removed, and his wife Eliza Maxey is my 1st cousin 4 times removed.