Sergeant Milton Lingo (1825-1904)

Sergeant Milton Lingo, 2nd great-grandfather of brother Jeffry Burden, was born in Ohio in 1825. He moved with his family to farm the rich soil of Washington County, Iowa about 1842, but in 1849 the California Gold Rush called. He traveled west by the overland route, and returned in 1851 "around the horn". His first wife Florinda Day died soon after they were married in 1852, and he married again to Sarah Marling in 1858. He eventually had eight children.

Milton enlisted as a Private in Company G, 22nd Iowa Volunteer Infantry in August 1862, along with his brothers Cawsay and Henry, Sarah's brother Samuel Marling, and her cousin John Marling. Cawsay and Henry died of disease in Missouri in early 1863, but Milton soldiered on, serving with the Regiment through the Vicksburg Campaign in 1863 and service in Texas and Louisiana in 1863-64.

By March 1864 he had been promoted 2nd Sergeant of his company, but eye disease stemming from his service in the Vicksburg trenches forced his transfer to the Veterans Reserve Corps that month. He was discharged for disability in October 1864, and returned home to farm. He died in 1904.