The family story has him being abused as a child in Italy and subsequently stowing away on a ship to America to escape his father. If my memory serves me correct he and four other illiterate Italians mustered in at Camp Moore.
After being part of the slaughter at Malvern Hill, he decides to join the horse artillery under Preston Chew (who was recruiting heavily at the time). He was involved in several battles throughout the war; I found it quite difficult to place a Private at any certain point and time during these battles, with the following exceptions.
1. He lost a horse at the battle of Brandy Station, there is a receipt for the horse (stored as microfilm) on file at the Virginia state library.
2. He may have been one of the soldiers accompanying Pelham at Fredericksburg when he took two cannon forward of the lines and held off Union advances giving the Confederates time to organize.
3. I know he was involved at the battle of Peebles Farm, as his commander at the time (the name escapes me now), was mention in the book The Siege of Petersburg.
4. Also on file at the library of Virginia is a roll with him present just before Peebles Farm in September 64.
5. There is a good chance he may have been part of the Beefsteak Raid during the siege of Petersburg, as Chew sent (I believe two) of his cannon on the excursion.
What happened to him at the end of the war is a mystery. There are several scenarios the first of which is least desirable.
1. General Lee was granting furloughs during the winter of 64/65 which Juan took advantage of and returned to Essex and married. Then did not return to Petersburg and became AWOL until the end of the war. This seems somewhat unlikely because he did apply for a pension early in the 1900's and would have been ineligible. I have a copy of this document.
2. He was taken prisoner or deserted after the battle of Namozine Church April 2nd; Chew lost 2 cannon and about 200-300 men. The prisoners were sent to Point Lookout prison MD (I am researching there this August).
3. He was paroled at Appomattox; there is no record of him here, so this is unlikely.
4. Finally, he escaped from Appomattox with Rosser and Chew and surrendered with Joe Johnson in Greensboro NC. I have not had a chance to visit the state library in Raleigh to research this.