Stockton area men who have died while in the wartime service of our country


(Editor’s note: The following is a list of area service persons who have given their lives for our country. Let’s all honor and remember these heroes this Memorial Day. The list was compiled by Mason Beard for Stockton Post 449 of the American Legion.)

It is hard to imagine the Stockton area in the early 1860's as there wasn’t a village of Stockton, only farms, wilderness and people searching for lead. The number of men from this rural frontier area who died to “Save the Union” during the rebellion now called the Civil War is long. The area used for this list is the approximate size of today’s Stockton school district.

Beginning on the north at Chelsea, an imaginary circle through Rush, Woodbine and Pleasant Valley townships, through the Willow and Clay school areas and up the county line to Chelsea again covers it. The only real village would be Morseville.

The men listed were not professional soldiers. They were citizens, mostly volunteers who served in many different units. Most of them were buried in the south where they died. The bodies that were returned were interred in the following cemeteries: Berreman Township, Morseville, Wards Grove, Pleasant Valley, Elmoville Catholic, Yankee Hollow, Townsend, Thompson, West Chelsea and Woodbine. The place of death and present gravesite is listed after the name when it is known.

Following the Civil War, a list of veterans who perished in other wars appears.

Civil War, April 15, 1861 -- May 26, 1865, members of the 45 Illinois Infantry: Marion Thomas, LaGrange, Tenn.; J.B. Harrison, Vicksburg, Miss., June 4, 1864; Wm. Pulley, March 25, 1863; Israel Lohr, May 15, 1862; Jeremiah Lohr; Roscoe Patterson, Aug. 18, 1862; John Flack, killed at Shilo; William Williams, died in enemy prison; John E. Wilson, Townsend Cemetery, June 23, 1863; and Edmund E. White, Townsend Cemetery, Nov. 21, 1861.

Members of the 96 Illinois Infantry: John Williams, died at Danville, KY., Feb. 18, 1863; James Pimley, killed at Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1863; Hiram L. Bostwick, killed at Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1863; R. P. Rayen, killed at Kennesaw Mountain, Ga., June 28, 1864; John Vrooman, killed at Chattanooga, Tenn., 1864; Patsy Hewett, killed at Lovejoy Station, Ga., Sept. 2, 1864; Robert Burbridge, killed at Chattonooga, Tenn., 1864; George Bryant, died in Kentucky; Albert E. Benton, killed at Mt. Hole Church, Ga.

Also, James Vaughn, killed at Dallas, Ga., May 30, 1864, buried Thompson Cemetery; Horace Gray, April 19, 1863; Robert Pollard, Danville, GA., Dec. 18,1862, buried in Thompson Cemetery; Hugh Williams, Nov. 299, 1864, buried in West Chelsea; William N. Bates, Feb. 16, 1865, buried Robinson Cemetery; and William J. Forbes, Nov. 20, 1863, buried in Pleasant Valley.

Marion Flack, 15 Illinois Infantry, killed at Shilo, Tenn., April 6, 1862; William Parkinson, 15 Illinois Infantry, killed at Shilo, April 6, 1862, buried Clay Cemetery; James Parkinson, Jr., died at Rolla, Mo., Oct. 2, 1862, buried Clay Cemetery; Solomon Godfrey, killed at Shilo, April 6, 1862; James W. Ruble, CPI, died at Tipton, Mo., January 1862; Gotleib Gracely; Franklin Kline, died in Andersonville Prison; Calvin LaShalle, Leavenworth, Kan., July 12, 1865; buried Clay Cemetery; and Lewis Ruble, Sgt. 3rd Missouri Cavalry, died Memphis, Tenn.

In addition, Addison Way, 3rd Missouri Cavalry, died Brownsville, Texas; Wm. H. Way, 3rd Missouri Cavalry, died Little Rock, Ark.; John Snow, 3rd Missouri Cavalry, died and buried St. Louis, Mo.; John Shively, 3rd Missouri Cavalry; Michael Lynch; George Parker, Palmyra, Mo., Jan. 8, 1862, buried Morseville Cemetery; Uriah D. Waldo, 7th Illinois Cavalry, died Decatur, Ala., July 31, 1865, buried Morseville Cemetery; *Stephenson Herrington, 7th Illinois Cavalry; Cyrus Tucker, 92 Illinois Mounted Infantry, died in Anderson Prison, Ga.; Consider S. Graves, 92 Illinois, killed at Powder Springs, Ga., December, 1864.

Clark E. Robinson, 92 Illinois, killed Missouri, June 21, 1865; James S. McGinnis, 8 Missouri Cavalry, killed Camp Butler, Oct. 27, 1861, buried Clay Cemetery; Joseph McGinnis, 46 Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Sept. 28, 1861, buried Clay Cemetery; Thomas O. K. Mitchell, 93 Illinois, killed Malvern Hill, Miss., May 16, 1863; Boston Brininger, Sgt. 14 Illinois Calvary, killed Macon, Ga., Dec. 14, 1864; Charles E. Benton, 17 Illinois, died Rolla, Mo., December 1864; Jas. Turner, 42 Illinois Volunteer Infantry, died Camp Erwin, Texas, August, 1865; and Lewis Polker, 42 Illinois Volunteer Infantry, July, 1865.

Finally, Alfred Ward, 34 Illinois Volunteers; James L. Sorter, 17 Illinois Cavalry; Wm. Flack, died Lexington, Ky., November, 1862; Nehemiah Wire, 37 Illinois Infantry, killed Pea Ridge, Ark., March 7, 1862; Joseph Bowker, died Chattanooga, Tenn., David Kenney; Hamilton Crane; George Wright, drowned Glasco, GA., August 1864; James Lester, died Jan. 11, 1863; L. Bowen; Alberto Wheelock, Anderson Prison, October, 1864; Adam Vromer, Andersonville, Ga.; and Ira E. Petty, 17 Illinois Cavalry, May 16, 1864, buried Townsend, Cemetery.

The Spanish American War, 1898:
Frank Way, Co. M 6 Illinois, died Ponce, Puerto Rico, Sept. 9, 1898.

World War I, April 6, 1917 through November 11, 1918:
Carl Ralph Stewart, signal Corps, Chateau Thiery, July 27, 1918; Irvine Evans, USN, influenza, Sept. 16, 1918; George P. Williams, Company K 28 US Infantry, Sept. 12, 1898; Phillip Link, private, Company M 47th Infantry, Fourth Division, Sept. 26, 1918; Emil Wenger, Company C Infantry Illinois Ins. 28th Division, Nov. 4, 1918; Wm. Albert Wenzel, Development Battalion, pneumonia, Oct. 27, 1918

World War II, Dec. 7, 1841 through Sept. 2, 1945:
Laurence Clark; Leo Doyle, 95 Division, 378th Infantry, Jan. 1, 1945; Charles Everhart, private, 81 Armored Ren. Bn., 1st Armored Division, Feb. 18, 1943; Ralph Fleming, 1st Lt., 89 AAFFtr. Squad, May 24, 1945; Calvin Hess; Harlan Johnson; Donald Katzenberger; Wm. Koch, sgt., 1944; Gustave E. Midthun; Donald Niemeyer; Lowry O. Ross; Truman Starr, S/Sgt., Bomb Squad, Dec. 13, 1943; Wayne C. Williams, PFC, 382 Infantry, 96th Division, April 18, 1945.

Korean Conflict, June 23, 1950 through July 27, 1953:
Robert Bucher, July, 1953; Donald Streicher, CPL, Company K 129 Infantry Regular SO156HQ 44th Division, May 13, 1953.

Although many served, Stockton was fortunate not to have any deaths during the Vietnam era.

*Note: According to copies of Civil War papers, the correct name for Stephenson Herrington of the 7th Calvary should be Stephen Herrington. Submitted by Gary Herrington [gaherrington@earthlink.net], great-great-grandson of Stephen Herrington.



Stockton/Warren Gazette, Wednesday, May 25, 1988
The article was contributed to the Jo Daviess USGenWeb site by Madge Norton.


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