Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line
Abraham Howard II (1837-1862)
Eleazer Howard (1836-1906)
William Edwin Howard (1845-1929)
Three Sons of the Civil War
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by Carolyn Ann Howard
This blog post was updated 29 Apr 2022.
My 3x great-grandfather Abraham I had three sons who fought in the Civil War: Abraham II, Eleazer, and William Edwin. Civil War soldiers had it rough, living in very primitive conditions out in the elements. Sometimes they were without shoes. Many times, without food.
We know that Eleazer and Abraham II were close, for in or around 1855, they went to Iowa together and, while there, lived in the same house. I don't know why they went but perhaps it was for work, as the railroad was going through Iowa at that time. The two men might have traveled in a wagon train along with the Raney family and others from Martin County, Indiana. What an adventure! Eleazer and Abraham II would have been most useful in the wagon train, being able to make repairs, hunt game, fend off bandits, and make good company. I wonder if they were fun and funny. Their descendants were, so I'm quite sure they were, too.
They may have also gone to Iowa to escape the shenanigans of their brother, Henry. He had married Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Samuel Smith. He had two children by Elizabeth. These two were born in Henry's native New York - a mystery as to why they weren't born in Indiana. When Henry came back home to Indiana, his two children in tow, Elizabeth was gone - disappearing from the family tree altogether. Henry then married his Martin County neighbor, Nancy Crays. After much searching, I still can't find Elizabeth Smith Howard after 1858, but of this I'm sure: the two stepchildren didn't care much for their stepmother. The feeling was mutual.
Whatever reason for Eleazer and Abraham II's exodus to Iowa, they weren't there for long. Abraham soon married Eliza Jane Raney and they had a son, Abraham III. Six months later, Eliza died. After that, Eleazer and Abraham II made their way back to Martin County, bringing with them the infant child. Click on photos to enlarge
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A Crucial Delay - Antietam Public Domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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Abraham II was the first to enlist: 07 Jun 1861 at Camp Vigo in Terre Haute, 14th Indiana Infantry, Company A. This was the first regiment in Indiana organized for three years of service. Their first march was to Indianapolis, and then onward to Clarksburg, West Virginia, eventually landing in Virginia in 1862. It was at this time that Abraham II was hospitalized in Strasburg. From 12 May to 23 Jun, Abraham's company marched 339 miles as part of the Army of the Potomac.
In September, the 14th Indiana took part in the Maryland Campaign, which included the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. According to Wikipedia, Colonel William Harlow's report stated that Abraham's regiment fought for four hours under heavy fire within 60 yards of Confederate forces. Abraham took a mortal wound in the thigh and died on the battlefield. His death was likely extremely painful, and yes, I imagine he cried for his mother.
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14th Indiana caring for the wounded after Antietam Public Domain courtesy of Wikipedia
| Battle of Antietam Courtesy Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
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After Abraham's death, his mother, Mary Ann, adopted Eliza and Abraham's son, Abraham III.
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Eleazer Howard was in the Army for just a brief period of time, 13 Mar 1865 to 30 Jun 1865, serving with the 24th Michigan Infantry, Company H. This company originally mustered in on 15 Aug 1862; Eleazer joined toward the end of the war. I incorrectly assumed, at first, that he must have been drafted, having joined so late in the war. His Civil War records that my father obtained, however, state that he was a volunteer. During his brief deployment, he sustained a debilitating injury that affected him the rest of his life. The injury was recorded on a "Claimant's Statement of Service" filled out by Eleazer. He stated that his injury occurred at Camp Butler, Illinois, sometime in Apr 1865. Eleazer tells this story:
[I] was on Provost Marshall Staff and, in quelling a disturbance of parole soldiers, was hit on the hip with a club or brick or something else.
Eleazer doesn't signify right or left; however, on his "Declaration for
Increase of an Invalid Pension," he states he has "a lame hip, which
causes much suffering. My left side troubles me bad."
After his service, Eleazer went back to his native New York and took Julie Vader as his wife.
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Siege of Vicksburg Public Domain via Wikipedia
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