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Private ADNA THORNTON SANGER, Co. C, 86th Illinois
Adna Thornton Sanger was born March 22, 1836, most likely in West Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York, but possibly in Honeoye Falls, Monroe County, New York. Adna was the son of James Sanger and his 2nd wife, Eliza (Newell) Sanger. James Sanger was born in 1790 in St. Johnsbury, Caledonia County, Vermont, the son of Eliezer Sanger. James was married in St. Johnsbury to Maria Wheeler, who was born and reared in the same place, of which her parents were also natives, and of a family that were...
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Private ADNA THORNTON SANGER, Co. C, 86th Illinois
Adna Thornton Sanger was born March 22, 1836, most likely in West Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York, but possibly in Honeoye Falls, Monroe County, New York. Adna was the son of James Sanger and his 2nd wife, Eliza (Newell) Sanger. James Sanger was born in 1790 in St. Johnsbury, Caledonia County, Vermont, the son of Eliezer Sanger. James was married in St. Johnsbury to Maria Wheeler, who was born and reared in the same place, of which her parents were also natives, and of a family that were among the early settlers of Vermont. Her ancestors originated in England, and in an early day before the Revolution had come to New England.
James and Maria (Wheeler) Sanger moved to Monroe County soon after their marriage, where he farmed for a living. Four sons and two daughter are believed to have been born to James and Maria, the youngest, William M. Sanger, was born in Honeoye Falls, Monroe County, New York on November 22, 1828. Shortly after his birth, Maria (Wheeler) Sanger died and James Sanger was married second to Eliza Newell, who was born and reared in New York State. Four sons were born to James and Eliza. They include;
1. Madison E., born c. 1834; See his Find A Grave site for more biographical material about him and his family.
2. Adna Thornton, born March 22, 1836 most likely in Ontario County, New York.
3. Henry P. Sanger, born December 7, 1838/39 in Ontario County, New York; served in Co. F of the 31st Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry; Henry died on July 10, 1926 in Laverne, Oklahoma and his mortal remains were laid in the Kiowa Cemetery in Logan, Beaver County, Oklahoma.
4. Thaddeus N., born c. 1842 in New York; died ___________ __, 1____ and his mortal remains laid in the _____________ Cemetery in ____________, ____________.
One of the older sons, E. G. Sanger, went west to Illinois, settling in Peoria County in the 1840's. William M. Sanger set out on his own in 1849, moving west to Illinois, where he settled in Peoria County and worked for his brother, E. G., for some time. William M. Sanger remained in Peoria County the remainder of his life, died on Jun. 18, 1898 and his mortal remains were laid in the La Salle Cemetery in Rome, Peoria County, Illinois.
Back in New York, the Sanger family is found residing in Springwater in Livingston County, New York at the time of the 1850 census;
James Sanger M 60 Vermont
Eliza Sanger F 50 Vermont
Madison E Sanger M 16 New York
Abner F Sanger M 14 New York
Henry P Sanger M 11 New York
Thadeus M Sanger M 8 New York
At the time of the 1855 census of New York, the Sanger family is still found in Springwater, Livingston County, New York;
Head James Sanger M 65
Wife Eliza Sanger F 55
Child Adna T Sanger M 19
Child Henry Sanger M 16
Child Thadeus N Sanger M 13
Niece Maria Mcclive F 28
James Sanger died in New York, most likely there in Livingston County in the later half of the 1850's. After his passing, Eliza took her children and moved west to Illinois, joining her step sons in Peoria County.
At the time of the 1860 census, Eliza, Adna and Thaddeus are found in Hallock Township, while William is found in Akron Township. Though he can not be located, Adna's older brother, Madison E. Sanger, is believed to be residing in the Akron Township area near Princeville, Illinois as well.
712 Sanger Ande 24 M Farmer 300 NY
712 Sanger Eliza 60 F VT
712 Sanger Thaddeus 18 M Farm Hand NY
56 Sanger William 32 M farmer 5,000 850 NY
56 Sanger Semamaris 24 F KY
56 Sanger James 4 M IL
56 Sanger Francis 8/12 F IL
56 Deming Summer 10 M VT
56 Ford Barclay 23 M farmhand Ireland
On August 7, 1862, Adna's oldest brother, Madison E. Sanger, volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in the Princeville area of Peoria County by a school teacher by the name of John French. Four days later on August 11, 1862, Adna Thornton Sanger volunteered at Chillicothe, Illinois to serve in a company which was being raised in the Chillicothe area of Peoria County for service in the Union army by a well known Chillicothe area businessman by the name of John H. Batchelder, who ran the Ferry at Chillicothe. At the time he enlisted, he claimed to have been born in West Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York.
ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name SANGER, ADNA T
Rank PVT Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence HALLECK, PEORIA CO, IL Age 26 Height 5' 7 Hair BROWN
Eyes BROWN Complexion LIGHT Marital Status SINGLE Occupation FARMER
Nativity WEST BLOOMFIELD, ONTARIO CO, NY
Service Record
Joined When AUG 11, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out N/A
Muster Out Where N/A Muster Out By Whom N/A
Remarks DISCHARGED JAN 20, 1863 AT GALLATIN TENN
When Batchelder had about 100 volunteers he led the Chillicothe volunteers into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. Up in Princeville, John French also brought his Princeville area company into Peoria, where they also went into camp at Camp Lyon. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder and 88 of his volunteers, including now Private Adna Thornton Sanger, and John French and his volunteers, including now Private Madison E. Sanger, were mustered into service as Co. C and Co. K, respectively, of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Batchelder was elected Captain by the men of Co. C. So Adna and Madison ended up serving together in the same regiment, but in different companies.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois marched out of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, and boarded a train bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana. Three weeks later, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in the Union army commanded by General Buell, who were in pursuit of Confederate troops under the command of General Braxton Bragg. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of General Buell's army caught those Confederate troops and McCook's Briagde was engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 85th & 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more in the coming years.
After the Union victory at Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew out of Kentucky and McCook's Brigade marched on toward Nashville, Tennessee.
Along the way, many of the Union soldiers became sick and once in Nashville, during that first winter in the field, many more became quite ill. Adna was one of those that was so sick by the time they reached Gallatin, Tennessee, north and east of Nashville, that he was among the many that were left behind in the Army hospital at Gallatin. Adna was so sick that the Army finally decided that the Army life was nor meant for him and they finally decided to discharge him so that perhaps he could go home and get better with some home cooking. So, on January 20, 1863, Private Adna T. Sanger was discharged from the service at Gallatin, Tennessee and he headed home to Peoria County. Madison E. Sanger would serve out the remainder of the war with the 86th and in June of 1865, would be one of less than 400 of the more than 900 original volunteers to be mustered out with the regiment in Washington, D.C. He then would also return to his home in Central Illinois. Once back home, Adna is believed to have recovered most, if not all, of his health with the help of family and he worked his way back into his civilian life.
Adna T. Sanger was married to Ruby Jane Dudley on August 7, 1864 in Peoria County. Ruby was born on July 13, 1843 in Lafayette, Stark County, Illinois, one of at least six children known to have been born to George Washington Dudley (1809-1844) and Abby Ann (Jackson) Dudley Todd. One of those children was her brother, James T. Dudley, who would serve in Co. F of the 86th Illinois. George Washington Dudley died in 1844, probably in Stark County, and Abby Ann (Jackson) Dudley (1809-1885) was married to Charles W. Todd in Stark County on April 4, 1847.
At the time of the 1850 census of Stark County, Illinois, Ruby, her brothers and sisters, and their mother, now Abby Ann (Jackson) Dudley Todd, are found residing in the household of Abby's parents, Jonathan H. & Mary Jackson in Stark County, but no Charles W. Todd is in the household.
Eight children are known to have been born to Adna and Ruby. Six lived to adulthood. They are;
1. Abbie E. Sanger, born c. 1865 in Illinois.
2. Thaddeus N. Sanger, born on __________ __, 1868 in Illinois. Thaddeis was named after his uncle, Thaddeus N. Sanger, the youngest of Adna's brothers, who was a member of Co. H of the 11th Illinois Cavalry during the Civil War and who was killed in March of 1864 while serving on the Steamer WELCOME.
Thaddeus N. Sanger died in 1928 in Kansas and his mortal remains were laid in the Penokee Cemetery in Graham County, Kansas.
3. Elizabeth H. Sanger, born c. 1870 in Illinois.
4. Adda or Addie S. (poss. Samarimus after William M. Sanger's wife) Sanger, born on May __, 1876 in Illinois.
5. James Madison Sanger, born August 2, 1877 near Concordia, Kansas.
6. Arvilla Gertrude Sanger, born on September __, 1881 in Kansas.
7. Infant Sanger, died before 1885.
8. Infant Sanger, died before 1885.
Shortly after the Civil War, Adna and Ruby moved to Woodford County. At the time of the 1870 census, Adna, Ruby, the first three children, and 31 year old J. F. Dudley, probably Ruby's brother, are found residing in Woodford County. Adna moved west to Kansas in 1875, where he settled in Cloud County. There he took up a homestead located about six miles south of Concordia, Kansas. Madison E. Sanger and his wife also are known to have moved from Peoria County to Cloud County about this time. Madison later moved away from Cloud County, but his first wife died in Cloud County and was buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. When Madison died in 1912, his earthly remains were laid to rest in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery beside those of his first wife.
At the time of the 1880 census, Adna and his family are found farming in Center Township, Cloud County, Kansas. Residing with them is Adna's brother-in-law, Sergeant James T. Dudley, who was a member of Co. F of the 86th Illinois. James is divorced and working as a Farm Laborer on Adna's farm.
in 1887, some of the surviving members of the 86th organized and held a reunion in Peoria, Illinois for the members of the old 86th during the week of August 27, 1887, the 25th anniversary of the mustering in of the old 86th back in 1862. More than 130 members of the 86th attended this first reunion, which was such a success that it was decided to continue to hold them every August as long as the veterans could attend. The reunions continued through 1923, when it was tearfully decided by the 20 veterans who were able to attend that reunion that they were too old and too few to continue to hold them any longer after that reunion.
Adna never attended any of the reunions, the distance to be traveled and the cost and difficulty of making that trip probably all played a part in that. Adna did however write to the boys back in Peoria and looked forward to getting the programs for the reunion and the reunion booklets that were published after each reunion. In the 1899 reunion booklet, part of a letter that Adna wrote was published. Adna wrote, "Program of reunion read and the usual heart wish to be in attendance, but as usual can't be with you this time. Enclosed find one dollar (this was the cost of dues). We have a No. 1 G.A.R. Post in our town, with a membership of one hundred and thirty. Comrade M. A. Griffith lives here and regrets that he can not be with you at the reunion. A. T. Sanger, Co. C"
At the time of the 1900 census, Adna and his family are found on East Thirteenth Street in Ward 1 - 4 in the city of Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas, where he is listed as a Confectioner. He and Ruby have been married 36 years;
Adna Sanger Head M Mar 1836 64 New York
Ruby J Sanger Wife F June 1844 56 Illinois
Adda S Sanger Daughter F May 1876 24 Illinois
Arvilla G Sanger Daughter F Sept 1881 19 Kansas
Adna and Ruby spent the remainder of their lives in Cloud County and are found in every major census there. Private Adna T. Sanger died on October 14, 1915 at Concordia, Kansas. His earthly remains were laid to rest in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Concordia, Kansas in the same Plot as Madison and his wife. All of this makes it appear that Adna T. Sanger and Madison E. Sanger were indeed brothers.
In the 1920 and 1930 census, Ruby is still found residing in Cloud County. In 1920, she is found residing next to her son J. Madison Sanger. Ruby was a member of the Rebekah Lodge No. 17 in Concordia, Kansas for a number of years. Ruby J. (Dudley) Sanger died on March 6, 1938 in Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas. Her earthly remains were laid to rest beside those of her husband of 51 years.
by Baxter Fite, Jackie Wilson Goddard and Arlette Holstin (FAG Contributor #48112069), who is a Great Grand Niece of Adna's.
(Baxter, Jackie and Arlette would enjoy hearing from anyone, especially descendants of the Sanger family, who might be able to answer some of the questions that we have about Adna or add to the biography of the Sanger family. Baxter & Jackie would also love to a get a copy of a picture of Adna for his Find A Grave site and for the local Historical Societies.) |
