Person:Joel Hyde (2)

It is unclear exactly who Joel Hyde’s parents were. One FamilySearch™ document found a Joel Hyde whose parents were Paul and Phina Hyde. This might be a good match considering that both the parent’s first names were used in naming Joel and Sally’s children. This record noted that Joel’s birth date was March 5, 1809. Another source gave his date of birth as May 17, 1812 and available census records suggest that this latter birth year may have been correct.

The household of Joel Hyde was enumerated in the 1840 U.S. New York Census for the Town of New Albion, Cattaraugus County, New York. Joel was accounted for in the “male 20 & under 30” column and Sally was tallied in the “female 10 & under 20” column. One youngster in the “female under 5” column was also noted and that would have been Joel and Sally’s first child, Elsie Phina Hyde, who was born on May 22, 1839 in the nearby Town of Coldspring. One other unidentified female was counted in the Hyde household in the “female 50 & under 60” column.

The couple’s second child, Phoebe Philena Hyde, was born in the Town of New Albion, Cattaraugus County, New York on September 8, 1840. Two years later the Hyde family had apparently moved to Manchester, Boone County, Illinois where the couple’s third child, Samuel Chauncy Hyde, was born on July 5, 1842. Two other children were believed to have been born in Manchester; Sarah Jane Hyde in 1843, and Lois (Louisa) Elizabeth Hyde on August 3, 1845.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Records, Joel Hyde made two land purchases in Illinois. The records state that the parcels were located in Winnebago County but at the time of sale the land was probably in a mile wide strip that had been allocated to Boone County from Winnebago County in 1843. Old township maps indicate that Joel's land was in Rosco Township of Boone County, near the communities of Rosco and Rockton, and within a few miles of the Illinois-Wisconsin border. One land purchase was made in September 1844 and the other in May 1845, for what appeared to have been a total of 125 acres.

Sally and Joel’s second child, Phoebe Philena Hyde, died on September 1, 1847. It is unknown where she died, but it was probably in Illinois or Wisconsin. The previously mentioned land records placed the family in Illinois in 1845 but by 1850 the Hyde family had moved to Jefferson County, Wisconsin where they appeared in the 1850 U.S. Wisconsin Census for the Town of Cold Spring. This census noted that Joel was age 38 and born in Vermont, while Sally L. was age 29 and born in New York. Joel was reportedly employed as a carpenter-joiner. The oldest child, 11 year-old Elsa (sic) Phina was born in New York. The three younger children, all born in Illinois, were Samuel G. (sic) was age eight, Sarah J. was age 7, and Lewis (sic) E. was age 5. The latter child would have been Lois (or Louisa) Elizabeth who was incorrectly enumerated as a male.

Sally and Joel Hyde’s next child, Amelia Diana Hyde, was reportedly born in "Coldspring" (probably the Town of Cold Spring), Jefferson County, Wisconsin on June 6, 1850.

The Hyde family returned to Illinois within the next two years because later censuses note that the birth State of their next child, Carlton Paul Hyde, was Illinois. He was born on February 17, 1852. The Hyde’s then moved to Wisconsin since the next three children were born in that State. Frances L. Hyde was born on October 11, 1853; Emma Alice Hyde was born on August 1, 1855; and Truman Gregory Hyde was born on September 15, 1857.

The Hyde family was not found in a search of the 1860 U.S. Census. An affidavit filed on Sally's behalf following Joel's death in 1865, indicated that they lived in La Crosse County, Wisconsin around 1860 and later in Alma Township, Jackson County. Two other children were said to have been born to Sally and Joel. Minnie Stella Hyde was born around March 1860, and died on September 1, 1861. Mina Ella Hyde was born on February 22, 1863 and died on September 3, 1863. They are reportedly buried in Judkins Cemetery, Garden Valley Township, Jackson County, Wisconsin.

The children of Joel and Sally L. Hyde:

 Elsie Phina Hyde b. 22 May 1839 d. 15 Oct 1893 
 Phoebe Philena Hyde b. 8 Sep 1840 d. 1 Sep 1847 
 Samuel Chauncy Hyde b. 5 Jul 1842 d. 13 Jan 1913 
 Sarah Jane Hyde b. 3 ___ 1843 d. Unknown 
 Lois (Louisa) Elizabeth Hyde b. 3 Aug 1845 d. 28 Sep 1925 
 Amelia Diana Hyde b. 6 Jun 1850 d. 26 Jun 1877 
 Carlton Paul Hyde b. 17 Feb 1852 d. aft 1920 
 Francis Lyman Hyde b. 11 Oct 1853 d. 18 Jan 1935 
 Emma Alice Hyde b. 1 Aug 1855 d. 5 Sep 1893 
 Truman Gregory Hyde b. 15 Sep 1857 d. 4 Dec 1911 
 Minnie Stella Hyde b. __ ___ 1860 d. 1 Sep 1861 
 Mina Ella Hyde b. 22 Feb 1863 d. 3 Sep 1863 

Joel Hyde enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War and was mustered in as a private on January 4, 1864 in Madison, Wisconsin. He would have been age 55 upon his enlistment and it seems unusual that a person of his age would enter the military, especially as a private. Joel may have joined in order to receive the $100 bounty that was commonly offered at that time in Wisconsin for one year of duty. He also may have received additional money from an individual if he volunteered to serve in someone else's place.

Joel was assigned to Company I, 14th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment and participated in the Red River Expedition at Vicksburg, Mississippi between March and May 1864. During this campaign he became ill and died on June 9, 1864 in the Overton Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee. Joel Hyde is buried in Section C, Site 3376 at the Memphis National Cemetery

1. ↑ Joel Hyde memorial page, in Find A Grave.