Person:William Stevens (72)

William Stevens

William Stevens was born about 1829 in Pennsylvania or Ohio. William and his wife Angelina were enumerated in the US Census on August 14, 1860 in Little Sandusky, Pitt Township, Wyandotte County, Ohio. Family tradition is that he served in the military about 1863 in Union army during American Civil War.

William L. Stevens enlisted in Company K, 144th Ohio National Guard Volunteers on 2 May 1864 in Wyandotte Ohio. Three months later, on August 13, 1864 in Berrysville, VA was taken a prisoner of war by confederates and contracted Typhoid Fever

Family tradition is that William died in a CSA POW Camp. It is not known at this time which CSA POW Camp William was taken after his capture.

The story of the battle that day in Berrysville is well researched.

One local report of the battle stated the following: Col. John Singleton Mosby and 300 of his 43d Battalion Partisan Rangers gathered at Rectortown on August 12th after hearing rumors of an immense Federal wagon train rumbling into the Valley. The train of 600 wagons, was headed for Winchester, carried supplies for Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan's cavalry was discovered near Berryville that night and Mosby attacked it at dawn of the 13th. He had one mountain howitzer, which was used to throw the train into confusion, then his troopers charged the front and rear of the train simultaneously. Bedlam ensued as the drivers spurred their wagons out of danger, and many of the guards broke and fled. However, a number of men of the 144th Ohio (Pvt. William L Stevens of Company K was one of theses men) recovered and took up position behind a stonewall behind the old Buck Marsh Church while others took cover inside and began to fire of the Confederate raiders. The men kept up a murderous fire until a strong Rebel charge forced the men to retreat. With Union cavalry galloping up the pike from Berryville, Mosby broke off the action, gathered his loot and prisoners, and disappeared back into the hills. More than 70 wagons had been burned, 100 men were taken prisoner. The 144th Ohio's loss in this disastrous affair was 5 killed, 10 wounded, 76 captured including Pvt. William Stevens. Mosby's men, losing only one killed and one mortally wounded, captured 200 beef cattle, 500-600 horses, 100 wagons, and 200 soldiers. The raid ended by 6:30 a.m. Berryville's citizens, including many small boys, helped burn the wagons after liberating their contents.

Many of the captives of this battle were taken to the CSA POW Camp in Danville, Virginia. At this stage of the war the locals had little to seat themselves and life in the Danville Camp was described as particularly bad. Perhaps in this POW camp or another of similar conditions, William contracted Typhoid Fever. At some paint in is illness he seems was transferred or exchanged to a Union Exchanged POW camp in Annapolis, Maryland where he died of his illness on November 13, 1864.

William Stevens travel from Danville Prison to Annapolis may well have followed the path described by another Danville prisoner.

Information from "The Ninth New York Heavy Artillery" published in 1899 by Alfred Seelye Roe. On July 9th 1864 over 600 Union soldiers were captured at the Battle of Monocacy. 106 of them were from the Ninth NY Heavy Artillery. "After their capture, they marched by foot to Staunton, Virginia, where they were loaded into stock cars and transported by rail on to Danville, arriving on July 29, 1864. Prisoners were released February 19, 1865. On that date they were let out of the prison and loaded on box cars for the trip to Richmond, Virginia. There they spent one or two nights in the Pemberton tobacco warehouse located a short distance from Libby Prison. Then on February 22, 1865, they were marched to a landing where they boarded a Confederate vessel and were transported down the James River to Aiken's Landing. There they were exchanged. After a three mile walk to Varina Landing, they boarded the Union transport "George Leary" bound for Annapolis, Maryland." The Author "Alfred Seelye Roe" was also captured at Monocacy and imprisoned at Danville.

William was buried there in the National Cemetery at Annapolis, Maryland in plot number ___.

William Stevens and Angeline Shepherd Marriage

William STEVENS and Angeline Shepherd were married about 1854. Angeline Shepherd was born on 21 October 1819 in New York. William and Angeline are enumerated in the US Census on August 14, 1860 in Little Sandusky, Pitt Township, Wyandotte County, Ohio. Angeline, as a widow, appeared in the US Census on July 8, 1870 in Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana. Angeline appeared as head of the family and widowed, in the US Census on June 21, 1880 in Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana.

Children of Angeline and William Stevens

Angeline Shepherd and William STEVENS had the following children:

1) James M. STEVENS

James M Stevens was born about 1846 in Noble County, Indiana. He appeared, with his parents, in the census on August 14, 1860 in Little Sandusky, Pitt Township, Wyandotte County, Ohio.

2) Margaret STEVENS

Margaret Stevens was born about 1855 in Noble County, Indiana. She appeared, with her parents, in the census on August 14, 1860 in Little Sandusky, Pitt Township, Wyandot County, Ohio.

3) Harriet Alice Stevens

Harriet Alice Stevens was born on December 12, 1856 in Noble County, Indiana. She appeared, with her mother, in the US Census on 8 July 1870 in Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana. She appeared in the census on 12 June 1880 in Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana. Harriet appeared in the US Census in June 1900 in Jonesboro, Mill Township, Grant County, Indiana. She appeared in the census in 1920 in Grant County, Indiana. She appeared in the census in 1930 in Grant Co., Indiana. Harriet lived in Jonesboro, Grant County, Indiana before 1939. She immigrated about 1939 to Lafayette County, Florida. Sometime about early 1939, suffering from dementia, she was placed on a train to her son, Frank Bourie, in Florida. She is remembered as having only a short stay in Florida prior to her death in November 1939. She died on November 20, 1939 at the age of 82 in Lafayette County, Florida. Alice was buried after November 20, 1939 at Wayfare Cemetery in Mayo, Lafayette County, Florida.Alice is buried next to Frank Bourie, her son The burial site is marked with a marker. A photo of the marker is shown on the Find-A-Grave website.

Harriet Alice Stevens and William Curren Bourie were married on February 26, 1872 in Albion, Noble County, Indiana. The marriage was officiated by Edward Richman, J.P. William Curren Bourie son of David Proctor Bourie and Teressa Driver, was born in April 1849 in Indiana. William and Alice are enumerated in the US Census in June 1880 at Mill Township in Jonesboro, Grant County Indiana. They appeared in the US Census on June 4, 1900 in Mill Township, Grant County, Indiana. William and Alice appeared in the census on January 3, 1920 in Jonesboro, Grant Co., Indiana. William died Between 1929 and 1939 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. William Bourie died after his granddaughter, Agnes Bourie, was born in 1929. but before is wife Alice moved to Florida after his death in 1939.

4) Charles STEVENS

Charles Stevens was born about 1859 in Noble County, Indiana. He appeared, with his parents, in the census on August 14, 1860 in Little Sandusky, Pitt Towship, Wyandot County, Ohio.

5) William Clark STEVENS

William Clark Stevens was born about 1862 in Pitt Township, Wyandotte County, Ohio. Clark is enumerated with his mother, in the US Census on July 9, 1870 in PO Ligonier, Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana. He appeared in the census on June 21, 1880 in Ligonier, Noble Co., Indiana. William Clark is said to have lived in Detroit, Michigan.

William Clark STEVENS and Delilah Jane "Jennie" Warval were married on February 5, 1882 in Noble County, Indiana. Delilah Jane "Jennie" Warval was most likely born in 1854 in Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana. She died in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio.