Things I can remember of the civil war
When the civil war broke out I was
five years old, and my first year at school.
We children heard so much war talk that
naturally we were quite timid.
My first recollection was hearing father
and the older boys discuss the political
situation, father and Ard being democ
rats, Russell and Addison Lincoln republicans.
I used to be teased about my father being a
democrat, I replied he used to be a democrat
but he was [pathmaster?] now.
However soon after brother Ard, and some
of the neighbor boys inlisted in a company
of sharp shooters and sent to St. Louis
[illegible in original] for training. (by the way) Ard and
three brothers named Clark were tintyped
together before going away and none of them
lived to see the end of the war. One of
the Clark boys took measles soon after
going to St Louis and died there.
Their first real service was at the battles 
of Ft. Donaldson and McHenry in Tenasee,

                                      Pitsberg Landing
From there to the battle of Corinth, from
there with Grants army to open the Miss
river where so many of the soldiers sickened
and died, among them another of the Clark
boys. Ards health failed and he was discharged
and returned home the summer of 1862
In [illegible in original] Feb 1862 Addison enlisted in
the engineers and mechanics and sent to
Tenisee. Was in the siege of Knoxville and
other engagements. in the later part of 1863
his health failing was discharged and re-
turned home.
Smith Austin (sister Marthas husband)
enlisted in a New York regiment the
later part of 1862 and sent to Va. and
died in Washington Mich 1-1863, leaving
Martha with two little girls at fathers
where they lived until the end of the war.
Russel enlisted in co k 6th Mich cavalry
in Sept. 1862, composed mostly of men from
Barry county, many from the vicinity. While
in training in Grand Rapids the boys were
home on furlough, one instance vividly
remember, they had a ball game in Mr. Steven's

field, not far from our school house and
made considerable noise. I was terribly frightened
I imagined the Rebels were coming.
Russel had a small farm joining fathers where
Jane and Phebe lived while their husbands were
in the army, father with the help of Oscar
and Warren worked the land, and provided their
wood, although a cousin Delbert Clark lived
with them one winter and went to school. Jane
had three children Phebe one.
Russel with his regiment was sent south the
fall of 62 and joined army of Potomac, Was
in the and participated in the Gettisburg
campaign in 1863.
Ard after regaining his health reinlisted
Jan. 1-1864 in 6th Mich cavalry and joined
Sheridans cavalry in Va. and saw very active
service up to the battle of Winchester Va
Sept. 19-1864 where he was mortally wouded
and died Oct 17, his remains were sent
home and buried in the old cemetary
Russel was detailed as saddler for his Com-
pany and didn't see active service during
the remainder of the war.


In the summer of 1865, he with his division
was sent to the western plains to subdue the
Indians, and got home about Dec 1-1865
In the summer of 1862 company I of the
17 Mich infantry was recruited in the vicin-
ity and several from our vicinity enlisted
among them Thomas Baker (Phebes father)
David Brotherston, Isaac Vantyle, John Maile
and others, soon after going south in the
fall of 62, Thomas Baker contracted typhoid
fever and died and buried in Plesant Valley
M.D. His wife Catheran was left with
four little girls the oldest 10, a small farm
with a log house. She had a brother
Solomon Hardinberg who lived with her
in 1863. Jan 1-1864 he was drafted and
sent to Tenisee where he took mumps
in the summer of 1864 and died in the
summer of 1864.
I could recall several similar instance that
occurred in our neighborhood probably nearly
one half of the men and boys who went in
the war never lived to see the end.

You probably think how did we survive this
ordeal. we did by helping those in the most
dire distress. it was no uncommon occur-
rance for the neighbors to make a bee and
                                the                 provide
harvest the crop, cut ^ wood, or even ^ provision
for some desserving family.
I too did my bit. Sister Jane had a little axe
which I used to borrow when father and the
older boys went to the timber to cut wood
I did lots of chopping but will leave to
your imagination the amount of wood
I cut.

E. J. Stanton
Caledonia
Mich