Civil War - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of Henry Clay Andrus

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

Henry Clay Andrus, born September 26, 1844, in Highland Township, Michigan, was a Civil War veteran and early settler in South Dakota. After serving in the First Michigan Light Artillery, he relocated to Brown County in 1883, establishing a successful homestead in Highland Township, which he named after his birthplace. Active in local public service, he was township treasurer and a member of Aberdeen’s board of education. A dedicated Baptist, Andrus organized a Sunday school and helped establish a church in the community. He married Amelia Curdy in 1867, and they had two sons, Ernest and Homer.

Biography of C. J. Anderson

C. J. Anderson, born in Zanesville, Ohio, pursued his education at the Ohio State Normal School before enlisting in the Nineteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1861. He served for over four years during the Civil War. Afterward, he settled in Delavan, Illinois, where he worked in the hardware business. Anderson later moved to Aurora County, South Dakota, becoming one of the founders of Plankinton and establishing its first mercantile business. He held various public offices, including register of deeds, and was active in the Republican Party. He married Elizabeth Gates, and they had three children.

Biography of Alva N. Aldrich

Alva N. Aldrich, born August 29, 1866, in Ionia, Michigan, became the mayor of Aberdeen, South Dakota, and the proprietor of the Wisconsin House hotel. After relocating to South Dakota in 1887 and facing hardships with his homestead in Brown County, Aldrich moved to Aberdeen, where he transitioned into the hotel business in 1896. His leadership in the city was marked by reforms, including stricter enforcement of alcohol and gambling laws. Elected mayor in 1904, he previously served on the city council. In 1895, Aldrich married Louise Wylie, and they had one son, Louis Wylie Aldrich.

Biography of Alfred Alder

Alfred Alder, born August 29, 1846, in Buffalo, New York, became a prominent businessman in Volin, Yankton County, South Dakota. Son of John and Mary A. (Rosenbach) Alder, he learned the millwright trade from his father and operated a flour mill in Eastman, Wisconsin, before relocating to Nebraska and South Dakota. After establishing a successful mercantile business, he built the Volin flouring mill in 1892, significantly benefiting the community. A Union Army veteran, Alder enlisted in 1864 and served in the First Illinois Light Artillery. He married Mary A. Finney in 1873, and they had ten children.

Biography of Francis D. Adams

Francis D. Adams was born in Waterbury, Vermont, in 1838 and later moved to Michigan, where he worked in manufacturing before serving in the Civil War as a lieutenant in the First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics. In 1880, he relocated to Groton, South Dakota, where he co-founded the Farmers’ Bank and became a prominent civic leader. Adams served in the South Dakota State Senate and was appointed to the state board of regents of education. He passed away in 1899, survived by his wife, Jane (Ashley) Adams, and their four children: Persis, George, John, and Charles.

Biography of Frank Abt

Frank Abt was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1838, the son of Francis and Mary (Schneider) Abt. He immigrated to the United States in 1861, settling in Iowa and later enlisting in the Second Iowa Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War. After his service, he moved west, engaging in gold prospecting and mining in Montana and the Black Hills. Abt eventually settled in Lead, South Dakota, where he became a successful businessman, hotelier, and local political figure, serving as mayor and postmaster. He married Mary Distel in 1867, with whom he had several children.

Biography of Edward L. Abel

Edward L. Abel, born November 19, 1860, in Springfield, Illinois, was the son of Oramel H. and Mary (Moore) Abel. Abel pursued education at Southern Illinois Normal University before being admitted to the Illinois bar in 1884. After relocating to Bridgewater, South Dakota, in 1887, he joined the State Bank of Bridgewater, eventually becoming its president. Abel was active in public service, serving as mayor of Bridgewater, a state senator, and president of the South Dakota Bankers’ Association. He married Ella C. Smith in 1883, and they had two children, Roy W. and Gertrude M. Abel.

Biography of William W. Waddell

William W. Waddell (b. 1844, Freeport, Illinois) served as the sheriff of Codington County, South Dakota, after a long and distinguished career. A Civil War veteran, Waddell enlisted in the 46th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in 1861 and served until 1866, participating in key battles such as Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and Shiloh. After the war, he worked as a bookkeeper before settling in Codington County in 1883. Waddell served as deputy sheriff for nine years before being elected sheriff in 1902. He was known for his effectiveness and courage in law enforcement. Waddell married Mittie Whitford in 1899, and they had two children.

Biography of Col. Lee Stover

Col. Lee Stover (b. 1867, Iowa County, Iowa) was a prominent land and corporation attorney in Watertown, South Dakota, and served as the register of the U.S. Land Office there. After earning degrees in science and law from Iowa State University, Stover began his legal practice in Watertown in 1889. In 1898, he was appointed register of the land office but resigned to serve as lieutenant colonel of the First South Dakota Volunteer Infantry during the Philippine-American War. Returning in 1899, he resumed his legal career and was reappointed as land office register. Stover was also active in various fraternal organizations and served as a state attorney for Codington County. He married Maude Newell Gipson in 1890, and they had two children.

Biography of Abraham Boynton

Abraham Boynton, born in Campton, New Hampshire, in 1843, became a prominent figure in South Dakota. After moving to Wisconsin in 1855, Boynton pursued education but left to serve in the Civil War, enlisting in the 4th Wisconsin Infantry, where he rose to first lieutenant. Post-war, he became a county superintendent and later a pioneer merchant in Dakota Territory. Moving to Mitchell in 1894, Boynton held various public roles, including U.S. Land Office registrar. A committed Democrat, Mason, and church member, Boynton married Minnie Schultz in 1866. They had one son, Abraham Albert, who also resided in Mitchell.

Biography of Charles H. Lugg

Charles H. Lugg (b. 1862, Geneva, Minnesota) served as the superintendent of schools in Hutchinson County, South Dakota. Raised in Freeborn County, Minnesota, he began teaching at 19 after attending high school in Albert Lea and further studies at Valparaiso’s Northern Indiana Normal School. Lugg held various educational roles, including superintendent in Olivet and Parkston, before being elected county superintendent in 1902. A committed Republican and Presbyterian elder, he was active in community and fraternal organizations. In 1894, he married Mary A. Parrott, with whom he had two daughters, Laura and Esther.

Biography of Thomas Cawood

Thomas Cawood, born March 1, 1838, in Daviess County, Indiana, was a distinguished farmer in Hand County, South Dakota. Raised in Missouri after his father’s early death, he enlisted in the Union Army in 1861, serving until the Civil War’s end in 1865, participating in key battles such as Shiloh and Bentonville. After returning to farming in Missouri, Cawood moved to South Dakota in 1883, establishing an 800-acre farm. Active in public service, he served in the state legislature in 1894 and was a committed Republican. He married twice, first to Ellen Starr, and later to Elmira McAtee, raising several children.

Biography of Porter Pascal Peck

Porter Pascal Peck, born April 16, 1843, in Caledonia Springs, Canada, moved with his family to Wisconsin in the 1850s. After his father’s death in 1855, Peck pursued various jobs and, at 18, enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War, serving in the Wisconsin Cavalry. Following his military service, Peck relocated to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1873, where he became a prominent businessman and community leader. He was instrumental in local development, establishing a bank and serving as mayor. Peck married twice and had five children. He was also active in Masonic and veterans’ organizations.

Biography of William T. Van Osdel

William T. Van Osdel, born in 1847 in Madison County, Indiana, moved with his family to Minnesota, where he attended school until joining the Union army at 16. Serving in the South Dakota Volunteers during the Civil War, he was honorably discharged at age 20. Van Osdel then farmed and engaged in freighting before acquiring government land claims. He later became a prominent stock-raiser and landowner in South Dakota, known for his expertise in livestock. In 1871, he married Permelia Morey, with whom he had two daughters, Cora and Lura, who both settled in Yankton County.

Biography of H. A. Dunham

H. A. Dunham was born on September 18, 1846, in Newark, New Jersey, to S. H. and Dianthe (Alden) Dunham. After his family relocated to Indiana and later Illinois, Dunham left home at fourteen to become a sailor, visiting various foreign ports. He later worked as a cooper in Yankton, South Dakota, before marrying Jane Grant in 1867. The couple settled on a homestead in Yankton County, where Dunham focused on agriculture and livestock farming. They had five children. Dunham’s wife passed away in 1893, leaving a significant impact on their family and community.

Biography of Edward G. Kennedy

Edward G. Kennedy, born December 17, 1844, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, was a distinguished citizen of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, serving as the U.S. Marshal for the district. A Civil War veteran, Kennedy enlisted in the Union Army in 1862, participating in significant battles, including Antietam, and served until the war’s end in 1865. After the war, he worked in Pittsburgh before moving to Dakota Territory in 1889, where he engaged in the cattle and grain business. Appointed U.S. Marshal by President McKinley in 1897, Kennedy was reappointed by President Roosevelt in 1902, serving with distinction. He married Mary B. Brundage in 1891, with whom he had two children. Mary passed away in 1900.

Biography of Hon. Leonard Renner

Leonard Renner, born June 9, 1840, in Baden, Germany, was a respected farmer and politician in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1848, his family settled in Racine County, Wisconsin, where he grew up and received his education. Renner served honorably in the Union Army during the Civil War, participating in numerous key battles. In 1878, he relocated to South Dakota, where he developed a successful 960-acre farm in Mapleton Township. Renner was active in local politics, serving on the town board and in the state legislature, and was a dedicated supporter of education and community development. He was married to Catherine Kaiser, and they had four surviving children.

Biography of George A. Silsby

George A. Silsby was born on March 28, 1847, in Rockford, Illinois, to Harvey Hammond and Melinda (Stearns) Silsby. Raised in Rockford, he started his career at fourteen as a machinist. During the Civil War, he enlisted in the Seventy-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry and later re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving until the war’s end. Afterward, he worked in various trades before moving to Mitchell, South Dakota, in 1880. Silsby served as postmaster and later as mayor of Mitchell, and in 1899, he was appointed national bank examiner for South Dakota. A staunch Republican, he was also active in the Grand Army of the Republic and served as adjutant general of the South Dakota National Guard. Silsby married Emily Derwent on February 25, 1868, and they had two daughters, Mabel Claire and Maude Muller.

Biography of C. Loran Robertson, M. D.

Dr. C. Loran Robertson, born on April 11, 1867, in Zaleski, Ohio, is a respected physician practicing in Delmont, Douglas County, South Dakota. Son of Henry and Avaline (Smith) Robertson, he grew up in Ohio, where his father was a notable carpenter, contractor, and Civil War veteran. Dr. Robertson financed his medical education by teaching and graduated from the American Medical College in St. Louis in 1899. He established his practice in Delmont and has since gained recognition in the medical community. In 1897, he married Edith W. Vaughn of Olivet, South Dakota.

Biography of Hon. Edwin Terry White

Hon. Edwin Terry White, a distinguished figure in Yankton, South Dakota, was born on June 6, 1847, in Woodstock, Vermont. He descended from early New England settlers, with his lineage tracing back to the seventeenth century. His father, Samuel White, a noted wood carver from New Hampshire, married Elizabeth Elliott. Edwin White’s career spanned various vocations before he studied law and moved to Yankton in 1870. Serving as a judge and in multiple public offices, White also engaged in business and civic activities, significantly impacting the community. He married Mary L. Bagley in 1874, and they actively contributed to local charitable endeavors.