William Lewis Tanner - before and during the Civil War (Millard's Grandfather)

William Lewis Tanner

William was born May 3, 1844, in Meriden, New Haven, Connecticut to Lewis Alexander Tanner and Sarah Dibble (Perkins) Tanner.

Lewis Alexander Tanner

Sarah Dibble (Perkins) Tanner

Notarized document of seeing Tanner family bible attesting to William's birth and parents.

By July 1850 their family had moved to 117 East Pearl Street, New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut where he attended school.  New Haven is a port town that thrived on the sea. His father made tin cans for the local oyster fishermen and at 16 years old, William became a sailor for about two years.

William Lewis Tanner

At least seven states entered the Union from when he was born until 1860. During this time there was much political unrest. Slavery was happening in the south and the Underground Railroad was secretly freeing slaves until about this time. Connecticut was an active part of the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad. Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin lived in Connecticut. This same year, when he was sixteen years old, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, soon to be followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. March of 1861, Abraham  Lincoln became the President. Just before he turned seventeen, the Confederates attacked Fort Sumter and President Lincoln called for volunteers to join the Union Army. Connecticut’s governor followed suit and encouraged citizens to join the state sponsored regiments. The Civil War begins. When William returned from the sea, he joined the “Boys in Blue.”

William Lewis Tanner
Union Cavalry

William Lewis Tanner
Union Cavalry

William enlisted on July 30, 1862 in Hartford, Connecticut into the 1^st Regiment Connecticut Cavalry for 3 years and his younger 18 year old brother, Norman, also joined on September 18, 1862 for 9 months. Norman was a private in Company H of the 27 Regiment Connecticut Infantry. At 19 years old, he as 5 feet 6 inches tall, had black eyes, dark brown hair and a dark complexion, though a different service document describes him having a light complexion. 

 The Connecticut Cavalry was a very active regiment during the war and it’s full history can be found here http://www.ct.gov/mil/cwp/view.asp?a=1351&q=271852.   William participated in many hotly contested battles. On October 1^st, 1864, General Custer (as in Custer’s Last Stand) was put in command of the division and they were in the Shenandoah Valley.  When the troops had retired down the valley on October 17^th at Cedar Bun Church, we find William on picket duty, which is described by www.civilwarhome.com/terms.html as

“An advance outpost or guard for a large force was called a picket. Ordered to form a scattered line far in advance of the main army's encampment, but within supporting distance, a picket guard was made up of a lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 4 corporals, and 40 privates from each regiment. Picket duty constituted the most hazardous work of infantrymen in the field. Being the first to feel any major enemy movement, they were also the first liable to be killed, wounded, or captured. And he most likely targets of snipers. Picket duty, by regulation, was rotated regularly in a regiment.”

Confederate General Rosser dashed in at night with two brigades, hoping to surprise the division while they were in camp. William was among the thirty or so men captured, along with Major Marcy. Though Rosser was able to capture the men, his plans were defeated by the men on guard. 

William and the others were temporarily confined at Stanton and then moved on to Richmond, Virginia for a few days.  Then William and some of the others were removed to Saulsbury, North Carolina and held at Libby Prison. According to the account of another prisoner, John W. Hill of New Haven, Connecticut, “there were seven from their company who were captured and imprisoned.” William writes his own account of the prison in his application for pension.  He wrote, “while confined they were robbed by the Confederate forces of all their clothing. They had no shelter. When any food was provided it was slaughter-house offal or other improper food, though they were often subjected to long fast. They were also exposed to lice and vermin and received no medical attention.”  When William was released on March 1, 1865, he was covered with sores and scabs, scarcely able to walk.  He spent about 5 ½ months as a prisoner of war and of the nine men in their company who were captured, only him and John Hill survived.  Because of these living conditions, William developed scurvy and chronic diarrhea.  His health was completely broken.  The diseases caused chronic indigestion and general debility.  The scurvy left the joints of his knees unsteady and weak. His general system was unstrung.  He had permanent scars on his hips from lying on the floor at the prison.

William was paroled at N.E. Ferry, North Carolina on March 1^st, and reported at the College Green Barrack’s in Maryland on March 8^th, where he was sent to Camp Parole, Maryland. He was able to go home on furlough for 30 days, until April 22^nd when he was given a medical extension.  He returned on May 31, 1865 as a “returned prisoner of war.”

Around this time, the war was over. He was released from duty and allowed to return home and civilian life.

(His account of Libby prison & John Hill’s account are recorded in William’s Application for Pension held in The National Archives certificate no. 866.736.  Dates were found in his compiled service record)