Capt. (USA), Erasmus Darwin Chandler

Civil War Veteran

Affiliation: Union

Enlisted: Oct.10, 1861

Rank: Quarter-Master Sgt.

Co.: B

Regt.:7th Ill. Calvary

Appts.:Ward- Master of hospital at Hamburgh, Tenn.; Military store keeper

Promotion: Capt.

Died : Oct. 19, 1863 in battle

From: The Chandler Family; the Descendants of William and Annis Chandler, who settled in Roxbury;by George Chandler:

1822 ix Erasmus Darwin, b. 12 Aug., 1825; m. 31 March, 1850, Ann Eliza Arnold of Douglas.

Capt. ERASMUS CHANDLER (John, Seth, Joseph, Joseph, John, William) and Ann E. Arnold, Elkhorn, Carroll Co., Ill. 

She was b. at Burrillville, R.I., 18 Nov., 1830.

He was a successful teacher for sixteen years. After marrying he lived one year on the "Paine Farm" in South Woodstock, Conn. In 1851 they kept the Academy boarding house in Woodstock. They removed to Douglas, Mass., and he was engaged on the railroad there in 1852; overseer on the same in 1853, and graded on contract the ground for the depot in Douglas, 1853. They moved to Illinois in April, 1856 He enlisted in Co. B, 7th Ill. Cavalry 17 Oct., 1861; was quartermaster sergeant in that regiment until May, 1862, when he was appointed ward master in the general hospital at Hamburgh, Tenn. He served in that capacity, and as clerk of the hospital, until it was broken up in Aug. of that year. Then he was appointed military store keeper, and had charge of sales to officers at Corinth, Miss.; was present at the battles of Corinth Oct. 3 and 4; assisted in passing shot and shell to one of the batteries, the third day, and in guarding the stores on the 4th. This regiment was scouting constantly and it had some heavy skirmishing, especially on Oct. 26, 1863. Under Col. Spenser, it left Camp Glendal, near Corinth, Oct. 19, 1863, for a raid into Alabama to destroy bridges, and to cut oft rebel communications. In this regiment he had command of a company. His commission bears date Jan. 28, 1863. When about one hundred and fifty miles from Corinth, they were obliged to turn back on account of high water from rains in the mountains; but when within thirty- five miles of their camp, this command of five hundred fell in with a force of two or three thousand rebels under Gen. Ferguson. While leading his men to the charge, Capt. Chandler fell, as a comrade in arms wrote his widow, "gallantly defending the right of freemen against traitors of the deepest dye." The remains of this gallant soldier were buried under a flag of truce from his own regiment. 

In the autumn after his entering the U.S. service she returned to Douglas, Mass.

The children of Capt. Erasmus D. and Ann E. (Arnold) Chandler were:

• 3551 i Ella Louisa, b. at Woodstock, 7 March, 1851; graduated at Tilden Seminary, N.H. and taught in the same until her health failed and she died in Douglas.
• 8552 ii William Henry, b. at Douglas, Mass. 3 Dec., 1852; d. 29 June, 1864
• 8355 iii Walter Gardner, b. 29 March, 1855; graduated at Brown University. Teaching in Florida, 1882.
• 3554 iv Alice Arnold, b. at Rock Creek, Carroll Co., Ill. 14 Nov., 1857; graduated at Tilden Academy, N.H.

Link :https://books.google.com/books?id=h2JmAAAAMAAJ&dq=decendents%20of%2... pg. 917-918