Henry Sailor

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141483078/henry-sailor

Henry Sailor
BIRTH
6 Dec 1830
Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA
DEATH
1921 (aged 90–91)
Lisbon, Linn County, Iowa, USA
BURIAL
Lisbon Cemetery
Lisbon, Linn County, Iowa, USA
MEMORIAL ID
141483078 · View Source
MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 3
FLOWERS 1
Among the honored veterans of the Civil war and representative citizen of Linn county none stand higher in public esteem than Henry Sailor, who is now successfully engaged in farming on section 35, Franklin township. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, December 6, 1830, and is a son of Peter and Margaret (Bitting) Sailor, who spent their entire lives in Berks county, that state. In their family were nine children, all of whom are now deceased with the exception of Kate, the sixth in order of birth, who is now the widow of Solomon Deem and a resident of Reading; and our subject, who is the next youngest. The others were Harriet, wife of Alexander McDowell, of Reading; William, whose widow, Mary Grauel, is a resident of Reading: Elizabeth, who married Jacob Hall, and both died at that place; Joseph, who married Eliza Himmelburger, a resident of Reading; Rebecca, who married George Shenfelter and both died in Reading; Frederick, who married Amelia Haves, and she is now a resident of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Ellen who died in infancy.

In early life Henry Sailor attended the public schools of his native city until sixteen years of age, and then engaged in brick making there for four years. At the age of twenty-two he went to Lewiston, Pennsylvania, where he followed that pursuit for the same length of time. On the inauguration of the Civil war he responded to the president’s first call for troops, enlisting, April 24, 1861, for three months, as a member of Company A, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. They first went to Harrisburg, and from there to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and then through the Cumberland valley to Hagerstown, Maryland, whence they proceeded to Williamsport on the Potomac. They next went to Bunker Hill and Harpers Ferry, Mr. Sailor being at the latter place when his term of enlistment expired. From this time on his war record, which is a very interesting one, may be best given in his own words:

“After I went home from the three months’ service, I was ill for a few weeks. Everybody felt patriotic, I along with the rest, and as soon as I was able I re-enlisted in Independent Battery D, Pennsylvania Artillery, commanded by George W. Durell, at that time encamped at Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and attached to the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania Regiment, commanded by W.W.H. Davis, of that place, who was later pension agent at Philadelphia. I was mustered into the United States service September 24, 1861, and proceeded to Washington, the regiment going into camp at Kalamarama Heights, where we stayed for a few days and were then detached from the One Hundred and Fourth Regiment and marched down East Capitol street into an artillery camp, where we received our horses, harness and Parrott guns. From there we moved across the river into Virginia to a place called Munson’s Hill, where we went into winter quarters and formed a brigade consisting of Battery D, commanded by Captain Durell; the First Rhode Island, commanded by Captain Monroe; the Second New Hampshire, commanded by Captain Garish; and a regular battery, commanded by Captain Gibbon, afterward General Gibbon. Here we went into regular drill theoretically and practically. The non-commissioned officers had to recite twice a week to Colonel Monroe. Our regular drill ground was at Bailey’s Cross Roads. We remained here until spring, when we were among the troops that went to Centerville prior to McClellan’s campaign on the peninsula, and were then ordered to report to Alexandria to accompany that general to the peninsula, but for some reason we were not taken along.

“We were then connected with McDowell’s corps. From this on we marched up and down the country, going as far as Fredericksburg, and were under McDowell’s command until Burnside came up from South Carolina, when we joined the Ninth Corps under that general. The first engagement in which the battery took part was at Kelly’s Ford, and I fired the first gun that was fired in this engagement. It happened in this wise: The lieutenant of the section had gone to his supper in another part of the army, when across the river we could see the enemy coming out of the timber into any open field. General Reno came up and asked me what the distance was between us and the enemy, and I answered four thousand yards. ‘Could you throw a shell that distance?’ he asked. ‘Yes,’ I replied. ‘Then let them have one,’ he said. I fired three rounds. The next morning we were ordered across the river to make a reconnaissance, and were briskly engaged with the enemy. The next engagement of our battery was at Bristoe’s Station under General Hooker. From there we went to Bull Run, where my piece was dismounted by a solid shot striking the axle, this happening just before we commenced to retreat. I first spiked the piece, but during a short lull I saw that I could throw the piece under the limber and in this way took it to Washington. The next engagement was at Chantilly. My piece being disabled I had no gun to command, but my men and myself made ourselves useful at the other guns. From thence we went to Washington, where I drew a new gun. Later we were in the engagements at South Mountain, Antietam and White Sulphur Springs, where we lost Lieutenant McElvain. We were in the battlefield of Fredericksburg and wintered at that place, and then went to Fortress Monroe and Newport News on the James river.

“After staying there for a while our corps were ordered west. We put our battery on steamboats and went to Baltimore, where we shipped on cars and went to Pittsburg, and on into Ohio as far as Cincinnati. Here we crossed the Ohio river and went to Paris, Kentucky. We visited Mt. Sterling, Lancaster, Richmond, Stamford, Crab Orchard and Lexington, and then shipped for Louisville on cars. From that place we went by steamboat to Vicksburg, and unloaded on the Louisiana side, but soon re-shipped and went up the Yazoo river to Snyder’s Bluffs. From that time on we were in the rear of Vicksburg, watching Johnston until the surrender, and then went to Jackson, Mississippi. Our corps was on the left of the line and my piece was on a small hill near the asylum. I fired into the city a day and a night at five minute intervals. After the evacuation of Jackson we went back to the Mississippi river, near Vicksburg, and from there shipped to Covington, Kentucky.

“By this time we had lost so many horses and so many men by sickness that we could hardly move our battery, some one having been left in nearly every hospital along the Mississippi, while twenty-two men had died from disease contracted in the swamps of the south. We went into camp at Covington, while the rest of the corps proceeded to Knoxville, Tennessee, but our battery being so short of men was left behind. The government had commenced to re-enlist soldiers as veterans, and I was one of the first of our battery to enlist as such and was to have received four hundred dollars. I gave the government my services, but never received the money. After re-enlisting I went home on a leave of absence, and on the expiration of that time returned to the company. Our battery was then transferred to the eastern army and landed at Annapolis. There I fired a salute for General Grant when he came to inspect the troops. Thence we went to Washington, where we had the company filled with new recruits, drew new guns (six three-inch Rodman guns), new horses, and got ready to take part in the Wilderness campaign. While in Washington I was promoted to senior second lieutenant, skipping two duty sergeants, orderly sergeant and quartermaster sergeant. We were on that march from that on until we came to Petersburg, June 17. We were in the engagement at Cold Harbor and then crossed the peninsula. After crossing the James river with our battery had an artillery duel with the rebel battery, but the distance was so great that they did no harm and we could not tell whether we did any or not. We then marched on to Petersburg, and had more or less firing every day until its evacuation, April 2, 1865. Our battery was right in front of the explosion of the mines, only fifty yards away. The two lines were only sixty yards apart and our dead were lying between. The enemy would not accept a flag of truce so that we could bury them for a few days. When at last we did so I went over to see them buried and saw such sights as no one would care to witness.

“From that time on we were in different places on the line to Petersburg, as far to the left as Poplar Grove Church and Hatchie’s Run. About this time I was promoted to senior first lieutenant, October 1, 1864. My section was placed in Fort Sedgwick in Battery 21, commonly called “Fort Hell.” The lines of infantry were about twenty-five yards apart and the line of forts about four hundred. Here they fired almost continuously day and night. After the fall of Petersburg we followed Lee, but at the time of the surrender we were about twenty-five miles behind. We were then ordered to Alexandria, and after the grand review at Washington we turned over our horses and guns to the government. On the day of the review I was in command of a Massachusetts battery. While at Alexandria I was examined by General Tidball and offered a position in the regular army as second lieutenant of artillery, but since the war was over I felt, like so many others, ready to go home. From Alexandria we went to Philadelphia, and were mustered out of the service June 13, 1865.”

In February, 1866, Mr. Sailor came to Linn county, Iowa, where he at first worked as a section hand on the railroad, and then engaged in the manufacture of brick at Lisbon for six years. At the end of that time he purchased a farm on section 13, Franklin township, now owned by Dick Peet, and on selling that place he bought one hundred and sixty acres on section 1, Cedar township, Johnson county, to which he later added one hundred and fifty-two acres on section 2, the same township. He has made many improvements upon this place, including the erection of three fine large barns, over which float at all times the stars and stripes. He also has an elegant home upon his farm, and a good residence on South Washington street, Lisbon, and owns eighty acres of land on section 35, Franklin township, Linn county, the same amount on section 36, that township, and ninety-eight acres in Cedar township, Johnson county.

At Lisbon, August 23, 1866, Mr. Sailor was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Meyers, who was born near Dayton, Montgomery county, Ohio, November 9, 1846, and is a daughter of Henry and Priscilla (Livingood) Meyers, natives of Pennsylvania, who removed to Ohio in 1845, and after residing in that state for seven years came to Lisbon, Iowa. They located on a farm near that place, where the father died April 20, 1892, the mother June 6, 1899, and the remains of both were interred in the Lisbon cemetery. Unto them were born nine children, all of whom are living, namely: Simon married Minnie Escher and lives in Cedar Rapids; Mary E. is the wife of our subject; Henry C. married Martha Davis and resides in Lisbon; Jacob married Amanda Heller and also lives in Lisbon; William H. married Becky Short and makes his home in Cedar Rapids; John married Sarah Heisey and lives in Lisbon; George married Emma Zeller and resides in the same place; Jennie is the wife of Frank Barr, of Armstrong, Iowa; and Abe is also a resident of Lisbon.

Mr. and Mrs. Sailor have a family of seven children. (1) Anna L., born March 12, 1867, was married, April 20, 1892, to Elsworth Phelps, a retired farmer and lumber merchant of Sutton, Massachusetts, and they have three sons, Henry E., Heston and Sailor. (2) George D., born February 28, 1869, married Edith Durrell, of Dayton, Iowa, and is an attorney of Springville, this county. (3) Edwin, born December 6, 1873, was graduated from the medical department of the State University at Iowa City, April 3, 1901. (4) Carl, born November 9, 1875, is at home with his father. (5) Maggie Louise, born December 4, 1877, is a professional nurse in Iowa City. (6) Robert O., born January 30, 1880, is at home. (7) Ira T., born March 19, 1882, is with the firm of G. & A. Rinkle at Lisbon. There were two children, one son and one daughter, who died in infancy.

In political sentiment Mr. Sailor is an ardent Republican, and for twenty years he has most efficiently served as president of the school board. Fraternally he is a prominent member of Franklin Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Lisbon; Lisbon Lodge, No. 162, I. O. O. F.; and John A. Buck Post, No. 140, G. A. R., at Lisbon; and had the honor of being chosen the first commander of that post. He is widely and favorable known throughout his community, and well deserves the high regard in which he is uniformly held, as he was not only true to his country in her hour of need, but has always been found a useful and valuable citizen.

Source: The Biographical Record of Linn County Iowa, Illustrated, Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1901, pages 160-6.
http://iagenweb.org/linn/bios/s.htm

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Family Members
Spouse

Mary Elizabeth Meyers Sailor
1846–1923

Children

Little Sailor
unknown–1872

Anna Laurie Sailor Phelps
1867–1936

George D Sailor
1869–1944

Edwin Allen Sailor
1873–1903

Carl Sailor
1875–1961

Margaret Eloise Sailor Johnson
1877–1959

Robert O Sailor
1880–1908

Thomas Sailor
1882–1924