Lieut. Harvey Annis

Harvey Annis was born 1825 in Madison County, New York, the son of Lewis and Hannah Annis. Harvey was a carpenter by trade, and was residing at Oshkosh, Wisconsin when he enlisted as a Private with Company "F", 18th Wisconsin Infantry.

He later rose to the rank of Sergeant of Company "K", 18th Wisconsin, and was than selected and promoted to 2nd Lieutenant of Company "G", 51st United States Colored Troops Regiment in 1864. Having served six months with this unit in the Vicksburg area, on February 11, 1865 he resigned his commission due to poor health. Ann Vessey Annis, his wife, and Isabelle (Belle) their youngest child, had traveled to Vicksburg in order to nurse Harvey, and together they prepared to travel home to Oshkosh on the vastly overloaded steamer, "Sultana". The "Sultana was  packed full of former prisoners of war from the infamous Confederate camps at Andersonville, Georgia and Cahaba, Alabama. 

An explosion and fire destroyed the ship and many of its passengers. Harvey, Anne, and Belle escaped the explosion and fire, and found themselves in the roiling, freezing Mississippi River. Harvey and Belle were drowned, although Ann survived to return home to the remains of her family.