christal_speer originally shared this to Speer and Oliver Family Tree:
30 Apr 2018
Job Sydney Leonard was born on May 24, 1845, in East Otto, New York. He married Lydia M. Harvey in 1882 in New York. They had 11 children in 21 years. He died on November 30, 1934, in Little Valley, New York, at the age of 89, and was buried in his hometown. He is discussed as cousin #5..in this article.
These fourteen Leonard first cousins who served in the Civil War on the Union side were grandsons of Addison Leonard and Elizabeth Robbins Clark
In the book History of Kenosha County, in the section about Charles A. Leonard (pages 134-136), it mentions on page 135 “He was one of fourteen cousins on his father’s side of the family who enlisted and seven of the number returned home, while seven were left on the battlefield.”
I have researched the 7 cousins who survived and have found 4 of the 7 cousins who died. Of these, 3 died of disease and 1 was killed in battle. I have yet to find the other 3 cousins who died, but welcome any information that someone else may find.
There is also an oral family tradition handed down to several descendants of the cousins who survived. The oral story states that 14 cousins served with 7 cousins dying during the war. I personally heard it from two granddaughters of Job Sidney Leonard (1845-1934) and they heard it from their grandfather.
History reveals that more than half of those dying in the Civil War, died of disease. For the men who survived the Civil War, most endured great hardships and deprivations that affected them physically the rest of their lives.
At the time Addison Leonard died in December of 1861, he had seen 3 grandsons enlist in the war. By the time his wife Elizabeth died in August of 1863, she had seen 6 grandsons enlist and 1 of the 6 had died the previous year. She also lived to see her son Addison Clark Leonard enlist and that knew that he had been taken prisoner. This happened two months before her death.
Below are listed 11 of the 14 first cousins. The remaining 3 cousins who served and died have yet to be discovered.
Three sons of Elijah Darwin Leonard and Dorothy Matilda Herrington.
1. Charles A. Leonard, Private, Co. G, 1st Wisconsin Infantry, member of the “Park City Grays” – a part of the state militia. Enlisted as “Charles A. Leonard” on Apr. 17, 1861, at South Bristol, Wisc., age 22. Enlisted for 3 months, but served for 4 months. Mustered out on Aug. 21, 1861, at Milwaukee, Wisc., age 22. Later, he was to be drafted in 1863, but paid $300 for a substitute as did his brother Elijah Darrow Leonard.
2. Chester Marshall Leonard, Private, Co. A, 1st Wisconsin Cavalry. Enlisted as “Chester M. Leonard” on Aug. 26, 1861, age 20. Promoted to Full Corporal (no date given). Promoted to Full 2nd Lieut. on Apr. 7, 1864. Promoted to Full 1st Lieut. on Nov. 28, 1864. Mustered out on Sep. 1, 1864, age 23. From Nov. 27, 1863 to Sep. 1, 1864, his first cousin Job Sidney Leonard was in the same Co. A of 1st Wisconsin Cavalry.
3. George F. Leonard, Private, Co. E, 1st Wisconsin Infantry. Enlisted as “George F. Leonard” (sometimes listed as George S.) on Feb. 11, 1864, age 19. Immediately transferred to Co. H, 21st Wisconsin Infantry on Feb. 11, 1864. Mustered out on July 18, 1865, at Madison, Wisc., age 22.
Two sons of Job Strong Leonard and Emeline Larabee.
4. Fernando Franklin Leonard, Private, Co. F, 1st Wisconsin Cavalry. Enlisted as “Franklin Leonard” (with one record as “F. Franklin”) on Sep. 19, 1861, at Kenosha, Wisc., age 19. Died of typhoid fever on June 2, 1862, at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and buried there, age 20.
5. Job Sidney Leonard, Private, Co. A, 1st Wisconsin Cavalry. Enlisted as “Sidney Leonard” on Nov. 27, 1863, at Kenosha, Wisc., age 18. He should not be confused with his first cousin Sidney Wheeler Leonard, son of Elijah Darwin Leonard. Mustered out on July 19, 1865, at Edgefield, Tenn. (currently part of Nashville on East side of the river), age 20. From Nov. 27, 1863 to Sep. 1, 1864, his first cousin Chester M. Leonard was in the same Co. A of 1st Wisconsin Cavalry.
Three sons of Addison Clark Leonard and Sarah Ann Webster.(Addison himself also served in Co. A, 112th Illinois Infantry.)
6. Henry Hiram Leonard, Private, Co. A, 112th Illinois Infantry. Enlisted as “Henry H. Leonard” on Sep. 20, 1862, age 20. Enlisted with his father Addison Clark Leonard and his cousin Luther M. Herrington. Mustered out as a Corporal on June 20, 1865, age 23. At enlistment he left a wife and 10-month-old child.
7. George Franklin Leonard, Private, Co. E, 1st Wisconsin Infantry Enlisted as “George F. Leonard” (sometimes shown as “George Leonard”) on Feb. 11, 1864, age 20 Transferred to Co. H, 21st Wisconsin Infantry on Sep. 19, 1864. Mustered out on Sep. 19, 1864, age 21.
8. Alonzo Clark Leonard, Private, Co. K, 64th Illinois Infantry, Yates’ Sharpshooters. Enlisted as “Alonzo Leonard” on Feb. 6, 1864, age 14. Enlisted with his cousin Edwin L. Winegar. Both cousins died in the war. Transferred to Co. E sometime before he died of chronic diarrhea on Oct. 8, 1864 at Rome, Ga., age 15. Buried in Marietta National Cemetery at Marietta, Georgia.
Two sons of Julia Matilda Leonard and John Chapman Herrington.
9. James Franklin Herrington, Private, Co. H, 17th Michigan Infantry. Enlisted as “James F. Herrington,” mustered in on July. 6, 1862, at Lee, Mich., age 23. (One war record gives his age at enlistment as 28, but he was actually 23.) Promoted to Full Corporal on May 1, 1865. Mustered out on June 3 1865, at Delaney House, Washington, D.C., age 26. At enlistment he left a wife and 1 child, age 1 year, 10 months.
10. Luther Marshall Herrington, Private, Co. A, 112th Illinois Infantry. Enlisted as “Luther M. Harrington” on Sep. 20, 1862, age 18. (All records for the Civil War spell his last name as Harrington.) His uncle Addison C. Leonard and cousin Henry H. Leonard enlisted at the same time. Taken prisoner near Cleveland, Tenn. on Sep. 18, 1863. Confined in prison at Richmond, Belle Isle, and Danville, Va; also at Florence and Salsbury, N. Car; finally at Andersonville, Ga. Died from diarrhea at the Andersonville, Ga. prison on June 29, 1864, age 19. Buried at the Andersonville National Cemetery.
One son of Eliza Ann Leonard and Samuel Conrad Winegar.
11. Edwin L. Winegar, Private, Co. K, 64th Illinois Infantry, Yates’ Sharpshooters. Enlisted as “Edwin Winegar” on Feb. 6, 1864, at Benton, Illinois, age 16. Enlisted with his cousin Alonzo Clark Leonard and both died in the war. Died on June 27, 1864, killed in action during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Ga., age 16.
The three unknowns
12. unknown at this time
13. unknown at this time
14. unknown at this time
There are five more Leonard relatives who served. Please refer to a separate document titled “Five Leonard Relatives Who Served in the Civil War.”
christal_speer originally shared this to Speer and Oliver Family Tree
30 Apr 2018 Christal-Speer shared this as a story on Ancestry.com. Christal has conducted extensive research on Leonard family. Our family connection to this story is through my husband's uncle married to one of Job S. Leonard's daughters. They were only married 5 years before her husband Hawley Cross died at age 31. I have only shared her research and take no credit for the effots of Christal Speer. I am grateful to learn more about our family. Thank you Christal. Sue M. Cross