"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness".



ALEX HALEY, ROOTS



Monday, January 30, 2012

Reuben Thompson Crosley

 Born April 7, 1836 in Vigo
His parents were
Josiah Crosley, born 1805 & Priscilla Thompson, born 1812
In 1850 Reuben is living in Vigo, Co. Indiana with his parents and siblings.
Sometime before 1857 he moved to Grant County Wisconsin.

On May 10, 1857, he married Minerva Ellie Bass in Grant County Wisconsin. 
This information can be verified at the Wisconsin Historical Society

In 1860 Reuben and Minerva are living in Beetown, Grant County Wisconsin 
with  their first two children: Sarah and Jesse (my Great Grandfather).

The Civil War
On September 12, 1861 Reuben enlisted as a private in Company F, 10th Infantry Regiment Wisconsin.

10th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The Tenth Wisconsin Infantry was organized at Camp Holton, Milwaukee, WI, and mustered into the service of the United States on October 14, 1861, it left the state November 9, and arrived at Louisville, KY, November 11, where it was sent to guard the line of the Louisville & Nashville Railway and engaged in this service until February 1862, when the Tenth participated in the general southern movement of the Union forces which reached south as far as Huntsville, AL; and who shortly thereafter were compelled to retrace their steps north through Middle Tennessee and Kentucky until the hostile forces met in combat at Chaplin Hills or Perryville, KY, October 8, 1862, in which engagement the Tenth participated. This was followed by another march southward by the Union forces which the Tenth accompanied, and the hostile armies again engaged in battle at Stone's River or Murfreesboro, TN, December 30-31, 1862 to January 1, 1863. After this engagement the Tenth was assigned to duty guarding railways until the latter part of June, and joined with the forces under Gen. Rosecrans in the Tullahoma Campaign June 23 to July 7, 1863, a part of the Army of the Cumberland. This was followed by the advance on Chattanooga and the hostile forces again met at Chickamaugua, GA, September 19-20, 1863. A little later in the year the Tenth participated in the battle of Missionary Ridge November 25, 1863, and from February 22 to 27, 1864 participated in the demonstration on Tunnel Hill and Buzzard Roost,GA.
On May 24th the Tenth again rejoined its division and as a part of the Fourteenth Army Corps took part in the Atlanta Campaign, participating in the Battle of Dallas, GA, May 13, 1864, at and around Kenesaw Mountain June 10 to July 3, 1864, and Peach Tree Creek July 20, 1864. In October the time for which the regiment had enlisted expired, those recruits whose terms had not expired were transferred to the Twenty-first Infantry. On October 16th, the Tenth left Marietta, GA for Wisconsin, reaching Milwaukee on the 25th and was mustered out and disbanded.
The histories above, unless otherwise noted, are adopted from Charles E. Estabrook, ed., Records and Sketches of Military Organizations, (Madison, 1914).
For more general information on Wisconsin's Civil War units, we suggest the following works:
  • Dyer, Frederick, Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, (Des Moines, 1908).
  • Love, William DeLoss, Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion, (Chicago, 1866).
  • Quiner, E.B., The Military History of Wisconsin, (Chicago, 1866).


The Battle at Stones River Tennessee
[Rosecrans at Stones River by Kurz and Allison - Courtesy of Wikipedia]
Reuben was transferred out of the 10th Wisconsin on August 1, 1863
and transferred into the Regiment U.S. Veterans Corps.


Life after War
In 1870 Reuben and Minerva are living in Brownville, Nemaha, Nebraska.
Reuben lists his occupation as a Teamster.
They now have 6 children. 
Sarah born 1859 WI., Jesse born 1860 WI., Reuben born 1862 WI., Lucinda born 1866 WI.,
Priscilla born 1868 WI., and Henry born 1869 NE..
So I believe that they moved to Nebraska in late 1868 or early 1869.

In 1880 Reuben and Minerva are living in Peru, Nemaha, Nebraska.
Reuben now lists his occupation as a farmer, and they have 3 more children:
Charles born 1871 NE., Benaga born 1876., NE. and James born 1878 NE.

In 1883 at age 41 Minverva dies. She is buried at the 
Valparaiso Cemetery in Saunders Co. NE. 
 From Find A Grave website

In 1888 Reuben re-marries. To Mary L. Mohaney (from Nebraska marriages 1855-1995).

In 1890 Reuben is living in Denver Colorado at r. 44 S. 1st Street, Jerome Park.
from the 1890 Denver, Colorado City Directory.
He is listed as a Laborer. This same year, he is also listed as living at r. 759 Fairview Avenue Highlands,  Denver Colorado. 
On a side note, his brother Isaac J. Crosley is listed at this same address. 
Also, Isaac is near him in Nebraska, and they served together in the 10th Wisconsin Infantry. 


In the 1891 Ballenger and Richards Denver City Directory Reuben is listed as a Teamster
 living at r. Rochester ne cor. Nevins s. Fairview Add. 



Death

Reuben Thompson Crosley died in on December 13, 1907 at the age of 71.
He was buried at Roselawn Cemetery in Pueblo Colorado on December 14, 1907.