Charles Styles
Company E, 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
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Charles Styles Company E, 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry |
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Charles Styles was my great-great-grandfather. He enlisted in the Union Army in 1862 and was shot and kiled on the 5th of September 1864, near Lovejoy Station, Georgia. He was in the Illinois Infantry, 100th Regiment commanded by William W. Bartlett, Company E, and enlisted in Will County. Charles was the eldest of twelve children, and the first to come to America from Worthing, Sussex, England. The rest of his family included:
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(continued from previous column) Charles was enrolled as a musician in the Illinois Infantry. National Archive records state that he was killed by a gunshot wound received in a skirmish with the enemy at Lovejoy Station, Georgia, 5th September 1864. Family history states he was killed while playing his fife near the tend door. In "Fifteen years Ago: or the Patriotism of Will County," by George H. Woodruff, it staates that they "marched through Jonesboro to near Lovejoy," and that they "skirmished all afternoon... We remained here until the 5th, most of the time exchanging fire with the enemy. It was an exposed position. Charlie Styles, who it will be remembered, was married at Athens just before starting out on the campaign, was hit and killed while playing his fife in the tent door." Charles was buried in a military cemetery near Lovejoy. I am searching for the site. When Charles died, he left behind five orphan children: Margaret, born 1852, William 1854, Charles Richard 1856 (my great-grandfather), Jennie S. 1859, and Henry Styles, 1861. (Charles' first wife had apparently died after walking to town in the snow and catching pneumonia. This was on 23 March 1863.) The family never knew about the second marriage. The children were farmed out to various relatives and went to work at an early age. The youngest child, Henry Styles, was adopted out. He was renamed Harry Cleveland. Oral history states that Charles Sr. had a buddy that promised that if anything ever happened to Charles, he would take the baby. There is a Private Chas. Cleveland who mustered out of Co. E in May of 1864. This may have been the man who adopted Henry. Henry's family had a successful furniture business in Minneapolis in the 1930's. I would like to contact this family and any other connections.
Submitted by Trish Youderian. |
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