William Hall (1840-1922) "52 Ancestors"

We are now in the fourth week of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge which Amy Johnson Crow threw out to all of us at the beginning of the year. So, now I am 4 for 4. Only 48 more posts to go before the end of the year. With over 42,000 people in my database I should be able to complete this. But if you have been following my blog since it started, you know that I am easily distracted and am not very consistent in my writing.

William Hall, c. 1910

This week I decided to write about my wife's 3rd great-grand uncle, William Hall. Why did I choose him? Well I was looking through my photo folder and thought he looked interesting. William was born on 19 May 1840 in Aberdeen, Brown County, Ohio along the Ohio River. His parents were William Hall ( ~1810-1878) and Jane Ann Lee (~1813-~1856). He had the following siblings: Alexander William (1836-1911), Mary (~1838-??), Luther Leach (1842-1918), Francis (~1843-??), George (~1845-??), Lucy J (~1847-??), Anna E (~1850-1918), Rachel (~1852-??), and Martha (~1856-??). After his mother's death, his father remarried Rose Ellen Love Degman (~1822-1897) on 21 February 1857 in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky, a town directly across the Ohio River from Aberdeen. This was Rose's second marriage also. She brought the following children to the family: Laura, James H, John P, and Sylvester Degman. From this second marriage they added a son Thomas Johnston Hall (1860-1917).

The Hall family is of Scotish origin, his grandfather being the family immigrant. His father was a boat builder, building flat and produce boats, which navigated the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Several members of the Hall family, including William, took part in the ship building business.

William Hall, Civil War

William served during the Civil War, along with his father and six brothers. William enlisted as a Private in Company H, Ohio 12th Infantry Regiment on 16 January 1862, at the age of 22. On 1 July 1864 he transferred into Company K, Ohio 23rd Infantry Regiment and was mustered out on 26 July 1865 in Cumberland, Maryland. Company K is known for several of its officers who later went on the become President of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley. As a member of the 12th Infantry he would have been in the following locations: in 1862 - Princeton (22 April - 1 May), Narrows of New River (4 May), Flat Top Mountain (20 May - 14 August), Wayne County (24-26 July), Washington (14-24 August), Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia (24 August - 2 September), and Bull Run Bridge (27 August). They took part in the Maryland Campaign (6-22 September), which included the Battle of South Mountain Maryland (14 September), and Battle of Antietam (16-17 September), and then continued on the march to Clear Springs (8 October), Kanawha Valley, WV (14 October - 17 November), and to Fayette Court House where he was stationed for an extended time (4 December 1862 - 19 May 1863). While at Fayette Court House they took part in a minor skirmish at Blake's Farm (9 May) and repulsed McCausland's attack at Fayetteville (17-20 May). Company H then went on to pursue Morgan's forces on the Ohio River (17-26 July), the expedition from Charlestown to Lewisburg (3-13 November), action at Meadow Bluff (4 December) and back to Kanawha Valley (8-25 December) where they had several battles including Big Sewell Mountain and Meadow Bluff (11 December), Lewsiburg and Greenbriar River (12 December), and Meadow Bluff (14 December). In 1864 they took part in Crook's Raid on the Virginia and Tenessee Railroad (2-19 May), which included the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain (9 May) and New River Bridge (10 May). From 26 May until 1 July they participated in Hunter's Raid to Lynchburg, which included Diamond Hill (17 June), Lynchburg (17-18 June), and the retreat to Charleston (19 June - 1 July). They were then ordered back to Columbus, Ohio where the unit was transferred to 23rd Ohio Infantry. The losses experienced by the 12th Regiment included 3 officers and 93 enlisted killed in action and 2 officers and 77 enlisted lost to disease.

As part of the 23d Regiment, they moved to the Shenandoah Valley where they took part in the Battle of Winchester (24 July), Martinsburg (25 July), and Sheridan's Shenandoah Campaign (7 August - 28 November). That campaign consisted of Strasburg and Fisher's Hill (15 August), Summit Point (24 August), Halltown (26 August), Berryville (3 September), Battle of Opequan (19 September), Fisher's Hill (22 September), and Battle of Cedar Creek (19 October). They then were stationed at Kernstown until 20 December when they moved to Stephenson's Depot and then to Martinsburg, West Virginia on 29 December. On 1 January 1865 they relocated to Cumberland, Maryland where they stayed until they were mustered out on 26 July 1865.

William was commended by Col. Hayes for his meritorious action at the Battle of Cedar Creek where, under direct heavy artillery fire, twenty volunteers crossed an open road and recovered a battery of guns which were deserted and placed them in action resulting in a rout of the Confederate troops. This action was one of the factors in turning the tide of the battle.

William Hall with daughter Edith

Louisa Taylor

After the war William took up his occupation as a stationary engineer (steam engine/boiler operator) on the Ohio River. He stayed a bachelor for some time. Finally at the age of 55, on 16 December 1895, he married Louisa Taylor, aged 37, in Greensburg, Decatur County, Indiana. Louisa was born in Mt. Sterling, Bath County, Kentucky on 10 April 1858 and she died in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio on 29 April 1946. They had four children, Edgar Mansfield (1896-1964), Edith Lee (1898-2000), Willard Arthur (1900-1965), and Ruth Elizabeth (1901-1904). His sons, Edgar and Willard, served in World War I with Company E, 147th Infantry and both were injured in the Argonne Offensive.

William died at 8:35 p.m. on 12 December 1922, at the age of 82 years and 6 months. The cause of death was listed as general arteriosclerosis.