(NOTE: William J. Bland probably never sat for a portrait before his entering the service during the Civil War, but he spent almost 10 months with the 86th in the Nashville, Tennessee area, during which time most of the members of the 86th took the opportunity to sit for portraits to send back home to their loved that they missed so much. These portraits would have come in one of two forms. The oldest for was what was called the "tin type", which was printed on a thin slice of tin and usually put in a fancy case, similar to plastic. The newer form was called the CDV and was a paper picture glued to a heavy card stock about the size of a modern day baseball card and unlike the "tin type" many copies could be easily made of the picture and boy did the boys make extra copies. They were swapped among their many friends, messmates and tentmates within their respective companies as well as copies which were sent home to family and friends. Even today many copies have been found of the same picture of some men in the 86th.
Then, William J. Bland survived the war and lived well into the 20th Century. During this time, William must had his picture taken many more times. I would love to see some pictures of William J. Bland as a young man, especially one of him in uniform from his days with the 86th, but, I would just love to see some more pictures of William be added to his FAG site, even some of him as a 50, 60 or 70 year old man. Can anyone help me with this? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Baxter)
Private WILLIAM J. BLAND, Co. C, 86th Illinois
William J. Bland was born on November 28, 1838 in Champaign County, Ohio, one of at least 10 children known to have been born to John Bland and Levina or Lovina (Armstrong) Bland (FAG #24062767). William grew to manhood farming the land beside his father there in Ohio. At the time of the 1850 census, the Bland family is found in Salem, Shelby County, Ohio;
John Bland M 35 Ohio
Levina Bland F 30 Kentucky
Margaret Bland F 13 Ohio
Nelson Bland M 11 Ohio
Mary E Bland F 9 Ohio
John Bland M 7 Ohio
Rachal Ann Bland F 5 Ohio
Charlote Bland F 1 Ohio
Sometime between 1855 and 1859, John and Levina brought the family west to Illinois, where they settled in Hallock Township in northern Peoria County, not far from Chillicothe, Illinois. The family is found there in Hallock Township at the time of the 1860 census;
Bland John 48 M Farmer 4,000 850 OH
Bland Levina 43 F KY
Bland William 21 M Farm Hand OH
Bland Mary 19 F OH
Bland John 17 M OH
Bland Rachel 16 F OH
Bland Charlotte 8 F OH
Bland Jane 7 F OH
Bland David 5 M OH
Bland Perodine 1 F IL
Sever Jacob 22 M Farm Hand OH
William J. Bland is known to have been married to Barbara Reed. This wedding took place in Peoria County. The State of Illinois records this marriage as having taken place on February 21, 1860, but, William is still listed with the Bland family at the time of the 1860 census and Barbara is still listed with her family in the summer of 1860, so this marriage has not happened at that time. It most likely occurred in 1861.
Barbara Reed was born on November 9, 1845 in Illinois, probably in Peoria County. She was the daughter of Simon Reed, who was born September 12, 1794/96 in Pittstown, Rensselaer County, New York, and Currina or Currance (Sanford) Reed (FAG #44543028), who was born September 20, 1799/1800 in Middletown, Delaware County, New York. William and Barbara had 13 children, most of whom were born on the farm in Rice County, Kansas. They are;
1. Esther/Ester A. Bland, born December 28, 1861 in Peoria County, Illinois. Esther died May 16, 1862 at the age of 4 months and 19 days and her mortal remains were laid in the LaSalle Cemetery in Peoria County.
2. William Henry Bland; born March 23, 1863 in Illinois. William was married to Cora Elizabeth Plunkett c. 1887/88. In 1895, William and his family are found residing in Ward 2 of Hutchinson, Kansas with his uncle, John Bland. At the time of the 1900 census, William H Bland and his family are found in Salt Fork Township, Grant County, Oklahoma Territory;
William H Bland Head M 36 Illinois
Cora E Bland Wife F 34 Missouri
Ethel Bland Daughter F 12 Kansas
Myrtle Brady Niece F 17 Kansas
Emmet Brady Nephew M 18 Kansas
Willes M Graham Male Partner M 43 Iowa
William Henry Bland eventually returned to Illinois where he died May 13, 1927 in North Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Chillicothe City Cemetery, Chillicothe, Illinois.
3. Albert E. Bland; born __________ __, 1866/67 in Illinois. Albert E. Bland was married to Elizabeth ____________. At the time of the 1930 census, Albert and his family are found in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio;
Albert E Bland Head M 62 Illinois
Elizabeth Bland Wife F 52 Ohio
Katharine Livesay Daughter F 30 Ohio
Pearl Bland Daughter F 17 Ohio
Bessie Bland Daughter F 15 Ohio
Helen Legg Granddaughter F 14 Ohio
Ruth Legg Granddaughter F 11 Ohio
4. Jennie Bland; born c. 1869/70 in Kansas.
Poss. 5. Cora A Bland, born March 23, 1871. Cora died on April 12, 1877 at the age of 6 years and 20 days. She is listed as the daughter of W. B. and Ann Bland. Her mortal remains were laid in the Lodiana Cemetery in Lyons, Rice County, Kansas. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 37256513.
6. Louise L. "Lew" "Lou" Bland, born November __, 1873/74 in Kansas. Lew is found with the family at the time of the 1880 census. Lew, however, appears to have moved to Peoria County, Illinois by the time of the 1900 census, where he is living with a cousin in the village of Dunlap, Radnor Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
Harvey R Sturna* Head M 28 Illinois
Laura E Sturna* Wife F 25 Illinois
Helen M Sturna* Daughter F 2 Illinois
Alvin W Sturna* Brother M 21 Illinois
Lou Bland Cousin F Nov 1874 26 Kansas
Morris Harwood Nephew M 6 Illinois
Familysearch has Louise L. Bland being married to Arthur S. Donohue on April 11, 1904 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Arthur was born c. 1883 near New Philadelphia, Ohio, the son of Owen Donohue and Alice Sullivan.
Louise L. (Bland) Donohue died on ___________ __, 1959 and her mortal remains were laid in the Calvary Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 89109902.
7. Charles Lester Bland, born March 11, 1877 in Kansas. Charles was married to Luella Lois Hicks on October 27, 1897. Luella was born June 12, 1879 in Peoria County. At the time of the 1910 census, Charles and his family are found in Steuben Township, Marshall County, Illinois;
Charles Bland Head M 33 Kansas
Luella Bland Wife F 30 Illinois
Flavel Bland Son M 11 Illinois
Arthur Bland Son M 10 Illinois
Mabel Bland Daughter F 8 Illinois
Buelah Bland Daughter F 4 Iowa
Pearl Bland Daughter F 2 Illinois
Norman Hicks Hired man M 21 Illinois
Charles Lester Bland died on May 30, 1949 in Dunlap, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Mount Hawley Cemetery in north Peoria, Illinois.
8. Laura Bland, born October 5, 1879 in Kansas. It appears that Laura never married. Fanmilysearch has Laura dying on May 5, 1941 in Goshen, Tuscarawas, Ohio. She was a resident of New Philadelphia, Ohio. Her mortal remains were laid in the E. Ave Cemetery.
9. Viola Z. Bland, born December 11, 1881 in Kansas. Viola was married to Luster Stuber on February 3, 1901 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Luster was born in New Philadelphia, Ohio, the son of John Stuber and Rebecca Burris.
Viola Z. (Bland) Stuber died on May 5, 1952 and her mortal remains were laid in the East Avenue Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 86175093.
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On August 8, 1862, William J. Bland and his younger brother, John Armstrong Bland, were among the very first to volunteer to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Hallock Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County, by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician, for service in the Union Army.
ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name BLAND, WILLIAM J
Rank PVT Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence PEORIA CO, IL Age 23 Height 5' 9 Hair SANDY
Eyes BLUE Complexion SANDY Marital Status MARRIED Occupation FARMER
Nativity CHAMPAIGN CO, OH
Service Record
Joined When AUG 8, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out JUN 22, 1865
Muster Out Where QUINCY, IL Muster Out By Whom CPT BARNES
Remarks N/A
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, and boarded a train bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana. On the day they boarded the trains for the war, Barbara (Reed) Bland was about 11 weeks pregnant with another child. So scattered among the hundreds of sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, family, friends and well wishers may have been a young pregnant wife, who was saying goodbye to her husband, not knowing whether she would ever see him again or whether he would ever live to see the child that she was carrying.
By early October, the men of the 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.
On their way to Nashville, in late October of 1862, Private John Armstrong Bland incurred a disease of the lungs from exposure that was later diagnosed as Incipient Consumption. During that first winter in the service life was very hard on the green troops in the Union Army. The hospitals were filled to over flowing. Hundreds upon hundreds died in Nashville during that winter of 1862/63. Private John Armstrong Bland probably spent much of January and February of 1863 in one of those army hospitals in Nashville, his condition not getting any better. The doctors finally came to the decision that his condition had rendered him unfit for duty at this time and decided to discharge him in hopes that he could return home and regain his health with the help of his family and some home cooking. So, on February 23, 1863, Private John Armstrong Bland was discharged from the service at one of the army hospitals and was sent home. John did make it home and did regain his health with the help of his family.
On March 23, 1863, while the men of the 86th were doing garrison duty in Nashville, Tennessee, back home in Peoria County, Barbara (Reed) Bland was giving birth to a son, whom she named, William Henry Bland. Two days later, the men of McCook's Brigade were marched to the relief of the men at Brentwood, Tennessee. It may have been at Brentwood, that Private William J. Bland found out that he was a father again.
The war went on and for the next year, Private William J. Bland served on faithfully in Co. C as the men of the 86th took part in the Campaign for Chattanooga, which included the Battles of Chickamauga, Georgia and Missionary Ridge, Tennessee. After Chattanooga had been secured, the men of McCook's Brigade went into winter camp at McAfee's Church and later Lee & Gordon's Mills, both located on the south edge of the Chickamauga Battlefield, about seven miles south of Chattanooga in the State of Georgia.
On May 15, 1864, the men of McCook's Brigade were fairly heavily engaged in the first major battle of what was to become known as the Atlanta Campaign, the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. After the battle, it was reported that 3 members of Co. C were wounded. 1st Sergeant Alfred S. Proctor was slightly wounded in the elbow, Private William Crotz was seriously wounded in the head and Private William J. Bland was severely wounded in the right leg.
On May 21, 1864 at Rome, Georgia, Private Frederick Saxton, another member of Co. C, sat down and penned a letter to his sisters back home. He wrote, "We started for Tunnel Hill 7th and have been continually changing position both night and day until we got here. Our Reg had one or two wounded the 8th and the 15th our Co had 3 wounded and Co H one. Lyman Foskett in the hand Co H. Our Orderly (1st Sgt. Proctor) tip of the elbow Bill Bland in the thigh and Bill Crotz in the head none of them considered dangerous." William Crotz and Sgt. Proctor are believed to have returned to the company. Interestingly, even the report of the Illinois Adjutant General states that William J. Bland returned to Co. C and was mustered out with the regiment of June 6, 1865 in Washington City (now D.C.). The Adjutant General's records are seriously in error here.
The wound that Frederick Saxton wrote about as not being "considered dangerous" I believed for some time had cost Private William J. Bland his right leg. Private William J. Bland would spent the next 13 months in Army Hospitals in the north recovering from the damage that was done to his right leg, however army surgeons were apparently able to save the leg. Private Bland was finally discharged from the service from the Army Hospital in Quincy, Illinois on June 22, 1865. He then returned to his home and family in Peoria County.
Interestingly, the doctor who did the initial surgery on William J. Bland's leg apparently saved the bullet, called a "minnie ball", and gave it to Private William J. Bland. After the war, Private Bland carried the trophy around as his watch fob. Bland family legend has Doctor Joseph Thomas, one of the original organizers of the Chillicothe area company, which would become Co. C, as the doctor who performed that surgery. On June 18, 2012, I received the following email from Charles Bland which raises questions about the supposed amputation of William J. Bland's leg.
"Baxter,
Thanks for the reply....I attempted to contact Paul Goudy by the email address on the Find A Grave Site but the email came back undeliverable.
I actually have the " minnie ball" but am not aware of any watch fob attachment. Attached is a picture of William J. Bland, the minnie ball and a confederate button that William took off of a Confederate nurse while he was in the hospital.
Below is part of an article from the 1953 local paper about F. H. Bland visiting William J. Bland.
"My Grandfather(F. H. Bland) visited his grandfather in New Philadelphia, Ohio in 1925. During that visit, William J. Bland gave the bullet and button to F. H. Bland, along with stories about William's Civil War days being wounded on May 15, 1864 at the battle of Resaca, Georgia.
Known as the old "minnie ball" from a muzzle loader, the bullet entered the grandfather's hip and was removed from his knee six months later. Accompanying the gift of the bullet was an acorn button from the shirtwaist of a Confederate nurse who was in the hospital at the same time and had been taken captive by the Union Army. The old veteran planned to take his grandson back to the battlegrounds where he had fought and been wounded, but the grandfather's health failed and he died in 1927 at 89 without realizing his ambition. William was on his way to a Rotary club meeting in New Philadelphia, Ohio on June 6, 1927. He suffered heart failure and died on the sidewalk."
Charles wrote that "F. H. Bland passed in 1976 and had given the bullet to his son, C. L. Bland. C. L. gave the bullet to me (Charles Bland) before he passed in 1999. Baxter, I am really curious about the article in the Find A Grave site about William.....it states that William's leg was amputated. Can you tell me where that information came from? I have no knowledge about that. I had always thought he was transported to Quincy, Illinois where his Civil War Captain, Dr. Joseph Thomas removed the bullet from his knee.
Thanks,
Charles Bland
217-454-3481"
Captain Joseph Thomas was promoted to Major of the 86th Illinois in March of 1864, about two months before the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas may actually have gone to the rear after the days battle and worked on the wounded, which on May 15, 1864, would have included Private William J. Bland. If the bullet was extracted that evening or during the next day or two, it is possible that Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas may have been the one who extracted it. If however, the bullet was not extracted until "six months later" as the newspaper article apparently stated, then Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas was definately not the one who extracted it as he was with the 86th through the Atlanta Campaign and the March to the Sea in the fall of 1864.
This "minnie ball", now a watch fob, has been passed on through the family and has been brought and shown at a number of the family reunions that have been held over the years. (Baxter saw this minnie ball/watch fob at reunion around 2000.) Whatever the real story is, Private William J. Bland survived the war, apparently with his right leg still attached, and returned to his family in Central Illinois.
William and Barbara remained in Peoria County a few more years after he returned from the service, but by 1870, they moved west, where they are known to have settled near Washington, Kansas in Rice County. They are found there at the time of the 1880 census of Kansas, where William J. Bland is farming;
William Bland Self M 39 Ohio
Barbara Bland Wife F 30 Illinois
William H Bland Son M 16 Illinois
Albert E Bland Son M 13 Illinois
Jennie Bland Daughter F 10 Kansas
Lew L Bland Daughter F 6 Kansas
Charles L Bland Son M 3 Kansas
Laura Bland Daughter F 0 Kansas
In the 1880's or 1890's, William and Barbara grew tired of life in Kansas and returned to his roots in Ohio. At the time of the 1900 census, William and his family are found in Goshen Township, New Philadelphia city Ward 1-2, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Barbara and William are listed as having been married for 39 years. Barbara is listed as being the mother of 13 children, only seven of whom are living in 1900;
William Bland Head M Nov 1838 62 Ohio
Barbara Bland Wife F Nov 1846 54 Illinois
Laura Bland Daughter F Oct 1879 21 Kansas
Viola Z Bland Daughter F Dec 1881 19 Kansas
They resided in Ohio until their deaths. Barbara (Reed) Bland died on July 16, 1925 in __________, Ohio. William J. Bland died on June 6, 1927 in __________, __________. Their earthly remains were laid to rest in the East Avenue Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
by Tracey Bland Doss, Charles Bland, Baxter B. Fite III and Paul A. Goudy, Records Manager/Archivist, Department of Administration, Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas, 701 North 7th Street, Suite 318, Kansas City, Kansas 66101, who is a Great great grandson of William J. Bland. Paul's email address is [email protected]
(Baxter would enjoy hearing from anyone, especially descendants of the Bland family, who might be able to add to the biographical material that we have on Private William J. Bland and the Bland family. Baxter would also enjoy seeing any pictures of Private William J. Bland that may have survived the years, especially any showing him in uniform from his days in the service, added to his Find A Grave site for all to see.)
Then, William J. Bland survived the war and lived well into the 20th Century. During this time, William must had his picture taken many more times. I would love to see some pictures of William J. Bland as a young man, especially one of him in uniform from his days with the 86th, but, I would just love to see some more pictures of William be added to his FAG site, even some of him as a 50, 60 or 70 year old man. Can anyone help me with this? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Baxter)
Private WILLIAM J. BLAND, Co. C, 86th Illinois
William J. Bland was born on November 28, 1838 in Champaign County, Ohio, one of at least 10 children known to have been born to John Bland and Levina or Lovina (Armstrong) Bland (FAG #24062767). William grew to manhood farming the land beside his father there in Ohio. At the time of the 1850 census, the Bland family is found in Salem, Shelby County, Ohio;
John Bland M 35 Ohio
Levina Bland F 30 Kentucky
Margaret Bland F 13 Ohio
Nelson Bland M 11 Ohio
Mary E Bland F 9 Ohio
John Bland M 7 Ohio
Rachal Ann Bland F 5 Ohio
Charlote Bland F 1 Ohio
Sometime between 1855 and 1859, John and Levina brought the family west to Illinois, where they settled in Hallock Township in northern Peoria County, not far from Chillicothe, Illinois. The family is found there in Hallock Township at the time of the 1860 census;
Bland John 48 M Farmer 4,000 850 OH
Bland Levina 43 F KY
Bland William 21 M Farm Hand OH
Bland Mary 19 F OH
Bland John 17 M OH
Bland Rachel 16 F OH
Bland Charlotte 8 F OH
Bland Jane 7 F OH
Bland David 5 M OH
Bland Perodine 1 F IL
Sever Jacob 22 M Farm Hand OH
William J. Bland is known to have been married to Barbara Reed. This wedding took place in Peoria County. The State of Illinois records this marriage as having taken place on February 21, 1860, but, William is still listed with the Bland family at the time of the 1860 census and Barbara is still listed with her family in the summer of 1860, so this marriage has not happened at that time. It most likely occurred in 1861.
Barbara Reed was born on November 9, 1845 in Illinois, probably in Peoria County. She was the daughter of Simon Reed, who was born September 12, 1794/96 in Pittstown, Rensselaer County, New York, and Currina or Currance (Sanford) Reed (FAG #44543028), who was born September 20, 1799/1800 in Middletown, Delaware County, New York. William and Barbara had 13 children, most of whom were born on the farm in Rice County, Kansas. They are;
1. Esther/Ester A. Bland, born December 28, 1861 in Peoria County, Illinois. Esther died May 16, 1862 at the age of 4 months and 19 days and her mortal remains were laid in the LaSalle Cemetery in Peoria County.
2. William Henry Bland; born March 23, 1863 in Illinois. William was married to Cora Elizabeth Plunkett c. 1887/88. In 1895, William and his family are found residing in Ward 2 of Hutchinson, Kansas with his uncle, John Bland. At the time of the 1900 census, William H Bland and his family are found in Salt Fork Township, Grant County, Oklahoma Territory;
William H Bland Head M 36 Illinois
Cora E Bland Wife F 34 Missouri
Ethel Bland Daughter F 12 Kansas
Myrtle Brady Niece F 17 Kansas
Emmet Brady Nephew M 18 Kansas
Willes M Graham Male Partner M 43 Iowa
William Henry Bland eventually returned to Illinois where he died May 13, 1927 in North Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Chillicothe City Cemetery, Chillicothe, Illinois.
3. Albert E. Bland; born __________ __, 1866/67 in Illinois. Albert E. Bland was married to Elizabeth ____________. At the time of the 1930 census, Albert and his family are found in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio;
Albert E Bland Head M 62 Illinois
Elizabeth Bland Wife F 52 Ohio
Katharine Livesay Daughter F 30 Ohio
Pearl Bland Daughter F 17 Ohio
Bessie Bland Daughter F 15 Ohio
Helen Legg Granddaughter F 14 Ohio
Ruth Legg Granddaughter F 11 Ohio
4. Jennie Bland; born c. 1869/70 in Kansas.
Poss. 5. Cora A Bland, born March 23, 1871. Cora died on April 12, 1877 at the age of 6 years and 20 days. She is listed as the daughter of W. B. and Ann Bland. Her mortal remains were laid in the Lodiana Cemetery in Lyons, Rice County, Kansas. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 37256513.
6. Louise L. "Lew" "Lou" Bland, born November __, 1873/74 in Kansas. Lew is found with the family at the time of the 1880 census. Lew, however, appears to have moved to Peoria County, Illinois by the time of the 1900 census, where he is living with a cousin in the village of Dunlap, Radnor Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
Harvey R Sturna* Head M 28 Illinois
Laura E Sturna* Wife F 25 Illinois
Helen M Sturna* Daughter F 2 Illinois
Alvin W Sturna* Brother M 21 Illinois
Lou Bland Cousin F Nov 1874 26 Kansas
Morris Harwood Nephew M 6 Illinois
Familysearch has Louise L. Bland being married to Arthur S. Donohue on April 11, 1904 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Arthur was born c. 1883 near New Philadelphia, Ohio, the son of Owen Donohue and Alice Sullivan.
Louise L. (Bland) Donohue died on ___________ __, 1959 and her mortal remains were laid in the Calvary Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 89109902.
7. Charles Lester Bland, born March 11, 1877 in Kansas. Charles was married to Luella Lois Hicks on October 27, 1897. Luella was born June 12, 1879 in Peoria County. At the time of the 1910 census, Charles and his family are found in Steuben Township, Marshall County, Illinois;
Charles Bland Head M 33 Kansas
Luella Bland Wife F 30 Illinois
Flavel Bland Son M 11 Illinois
Arthur Bland Son M 10 Illinois
Mabel Bland Daughter F 8 Illinois
Buelah Bland Daughter F 4 Iowa
Pearl Bland Daughter F 2 Illinois
Norman Hicks Hired man M 21 Illinois
Charles Lester Bland died on May 30, 1949 in Dunlap, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Mount Hawley Cemetery in north Peoria, Illinois.
8. Laura Bland, born October 5, 1879 in Kansas. It appears that Laura never married. Fanmilysearch has Laura dying on May 5, 1941 in Goshen, Tuscarawas, Ohio. She was a resident of New Philadelphia, Ohio. Her mortal remains were laid in the E. Ave Cemetery.
9. Viola Z. Bland, born December 11, 1881 in Kansas. Viola was married to Luster Stuber on February 3, 1901 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Luster was born in New Philadelphia, Ohio, the son of John Stuber and Rebecca Burris.
Viola Z. (Bland) Stuber died on May 5, 1952 and her mortal remains were laid in the East Avenue Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 86175093.
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On August 8, 1862, William J. Bland and his younger brother, John Armstrong Bland, were among the very first to volunteer to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Hallock Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County, by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician, for service in the Union Army.
ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name BLAND, WILLIAM J
Rank PVT Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence PEORIA CO, IL Age 23 Height 5' 9 Hair SANDY
Eyes BLUE Complexion SANDY Marital Status MARRIED Occupation FARMER
Nativity CHAMPAIGN CO, OH
Service Record
Joined When AUG 8, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out JUN 22, 1865
Muster Out Where QUINCY, IL Muster Out By Whom CPT BARNES
Remarks N/A
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, and boarded a train bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana. On the day they boarded the trains for the war, Barbara (Reed) Bland was about 11 weeks pregnant with another child. So scattered among the hundreds of sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, family, friends and well wishers may have been a young pregnant wife, who was saying goodbye to her husband, not knowing whether she would ever see him again or whether he would ever live to see the child that she was carrying.
By early October, the men of the 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.
On their way to Nashville, in late October of 1862, Private John Armstrong Bland incurred a disease of the lungs from exposure that was later diagnosed as Incipient Consumption. During that first winter in the service life was very hard on the green troops in the Union Army. The hospitals were filled to over flowing. Hundreds upon hundreds died in Nashville during that winter of 1862/63. Private John Armstrong Bland probably spent much of January and February of 1863 in one of those army hospitals in Nashville, his condition not getting any better. The doctors finally came to the decision that his condition had rendered him unfit for duty at this time and decided to discharge him in hopes that he could return home and regain his health with the help of his family and some home cooking. So, on February 23, 1863, Private John Armstrong Bland was discharged from the service at one of the army hospitals and was sent home. John did make it home and did regain his health with the help of his family.
On March 23, 1863, while the men of the 86th were doing garrison duty in Nashville, Tennessee, back home in Peoria County, Barbara (Reed) Bland was giving birth to a son, whom she named, William Henry Bland. Two days later, the men of McCook's Brigade were marched to the relief of the men at Brentwood, Tennessee. It may have been at Brentwood, that Private William J. Bland found out that he was a father again.
The war went on and for the next year, Private William J. Bland served on faithfully in Co. C as the men of the 86th took part in the Campaign for Chattanooga, which included the Battles of Chickamauga, Georgia and Missionary Ridge, Tennessee. After Chattanooga had been secured, the men of McCook's Brigade went into winter camp at McAfee's Church and later Lee & Gordon's Mills, both located on the south edge of the Chickamauga Battlefield, about seven miles south of Chattanooga in the State of Georgia.
On May 15, 1864, the men of McCook's Brigade were fairly heavily engaged in the first major battle of what was to become known as the Atlanta Campaign, the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. After the battle, it was reported that 3 members of Co. C were wounded. 1st Sergeant Alfred S. Proctor was slightly wounded in the elbow, Private William Crotz was seriously wounded in the head and Private William J. Bland was severely wounded in the right leg.
On May 21, 1864 at Rome, Georgia, Private Frederick Saxton, another member of Co. C, sat down and penned a letter to his sisters back home. He wrote, "We started for Tunnel Hill 7th and have been continually changing position both night and day until we got here. Our Reg had one or two wounded the 8th and the 15th our Co had 3 wounded and Co H one. Lyman Foskett in the hand Co H. Our Orderly (1st Sgt. Proctor) tip of the elbow Bill Bland in the thigh and Bill Crotz in the head none of them considered dangerous." William Crotz and Sgt. Proctor are believed to have returned to the company. Interestingly, even the report of the Illinois Adjutant General states that William J. Bland returned to Co. C and was mustered out with the regiment of June 6, 1865 in Washington City (now D.C.). The Adjutant General's records are seriously in error here.
The wound that Frederick Saxton wrote about as not being "considered dangerous" I believed for some time had cost Private William J. Bland his right leg. Private William J. Bland would spent the next 13 months in Army Hospitals in the north recovering from the damage that was done to his right leg, however army surgeons were apparently able to save the leg. Private Bland was finally discharged from the service from the Army Hospital in Quincy, Illinois on June 22, 1865. He then returned to his home and family in Peoria County.
Interestingly, the doctor who did the initial surgery on William J. Bland's leg apparently saved the bullet, called a "minnie ball", and gave it to Private William J. Bland. After the war, Private Bland carried the trophy around as his watch fob. Bland family legend has Doctor Joseph Thomas, one of the original organizers of the Chillicothe area company, which would become Co. C, as the doctor who performed that surgery. On June 18, 2012, I received the following email from Charles Bland which raises questions about the supposed amputation of William J. Bland's leg.
"Baxter,
Thanks for the reply....I attempted to contact Paul Goudy by the email address on the Find A Grave Site but the email came back undeliverable.
I actually have the " minnie ball" but am not aware of any watch fob attachment. Attached is a picture of William J. Bland, the minnie ball and a confederate button that William took off of a Confederate nurse while he was in the hospital.
Below is part of an article from the 1953 local paper about F. H. Bland visiting William J. Bland.
"My Grandfather(F. H. Bland) visited his grandfather in New Philadelphia, Ohio in 1925. During that visit, William J. Bland gave the bullet and button to F. H. Bland, along with stories about William's Civil War days being wounded on May 15, 1864 at the battle of Resaca, Georgia.
Known as the old "minnie ball" from a muzzle loader, the bullet entered the grandfather's hip and was removed from his knee six months later. Accompanying the gift of the bullet was an acorn button from the shirtwaist of a Confederate nurse who was in the hospital at the same time and had been taken captive by the Union Army. The old veteran planned to take his grandson back to the battlegrounds where he had fought and been wounded, but the grandfather's health failed and he died in 1927 at 89 without realizing his ambition. William was on his way to a Rotary club meeting in New Philadelphia, Ohio on June 6, 1927. He suffered heart failure and died on the sidewalk."
Charles wrote that "F. H. Bland passed in 1976 and had given the bullet to his son, C. L. Bland. C. L. gave the bullet to me (Charles Bland) before he passed in 1999. Baxter, I am really curious about the article in the Find A Grave site about William.....it states that William's leg was amputated. Can you tell me where that information came from? I have no knowledge about that. I had always thought he was transported to Quincy, Illinois where his Civil War Captain, Dr. Joseph Thomas removed the bullet from his knee.
Thanks,
Charles Bland
217-454-3481"
Captain Joseph Thomas was promoted to Major of the 86th Illinois in March of 1864, about two months before the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas may actually have gone to the rear after the days battle and worked on the wounded, which on May 15, 1864, would have included Private William J. Bland. If the bullet was extracted that evening or during the next day or two, it is possible that Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas may have been the one who extracted it. If however, the bullet was not extracted until "six months later" as the newspaper article apparently stated, then Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas was definately not the one who extracted it as he was with the 86th through the Atlanta Campaign and the March to the Sea in the fall of 1864.
This "minnie ball", now a watch fob, has been passed on through the family and has been brought and shown at a number of the family reunions that have been held over the years. (Baxter saw this minnie ball/watch fob at reunion around 2000.) Whatever the real story is, Private William J. Bland survived the war, apparently with his right leg still attached, and returned to his family in Central Illinois.
William and Barbara remained in Peoria County a few more years after he returned from the service, but by 1870, they moved west, where they are known to have settled near Washington, Kansas in Rice County. They are found there at the time of the 1880 census of Kansas, where William J. Bland is farming;
William Bland Self M 39 Ohio
Barbara Bland Wife F 30 Illinois
William H Bland Son M 16 Illinois
Albert E Bland Son M 13 Illinois
Jennie Bland Daughter F 10 Kansas
Lew L Bland Daughter F 6 Kansas
Charles L Bland Son M 3 Kansas
Laura Bland Daughter F 0 Kansas
In the 1880's or 1890's, William and Barbara grew tired of life in Kansas and returned to his roots in Ohio. At the time of the 1900 census, William and his family are found in Goshen Township, New Philadelphia city Ward 1-2, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Barbara and William are listed as having been married for 39 years. Barbara is listed as being the mother of 13 children, only seven of whom are living in 1900;
William Bland Head M Nov 1838 62 Ohio
Barbara Bland Wife F Nov 1846 54 Illinois
Laura Bland Daughter F Oct 1879 21 Kansas
Viola Z Bland Daughter F Dec 1881 19 Kansas
They resided in Ohio until their deaths. Barbara (Reed) Bland died on July 16, 1925 in __________, Ohio. William J. Bland died on June 6, 1927 in __________, __________. Their earthly remains were laid to rest in the East Avenue Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
by Tracey Bland Doss, Charles Bland, Baxter B. Fite III and Paul A. Goudy, Records Manager/Archivist, Department of Administration, Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas, 701 North 7th Street, Suite 318, Kansas City, Kansas 66101, who is a Great great grandson of William J. Bland. Paul's email address is [email protected]
(Baxter would enjoy hearing from anyone, especially descendants of the Bland family, who might be able to add to the biographical material that we have on Private William J. Bland and the Bland family. Baxter would also enjoy seeing any pictures of Private William J. Bland that may have survived the years, especially any showing him in uniform from his days in the service, added to his Find A Grave site for all to see.)
(NOTE: William J. Bland probably never sat for a portrait before his entering the service during the Civil War, but he spent almost 10 months with the 86th in the Nashville, Tennessee area, during which time most of the members of the 86th took the opportunity to sit for portraits to send back home to their loved that they missed so much. These portraits would have come in one of two forms. The oldest for was what was called the "tin type", which was printed on a thin slice of tin and usually put in a fancy case, similar to plastic. The newer form was called the CDV and was a paper picture glued to a heavy card stock about the size of a modern day baseball card and unlike the "tin type" many copies could be easily made of the picture and boy did the boys make extra copies. They were swapped among their many friends, messmates and tentmates within their respective companies as well as copies which were sent home to family and friends. Even today many copies have been found of the same picture of some men in the 86th.
Then, William J. Bland survived the war and lived well into the 20th Century. During this time, William must had his picture taken many more times. I would love to see some pictures of William J. Bland as a young man, especially one of him in uniform from his days with the 86th, but, I would just love to see some more pictures of William be added to his FAG site, even some of him as a 50, 60 or 70 year old man. Can anyone help me with this? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Baxter)
Private WILLIAM J. BLAND, Co. C, 86th Illinois
William J. Bland was born on November 28, 1838 in Champaign County, Ohio, one of at least 10 children known to have been born to John Bland and Levina or Lovina (Armstrong) Bland (FAG #24062767). William grew to manhood farming the land beside his father there in Ohio. At the time of the 1850 census, the Bland family is found in Salem, Shelby County, Ohio;
John Bland M 35 Ohio
Levina Bland F 30 Kentucky
Margaret Bland F 13 Ohio
Nelson Bland M 11 Ohio
Mary E Bland F 9 Ohio
John Bland M 7 Ohio
Rachal Ann Bland F 5 Ohio
Charlote Bland F 1 Ohio
Sometime between 1855 and 1859, John and Levina brought the family west to Illinois, where they settled in Hallock Township in northern Peoria County, not far from Chillicothe, Illinois. The family is found there in Hallock Township at the time of the 1860 census;
Bland John 48 M Farmer 4,000 850 OH
Bland Levina 43 F KY
Bland William 21 M Farm Hand OH
Bland Mary 19 F OH
Bland John 17 M OH
Bland Rachel 16 F OH
Bland Charlotte 8 F OH
Bland Jane 7 F OH
Bland David 5 M OH
Bland Perodine 1 F IL
Sever Jacob 22 M Farm Hand OH
William J. Bland is known to have been married to Barbara Reed. This wedding took place in Peoria County. The State of Illinois records this marriage as having taken place on February 21, 1860, but, William is still listed with the Bland family at the time of the 1860 census and Barbara is still listed with her family in the summer of 1860, so this marriage has not happened at that time. It most likely occurred in 1861.
Barbara Reed was born on November 9, 1845 in Illinois, probably in Peoria County. She was the daughter of Simon Reed, who was born September 12, 1794/96 in Pittstown, Rensselaer County, New York, and Currina or Currance (Sanford) Reed (FAG #44543028), who was born September 20, 1799/1800 in Middletown, Delaware County, New York. William and Barbara had 13 children, most of whom were born on the farm in Rice County, Kansas. They are;
1. Esther/Ester A. Bland, born December 28, 1861 in Peoria County, Illinois. Esther died May 16, 1862 at the age of 4 months and 19 days and her mortal remains were laid in the LaSalle Cemetery in Peoria County.
2. William Henry Bland; born March 23, 1863 in Illinois. William was married to Cora Elizabeth Plunkett c. 1887/88. In 1895, William and his family are found residing in Ward 2 of Hutchinson, Kansas with his uncle, John Bland. At the time of the 1900 census, William H Bland and his family are found in Salt Fork Township, Grant County, Oklahoma Territory;
William H Bland Head M 36 Illinois
Cora E Bland Wife F 34 Missouri
Ethel Bland Daughter F 12 Kansas
Myrtle Brady Niece F 17 Kansas
Emmet Brady Nephew M 18 Kansas
Willes M Graham Male Partner M 43 Iowa
William Henry Bland eventually returned to Illinois where he died May 13, 1927 in North Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Chillicothe City Cemetery, Chillicothe, Illinois.
3. Albert E. Bland; born __________ __, 1866/67 in Illinois. Albert E. Bland was married to Elizabeth ____________. At the time of the 1930 census, Albert and his family are found in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio;
Albert E Bland Head M 62 Illinois
Elizabeth Bland Wife F 52 Ohio
Katharine Livesay Daughter F 30 Ohio
Pearl Bland Daughter F 17 Ohio
Bessie Bland Daughter F 15 Ohio
Helen Legg Granddaughter F 14 Ohio
Ruth Legg Granddaughter F 11 Ohio
4. Jennie Bland; born c. 1869/70 in Kansas.
Poss. 5. Cora A Bland, born March 23, 1871. Cora died on April 12, 1877 at the age of 6 years and 20 days. She is listed as the daughter of W. B. and Ann Bland. Her mortal remains were laid in the Lodiana Cemetery in Lyons, Rice County, Kansas. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 37256513.
6. Louise L. "Lew" "Lou" Bland, born November __, 1873/74 in Kansas. Lew is found with the family at the time of the 1880 census. Lew, however, appears to have moved to Peoria County, Illinois by the time of the 1900 census, where he is living with a cousin in the village of Dunlap, Radnor Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
Harvey R Sturna* Head M 28 Illinois
Laura E Sturna* Wife F 25 Illinois
Helen M Sturna* Daughter F 2 Illinois
Alvin W Sturna* Brother M 21 Illinois
Lou Bland Cousin F Nov 1874 26 Kansas
Morris Harwood Nephew M 6 Illinois
Familysearch has Louise L. Bland being married to Arthur S. Donohue on April 11, 1904 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Arthur was born c. 1883 near New Philadelphia, Ohio, the son of Owen Donohue and Alice Sullivan.
Louise L. (Bland) Donohue died on ___________ __, 1959 and her mortal remains were laid in the Calvary Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 89109902.
7. Charles Lester Bland, born March 11, 1877 in Kansas. Charles was married to Luella Lois Hicks on October 27, 1897. Luella was born June 12, 1879 in Peoria County. At the time of the 1910 census, Charles and his family are found in Steuben Township, Marshall County, Illinois;
Charles Bland Head M 33 Kansas
Luella Bland Wife F 30 Illinois
Flavel Bland Son M 11 Illinois
Arthur Bland Son M 10 Illinois
Mabel Bland Daughter F 8 Illinois
Buelah Bland Daughter F 4 Iowa
Pearl Bland Daughter F 2 Illinois
Norman Hicks Hired man M 21 Illinois
Charles Lester Bland died on May 30, 1949 in Dunlap, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Mount Hawley Cemetery in north Peoria, Illinois.
8. Laura Bland, born October 5, 1879 in Kansas. It appears that Laura never married. Fanmilysearch has Laura dying on May 5, 1941 in Goshen, Tuscarawas, Ohio. She was a resident of New Philadelphia, Ohio. Her mortal remains were laid in the E. Ave Cemetery.
9. Viola Z. Bland, born December 11, 1881 in Kansas. Viola was married to Luster Stuber on February 3, 1901 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Luster was born in New Philadelphia, Ohio, the son of John Stuber and Rebecca Burris.
Viola Z. (Bland) Stuber died on May 5, 1952 and her mortal remains were laid in the East Avenue Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 86175093.
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On August 8, 1862, William J. Bland and his younger brother, John Armstrong Bland, were among the very first to volunteer to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Hallock Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County, by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician, for service in the Union Army.
ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name BLAND, WILLIAM J
Rank PVT Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence PEORIA CO, IL Age 23 Height 5' 9 Hair SANDY
Eyes BLUE Complexion SANDY Marital Status MARRIED Occupation FARMER
Nativity CHAMPAIGN CO, OH
Service Record
Joined When AUG 8, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out JUN 22, 1865
Muster Out Where QUINCY, IL Muster Out By Whom CPT BARNES
Remarks N/A
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, and boarded a train bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana. On the day they boarded the trains for the war, Barbara (Reed) Bland was about 11 weeks pregnant with another child. So scattered among the hundreds of sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, family, friends and well wishers may have been a young pregnant wife, who was saying goodbye to her husband, not knowing whether she would ever see him again or whether he would ever live to see the child that she was carrying.
By early October, the men of the 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.
On their way to Nashville, in late October of 1862, Private John Armstrong Bland incurred a disease of the lungs from exposure that was later diagnosed as Incipient Consumption. During that first winter in the service life was very hard on the green troops in the Union Army. The hospitals were filled to over flowing. Hundreds upon hundreds died in Nashville during that winter of 1862/63. Private John Armstrong Bland probably spent much of January and February of 1863 in one of those army hospitals in Nashville, his condition not getting any better. The doctors finally came to the decision that his condition had rendered him unfit for duty at this time and decided to discharge him in hopes that he could return home and regain his health with the help of his family and some home cooking. So, on February 23, 1863, Private John Armstrong Bland was discharged from the service at one of the army hospitals and was sent home. John did make it home and did regain his health with the help of his family.
On March 23, 1863, while the men of the 86th were doing garrison duty in Nashville, Tennessee, back home in Peoria County, Barbara (Reed) Bland was giving birth to a son, whom she named, William Henry Bland. Two days later, the men of McCook's Brigade were marched to the relief of the men at Brentwood, Tennessee. It may have been at Brentwood, that Private William J. Bland found out that he was a father again.
The war went on and for the next year, Private William J. Bland served on faithfully in Co. C as the men of the 86th took part in the Campaign for Chattanooga, which included the Battles of Chickamauga, Georgia and Missionary Ridge, Tennessee. After Chattanooga had been secured, the men of McCook's Brigade went into winter camp at McAfee's Church and later Lee & Gordon's Mills, both located on the south edge of the Chickamauga Battlefield, about seven miles south of Chattanooga in the State of Georgia.
On May 15, 1864, the men of McCook's Brigade were fairly heavily engaged in the first major battle of what was to become known as the Atlanta Campaign, the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. After the battle, it was reported that 3 members of Co. C were wounded. 1st Sergeant Alfred S. Proctor was slightly wounded in the elbow, Private William Crotz was seriously wounded in the head and Private William J. Bland was severely wounded in the right leg.
On May 21, 1864 at Rome, Georgia, Private Frederick Saxton, another member of Co. C, sat down and penned a letter to his sisters back home. He wrote, "We started for Tunnel Hill 7th and have been continually changing position both night and day until we got here. Our Reg had one or two wounded the 8th and the 15th our Co had 3 wounded and Co H one. Lyman Foskett in the hand Co H. Our Orderly (1st Sgt. Proctor) tip of the elbow Bill Bland in the thigh and Bill Crotz in the head none of them considered dangerous." William Crotz and Sgt. Proctor are believed to have returned to the company. Interestingly, even the report of the Illinois Adjutant General states that William J. Bland returned to Co. C and was mustered out with the regiment of June 6, 1865 in Washington City (now D.C.). The Adjutant General's records are seriously in error here.
The wound that Frederick Saxton wrote about as not being "considered dangerous" I believed for some time had cost Private William J. Bland his right leg. Private William J. Bland would spent the next 13 months in Army Hospitals in the north recovering from the damage that was done to his right leg, however army surgeons were apparently able to save the leg. Private Bland was finally discharged from the service from the Army Hospital in Quincy, Illinois on June 22, 1865. He then returned to his home and family in Peoria County.
Interestingly, the doctor who did the initial surgery on William J. Bland's leg apparently saved the bullet, called a "minnie ball", and gave it to Private William J. Bland. After the war, Private Bland carried the trophy around as his watch fob. Bland family legend has Doctor Joseph Thomas, one of the original organizers of the Chillicothe area company, which would become Co. C, as the doctor who performed that surgery. On June 18, 2012, I received the following email from Charles Bland which raises questions about the supposed amputation of William J. Bland's leg.
"Baxter,
Thanks for the reply....I attempted to contact Paul Goudy by the email address on the Find A Grave Site but the email came back undeliverable.
I actually have the " minnie ball" but am not aware of any watch fob attachment. Attached is a picture of William J. Bland, the minnie ball and a confederate button that William took off of a Confederate nurse while he was in the hospital.
Below is part of an article from the 1953 local paper about F. H. Bland visiting William J. Bland.
"My Grandfather(F. H. Bland) visited his grandfather in New Philadelphia, Ohio in 1925. During that visit, William J. Bland gave the bullet and button to F. H. Bland, along with stories about William's Civil War days being wounded on May 15, 1864 at the battle of Resaca, Georgia.
Known as the old "minnie ball" from a muzzle loader, the bullet entered the grandfather's hip and was removed from his knee six months later. Accompanying the gift of the bullet was an acorn button from the shirtwaist of a Confederate nurse who was in the hospital at the same time and had been taken captive by the Union Army. The old veteran planned to take his grandson back to the battlegrounds where he had fought and been wounded, but the grandfather's health failed and he died in 1927 at 89 without realizing his ambition. William was on his way to a Rotary club meeting in New Philadelphia, Ohio on June 6, 1927. He suffered heart failure and died on the sidewalk."
Charles wrote that "F. H. Bland passed in 1976 and had given the bullet to his son, C. L. Bland. C. L. gave the bullet to me (Charles Bland) before he passed in 1999. Baxter, I am really curious about the article in the Find A Grave site about William.....it states that William's leg was amputated. Can you tell me where that information came from? I have no knowledge about that. I had always thought he was transported to Quincy, Illinois where his Civil War Captain, Dr. Joseph Thomas removed the bullet from his knee.
Thanks,
Charles Bland
217-454-3481"
Captain Joseph Thomas was promoted to Major of the 86th Illinois in March of 1864, about two months before the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas may actually have gone to the rear after the days battle and worked on the wounded, which on May 15, 1864, would have included Private William J. Bland. If the bullet was extracted that evening or during the next day or two, it is possible that Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas may have been the one who extracted it. If however, the bullet was not extracted until "six months later" as the newspaper article apparently stated, then Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas was definately not the one who extracted it as he was with the 86th through the Atlanta Campaign and the March to the Sea in the fall of 1864.
This "minnie ball", now a watch fob, has been passed on through the family and has been brought and shown at a number of the family reunions that have been held over the years. (Baxter saw this minnie ball/watch fob at reunion around 2000.) Whatever the real story is, Private William J. Bland survived the war, apparently with his right leg still attached, and returned to his family in Central Illinois.
William and Barbara remained in Peoria County a few more years after he returned from the service, but by 1870, they moved west, where they are known to have settled near Washington, Kansas in Rice County. They are found there at the time of the 1880 census of Kansas, where William J. Bland is farming;
William Bland Self M 39 Ohio
Barbara Bland Wife F 30 Illinois
William H Bland Son M 16 Illinois
Albert E Bland Son M 13 Illinois
Jennie Bland Daughter F 10 Kansas
Lew L Bland Daughter F 6 Kansas
Charles L Bland Son M 3 Kansas
Laura Bland Daughter F 0 Kansas
In the 1880's or 1890's, William and Barbara grew tired of life in Kansas and returned to his roots in Ohio. At the time of the 1900 census, William and his family are found in Goshen Township, New Philadelphia city Ward 1-2, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Barbara and William are listed as having been married for 39 years. Barbara is listed as being the mother of 13 children, only seven of whom are living in 1900;
William Bland Head M Nov 1838 62 Ohio
Barbara Bland Wife F Nov 1846 54 Illinois
Laura Bland Daughter F Oct 1879 21 Kansas
Viola Z Bland Daughter F Dec 1881 19 Kansas
They resided in Ohio until their deaths. Barbara (Reed) Bland died on July 16, 1925 in __________, Ohio. William J. Bland died on June 6, 1927 in __________, __________. Their earthly remains were laid to rest in the East Avenue Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
by Tracey Bland Doss, Charles Bland, Baxter B. Fite III and Paul A. Goudy, Records Manager/Archivist, Department of Administration, Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas, 701 North 7th Street, Suite 318, Kansas City, Kansas 66101, who is a Great great grandson of William J. Bland. Paul's email address is [email protected]
(Baxter would enjoy hearing from anyone, especially descendants of the Bland family, who might be able to add to the biographical material that we have on Private William J. Bland and the Bland family. Baxter would also enjoy seeing any pictures of Private William J. Bland that may have survived the years, especially any showing him in uniform from his days in the service, added to his Find A Grave site for all to see.)
Then, William J. Bland survived the war and lived well into the 20th Century. During this time, William must had his picture taken many more times. I would love to see some pictures of William J. Bland as a young man, especially one of him in uniform from his days with the 86th, but, I would just love to see some more pictures of William be added to his FAG site, even some of him as a 50, 60 or 70 year old man. Can anyone help me with this? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Baxter)
Private WILLIAM J. BLAND, Co. C, 86th Illinois
William J. Bland was born on November 28, 1838 in Champaign County, Ohio, one of at least 10 children known to have been born to John Bland and Levina or Lovina (Armstrong) Bland (FAG #24062767). William grew to manhood farming the land beside his father there in Ohio. At the time of the 1850 census, the Bland family is found in Salem, Shelby County, Ohio;
John Bland M 35 Ohio
Levina Bland F 30 Kentucky
Margaret Bland F 13 Ohio
Nelson Bland M 11 Ohio
Mary E Bland F 9 Ohio
John Bland M 7 Ohio
Rachal Ann Bland F 5 Ohio
Charlote Bland F 1 Ohio
Sometime between 1855 and 1859, John and Levina brought the family west to Illinois, where they settled in Hallock Township in northern Peoria County, not far from Chillicothe, Illinois. The family is found there in Hallock Township at the time of the 1860 census;
Bland John 48 M Farmer 4,000 850 OH
Bland Levina 43 F KY
Bland William 21 M Farm Hand OH
Bland Mary 19 F OH
Bland John 17 M OH
Bland Rachel 16 F OH
Bland Charlotte 8 F OH
Bland Jane 7 F OH
Bland David 5 M OH
Bland Perodine 1 F IL
Sever Jacob 22 M Farm Hand OH
William J. Bland is known to have been married to Barbara Reed. This wedding took place in Peoria County. The State of Illinois records this marriage as having taken place on February 21, 1860, but, William is still listed with the Bland family at the time of the 1860 census and Barbara is still listed with her family in the summer of 1860, so this marriage has not happened at that time. It most likely occurred in 1861.
Barbara Reed was born on November 9, 1845 in Illinois, probably in Peoria County. She was the daughter of Simon Reed, who was born September 12, 1794/96 in Pittstown, Rensselaer County, New York, and Currina or Currance (Sanford) Reed (FAG #44543028), who was born September 20, 1799/1800 in Middletown, Delaware County, New York. William and Barbara had 13 children, most of whom were born on the farm in Rice County, Kansas. They are;
1. Esther/Ester A. Bland, born December 28, 1861 in Peoria County, Illinois. Esther died May 16, 1862 at the age of 4 months and 19 days and her mortal remains were laid in the LaSalle Cemetery in Peoria County.
2. William Henry Bland; born March 23, 1863 in Illinois. William was married to Cora Elizabeth Plunkett c. 1887/88. In 1895, William and his family are found residing in Ward 2 of Hutchinson, Kansas with his uncle, John Bland. At the time of the 1900 census, William H Bland and his family are found in Salt Fork Township, Grant County, Oklahoma Territory;
William H Bland Head M 36 Illinois
Cora E Bland Wife F 34 Missouri
Ethel Bland Daughter F 12 Kansas
Myrtle Brady Niece F 17 Kansas
Emmet Brady Nephew M 18 Kansas
Willes M Graham Male Partner M 43 Iowa
William Henry Bland eventually returned to Illinois where he died May 13, 1927 in North Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Chillicothe City Cemetery, Chillicothe, Illinois.
3. Albert E. Bland; born __________ __, 1866/67 in Illinois. Albert E. Bland was married to Elizabeth ____________. At the time of the 1930 census, Albert and his family are found in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio;
Albert E Bland Head M 62 Illinois
Elizabeth Bland Wife F 52 Ohio
Katharine Livesay Daughter F 30 Ohio
Pearl Bland Daughter F 17 Ohio
Bessie Bland Daughter F 15 Ohio
Helen Legg Granddaughter F 14 Ohio
Ruth Legg Granddaughter F 11 Ohio
4. Jennie Bland; born c. 1869/70 in Kansas.
Poss. 5. Cora A Bland, born March 23, 1871. Cora died on April 12, 1877 at the age of 6 years and 20 days. She is listed as the daughter of W. B. and Ann Bland. Her mortal remains were laid in the Lodiana Cemetery in Lyons, Rice County, Kansas. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 37256513.
6. Louise L. "Lew" "Lou" Bland, born November __, 1873/74 in Kansas. Lew is found with the family at the time of the 1880 census. Lew, however, appears to have moved to Peoria County, Illinois by the time of the 1900 census, where he is living with a cousin in the village of Dunlap, Radnor Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
Harvey R Sturna* Head M 28 Illinois
Laura E Sturna* Wife F 25 Illinois
Helen M Sturna* Daughter F 2 Illinois
Alvin W Sturna* Brother M 21 Illinois
Lou Bland Cousin F Nov 1874 26 Kansas
Morris Harwood Nephew M 6 Illinois
Familysearch has Louise L. Bland being married to Arthur S. Donohue on April 11, 1904 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Arthur was born c. 1883 near New Philadelphia, Ohio, the son of Owen Donohue and Alice Sullivan.
Louise L. (Bland) Donohue died on ___________ __, 1959 and her mortal remains were laid in the Calvary Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 89109902.
7. Charles Lester Bland, born March 11, 1877 in Kansas. Charles was married to Luella Lois Hicks on October 27, 1897. Luella was born June 12, 1879 in Peoria County. At the time of the 1910 census, Charles and his family are found in Steuben Township, Marshall County, Illinois;
Charles Bland Head M 33 Kansas
Luella Bland Wife F 30 Illinois
Flavel Bland Son M 11 Illinois
Arthur Bland Son M 10 Illinois
Mabel Bland Daughter F 8 Illinois
Buelah Bland Daughter F 4 Iowa
Pearl Bland Daughter F 2 Illinois
Norman Hicks Hired man M 21 Illinois
Charles Lester Bland died on May 30, 1949 in Dunlap, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Mount Hawley Cemetery in north Peoria, Illinois.
8. Laura Bland, born October 5, 1879 in Kansas. It appears that Laura never married. Fanmilysearch has Laura dying on May 5, 1941 in Goshen, Tuscarawas, Ohio. She was a resident of New Philadelphia, Ohio. Her mortal remains were laid in the E. Ave Cemetery.
9. Viola Z. Bland, born December 11, 1881 in Kansas. Viola was married to Luster Stuber on February 3, 1901 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Luster was born in New Philadelphia, Ohio, the son of John Stuber and Rebecca Burris.
Viola Z. (Bland) Stuber died on May 5, 1952 and her mortal remains were laid in the East Avenue Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. See her Find A Grave Memorial# 86175093.
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On August 8, 1862, William J. Bland and his younger brother, John Armstrong Bland, were among the very first to volunteer to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Hallock Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County, by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician, for service in the Union Army.
ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name BLAND, WILLIAM J
Rank PVT Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence PEORIA CO, IL Age 23 Height 5' 9 Hair SANDY
Eyes BLUE Complexion SANDY Marital Status MARRIED Occupation FARMER
Nativity CHAMPAIGN CO, OH
Service Record
Joined When AUG 8, 1862 Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out JUN 22, 1865
Muster Out Where QUINCY, IL Muster Out By Whom CPT BARNES
Remarks N/A
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, and boarded a train bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana. On the day they boarded the trains for the war, Barbara (Reed) Bland was about 11 weeks pregnant with another child. So scattered among the hundreds of sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, family, friends and well wishers may have been a young pregnant wife, who was saying goodbye to her husband, not knowing whether she would ever see him again or whether he would ever live to see the child that she was carrying.
By early October, the men of the 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.
On their way to Nashville, in late October of 1862, Private John Armstrong Bland incurred a disease of the lungs from exposure that was later diagnosed as Incipient Consumption. During that first winter in the service life was very hard on the green troops in the Union Army. The hospitals were filled to over flowing. Hundreds upon hundreds died in Nashville during that winter of 1862/63. Private John Armstrong Bland probably spent much of January and February of 1863 in one of those army hospitals in Nashville, his condition not getting any better. The doctors finally came to the decision that his condition had rendered him unfit for duty at this time and decided to discharge him in hopes that he could return home and regain his health with the help of his family and some home cooking. So, on February 23, 1863, Private John Armstrong Bland was discharged from the service at one of the army hospitals and was sent home. John did make it home and did regain his health with the help of his family.
On March 23, 1863, while the men of the 86th were doing garrison duty in Nashville, Tennessee, back home in Peoria County, Barbara (Reed) Bland was giving birth to a son, whom she named, William Henry Bland. Two days later, the men of McCook's Brigade were marched to the relief of the men at Brentwood, Tennessee. It may have been at Brentwood, that Private William J. Bland found out that he was a father again.
The war went on and for the next year, Private William J. Bland served on faithfully in Co. C as the men of the 86th took part in the Campaign for Chattanooga, which included the Battles of Chickamauga, Georgia and Missionary Ridge, Tennessee. After Chattanooga had been secured, the men of McCook's Brigade went into winter camp at McAfee's Church and later Lee & Gordon's Mills, both located on the south edge of the Chickamauga Battlefield, about seven miles south of Chattanooga in the State of Georgia.
On May 15, 1864, the men of McCook's Brigade were fairly heavily engaged in the first major battle of what was to become known as the Atlanta Campaign, the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. After the battle, it was reported that 3 members of Co. C were wounded. 1st Sergeant Alfred S. Proctor was slightly wounded in the elbow, Private William Crotz was seriously wounded in the head and Private William J. Bland was severely wounded in the right leg.
On May 21, 1864 at Rome, Georgia, Private Frederick Saxton, another member of Co. C, sat down and penned a letter to his sisters back home. He wrote, "We started for Tunnel Hill 7th and have been continually changing position both night and day until we got here. Our Reg had one or two wounded the 8th and the 15th our Co had 3 wounded and Co H one. Lyman Foskett in the hand Co H. Our Orderly (1st Sgt. Proctor) tip of the elbow Bill Bland in the thigh and Bill Crotz in the head none of them considered dangerous." William Crotz and Sgt. Proctor are believed to have returned to the company. Interestingly, even the report of the Illinois Adjutant General states that William J. Bland returned to Co. C and was mustered out with the regiment of June 6, 1865 in Washington City (now D.C.). The Adjutant General's records are seriously in error here.
The wound that Frederick Saxton wrote about as not being "considered dangerous" I believed for some time had cost Private William J. Bland his right leg. Private William J. Bland would spent the next 13 months in Army Hospitals in the north recovering from the damage that was done to his right leg, however army surgeons were apparently able to save the leg. Private Bland was finally discharged from the service from the Army Hospital in Quincy, Illinois on June 22, 1865. He then returned to his home and family in Peoria County.
Interestingly, the doctor who did the initial surgery on William J. Bland's leg apparently saved the bullet, called a "minnie ball", and gave it to Private William J. Bland. After the war, Private Bland carried the trophy around as his watch fob. Bland family legend has Doctor Joseph Thomas, one of the original organizers of the Chillicothe area company, which would become Co. C, as the doctor who performed that surgery. On June 18, 2012, I received the following email from Charles Bland which raises questions about the supposed amputation of William J. Bland's leg.
"Baxter,
Thanks for the reply....I attempted to contact Paul Goudy by the email address on the Find A Grave Site but the email came back undeliverable.
I actually have the " minnie ball" but am not aware of any watch fob attachment. Attached is a picture of William J. Bland, the minnie ball and a confederate button that William took off of a Confederate nurse while he was in the hospital.
Below is part of an article from the 1953 local paper about F. H. Bland visiting William J. Bland.
"My Grandfather(F. H. Bland) visited his grandfather in New Philadelphia, Ohio in 1925. During that visit, William J. Bland gave the bullet and button to F. H. Bland, along with stories about William's Civil War days being wounded on May 15, 1864 at the battle of Resaca, Georgia.
Known as the old "minnie ball" from a muzzle loader, the bullet entered the grandfather's hip and was removed from his knee six months later. Accompanying the gift of the bullet was an acorn button from the shirtwaist of a Confederate nurse who was in the hospital at the same time and had been taken captive by the Union Army. The old veteran planned to take his grandson back to the battlegrounds where he had fought and been wounded, but the grandfather's health failed and he died in 1927 at 89 without realizing his ambition. William was on his way to a Rotary club meeting in New Philadelphia, Ohio on June 6, 1927. He suffered heart failure and died on the sidewalk."
Charles wrote that "F. H. Bland passed in 1976 and had given the bullet to his son, C. L. Bland. C. L. gave the bullet to me (Charles Bland) before he passed in 1999. Baxter, I am really curious about the article in the Find A Grave site about William.....it states that William's leg was amputated. Can you tell me where that information came from? I have no knowledge about that. I had always thought he was transported to Quincy, Illinois where his Civil War Captain, Dr. Joseph Thomas removed the bullet from his knee.
Thanks,
Charles Bland
217-454-3481"
Captain Joseph Thomas was promoted to Major of the 86th Illinois in March of 1864, about two months before the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas may actually have gone to the rear after the days battle and worked on the wounded, which on May 15, 1864, would have included Private William J. Bland. If the bullet was extracted that evening or during the next day or two, it is possible that Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas may have been the one who extracted it. If however, the bullet was not extracted until "six months later" as the newspaper article apparently stated, then Dr. and Major Joseph Thomas was definately not the one who extracted it as he was with the 86th through the Atlanta Campaign and the March to the Sea in the fall of 1864.
This "minnie ball", now a watch fob, has been passed on through the family and has been brought and shown at a number of the family reunions that have been held over the years. (Baxter saw this minnie ball/watch fob at reunion around 2000.) Whatever the real story is, Private William J. Bland survived the war, apparently with his right leg still attached, and returned to his family in Central Illinois.
William and Barbara remained in Peoria County a few more years after he returned from the service, but by 1870, they moved west, where they are known to have settled near Washington, Kansas in Rice County. They are found there at the time of the 1880 census of Kansas, where William J. Bland is farming;
William Bland Self M 39 Ohio
Barbara Bland Wife F 30 Illinois
William H Bland Son M 16 Illinois
Albert E Bland Son M 13 Illinois
Jennie Bland Daughter F 10 Kansas
Lew L Bland Daughter F 6 Kansas
Charles L Bland Son M 3 Kansas
Laura Bland Daughter F 0 Kansas
In the 1880's or 1890's, William and Barbara grew tired of life in Kansas and returned to his roots in Ohio. At the time of the 1900 census, William and his family are found in Goshen Township, New Philadelphia city Ward 1-2, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Barbara and William are listed as having been married for 39 years. Barbara is listed as being the mother of 13 children, only seven of whom are living in 1900;
William Bland Head M Nov 1838 62 Ohio
Barbara Bland Wife F Nov 1846 54 Illinois
Laura Bland Daughter F Oct 1879 21 Kansas
Viola Z Bland Daughter F Dec 1881 19 Kansas
They resided in Ohio until their deaths. Barbara (Reed) Bland died on July 16, 1925 in __________, Ohio. William J. Bland died on June 6, 1927 in __________, __________. Their earthly remains were laid to rest in the East Avenue Cemetery in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
by Tracey Bland Doss, Charles Bland, Baxter B. Fite III and Paul A. Goudy, Records Manager/Archivist, Department of Administration, Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas, 701 North 7th Street, Suite 318, Kansas City, Kansas 66101, who is a Great great grandson of William J. Bland. Paul's email address is [email protected]
(Baxter would enjoy hearing from anyone, especially descendants of the Bland family, who might be able to add to the biographical material that we have on Private William J. Bland and the Bland family. Baxter would also enjoy seeing any pictures of Private William J. Bland that may have survived the years, especially any showing him in uniform from his days in the service, added to his Find A Grave site for all to see.)
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