Grand-uncle of Michelle Yvonne (Noe) Richardson
William Henry Sturges was born May 21, 1843 to Ira Sturges and his wife Eliza Ann (Doxsey) Sturges in Madison, New Jersey. William was one of 6 children. He had 2 older sisters, Sarah and Marietta, 2 younger sisters, Deborah and Caroline. He had 1 younger brother, Halsey. Ira worked as a mason, and the sons followed that path after schooling was over.
Soon after the Civil War began, William enlisted as a Private on 13 August 1861 in New York City at the age of 18. He was mustered into Co C, 51st NY Inf Regiment on 10 September 1861, apparently for a two-year period. William’s younger brother Halsey enlisted several months later, at 17 years of age, also in a NY Regiment. The
51st was organized between July and 23 October of 1861 and was sent to North Carolina at the latter date.
Assignments followed in Ohio and Kentucky, then to Virginia where the 51st was assigned to the 9th Corps by April 1864. Along the way, William re-enlisted on 1 December 1863 while in Kentucky. On 31 October 1863, he was promoted to Sergeant, and on 22 April 1864, he was promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant.
In April 1864, the 51st was assigned to the 9th Corps. Early May 1864, found the 51st NY and the 9th Corps in the advancing Army of the Potomac toward the Wilderness of Virginia. When the 5th and 6th Corps deployed, the 9th Corps became the reserve Corps behind them. On May 6th, General Meade realized that there was a gap between the
left of the 5th Corps and the right of the 2nd Corps which had been brought up the Brock Road and deployed at the intersection with the Orange Plank Road. General Potter’s Brigade, to which the 51st was assigned, was ordered into the gap and fought in the thickets toward the Plank Road. Sgt Sturges was killed there. Family history has passed down a story that he was decapitated. There is no record of his body being recovered; t may have been burned by the fires that erupted in that area.
His brother, Halsey, survived the war, returned home, married the girl next door, and named his first son William Henry after his deceased brother.
Older sister, Sarah, married Nathaniel Cark of Co H, 11th Reg NJ in 1866. Younger sister, Deborah, married Aaron Hayward of Co B, 7th Reg NJ also in 1866. Both guys were probably at the Battle of the Wilderness.
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