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a. Note:   MARRIAGE: WAYNE CO. OHIO MARRIAGE RECORDS SHOW: WELLS, MILES TO SARAH ANN BRENIZER BY J.H. JONES , M.G. 5-14-1854 (RIGHT AGE. ..IS IT RIGHT PERSON?) 1860 United States Federal Census Household of Miles Wells View Record Name Home in 1860 (City,County,State) Age in 1860 Estimated Birth Year Birthplace Gender View Image View Record Miles Wells Wayne, Wayne, OH 27 1832 Ohio Male View Record Sarah E Wells Wayne, Wayne, OH 26 1833 Pennsylvania Female View Record Alonzo Wells Wayne, Wayne, OH 5 1854 Ohio Male View Record William Wells Wayne, Wayne, OH 4 1855 Ohio Male View Record Netty A Wells Wayne, Wayne, OH 1 1858 Ohio Female View Record George Wells Wayne, Wayne, OH 3 1856 Ohio Male INTERNET: Search Results Database: Full Context of American Civil War Research Database, Soldiers Combined Matches: Miles Wells Enlist Date Enlist Place Enlist Rank Enlist Age 07 August 1862 Priv 30 Served Ohio Enlisted H Co. 102nd Inf Reg. OH Killed By Explosion at Steamer ""Sultana"", MS River on 27 April 1865 Source: Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio Abbreviation: OHRoster Published by on 1886 INTERNET: http://data.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?&ti=0&db=hdsregiment&f0=1723&f11=Union&dt=context Search Terms: 1723 (2), UNION (3593) Database: American Civil War Research Database, Regiments Combined Matches: 1 Name of Regiment Date of Organization Muster Date Regiment Type Ohio 102nd Infantry 01 August 1862 30 June 1865 Infantry Regiment Officers Killed or Officers Died of Disease Enlisted Killed or Enlisted Died of Mortally Wounded or Accident Mortally Wounded Disease or Accident 2 2 11 247 List of Soldiers Regimental History Battles Fought Battle at Coffey's Landing, Alabama on 10 July 1864 Battle at Athens, Alabama on 24 September 1864 Battle at Decatur, Alabama on 28 October 1864 Battle at Decatur, Alabama on 23 March 1865 INTERNET: Wells Civil War soldiers from Ohio killed aboard the Sultana 27 Apr 1865 On April 21, 1865 the Sultana sailed from the New Orleans carrying seventy five cabin passengers and well over 200 deck passengers and crew. On April 24th the ship's boiler had to be repaired because of a leak detected before arriving at Vicksburg. At Vicksburg the Sultana took on recently released Union Prisoners of war from Confederate prisons at Andersonville, Georgia and Cahaba, Alabama. Many had fought at Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Nashville and Kennesaw Mountain only to be captured and endure long months of inprisonment. Of the approximately 5,000 exchange prisoners 1,300 to 1,400 were to be loaded into all available cabins, quarters and on the decks of the Sultana. They represented units from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Governmental records place the total troop count at 1,866. Others counted as many as 2,200 which brought the total of crew and passengers, to 2,400 people while the Sultana had an authorized capacity of only 376 passengers and crew. This coupled with the weakened boiler was a formula for certain disaster. At 1 A.M. on April 27th the Sultana steamed away from Memphis and continued its voyage up river after a short stop. At 2 A. M. the Sultana's boilers exploded in a deafing roar. The United States Custom Service reported that 1,547 were lost. Other equally reliable figures were as much as 1,647 The Sultana sinking was unquestionably the greatest marine disaster in American history. Among those lost that dark night were the following Wells men who had thought their trials were at last at an end and they were going home: Last Name 1st Name Regiment Company/Rank Wells William 58th Ohio Volunteer Infantry A Priv Wells Joseph 102nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry B Priv Wells Miles 102nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry H Priv ********************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************** ~Remove following e-mail from Jeanette Schmalzbauer from Posted Material ~ INTERNET: e-mail From: [email protected] .. Received: from [email protected] for <[email protected]>; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 23:25:06 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 23:25:06 EDT Subject: Miles & Giles Wells To: [email protected] .. .. Dear Cousin Finchum: . Wow! I'm am so so so happy to receive a response. I wasn't sure what or if I would. I've been terrible to live with these last few days! lol .. My husband, Don, & I drove out to Indianapolis, IN for 3 days the first week of October which was our scheduled vacation time. We canceled all our previous plans to do this genealogy research. We had just learned a few weeks earlier that my g-g-grandfather, Miles, had a twin brother who survived the Civil War. .. I can write later in much greater detail when I'm less exited! We know that Giles first wife was an Elizabeth Libe (documentation received from genealogists in Utah and off pension records.) He then married a Lydia Ritter. I have some documentation on the marriage of Libe but not on Lydia Ritter yet. He then married Martha Ann Swafford, which you know by now. .. Of course, we are very rookie genealogists but these 2 twin brothers have a unique story. It helps since I'm also a twin. My sister and I have always been known as the "Wells twin" hardly by individual names! Now, we know there was another set of Wells twins. Miles & Giles joined the H Company of the Ohio 102nd Infantry. Miles was captured at Athens, AL, was a POW at Cahaba prison and died on the Sultana steamship disaster in April 1865. .. Although Giles was in the same outfit, he was not captured and survived. It was a great pleasure to have talked to Pam Newhouse, a Civil War Historian, who referred me to a gentleman specializing in the 102nd Infantry. How fortunate he lives here in Minnesota. We hope to get more information on the 102nd as time goes on. .. While in Indiana, we went to the Indianapolis library as I wanted to see if obituaries were listed. They were not. But just prior to giving up, I noticed an article entitled, "Negligence of the Coroner". An article surrounding the death of Giles Wells indicated a delayed response by the coroner when called. From this article and the subsequent article I found, I was able to gather notes. We did some other research off microfilm. We find, however, that Giles is buried at CROWN HILL CEMETERY in Indianapolis in the National Cemetery (versus Green Lawn you have listed) We found his grave/headstone and have photos. He is buried in Section 10, Lot 754. .. Also while out there, we were able to find some GAR records in Huntington County (where he lived just prior to his death). The Indiana archival section was very helpful to us. I casually mentioned that Giles had left a wife and 5 children destitute according to the newspaper reports. The staff member then wondered if any of the children may have been placed in the Indiana Soldier's & Sailor's Children's Home. Sure enough, there was Charles and Mary listed. Better yet, he pulled out the ORIGINAL applications from 1887. Applicants: Charles Albertus Wells and Mary Elizabeth Florence Wells. Fathers place of birth (Giles) says "NEAR TRUXTON HILLS, NY" or something to that effect. Listed on each application. I'm not sure if we had never found those applications, we may never have known what area of New York. We too have seen John J and John I off the Mormon website. Have you been able to determine John J's or even Leanna parents? .. Indiana Archival staff person said the Children's Home had called 3 years ago and wanted to know if anyone wanted the records they had stored in the attic or they were going to destroy them. Thank goodness Indiana said yes. He said it was the worst recovery ever done. He had to "suit up". The records were boxes and in great condition, but, of course, they had all sort of "attic debris" on them. The home was built just after the war. You have no idea the joy I felt in seeing these original applications! The children were right-handed! lol We did manage totake a jaunt out to the I.S.&S.C.H. in Knightstown, Indiana. There stands the old 1860's original building. It has expanded and is still used today. .. We have a few more mysteries to solve yet. We were always told a father & son joined the same regiment (now brother & brother?). We were told through oral history that 2 Libe sisters married to Wells brothers. We show Elizabeth Libe married Giles but Miles married a Sarah Brenizer (not a Libe as was listed on his son's death certificate, although Libe names appear on Miles' pension records.) There were 2 Brenizers who fought in H company with the 102nd. I believe related, have to prove it first. They, too, were captured, POW, and both also died on the Sultana. .. I continue to plan to work on Miles family as that is where the connection to the family is. However, I, of course, am fascinated with Giles family as well. I only hope someday that maybe someone has some photos or letters from Miles or Giles. Any such luck? .. My father, age 65, had a recent knee replacement. Unfortunately, he had to have an unexpected emergency triple bypass as a chaser to that! He is recouperating and getting better as I write. He is exited as I am to do some 102nd research but he'll be happy to know we found a cousin......I have the charts printed out, but maybe as an experienced genealogist, you can tell me for sure how you are related to my father, Kenneth Wells........... .. .. Miles Wells Giles Wells son William Miles Wells son Emory Thomas Wells son Kenneth Emory Wells .. .. Thank you again. I hope we keep in touch as I slowly progress through this history. Had you done any searches on Miles Wells? I have done some at the moment and have some information but always looking for a "cheat sheet". With our best & warm regards, Jeanette Schmalzbauer & her recovering father, Kenneth E Wells St. Paul, MN ********************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************************************************** ~REMOVE following Posted Material COPIED FROM Jeanette Schmalzbauer Web Page AO: Home Town ~INTERNET: COPIED FROM Jeanette Schmalzbauer Web Page AO: Home Town .. .. .. 27 APRIL 1865 Released Union POWs that survived explosion are depicted. .. This temporary website is dedicated to one branch of the Wells family descended from WILLIAM WELLS, 1608 Long Island, NY (First Sheriff) .. Kenneth Emory Wells, my Father United States Army 3rd Infantry Elite & Prestigious "OLD GUARD" http://www.mdw.army.mil/fs-g03.htm .. and .. Theodore Miles Wells, his Brother-my Uncle United States Army .. Their older step brothers served in WWII. David Wells, United States Marine Corp and Clayton Wells, Unites States Navy Uncle Dave received physical injuries from his tour of duty in the Pacific Theatre. Scars he carried until he died in April 1992. He died not knowing about his own Great Grandfather and the legend that went before him. .. This site is in memory of MILES WELLS, Ohio 102nd, H Company. .. Also serving in the Civil War with Miles was: .. His Twin Brother, Giles Wells Ohio 102nd Infantry, Co H, survived the War .. His younger brother Cyreneus Wells Ohio 120th, Company I Killed in Action at Pea Ridge. .. These men were 3 of the 4 sons of John I. Wells of Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio. John's father, Isaac Wells of Truxton Hills, Cortland County, New York, served in the War of 1812. .. In 1854, Miles married a 21-year old young widow, and mother of 1 son, Sarah Ann Leib Brenizer. Sarah's sister, Elizabeth, was married to Miles' twin brother Giles. Elizabeth died in 1857. It is possible she had one child by Giles as listed in the transcprition of Sarah's Bible being held through the family of her daughter by her 3rd husband, Frederick Strater. (Transcription at Wayne County, Ohio, Library. Lists one child, surname Wells, but says not child of Sarah.) Sarah's father and brothers all served in Minnesota and Iowa regiments. All survived despite injuries. Her older brother, Adam S. Leib served in the Minnesota 5th at Ft. Snelling but was immediately promoted to Captain and entered into the US 3rd Infantry. .. Listed in the roster of Sultana victims is Amos and David T. Brenizer, both also of the Ohio 102nd, H Company. My reserach has led me to ascertain that Amos was Sarah's first husband's cousin. I still do research for David T. Brenizer but have not yet determined his connection to Amos. Amos was young and not married; no pension records exist to help determine additional information. .. .. Miles Wells .. Drowned by Explosion Steamship Sultana. .. Shortly after I turned 40 years old, I read these simple words in the military records I received from the archives in Washington D.C. Did he drown peacefully in the cold,spring extreme flood waters of the Mississippi River, north of Memphis? Did he die in the explosion? Or did he suffer by burning to death as the floors of the wooden ship collapsed onto each other? .. A wooden boat; a sidewinder: Capacity 376 Capacity at time of explosion 1800-2200 Union soldiers and a few civilians. Ship also contained cargo. Captain of boat received $5 per soldier and $10 per officer for their return back to Camp Chase, Ohio. .. Miles was a war-weary Union soldier who had significant battle combat. His regiment's assignment was to relieve the fort in Athens, Alabama in early Fall of 1864. One half of the regiment was ill which gives a possible explaination why Giles was not in Athens. Military records indicate that they experienced heavy hand-to-hand combat just outside the Fort. .. The cunning Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest deceived the Fort's Lieutenant in Command. Forrest had his small contigent of confederate soldiers dismount and remount their horses while moving them around the fort. The Lieutenant was convinced that he was surrounded. He was not. With that surrender, an unpredicatble death sentence would come to all those soldiers 7 months later. Documented accounts indicate that the Fort would have stayed in Union Command if not for this treachery. .. .. Cahaba, AL Confederate Prison .. After the cowardly surrender, those outside the fort also became immediate POWs. They experienced a long march, with little or no food, to a train depot that would transport them. While on the train, these soldiers were involved in a fatal train crash. The Union soldiers did not escape but helped those comrades dead or injured. A second train transported them to a location from which they marched again. Some soldiers went to the notorious Andersonville, GA Prison Camp; Miles went to Cahaba, AL prison camp, not as notorious but about as bad. They routinely slept in several inches of water. Records show he is registered as "Giles" Wells. I believe that Miles intentionally used his brother's name. ************************************************************************************************************************** ************************************************************************************************************************** ************************************************************************************************************************** Remove following e-mail from Jeanette Schmalzbauer from POSTED Material ~From: [email protected] Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 17:42:08 EDT Subject: Wells Surname To: [email protected] .. Dear Cousin Finchum: .. Would you please remove the data under Miles Wells that you have uploaded on the www.rootsweb.com log that have e-mails I sent to you and website information that I was designing. I was surprised to find all that information uploaded to the site. I prefer that it not be. We are still researchinig this name and finding new information ... I don't want wrong information to be posted. Also my text was copyrighted and should not have been uploaded to rootsweb. Alot of my personal experiences are in that text and not necessarily fact. .. I would appreciate your removing that information. .. Research continues! .. Thank you Jeanette Schmalzbauer *************************************************************************************************************************** *************************************************************************************************************************** *************************************************************************************************************************** INTERNET: LEIB-L Archives From: [email protected] Subject: LEIB Inquiry Date: Sat, 5 May 2001 14:28:43 EDT First of all, I would like to thank Mary for her pleasant responses to my inquiry about the Leib list and for assisting a "newbie". Mary, I delayed my post to this registry for a week as I was waiting for a death certificate from Missouri that might shed more light. My name is Jeanette Wells Schmalzbauer and I live in the St. Paul, Minnesota area. My research this past year has been on the WELLS & LEIB surnames. I'm going to be as brief as possible and hope maybe I'll get a response. I've hit so many dead-ends (no pun intended) to my search on these names. My main research is with Miles WELLS, Ohio 102nd Infantry, Company H, who died on the Sultana ship disaster of 1865 after serving as a POW in Cahaba prison camp. This is my father's great-grandfather. His widow was a Sarah Ann Leib. She had been a widow prior to marrying Miles. That previous married surname was BRENIZER. Sarah LEIB's sister, Elizabeth LEIB, married Miles WELLS twin brother Giles WELLS. Elizabeth died prior to the civil war. Giles did survive the Civil War. He had not been captured with his twin brother even though they served in the same regiment and company. Oral history said there were 2 LEIB sisters who had married 2 WELLS brothers. That came true. Oral history said there were 11 LEIB siblings. I have found the following: Sarah Leib Brenizer Wells Strater Summerlot Elizabeth Leib Professor William H. Leib ( 9 Dec 1841 to 1 May 1923) Samuel H Leib Christopher Leib Mrs. C. H. Southerland possibly a Daniel Lybe possibly a Benjamin Lybe I received the death certificate on Professor William Leib, today. His father is listed as Benjamin F Leib, born in Pennsylvania. His mother is a Nancy Schmidt born in Pennsylvania. The informant was a Christian C. Leib of 650 Minn Ave, Kansas City, Kansas back in 1923. Professor Leib is listed as being buried in Fairview Cemetery in Joplin, Missouri area. I know that he was up here in St. Paul & Mpls and have archival newspaper records that his son, Fred age 5, had been kidnapped in the Cook County Illinois area. He had another son Christopher. Samuel H Leib is buried in Pleasantville, Iowa. I have birth and death dates for him also. Sarah Leib had been married 4 times before her death sometime before August 1881 at about age 51. We have limited information on Sarah. If anyone has any name connections or can provide information. We would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Thank you all for your time. Jeanette -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This thread: LEIB Inquiry by [email protected] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community. Learn more.


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