8. Clark Samuel Chatfield, Sr. & Louisa Tankersley

Jul 22, 1835: Marriage of Levi Tomlinson Chatfield and Lovina Mastick, in Chardon, Geauga County, Ohio. Levi is 21 years of age and Lovina is about 26 at the time of their marriage. Chardon is the county seat near their home of Bath.

Aug 11, 1836: Birth of Isaac Willard Chatfield, 1st child of Levi Chatfield & Lovina Mastick in Middlefield, Geauga County, Ohio.

Jan 22, 1838: Birth of Clark Samuel Chatfield, 2nd child of Levi Chatfield & Lovina Mastick, in Middlefield, Geauga County, Ohio.

Clark Samuel Chatfield: Civil War Military Enlistment Record:

CIVIL WAR (UNION ARMY)ENLISTED: Jul 23, 1861, Corporal, Company C, Illinois 2nd Cavalry, Volunteer Regiment, Bath, Illinois

PROMOTED: to Full Private

MUSTERED OUT: Aug 11, 1864 Company C, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Illinois

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

ENLISTMENT DESCRIPTION: height 5′ 10″; complexion light; hair black; eyes hazel

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Civil War — Illinois 2nd Calvary

Regimental History

ILLINOIS 2ND CAVALRY (Three Years)

This regiment was organized at Camp Butler, was mustered into service Aug. 12, 1861, for three years. The regiment left Camp Butler on Sept. 15, and encamped for brief periods at Carbondale, Du Quoin and Fort Massac, and about Oct. 1, arrived at Cairo. During the battle of Belmont, Mo., Nov. 7, Capt. Bowman with his company formed a line of couriers to the battlefield and promptly transported a report of the battle. In December the regiment crossed over to Bird’s Point, and did considerable scouting after Jeff Thompson captured 6 of his men at Bertrand, and had its first man killed there by a Confederate bullet. The regiment then became considerably scattered. Seven companies were stationed at Columbus, Ky., A and B were with Grant in Tennessee, participating in the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and Shiloh; D and L at Cairo, and C at Caledonia, Ill. In Nov, 1862, six companies moved to La Grange Tenn. and in December was a part of the garrison at Holly Springs Miss., which was attacked by Van Dorn, and besides the killed and wounded, the companies lost 61 prisoners, about 150 horses, all camp and garrison equipage, books and records, in fact everything except what the men had on their horses. About Jan. 1, 1863, the regiment arrived at Memphis and while there dispersed a battalion of Confederates. On March 30, it took the advance in the Vicksburg campaign, with almost daily skirmishes until May 3, when the last of Grant’s army crossed the Mississippi below Grand Gulf. After crossing the river it again took the advance with parts of the 3rd Ill. and 6th Mo., and had almost constant skirmishing until the army invested Vicksburg on May 18. During the siege of Vicksburg the regiment was stationed on the Black river and had frequent skirmishes with Johnston’s scouts. After the fall of Vicksburg, with parts of the 3rd Ill. and 6th Mo., it again took the advance towards Jackson, fighting all the way to that place. In August it embarked for the Department of the Gulf, and in September started through southwestern Louisiana, going as far as Opelousas, having the advance as usual and skirmishing almost daily. On Nov. 7, Co. I charged into Vermillionville, killing and capturing several of the enemy. On an expedition sent out from New Iberia, Cos. H and F, numbering 60 men, made a dash upon over 100 Texas rangers, killed and captured about 70 without the loss of a man. While at New Iberia 150 men of these six companies reenlisted and in Feb., 1864, went home on a 30 days, furlough. The non-veterans left New Orleans, March 13 and took the advance of Banks, Red River campaign; again met the Texas cavalry and had frequent skirmishes with them, and in the battle of Mansfield the regiment lost several killed. In March 1865, it started towards Fort Blakely, captured a train of cars with a Confederate paymaster, drove the enemy inside the works at Blakely on April 1, captured a battle flag and held position until the infantry invested the place. In June, it went by steamer up Red river to Shreveport, where on June 23, the regiment was consolidated into six companies and the surplus officers and non-commissioned officers were mustered out.Source: Ancestry.com, www. The Union Army, vol. 3

Clark Samuel Chatfield’s Civil War records:

2nd Illinois Calvary, Commanded by Major General W.L. Lothrop.Skirmishes & operations:

• Mill Springs & Somerset, Dec 1 – 13, 1861, (Kentucky)
• Camp Beauregard & Viola, Dec 28 – 31, 1861, (Kentucky)
• Siege at Fort Donelson, Feb 12 – 16, 1862, (Tennessee)
• Columbus, Mar 2 – 3, 1862, (Kentucky)

Source: Colusa County Archives

Civil War: Calvary

The role of the cavalry at the beginning of the Civil War was very limited. Horsemen of both armies were initially limited to patrolling and scouting, guarding supply trains and railroads, and providing escorts to generals. They were only used in battle as shock troops, a tactic which dated back to the Romans. A favorite jibe from the infantry was: “Did you ever see a dead cavalryman?” The foot soldiers believed the cavalry to be “dandies on horseback” who never saw much fighting and always had the easy life. Certainly, the dash and spirit of the more flamboyant cavalry leaders provided the newspapers with many stories of harrowing rides and gallant duels in the saddle. Southern troopers commanded by General J.E.B. Stuart had the grandest reputations of being the best horsemen, ready to ride on a raid at a moments notice or rush to the front to do battle just as the tide was beginning to turn. Of course, truth was very different from the romantic descriptions of newspapermen. Soldiering on horseback was a hard life with plenty of danger. The cavalry’s military role had dramatically changed by 1863 and the armies were making use of their horse soldiers in more combat situations. Cavalry divisions were utilized by commanders as advance scouts and as a mobile fighting force. These new strategies culminated in the largest cavalry battle of the war fought on June 9, 1863 at Brandy Station, Virginia. Brandy Station was the opening clash of the Gettysburg Campaign.Cavalry were dependent on fast movement so a cavalryman’s first priority was care of his horse. Each cavalry regiment had a blacksmith who shod and cared for the animals in camp. On active campaign, a trooper had to look out for his own animal and care for it. If the horse was disabled, it was easier for a northern soldier to get a new mount from the herd which usually accompanied the army. Southerners brought their own mounts with them into service and woe be to the man whose horse pulled up lame or was injured. It sometimes meant the trooper became a foot soldier until another horse could be obtained.

Cavalry regiments were composed of ten companies of 100 to 110 troopers each. There were five squadrons in a regiment, a squadron being a combination of two companies. This was later changed and the regiments were divided into three battalions. Cavalrymen could fight either mounted or on foot in a staggered skirmish line. Fighting on foot did eliminate some of the unit’s firepower as one soldier was designated as a holder for four horses, including his own, while the other three troopers were detailed to the firing line.Source: www.civilwar.com, National Park Service. Gettysburg National Military Park.

 

Additional Evidence for Civil War Pension Application for I.W. Chatfield by C.S. Chatfield:

On the 19th of December, 1866, I arrived at Isaac W. Chatfield’s ranch in Fremont County, Colorado, where Florence now is, and remained at the ranch, residing about 150 or 200 yards from where Isaac W. Chatfield resided, until 1868, when my wife died and I took her body to Nebraska for burial and remained in Nebraska until about 1879, when I returned to Colorado, and have resided near him ever since. Upon my arrival at his ranch in 1866 was the first time I had seen him after either of us left the army.

Note: The dates Clark gives in this excerpt conflict with actual records. They more than likely moved to Fremont in Dec of 1867 as Ida was born either in Nebraska or Illinois in Nov of 1867.

Oct 3, 1840: Birth of Charles Henry Chatfield(#2), 3rd child of Levi Chatfield & Lovina Mastick, in Middlefield, Geauga County, Ohio.

1844: Family of Clark Samuel Chatfield (age 6) moves to Bath, Mason County, Illinois.

Mar 1846: Birth of Ellen Charlotte Chatfield, 4th child of Levi Chatfield & Lovina Mastick, in Bath, Mason County, Illinois.

Nov 11, 1848: Death of Levi Tomlinson Chatfield (age 35), father of Clark Samuel Chatfield (age 10) in Middlefield, Geauga County, Ohio, at the home of his parents, Isaac & Lucy Chatfield. Levi is buried in the Middlefield (Village) Cemetery in Middlefield.

The widowed Lovina and her four children return to Bath, Illinois, where she teaches school and later enters into the hotel business.

1850: Federal Census for Mason County, Illinois:

Chatfield, Levina: head of household, age 40, born Ohio (Lovina)Chatfield, Willis: age 13, born Ohio (Isaac Willard Chatfield)

Chatfield, Clark: age 12, born Ohio

Chatfield, Charles: age 10, born Illinois

Chatfield, Ellen: age 4, born Illinois

Apr 20, 1858: Death of Lovina (Mastick) Chatfield (age 48), mother of Clark Samuel Chatfield (age 20), in Bath, Mason County, Illinois, of lung fever (pneumonia). Lovina is buried in the Bath Cemetery in Bath, Mason County.

May 20, 1858: Marriage of Isaac Willard Chatfield and Eliza Ann Harrington in Havana, Mason County, Illinois. Isaac (age 21) and Eliza (age 18) take on the raising of Isaac & Clark’s younger brother Charles (age 17) and their sister Ellen (age 11).

The above carte de visite was taken after Isaac was home from the Civil War.

Sep 12, 1858: Marriage of Clark Samuel Chatfield and Louisa Tankersley in Havana (near Bath), Mason County, Illinois. Clark is age 20, Louisa, 18.

• Louise Tankersly
• Louesa Tankersly
• Louise Tankerson

Clark’s name is spelled both:

• C.S. Chatfield
• C.S. Chatfeild

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carte de Visite: At the top bar of this site go to “GUIDES” link and click on the drop-down button:  “EARLY PHOTOGRAPH GUIDE” for historical explanation of Carte de viste.

Cabinet Card: At the top bar of this site go to “GUIDES” link and click on the drop-down button:  “EARLY PHOTOGRAPH GUIDE” for historical explanation of cabinet cards.

Abt 1859: Birth of Elizabeth Chatfield, 1st child of Clark Samuel Chatfield & Louisa Tankersley, in Mason County, Illinois.

Aug 18, 1859: Death of Elizabeth Chatfield, 1st child of Clark Samuel Chatfield & Louisa Tankersley, of inflammation, in Mason County, Illinois.

Sep 21, 1859: Lovina Chatfield’s estate is settled in bankruptcy. James Robinson sues the four children of Lovina for property indebted to him. The lawsuit claim is against Willard (I.W.), Clark, Charles, and Ellen. The estate is sold for $254.68, the debt on the estate, $391.00.

Aug 31, 1860: Federal Census for Bath, Mason County, Illinois:

Willard Chatfield: age 23, Farm Keeper, Value of Personal Estate $100, born OhioEliza Chatfield: age 19, born Iowa

Clara E. Chatfield: age 1, born Kansas (note: daughter Ella Clara)

Ellen C. Chatfield: age 14, born Illinois, attending school (note: Isaac’s sister)

Charles Chatfield: age 19, born Ohio (note: Isaac’s brother)Note: Census record for Isaac Willard Chatfield

Sep 8, 1860: Federal Census for Bath, Mason County, Illinois:

Clark Chatfield: age 25, Farmer, Value of Personal Estate, $400, born OhioLouisa Chatfield: age 20, born Kentucky

Note: Clark is age 22

Apr 12, 1861: Beginning of the American Civil War.

May 25, 1861: Clark’s younger brother, Charles Henry Chatfield (#2) (age 20) enlists in the Union army as a Private in Company K, 17th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.

Jul 23, 1861: Clark Samuel Chatfield (age 23) enlists in the Union army as a Corporal, Company C, 2nd Cavalry, Volunteer Regiment, Illinois. Commanded by General (Colonel?) W.L. Lothrop. Clark is promoted to Full Private.

Aug 12, 1861: Clark’s older brother, Isaac Willard Chatfield (age 25) enlists in the Union army as a Sergeant 1st Class, Co E. 27th Infantry Regiment, Illinois.

Feb 19, 1863: Isaac Willard Chatfield (age 26) reluctantly resigns his commission as an officer in the Union Army and is medically mustered out at the rank of 1st Lieutenant.

Jun 27, 1864: Death of Captain Charles Henry Chatfield(#2), age of 23, killed in the Civil War battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia. Charles is the young brother of Isaac Willard & Clark Samuel Chatfield.

Aug 11, 1864: Clark Samuel Chatfield is mustered out of Company C, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Illinois and returns to Bath, Mason County, Illinois.

May 1865: End of the American Civil War.

1865: Birth of Jennie Chatfield, 2nd child of Clark Samuel Chatfield & Louisa Tankersley, in Mason County, Illinois.

Nov 19, 1867: Birth of Ida Bell Chatfield, 3rd child of Clark Samuel Chatfield & Louisa Tankersley, in Mason County, Illinois.

Note: Some records have Ida born in Illinois, some records in Nebraska. Either the family still lived in Bath or had moved to Nebraska by this time. Louisa (Tankersley) Chatfield’s mother, Nancy Tankersley, lived in Mason County, Illinois and Louisa may have gone home to birth her 3rd child if in fact they were living in Nebraska.

Dec 19, 1867: Clark S. Chatfield (age 28) with his wife Louisa Tankersley (age 26) become neighbors to his brother Isaac in Florence, Fremont County, Colorado.

Note: It is more likely they moved to Florence in 1867 rather than 1866. Clark swore on his brother’s pension affidavit that all was true, but his memory of dates may not have been accurate.

Aug 18, 1868: Death of Louisa (Tankersley) Chatfield, at the age of 28, in Cañon City/Florence, Fremont County, Colorado. Clark brings his wife’s body back from Colorado to Nebraska for burial.

Note: Louisa leaves behind two small daughters: Jennie (age 3) and Ida (age 9 months).

Tintype: At the top bar of this site go to “GUIDES” link and click on the drop-down button:  “EARLY PHOTOGRAPH GUIDE” for historical explanation of tintypes.

Mar 10, 1869: Marriage of Clark Samuel Chatfield (age 31) and Mary Elizabeth Morrow (age 18), in Sonora, Atchison County, Missouri.

Note: At the time of their marriage they may have been living in Brownville, Nemaha County, Nebraska. The town of Sonora, Atchison County, Missouri borders Brownville on the county line.

Jul 6, 1870: Federal Census for Benton, Nemaha County, Nebraska:

Chalfield, C.S.: age 32, male, Farmer, Value of Real Estate $1,000, Value of Personal Estate, $200, born Illinois (note: Chatfield is misspelled Chalfield)Chalfield: Mary E.: age 21, female, keeping house, born Illinois (note: Mary Elizabeth Morrow)

Chalfield: Jennie: age 6, female, born Illinois (note: born to Louisa Tankersley)

Chalfield: No Name: age 8/12 (8 months), female, born Nebraska (note: born Nov 1869 to Mary Morrow)

Francis: age 3, female, born Nebraska (note: Ida, born to Louisa Tankersley)Note: This is the only record on which the child Jennie appears; Francis is Ida

Bet 1870 & 1880: Death of Jennie Chatfield, (bet the age 6 and 16) 2nd child of Clark Samuel Chatfield & Louisa Tankersley, in Brownville, Nemaha County, Nebraska.

Jun 11, 1880: Federal census for Arapahoe County, Colorado Census:

Chatfield, C.S.: age 39, married, rancher, born Ohio, father born Ohio, mother born OhioChatfield, Marey: age 29, wife, housekeeper, born Illinois, father born Illinois, mother born Illinois

Chatfield, Ida: age 13, daughter, at school, born Nebraska, father born Ohio, mother born Illinois

Chatfield, Della: age 8, daughter, at home, born Nebraska, father born Ohio, mother born Illinois

Chatfield, Ora: age 7, daughter, at home, born Nebraska, father born Ohio, mother born Illinois

Chatfield, Clark S.: age 8, son, at home, born Nebraska, father born Ohio, mother born Illinois (note: age 3)

Chatfield, Arthur: age 1, son, at home, born Nebraska, father born Ohio, mother born IllinoisNote: Ida, age 13, is the child of Clark S. Chatfield and his first wife, Louisa Tankersley