William Samuel John Lucas (1829 - 1887)

Born 1 Aug 1829 in Tyrone, Tyrone, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Storie) Lucas — married 30 Aug 1850 in Barony, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died 9 Sep 1887 at age 58 in White Lake, Aurora, South Dakota, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: James Lucas [send private message]

Conflicts

The name John is possibly a mistake and confusion with the John William Lucas husband of Sallie Ward. The middle name JOHN is yet unsourced.

Biography

Samuel Lucas served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: 5 Aug 1862
Mustered out: 22 Jul 1865
Side: USA

Private Samuel Lucas was a Prisoner of War during US Civil War.

In 1853 Samuel Lucas immigrates to the US escaping the potato famine of Northern Ireland. He, his wife and one year old son sail 45 days across an ocean blue to start the new life into the New World.

They Pass thru Ellis Island and live with the huddles masses in the 9th Ward of Manhattan, what we now know as the West Village. He works hard to get his family out of the city and back to the life he knew in Ireland, farming. After 7 years he saves enough for 6 hogs and moves West.

That same year he becomes a citizen of the USA.

America is at war. Civil war. He joins the ARMY. He becomes PVT Samuel Lucas of the 75th Regiment of ILL.

He fights alongside his fellow Americans against the South. Eventually his regiment is captured and sent to the worst prison Camp in the known history of man. The Andersonville Prison, in Georgia is notorious.

Upon entering Andersonville Prison one sergeant remarks in his journals ”As we entered the place, a spectacle met our eyes that almost froze our blood with horror, and made our hearts fail within us. Before us were forms that had once been stalwart men, now nothing but mere walking skeletons, covered with filth and vermin.”

Another soldier exclaims, “Can this be HELL?”

Of the 75k that died in the Entire Civil War over 4 years, 13k of those died right there in Andersonville in One Year. Not even in battle. But in captivity.

A camp that was designed to hold around 10k prisoners had over 45k. The camp was a 26 acre stockade (that’s 8 square blocks). There is a swamp dividing the prison where all the prisoners bathe, drink and go to the bathroom. Aside from being starved these men are now dying of scurvy, diarrhea and dysentery by the thousands.

As prisoners die the Confederate Guards have the living collect their emaciated bodies and throw them in a mass grave and bury them. Samuel was among those dead bodies.

The living and dead all look the same, filthy, emaciated and skeletal.

His best friend and comrade volunteers to bury his skeletal remains. As he lifts him into the grave he discovers he is still alive. Barely. One month before the end of the war he is rescued in a prisoner exchange.

He is returned to his family, recovers and he has 7 more children. .^[1]

Sources

1850

"Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYWL-5ZG : 8 December 2014), Samuel Lucas and Sarah Storie, 30 Aug 1850; citing Barony,Lanark,Scotland, reference ; FHL microfilm 0994218-0994220, 1041482, 0994217.

1855

"New York State Census, 1855," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K67Q-1GZ : 19 November 2014), Elisa Jane Lucas in household of Samuel Lucas, E.D. 6, Ward 9, New York City, New York, New York, United States; count clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,018,656.

19 Oct 1860 Naturalization

"Illinois, Northern District Naturalization Index, 1840-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XKGZ-J76 : 12 December 2014), Samuel Lucas, 1860; citing Morrison, Illinois, NARA microfilm publication M1285 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 110; FHL microfilm 1,432,110.

Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD) Section

Contacts

Karl Moore, IRAD Supervisor — 217-785-1266

Barbara Heflin, IRAD Supervisor — 217-782-3645

1870

"United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDJ2-MJD : 17 October 2014), Samuel Lucas, Iowa, United States; citing p. 12, family 97, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,878.

1887

"United States Records of Headstones of Deceased Union Veterans, 1879-1903," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6HW-2J4 : 4 December 2014), Samuel Lucas, 09 Sep 1887; citing White Lake, , South Dakota, NARA microfilm publication M1845 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 13; FHL microfilm 2,155,588.

Find A Grave: Memorial #141013548

1889 Pension File

"United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDBH-G59 : 3 April 2015), Samuel Lucas, 1889.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Authored by Brad Straw