Wilson S Decker (1842 - 1914)

Born 17 Sep 1842 in Crawford County, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Died 12 Nov 1914 at age 72 in North Baltimore, Henry Township, Wood County, Ohio, United States

Biography

• August 21, 1862, Enlisted as a Private.
• September 13, 1862, Mustered into "G" Company, Ohio 118th Infantry
• September 1862, Dispatched to Cynthiana, Kentucky, where the regiment performed guard duty along a railroad line.

• August 8, 1863, Dispatched to Lebanon, Kentucky, via Lexington, Kentucky and Louisville, Kentucky. The regiment remained in Lebanon approximately one week, before officials dispatched it to East Tennessee.
• November 10, 1863, Arrived at Kingston, Tennessee, performed garrison duty and protected the city from threatened Confederate attack. Following the Battle of Chattanooga and the Battle of Knoxville, the 118th Regiment advanced through Nashville, Tennessee to Mossy Creek, Tennessee.
• December 29, 1863, Confederate cavalry attacked the Union position at Mossy Creek. The Northern forces held their ground, but members of the 118th Regiment had forty men killed or wounded.

• May 7, 1864, Advanced into Georgia, marching through Dalton and then onto Resaca.
• May 14-15, 1864, Participated in the Battle of Resaca. On May 14, out of the approximately three hundred members of the regiment engaged, Confederates killed or wounded 116 of these men in approximately ten minutes.
• May 26 and June 4, 1864, Participated in the Battle of Dallas and the Battle of Pumpkin Vine Creek.
• June 9-30, 1864, Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, and the Battle of Utoy Creek.
• June 28-September 2, 1864, Seige of Atlanta.
• November 30, 1864, Participated in the Battle of Franklin and retreated with the Union army to the vicinity of Nashville. The Northerners were victorious in the Battle of Nashville. Advanced in pursuit of Hood’s army to Columbia, Tennessee and finally to Clifton, Tennessee. Garrison duty at Clifton until January 16, 1865,

• January 16, 1865, Dispatched the regiment to North Carolina.
• February 11, 1865, Departed from Alexandria via ship, landing at Smithville, North Carolina. Helped capture Fort Anderson, along the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. The 118th was the first regiment to place its regimental flag on Camp Anderson’s walls during the assault.
• February 20, 1865, Advanced to Town Creek, where the 118th captured nearly three hundred prisoners and two artillery pieces.
• February 22, 1865, Occupied Wilmington, North Carolina.
• March 6, 1865, Advanced to Kingston, North Carolina.
• March 23, 1865, Proceeded to Goldsboro, North Carolina, where it joined William T. Sherman’s army on . Remained at Moseley Hill, North Carolina until April 9, 1865.
• April 9, 1865, Engaged in Sherman’s pursuit and eventual surrender of Confederate General Joseph Johnston’s army. Served on garrison duty at Raleigh, North Carolina until May 3, 1865.
• May 3, 1865, Proceeded to Greensboro, North Carolina and Salisbury, North Carolina, where the 188th remained as garrison troops.
• June 25, 1865, Mustered out of service.
• July 2, 1865, Arrived in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Ju!y 9, 1865, Officials discharged the regiment.

Sources

• United States Census, 1850, Household of Mahlon Decker, Allen, Hancock, Ohio, United States; citing family 37, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

1. Mahlon Decker M 35 New Jersey
2. Minerva Decker F 31 Pennsylvania
3. James Decker M 14 Ohio
4. Alta Ann Decker F 12 Ohio
5. Wilson Decker M 7 Ohio
6. Sarah J Decker F 5 Ohio
7. Caroline Decker F 5 Ohio

• United States Census, 1860, Allen Township, Hancock, Ohio, United States, Wilson Decker in entry for Mahlon Decker

1. Mahlon Decker M 45 New Jersey
2. Manerva Decker F 41 Pennsylvania
3. James Decker M 23 Ohio
4. Wilson Decker M 18 Ohio
5. Sarah Jane Decker F 15 Ohio
6. Caroline Decker F 12 Ohio
7. Alburtus Decker M 7 Ohio
8. Eliza M Decker F 5 Ohio
9. Irene E Decker F 3 Ohio
10. Lampton Decker M 1 Ohio

• United States Census, 1880, Wilson Decker, North Baltimore, Wood, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district ED 90, sheet 44C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1078; FHL microfilm 1,255,078.

1. Wilson Decker Self M 37 Ohio, United States
2. Hannah M Decker Wife F 38 Ohio, United States
3. Estella W Decker Daughter F 14 Ohio, United States
4. Silas M Decker Son M 8 Michigan, United States
5. Emma J Grible Stepdaughter F 17 Ohio, United States
6. Charls J Grible Stepson M 9 Ohio, United States

• United States Census, 1900, Wilson Decker, Henry Township North Baltimore village, Wood, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 143, sheet 20B, family 505, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,333.

1. Wilson Decker Head M 58 Ohio
2. Hannah Decker Wife F 59 Ohio
3. Edna C Decker Daughter F 20 Ohio

• United States Census, 1910, Wilson S Decker, Henry, Wood, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 188, sheet 9B, family 245, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1240; FHL microfilm 1,375,253.

1. Wilson S Decker Head M 67 Ohio
2. Hannah M Decker Wife F 68 Ohio
3. Effie E Derose Daughter F 40 Ohio
4. Elenore Derose Granddaughter F 8 Ohio

• Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958, Wilson Decker and Hannah M. Gribel, 09 Nov 1879; citing Wood,Ohio, reference ; FHL microfilm 0409701 V. 7-8.

• United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890, Wilson S Decker, 1890; citing NARA microfilm publication M123 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 338,221.

• United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865, Wilson Decker, Private, Company G, 118th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Union; citing NARA microfilm publication M552 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 26; FHL microfilm 882,239.

• Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio

• History of Hancock County, Ohio, by Spaythe, Jacob A. Published 1903. Page 292

• United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, Wilson S Decker, 1878.

• Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001, W.S. Decker, 12 Nov 1914; citing Death, North Baltimore, Henry Township, Wood, Ohio, United States, source ID cn 98, County courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 1,871,889.