Civil War Union Soldier: Stephen Gardner
Born: Dec. 15, 1826
Died: Oct. 28, 1900 (Age 73)
Shawano, Wisconsin Put. Stephen Gardner
32nd Wisconsin Infantry Co. I
Enlisted: Aug. 15, 1862
Discharged: June 12, 1865
Sponsored by: Jo Ann Schedler
June 10, 2009
OnaaKwxeen (Mohican-Hello-Survive the evening)
My name is Stephen Joseph Gardner, I am a member of the Stockbridge Mohican Nation. I was born on the Stockbridge reservation on Lake Winnebago in December Of 1826. Our Tribe was forced to move and the Treaty of 1856 brought our people to the Shawano reservation to live.
Before all our people resettled the Civil War broke out and men were called to duty. Native American were not US citizens at the time and were discouraged from joining at first. My younger brother Simeon and I enlisted August 15th, 1862. I left our farm, my wife Amelia and four children age’s two to twelve.
Simeon and I were privates in the 32d Wisconsin Infantry Co. I. We enlisted for three years with a $100.00 bonus, $25 on enlistment and $75 at discharge. One month’s pay of $ 13.00 helped sustain our families. We left Wisconsin for Memphis, Tennessee by October of that year and accompanied the forces of General Sherman to Vicksburg. We were in several raids and had to do a total reversion and a forced march not seeing action. After several failed moves we went to Decatur, Alabama.
Both my brother and I survived the war. We each took leaves of 30 days due to family problems. I was absent in the hospital for illness in both Memphis and Decatur, I was also injured in Canton, Mississippi. Several months after recovering I was assigned as a nurse in the hospital and post clinic.
Our regiment was with the command at Atlanta and engaged on the operations in the pursuit of the rebels down to Savannah, Georgia, We were discharged after the review in Washington DC June 12th, 1865. I lived with a chronic dysentery and leg problems the rest of my life. After years of writing letters i received a pension of $8/month in 1891.
My memories of the war include the care and kindness of the nurses in black robes. I found out these women were catholic nuns. I started to attend the Catholic Church and became baptized April 1st, 1881. I donated part of my land on Mission Lake in Red Springs to build church. Finally in 1893 the “Holy Angels” Church was opened.
I am buried here now in the Catholic section of this cemetery along with my brother Simeon.