Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - William Brunk

113^th OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Fall, 1862
Mustered In: 10/1/1862
Mustered Out: 7/6/1865 Louisville, KY

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:

The 113^th Ohio was a three year infantry regiment. It spent its entire period of service in the western theater of the American Civil War.
 

With the exceptions of companies "I" and "K" the 113^th was organized at Camps Chase and Zanesville. "I", formerly a company of 109^th Ohio infantry, was organized at Camp Dennison on 12/1/1862. "K” was organized at Urbana and Columbus from 12/8/1863 to 3/31/1864.
 

In December, 1862 the regiment was ordered to Louisville, KY where trouble was expected from Rebel raiders. All though its organization was incomplete, the unit was equipped and on its way south in two hours.
 

After a few months in Kentucky, the 113^th was ordered into Tennessee. There, in September (18 - 20) it fought in the bloody battle of Chickamauga. This baptism of fire cost the regiment one hundred thirty eight officers and men out of three hundred eighty two present. Next came a campaign to relieve the siege of Knoxville, TN by enemy forces.
 

The spring of 1864 found the 113^th involved in Union Gen. W.T. Sherman's campaign to capture Atlanta, GA. During this period it was in action at Resaca (5/13 - 15), Dallas (5/26 – 6/1) and Kennesaw Mountain (6/27). In the last action the regiment lost ten officers and one hundred fifty three enlisted men.
 

Around Atlanta, itself, the unit was in action at Peachtree Creek (7/20/1864). Then came the "march to the sea" and the siege of Savannah.
 

Early 1865 saw the 113^th marching northward through the Carolinas. Hand -to - hand fighting at Bentonville, NC (3/19 - 21) proved to be the unit's final battle. It was mustered out on 7/6/1865.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 9; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 2; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 110; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 149.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age: 31. 7 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 8/12/1862 Rank: Sgt.
Mustered In: 12/12/1862
Mustered Out: 7/10/1865 Columbus, OH
Highest Rank: Sgt.
Rank At Discharge: Sgt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of William Brunk was created in August, 2021 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

William Hanford Brunk was born on 12/20/1830. The location of his birth was somewhere within Logan County, OH.
 

Parenting William were Elijah Wilson Brunk (b. 12/26/1806 OH - d. 1/20/1885 Cole County, MO) and Harriet Lucretia (nee Hanford b. 8/21/1811 Harmony Clark County, OH - d. 5/28/1882 Cole County, MO) Brunk. The Brunks were a farming family. In both 1850 and 1860 they were residing in Washington Logan County, OH.
 

As best as can be determined Elijah and Harriet produced at least ten children.  Of the ten, William was the eldest. His younger siblings  were Elridge Hanford Brunk (b. 11/1833 OH), Susan M. Brunk (b. 1/1/1835 Clark County, OH), Harriet Eliza Brunk (b. 10/16/1837 Clark County, OH), Erwin Wilson Brunk (b. 1838 Clark County, OH), Juliette Amanda Brunk, (b. 2/10/1840 Clark County, OH), Jerome "James" Romeo Brunk (b. 1844 OH **), George Roger Brunk (b. 5/6/1845 Logan County, OH ***), Sophronia Brunk (b. 1850 OH) and Charles Brunk (b. unk.).
 

On 8/5/1862 William's younger brother "James" enlisted in the U.S. Army. His regiment was the 113^th Ohio Infantry. Within the 113^th he was a member of Company "H". Seven days later, on 8/12/1862, William joined "James" in the same regiment and company.
 

Although one source indicates William, then employed as a laborer, enlisted as a sergeant, the same source notes that he was appointed to that rank one day after enlisting. He remained a sergeant throughout his enlistment. Without accessing his military records, about all that can be said about Sergeant Brunk's service period is that he survived The War and returned to civilian life.
 

Post American Civil War (ACW), the first we learn about William comes from the U.S. Census of 1870. That population tally found him employed as a carpenter in White Rock McDonald County, MO. Further, he was married and the father of three children.
 

Piecing together available documentation, it would appear that William married during the mid-1850s. His bride was Mary Jane Hogge/Hauge. She had been born in Ohio in April, 1832. How and when the two had met and exactly when they had wed are unknowns.
 

During their years together William and Mary produced five children. Available documents identify only four of the five. Further, as of 1900, only one of the five was still living. The Brunk children were: Charles M. Brunk (b. 1856 IN - d. 1879 Seattle King County, WA), William "Willie" Brunk (b. 6/27/1863 - d. 8/6/1864 Lewistown Logan County, OH), Harriet Katie Brunk (b. 7/19/1866 Springfield, IL - d. 8/23/1950 Seattle King County, WA) and Romeo "Ronnie" (b. 1869 MO - d. 10/14/1889 Seattle King County, WA).
 

Noting the birth, as well as the death, locations of the Brunk children one gains the impressing that, as a carpenter, William moved his family on numerous occasions. Where he and Mary may have settled after marrying is not known. However, as of 1856 - when Charles was born - they were apparently residing in Indiana. Although not documented, it is likely that in 1862 when "Willie" was conceived the Brunks were in Ohio. When on 8/6/1864 Willie died, he did so in Lewistown Logan County, OH.
 

After The War, Harriet was born in mid-1866 in Springfield, IL. Romeo, born in 1869, came into this world in Missouri.  Finally, by 1879 when Charles died, the Brunks were in Seattle King County, WA.
 

What had drawn William and family to the Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest is unknown. Also, an unknown is exactly when they arrived here and where in the Seattle area they settled. By 1880, however, they were living near Lake Union. As a carpenter in Seattle William would have had plenty of work available after the mid-1889 fire that destroyed much of Seattle City.
 

On 8/2/1890, in the state of Washington, former Civil War soldier Private William Brunk applied for a U.S. Government disability pension based on his soldiering days. While we know that a stipend was granted, the amount of the monthly payment will remain unknown unless William's pension files are accessed.
 

1900. The dawn of the twentieth century. A new decade and a new U.S. Census. The population tally for that year placed the Brunk family in the Squak region of eastern King County, WA. This was likely in or near the present - day community of Issaquah.
 

By 8/6/1908, the date when Mary Brunk died, the Brunk's were back in Seattle proper. Although details of her passing are unknown, it is known that she was/is buried in that city's Lakeview Cemetery located at the northern end of Capitol Hill.
 

William Hanford Brunk died in Seattle King County, WA on 6/5/1912. Cause of death was "facial erysipelas" (skin infection) with old age contributing. The old soldier was 81.6 years of age. He was/is buried with Mary in the Lakeview Cemetery.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

* In the American Civil War Research Database William's surname appears as Brink.

** During the American Civil War "James" served with William in Company "H" of the 113^th Ohio Infantry. He survived the conflict.
 

*** During the American Civil War George served in Company "E" of the 132^nd Ohio Infantry. He survived the conflict. 

Buried at Lake View Cemetery Seattle