Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Henry Saunders

3^rd KANSAS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: 1861. Failed to complete organization.

9^th KANSAS VOLUNTEER CAVALRY *
Organized: Early 1862
Mustered In: 10/61 through 3/63 (By Companies)
Mustered Out: 7/17/65 Devall's Bluff, AR

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (3^rd) *
 

The 3^rd Kansas Infantry never took to the field because it failed to complete its organization. Recruits of the incomplete regiment were consolidated with those of the 4^th Kansas Infantry to help form the 10^th Kansas Infantry.
 

Although Henry W. Saunder's - while in the U.S. military his surname may also have appeared as Sanders - pension card indicates he spent time in the 3^rd, no regimental personnel roster has been located to confirm that association. As such, until Private Saunders' military service records can be obtained the nature of his affiliation this regiment cannot be determined.  

REGIMENTAL HISTORY (9^th)

The 9^th Kansas was a three year, western theater cavalry regiment. It was created by consolidating independent battalions, squadrons and detachments originally intended for other organizations. Eight of the 9^th’s original companies, including company "C" were recruited during the fall and winter of 1861/'62.
 

Soon after the unit's permanent organization was completed, five companies, including "C," were detached and sent to various points from the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains. From that time onward detachments of the 9^th served at widely scattered points, so the regiment was scarcely ever united as a single organization.
 

During its entire period of service the 9^th was employed in hazardous warfare engagements along the Kansas/Missouri border. There, it rendered valiant and faithful service against bushwhackers and irregular, guerilla forces of the enemy. These duties, as important as they may have been, provided little opportunity for the regiment to make a great name for itself.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  1; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 2; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 52; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 140.

SOLDIER: (3^rd)
No Information available
 

SOLDIER: (9^th)
Residence: Pottawatomie County, KS   Age:  23.1 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 2/27/62   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 6/30/62
Mustered Out: 2/25/65
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:
 

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Henry Saunders was created in April, 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.
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Henry Welcome Saunders was born 1/25/39. His place of birth was Madison County, NY.
 

Parents of Henry were Azem V.  (b. 4/24/09 NY - d. 10/27/78 Americus Lyon County, KS) and Purlina (nee King b. 7/28/12 NY - d. 8/8/94 Americus Lyon County, KS) Saunders. Azem Saunders occupation is not documented.
 

As best as can be determined, Henry was the second of six children produced by Azem and Purlina. Older than Henry was Brother Alvin L. Saunders (b. 12/28/34 NY). Younger than he were Rosaline A. Saunders (b. 11/12/44 NY), Helen M. Saunders (b. 9/22/48 WI) and Albert A. Saunders (b. 4/11/55 WI).
 

Noting the birth states of the Saunders children, at some point in time between 11/12/44 and 9/22/48 Azem moved his family from New York to Wisconsin. Further, sometime after 4.11/55 they had quitted Wisconsin and removed to Kansas. The U.S. Census for 1860 found the Saunders in Otoe, Otoe County, KS Terr. Indicating a post-1860 intra state move, during his later years "Squire" Saunders - as he was familiarly known - served as a justice of the peace in Americus Township Lyon County, KS.
 

On 2/27/62, while a resident of Pottawatomie County, KS Henry enlisted in the U.S. Army. His service regiment was the 9^th Kansas volunteer cavalry. Without accessing his military service records all that can be said about Private Saunders cavalry tenure is that he made an intra-regimental transfer from company "C" to company "A". Also he survived The War and returned to civilian life in July, 1865.
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On 6/2/69 in Walworth, WI Henry married. His bride was "Annie" E. Chapman. Her birthdate as well as when and how she and Henry had met are unknowns. Tragically, the marriage would be short.................
 

Henry and Annie's only child, Devillo Dewitt Saunders was born 2/24/70 in Rice County, KS. Annie likely died while - or not long after - giving birth to Devillo because the U.S. Census for that year found Henry and his five month old son living with Azem and Purlina in Americus Township Lyon County, KS. Annie was/is buried in the Americus Cemetery. 
 

By 1878 Henry had remarried.  The second Mrs. Henry Saunders was Emza Adleine "Addie" (nee Gabreath b. 1858 MS). Again, where and how the two had met are unknowns. The couple's first child, Ray E. Saunders, was born on 10/15/78 in Lyon County, KS.
 

Henry and Addie would produce two additional children before her death on 2/17/96. Those two children were: Maud Saunders (b. 3/80 KS) and Ralph Henry Saunders (b. 8/21/83 Emporia, KS). The Saunders family remained in Kansas until sometime during 1886.
 

According to Latham's newspaper obituary, in 1886 the Saunders   departed Kansas and took up homestead farming - likely growing wheat - in Adams County located in the eastern part of Washington Territory. What had drawn them to the Pacific Northwest community that became Ritzville is not known.
 

By the dawn of the twentieth century Addie was gone - no official record of her death or her final resting place has yet been found   - but widower Henry along with sons Devillo, Ray and Ralph continued to till the soil in Ritzville. Henry would continue to do so for the next two decades.
 

On 10/6/02, while in Ritzville Henry applied for and was granted a U.S. Government disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. Without access to his pension files, the details of that monthly stipend are unknown.
 

Circa 1924 Henry gave up farming in Ritzville and moved westward to the King County, Washington city of Seattle. It appears that moving to the Puget Sound region he took up residence with son Ralph who lived at 4135 Midvale Avenue just north of Lake Union in what is now Seattle’s Wallingford District.
 

Henry died in his son's home on 10/9/30. While heart issues appear to have been the primary reason for his passing, it must be remembered that - at death - the old Civil War soldier was ninety one years, eight months and fourteen days old. He had lived a long life.
 

Henry was/is buried in the Acacia Memorial Park then located north of Seattle in unincorporated King County. The cemetery grounds are now part of the City of Lake Forest Park.
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* William H. H. Knight reportedly served in Co. “G” of the 9^th Kansas Cavalry. He survived the war and was/is buried in the Acacia Memorial Park located north of Seattle in the city of Lake Forest Park.

Buried at Acacia Memorial Park Cemetery