Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Douglas Storrs

16^th OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Fall and Winter, 1861
Mustered In: 9/1/1861
Mustered Out: 10/31/1864 Columbus, OH

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:
 

During the American Civil War (ACW) the 16^th Ohio was a three year, western theater infantry regiment. It was organized at Camp Chase Cleveland, OH, Wooster, OH and Zanesville, OH. It spent the winter of 1861/'62 in Kentucky.
 

In April, 1862 the regiment made a reconnaissance to the top of the Cumberland Mountains in the vicinity of Cumberland Gap. There, a brisk fight with the enemy cost the unit one killed and two wounded.
 

On 8/6/1862 the 16^th took part in the unfortunate affair at Tazwell, TN. Worse, during the disastrous Union assault at Chickasaw Bluffs, MS that December it lost three hundred eleven officers and men killed, wounded or captured.
 

1863 dawned for the 16^th at Arkansas Post, AR (1/9 - 11). It was next engaged in Mississippi at Thompson's Hill, Champion's Hill (5/16) and Black River Bridge as Union forces under the command of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant moved towards Vicksburg.
 

The 16^th then took a prominent part in the initial Federal May attacks on Vicksburg. During these engagements the regiment lost severely in killed and wounded.
 

After the fall of Vicksburg (7/4/1863) the regiment ordered to Jackson, MS. There, it participated in the siege and capture of that place. A movement was then made into Louisiana.
 

The 16^th remained in Louisiana until October, 1864 when it was ordered home. Not veteranizing, the regiment was mustered out of Federal service on 10/31/1864. With an original strength of over one thousand in 1861, only four hundred seventy seven original enlistees remained in the ranks at the time of discharge.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 2; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:  4; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 63; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 217.

SOLDIER:
Residence:  Inf. Not Avail.  Age: 20. 4 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 9/23/1861 Rank: Cprl.
Mustered In: 9/23/1861
Discharged For Disability: 10/22/1863
Highest Rank: Cprl.
Rank At Discharge: Cprl.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Douglas Storrs was created in September, 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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 Douglas Melloy Storrs was born on 4/26/1841. His place of birth was Macedonia, Ohio.
 

Parents of Douglas were Clark Newell Storrs (b. 1814 CT - d. 1897 North Muskegon County, MI) and Harriet (nee Belden b. 1818 NY - d. 1/25/1879 MI) Storrs.
 

The Storrs were not farmers. Perhaps that is why Clark and Harriet did not have a large family. During the U. S. Census tally of 1860 Clark noted that he was a grocer by trade. They produced only three known children: Madison E.  (b. 1837 OH **), Douglas and Julia (b.1845 OH).
 

In 1860 the Storrs were residing in Wooster Green Wayne County, OH. Although it is not noted in available documentation, that was likely where Douglas was living when, in September, 1861 he enlisted in the U.S. Army.
 

Corporal Storrs' enlistment was for three years. However, he served just over a year before being granted a disability discharge. Without accessing his military service and medical records the exact nature of the physical problem/problems on which his discharge was based in an unknown. The June, 1890 Special Schedule of Surviving Soldiers Sailors and Widows, Etc. mentions only that he was sidelined "on account of sickness."
 

As best as can be determined, after leaving the military Douglas returned to his parents' home. By 1870 that residence had been removed to Muskegon Muskegon County, MI. Under Clark's roof at the time were his wife, Harriet and sons Madison and Douglas. Douglas listed his employment as "laborer in mill."
 

The next information available pertaining to Douglas comes from 1881. On 2/2 of that year in Muskegon, MI he married. Mrs. Douglas Storrs was born Alice Doyle in Canada during 1855.
 

Within their time together Douglas and Alice produced two children. Both were daughters. The first, Elsie D. Storrs, was born 2/1883. The second, Julia E. Storrs, was born on 12/19/1884. Both births were in Michigan.
 

Sadly, on 12/26/1886 in Laketon Muskegon County, MI Alice died. Details of her passing are not known.
 

Following Alice's death Douglas and daughters removed from Michigan to Missouri. What drew Douglas to Missouri and exactly when he and his girls arrived there are unknowns. Based on the previously noted 1890 veterans schedule it appears they may have settled in Benton Wayne County, but Clearwater Twp. Genevieve Co. is also mentioned.
 

Circa 1890/'91 in Missouri Douglas remarried. The second Mrs. Storrs was Sibylla Melloy. Sibylla had been born on 2/9/1871 in Missouri. How, where and when the two had met are unkowns. However, one is lead to wonder if once the two met, the similarity of Douglas’ middle name (Melloy) and Sibylla's birth surname (Melloy) helped draw the couple together. 
 

Douglas and Sibylla would produce three children: Douglas Melloy Storrs (b. 8/29/1891 MO), Ruth S.E. Storrs (b. 8/1995 MO) and Dorothy M. Storrs (b. 5/1899 WA).
 

As noted by the birth states of Douglas and Sibylla's children, between the births of Ruth (1895) and Douglas (1899) the Storr family had removed from Missouri to the Pacific Northwest. Making the move were Douglas' two daughters by Alice and he and Sibylla's two children. Their third child was born here.
 

Drawing the Storrs family to the Puget Sound region of Washington State appears to have been the timber trade. In 1870 Douglas worked in a saw mill. By 1900 he resided in Snoqualmie King County, WA and owned one. 
 

Douglas M. Storrs died on 4/28/1891 in Snoqualmie (one source indicates Seattle) King County, WA. At passing he was two days past his sixtieth birthday. No death certificate has yet been located to denote the cause of his death. Burial was/is in the Fall City King County Cemetery. Fall City is a rural King County community located near Snoqualmie.
 

Even though during the ACW Corporal Douglas Storrs had been discharged from the service because of illness, he never sought to receive a U.S. Government disability pension based either on what ailment had prompted his service release or his period of service itself.
 

Following her husband's death Sibylla - with minor children to raise - requested an ACW veteran's widow pension. The request was granted, but without obtaining her pension files the details of the stipend remain unknown.
 

After Douglas died Sibylla remained in King County, but moved from Snoqualmie into the City Of Seattle. There, she shared a home with her children and step children.
 

During her remaining years - and she had many - Sibylla worked in Seattle as a retail salesperson. It appears she also may have attended a couple years of college!!
 

Sibylla Meloy Storrs died in Seattle on 4/13/1953. She was/is buried in Fall City beside Douglas.
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* The American Civil War Research Database shows Mr. Storrs’ first name as Douglass.

*.* Madison Storrs also served in Company "G" of the 16^th Ohio Infantry. He survived The War.

Buried at Fall City Cemetery