Individual Details
William W Knowles
(25 April 1833 - 3 June 1863)
William W. Knowles is our 2nd great grandfather by this path:
RWA → Fred Pemberton Abbott → Mary Emma Knowles Abbott → William W.Knowles
Although William is not our only ancestor to serve in the Civil War, he is the first I have located who died during the war. William was born in 1833 in Maine to Daniel Knowles and Emeline Foss. On September 27, 1856, he married Mary West (1837-1912) (daughter of James West and Hannah Ballard MacIntire) in South Bridgewater. A few years later, William’s sister, Flavilla Knowles, married John West, Mary’s brother. A third Knowles sibling, Emeline, also made the move to Massachusetts. William and Mary resided in Abington, Massachusetts and had three children: Luella (Noonan) born in 1857, Willieta born in 1858, and Mary Emma (Abbott) born in 1861. Willietta died in childhood. William was a shoemaker (we have a very large number of shoemakers in our family).
William enlisted April 30, 1861 in the 4th Regiment Massachusetts Infantry. He was discharged from that unit July 22, 1861. He again enlisted July 24, 1862 in the 38th Regiment Massachusetts Infantry. This regiment lost a total of 151 men, 20 killed and 131 died of disease. William was a private. The 38th regiment was mustered In September, 1862 at Camp Joe Hooker in Lakeville, Massachusetts. The regiment moved to New York in December, 1862 and then to New Orleans in January, 1863 under the command of Captain Charles Doten.
Initially, the situation in the camp in New Orleans went well, but soon after there were torrential rains and conditions in the camp deteriorated rapidly with numerous health issues with the troops. On March 5, 1863, the regiment moved north to Baton Rouge and was heavily engaged in the Battle of Fort Bisland (April 12-13, 1863). Captain Doten had fallen ill and had deteriorating health, but apparently had political influence as he was discharged on May 30, 1863; he returned to his home in Plymouth where he lived until 1918. William Knowles, being a private, was not so lucky. William died of disease (specific illness unknown) on June 3, 1863 in New Orleans. He was buried in what is described as “Hospital Cemetery” in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana.
William’s widow Mary later married Elijah G. Stevens (1828-1897). Mary and Elijah are buried at the Melrose Cemetery in Brockton, Massachusetts. The gravestone also commemorates William Knowles. (http://forums.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=122337849
I believe that in the 1850 Census, William is living with John and Jane Everett in Embden, Maine. They were a couple in their 60's. John Everett's sister Lucy had married a William Knowles, so our William may have gone to stay with this couple as he neared adulthood. The William Knowles who married Lucy Everett is the brother of our William's grandfather Daniel Knowles.
So another option is that he is the son of Daniel Knowles the grandfather who died in 1844. There would have to have been a second wife for that Daniel in order for that to be the case. But Sally was still alive in 1850 and living with her son John Knowles, so that is not the case.
In the 1855 Massachusetts Census, he is living in Bridgewater in something that seems almost like a boarding house -- there are several single young adults with different names living together; there are six young men all with different last names and all with occupation of shoemaker. The form is downloaded for further research. But the "head" of the household is Silvia Kingman and Mary West has a Kingman grandmother. Silvia is Silvia Hollis who was married to Lucas Kingman. These particular Kingmans seem to be cousins of the Kingman line that Mary West comes from.
RWA → Fred Pemberton Abbott → Mary Emma Knowles Abbott → William W.Knowles
Although William is not our only ancestor to serve in the Civil War, he is the first I have located who died during the war. William was born in 1833 in Maine to Daniel Knowles and Emeline Foss. On September 27, 1856, he married Mary West (1837-1912) (daughter of James West and Hannah Ballard MacIntire) in South Bridgewater. A few years later, William’s sister, Flavilla Knowles, married John West, Mary’s brother. A third Knowles sibling, Emeline, also made the move to Massachusetts. William and Mary resided in Abington, Massachusetts and had three children: Luella (Noonan) born in 1857, Willieta born in 1858, and Mary Emma (Abbott) born in 1861. Willietta died in childhood. William was a shoemaker (we have a very large number of shoemakers in our family).
William enlisted April 30, 1861 in the 4th Regiment Massachusetts Infantry. He was discharged from that unit July 22, 1861. He again enlisted July 24, 1862 in the 38th Regiment Massachusetts Infantry. This regiment lost a total of 151 men, 20 killed and 131 died of disease. William was a private. The 38th regiment was mustered In September, 1862 at Camp Joe Hooker in Lakeville, Massachusetts. The regiment moved to New York in December, 1862 and then to New Orleans in January, 1863 under the command of Captain Charles Doten.
Initially, the situation in the camp in New Orleans went well, but soon after there were torrential rains and conditions in the camp deteriorated rapidly with numerous health issues with the troops. On March 5, 1863, the regiment moved north to Baton Rouge and was heavily engaged in the Battle of Fort Bisland (April 12-13, 1863). Captain Doten had fallen ill and had deteriorating health, but apparently had political influence as he was discharged on May 30, 1863; he returned to his home in Plymouth where he lived until 1918. William Knowles, being a private, was not so lucky. William died of disease (specific illness unknown) on June 3, 1863 in New Orleans. He was buried in what is described as “Hospital Cemetery” in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana.
William’s widow Mary later married Elijah G. Stevens (1828-1897). Mary and Elijah are buried at the Melrose Cemetery in Brockton, Massachusetts. The gravestone also commemorates William Knowles. (http://forums.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=122337849
I believe that in the 1850 Census, William is living with John and Jane Everett in Embden, Maine. They were a couple in their 60's. John Everett's sister Lucy had married a William Knowles, so our William may have gone to stay with this couple as he neared adulthood. The William Knowles who married Lucy Everett is the brother of our William's grandfather Daniel Knowles.
So another option is that he is the son of Daniel Knowles the grandfather who died in 1844. There would have to have been a second wife for that Daniel in order for that to be the case. But Sally was still alive in 1850 and living with her son John Knowles, so that is not the case.
In the 1855 Massachusetts Census, he is living in Bridgewater in something that seems almost like a boarding house -- there are several single young adults with different names living together; there are six young men all with different last names and all with occupation of shoemaker. The form is downloaded for further research. But the "head" of the household is Silvia Kingman and Mary West has a Kingman grandmother. Silvia is Silvia Hollis who was married to Lucas Kingman. These particular Kingmans seem to be cousins of the Kingman line that Mary West comes from.
Events
| Birth | 25 April 1833 | Somerset County, Maine |  | ||
| Marriage | 27 September 1856 | North Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts - Mary West | |||
| Residence | 1860 | Abington, Plymouth, Massachusetts | | ||
| Death | 3 June 1863 | of disease while serving with the 38th Massachusetts Infantry - New Orleans, Louisiana | | ||
| Occupation | cordwainer | ||||
| Burial | Hospital Cemetery, Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, |
Families
| Spouse | Mary West (1837 - 1912) |
| Child | Luella F Knowles (1857 - 1909) |
| Child | Willietta Knowles (1858 - 1865) |
| Child | Mary Emma Knowles (1861 - 1941) |
| Child | Elmer Ellsworth Knowles (1864 - 1870) |
| Father | Daniel Knowles (1808 - 1873) |
| Mother | Emeline Foss (1811 - 1891) |
| Sibling | Wright Knowles (1829 - 1829) |
| Sibling | Flavilla Knowles (1839 - 1882) |
| Sibling | Emeline Knowles (1841 - 1905) |
| Sibling | Daniel Knowles (1844 - 1913) |
| Sibling | Warren Knowles (1847 - 1864) |
| Sibling | Mary E Knowles (1850 - 1868) |
| Sibling | Wright Knowles (1835 - ) |