(Note: In 1911, the red silk sash that the ladies of Washington, Illinois gave Capt. William B. Bogardus when he came home on a short visit in 1863 was still in the family. Capt. Bogardus almost certainly wore this sash periodically during the war. If this sash still exists in the family today, or any other item Capt. Bogardus might have carried during the war is still in the family, it would be really neat to have these items photographed and pictures of those items added to his Find A Grave Memorial for all members of the family and all with an interest to be able to see. If any member of the family sees this and knows of such items, is it possible for you to photograph them and add pictures of those items to his Memorial? Thanks, Baxter)

Captain WILLIAM BOWEN BOGARDUS, Co. G, 86th Illinois

William Bowen Bogardus was born on October 10, 1822 in Shandaken, Ulster County, New York, the son of Henry Bogardus and Elizabeth "Eliza" (Quinlan) Bogardus. Henry Bogardus was born on Aug. 12, 1784 and was a veteran of the War of 1812, having served from the State of New York. Henry was the son of Peter Bogardus Jr. and Anna (De Witt) Bogardus. Peter Jr. was born in 1748 in New York, served in Col. Johannes Snyder's Ulster County, New York regiment, and died in 1820 in New York.
Henry Bogardus was married to Elizabeth Quinlan on __________ __, 18__ (c. 1816) at __________, __________. Elizabeth Quinlan was born on Oct. 17, 1785, the daughter of __________ Quinlan and __________ (__________) Quinlan. Three children are known to have been to Henry and Elizabeth. They include;
1. Henry DeWitt Bogardus, born c. June 30, 1818; died at the age of 20 on June 1, 1838 in or near Washington, Tazewell County, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid to rest in the Old Washington City Cemetery.

2. William Bowen Bogardus, born October 10, 1822 in Shandaken, Ulster County, New York; See his biography below.

3. Ann (or Anna) Eliza Bogardus, born c. September 22, 1827 in New York; Ann C. Bogardus is recorded as being married to John Wesley Eldridge (1827 - 1907) on January 16, 1851 in Tazewell County, Illinois; Ann died on April 28, 1914 and her mortal remains were laid in the Fairview Cemetery in Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas; See her Find A Grave site for more information about her and her family.

For his service, Henry Bogardus was given land in Illinois. Though already in the 50's, Henry and Eliza Bogardus brought their growing family west to Illinois in the 1830's, settling in Tazewell County. One of their children, Henry Dewitt Bogardus, died at the age of 20 in 1838 and was laid to rest in the Old Washington City Cemetery.
At the time of the 1850 census, the Bogardus family and the Maris family are found in Washington Township in Tazewell County, Illinois on August 21, 1850;
Family unit 66
Henry Bogardus 65 Carpenter RE 2,200 NY
Eliza Bogardus 64 Conn
William Bogardus 28 Carpenter NY
Elizabeth Bogardus 67 RE 600 NY
Ann Bogardus 63 RE 50 NY
Alfred Doty/Daly 18 Carpenter NY
Ann Eliza Doty/Daly 21 NY
Family unit 71
John Maris 73 None RE 100 PA
Tacy Maris 40 MD
Angeline Maris 23 MD
Margaret Maris 18 MD

Eliza (Quinlan) Bogardus died on Oct. 19, 1850 at the age of 65 years & 2 days. Her mortal remains were laid in the Old Washington Cemetery in Washington, Tazewell County, Illinois. Henry Bogardus died Nov. 13, 1852 and his mortal remains were also laid in the Old Washington City Cemetery in Washington, Tazewell County, Illinois.

Now to continue with the biography of William Bowen Bogardus;
William Bogardus was married to Angeline Mercer Maris on March 4, 1852 in Tazewell County, Illinois. Angeline was born on January 9, 1824 at __________, Maryland, the daughter of John Maris and Elizabeth (Reed) Maris. Four children are known to have been born to William and Angeline. They are;
1. Helen Rozella "Zella" or "Zellie" Bogardus, born February 13, 1853; Helen was married about 1872 in Texas to Clement Clay Potter (1847 - 1918), whose father was a Captain in the Confederate Army; At the time of the 1880 census, Zella and C. C. are found with their family in Gainesville, Texas;
C. C. Potter 32 Atty Law MS
Zella Potter 27 IL
Clem Potter 7 TX
Roy Potter 5 TX
Willie Potter 3 TX
Grace Potter 1/12 April 1880 TX

(Note: Grace Potter married Charles A. Kinnear, the son of Capt. George Kinnear, who served in the 47th Illinois during the Civil War and who was the brother of

Helen died on September 27, 1918 in Gainesville, Texas and her mortal remains were laid in the Fairview Cemetery in Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas; See her Find A Grave site for more information about her family.

2. Josephine J. Bogardus, born c. January of 1857; died November 21, 1857; buried in the Old Washington City Cemetery.

3. William H. "Willie" Bogardus, born October 1, 1859; died March 3, 1863; buried in the Old Washington City Cemetery.

4. Elizabeth May "Lizzie" Bogardus, born April 9, 1862; died October 18, 1872 in Gainesville, Texas.

At the time of the 1850 census of Tazewell County, William B. Bogardus is found in Washington Township;
Henry Bogardus M 65 New York
Eliza Bogardus F 64 Connecticut
William Bogardus M 28 New York
Elizabeth Bogardus F 67 New York
Ann Bogardus F 63 New York
Alfred Daly M 18 New York
Ann Eliza Daly F 21 New York

Up until about 1854, William B. Bogardus made his living as a Carpenter. However, another calling found William B. Bogardus and by 1854 he opened a "New Photographic Gallery", becoming one of the earliest photographers in the Washington Community. In the local newspaper, The Washington Investigator, the following ad ran in a number of issues during the year 1858;

NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY
Wm. Bogardus, operator in Daguerreotype, Ambrotype, Sphereotype and Malaineotype. Respectfully tenders his services to the citizens of Washington and vicinity trusting his pictures need only be seen to be appreciated; his prices are unprecidentedly low, 75 cents and upwards. He keeps constantly on hand a fine assortment of frames, cases and gold lockets. Likenesses taken equally well in any weather. Office over R. Dements store.

R.C. Dement's "Dry Goods" store advertised as "Brick Store, one door north of Anthony's Stove Shop, Washington, Tazewell County, Ill." R. C. Dement also advertised "PRODUCE dealer, Brick Store, one door north of the Public Square." Interesting to note that the office of David Kyes, Attorney and Counselor at Law, i.e., brother-in-law of William B. Bogardus, was described as "Over Dement's store, entrance at the first door north of Anthony & Rook's tin shop." Bogardus sold his pictures for "75 cents and upwards" and also kept a supply of frames, cases and gold lockets.

Bogardus must have enjoyed learning because after his death, among the books that were in his collection were Kane's Chemistry, Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, Clark's Commentary of the New Testiment and The Life of Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and a book on the life of Nepoleon. Bogardus was also a frequent participant during the late 1850's for a group called the Lyceum. He debated such issues as "Was the late war with Mexico justifiable on the part of the United States?", "Should women be allowed the privilege of the elective franchise?" and "Ought Cuba to be annexed to the United States, even at the risk of war with Spain?"

Carol Dorward, of Washington, Illinois wrote the following about the location of Bogardus' photography studio. "The WASHINGTON INVESTIGATOR newspaper, of Washington, Illinois carried the following notice, 'R. C. Dement is building a good store on the corner, near the dwelling of Dr. Wood. It is to be two stories in height, and is large enough to make a first rate business house. Our friend G. W. Gayle has the contract, and that is sufficient guaranty (sic) that the work will be done in the best manner.' Mr. Richard C. Dement, during the 1850's was a river boat owner, trader and postmaster at Spring Bay. He also had business interests in Washington. His merchantile, including groceries and dry goods, was located across the street in the brick building of Peter Fifer's (at the location of 107 North Main). This building also housed the places of business for a jeweler, William Carpenter, and the Daguerrean Gallery of William B. Bogardus. A tornado on May 28, 1858 did a great amount of damage to this building; The large windows in the north side of Mr. Fifer's building, second story, were burst in, breaking glass and sash. Mr. Bogardus' daguerrean gallery, in the front end of the second story, met a similiar fate. The screen torn to pieces, and chairs dashed across the room and piled up against the front windows, the upper casements of which were broken out and scattered over the floor and sidewalks. Mr Carpenter's shop, adjoining, suffered the loss of its cornice, the front wall sprung some inches toward the street; the west window crushed out, and the whole building racked in a sad manner."

At the time of the 1860 census of Tazewell County, William B. Bogardus is listed as an Artist;
Wm. B. Bogardus 37 Artist RE 2300 PE 1000 NY
Angeline Bogardus 35 MD
Helen Bogardus 7 ILL
Wm. Bogardus 8/12 ILL
Angeline Simmons 15 ILL

In the summer of 1862, after President Abraham Lincoln made his appeal for more soldiers, William B. Bogardus decided he had to do his part in the war and decided to try and raise a company of men from the Washington area and Tazewell County. Once word got out, Thomas B. Lane and Amos Shreve, possibly close friends of William's, are believed to have been his first recruits, volunteering to serve along side Bogardus on August 8th, 1862. On Saturday morning, August 9th, 1862, Bogardus opened up a recruiting office in Washington and on that first day of recruiting more than 40 men, almost half of a company, came in from the Washington, Deer Creek and Morton communities to sign the Volunteer Rolls. That evening, an article in the Peoria Daily Transcript read;

"RECRUITING IN WASHINGTON
William B. Bogardus is busily engaged in organizing a company at Washington -- Those who wish to join should do so immediately, as the company is filling up rapidly, and he has already thirty-eight men. Roll in, soldiers, and let Washington have the credit of sending in the next company. He wishes to go into camp at this city on Wednesday."

Bogardus did no recruiting on the Sabbath, but on Monday, August 11th, 1862, the recruiting office doors were open again and more than a dozen more men came from their homes and fields and stores to volunteer to serve in the Tazewell County company. By noon on the 15th day of August, after only a week of recruiting, Bogardus had more than 90 volunteers, some of the best men that Tazewell County had to offer. It is believed that early that afternoon, Bogardus led his company through the streets of Washington on a march into Peoria. Undoubtedly hundreds of citizens from the Washington, Morton and Deer Creek communities came to town to see the Tazewell County company off to Peoria and probably followed them all the way there.

ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES
Illinois Civil War Detail Report

Name BOGARDUS, WILLIAM B Rank CPT
Company G Unit 86 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics
Residence WASHINGTON, TAZEWELL CO, IL
Age 40 Height 5' 7 1/2 Hair DARK
Eyes BLUE Complexion FAIR
Marital Status MARRIED Occupation ARTIST
Nativity SHANDAKEN, ULSTER CO, NY

Service Record
Joined When AUG 9, 1862
Joined Where WASHINGTON, IL
Joined By Whom W B BOGARDUS Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862
Muster In Where CAMP PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom
Muster Out
Muster Out Where
Muster Out By Whom
Remarks DIED APR 13, 1865 OF WOUNDS PVTD MAR 19, 1865 NEAR BENTONVILLE NC

Once at Peoria, the Washington company went into camp at the Peoria County Fairgrounds, which had been selected as one of two sites in Peoria to assemble the various regiments from Central Illinois. Initially called Camp Mather, it was now called Camp Lyon, after General Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union General to be killed in combat in August of 1861. Camp Lyon was located about one mile from the Peoria Public Square, across Prospect Avenue from what is today Glen Oak Park. Levi A. Ross, a member of the Princeville company, soon to be Co. K of the 86th, described the camp thusly. "Horse stalls for sleeping bunks. Plenty of straw. Comfortable quarters and plenty to eat."
The men received their first uniforms on the evening of August 15th and soon began learning the drills of the day. Elections were held by the men of the Tazewell County company. Bogardus was elected their Captain. Solomon L. Zinser, of Washington, was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant. Martin Kingman, of Washington, just barely 18 years of age, but a veteran of one of the Washington Militia units, was elected to serve as 2nd Lieutenant. Frederick S. Shearer, of Washington, was elected to serve as 1st Sergeant. On August 27, 1865, after being examined by a Regimental Surgeon, Bogardus and 86 of his volunteers were mustered into the service. Bogardus' name was the seventh name to be pulled out of a hat, so the Tazewell County company was assigned as Co. G of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
On September 6, 1862, weapons were issued, the 86th receiving Model 1854 Austrian Rifled Muskets. The following day at 8:00 A.M. September 7, 1862, over 1,800 soldiers of the 85th and 86th Illinois marched out of the gates of Camp Lyon through the streets of Peoria to the Railroad Depot, bound for as Ross stated, "the seat of war in Kentucky."
The streets were lined with thousands of cheering citizens and friends of the soldiers, along with many a weeping mother, wife, and girlfriends of the departing troops. Captain William Bowen Bogardus was proudly leading the fine looking Tazewell County company. At the depot, the last goodbyes were said and tears were shed and the men and boys boarded the trains bound for Camp Joe Holt in Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
Three weeks later, the men of the 85th and 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, chasing the Confederate troops in Kentucky. On Oct. 8th, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more in the coming years. After the Union victory at Perryville, the Confederate Army withdrew from Kentucky and McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee, where they went into winter camp.
On March 3, 1863, while the 86th was encamped in or near Nashville, back in Washington, Illinois, William B. Bogardus' son, William H. "Willie" Bogardus, died at the age of 3. Captain William B. Bogardus is believed to have returned home only once during time in service and this was sometime in 1863. In August of 1911, in a letter written to the Honorable A. G. Danforth, Mrs. Zella (Bogardus) Potter, the only surviving child of William B. Bogardus, wrote the following of her father's return home. "My father only visited home once after he went into the army. That was in '63. His visit was greatly shortened on account of having been snowbound on the way home. While at home, a number of ladies called and presented him with a red silk sash, together with a paper in which they expressed their warm regard for him. There were fifteen or more ladies who called to present the paper and sash and they all signed the paper. The paper and sash I have in my home, and both are fondly treasured as precious heirlooms."
During the next two years, Capt. William Bowen Bogardus would lead the Tazewell County company as the men of the 86th served in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina. During this time, Bogardus was witness to and a participant in numerous battles and skirmishes, some of the bloodiest fighting in the Western Theatre of the war, including the Battles of Chicakamauga, Georgia; Resaca, Georgia; Rome, Georgia, Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia; Peach Tree Creek, Georgia; Jonesboro, Georgia; to name a few and marched with Sherman to the Sea.
On March 3, 1863, while Captain Bogardus and the men of the 86th were at Nashville, Tennessee, Captain William B. Bogardus' only son, Willie, died back in Washington, Illinois. Willie was laid to rest in the Old Washington City Cemetery.
On February 9, 1865, while Captain Bogardus and the men of the 86th were in South Carolina heading up the Savannah River on a Raid, Angeline Mercer (Maris) Bogardus died exactly a month after celebrating her 41st birthday. Her earthly remains were laid to rest in the Old Washington City Cemetery. It was probably some time before Capt. Bogardus would find out about the death of his wife.
On March 16, 1865, during the Carolina Campaign, which was destined to help bring the war to a close, the 86th was engaged in what became known as the Battle of Averysboro, NC (aka Averasborough, Smith's Mill, or Black River). Sgt. Ross made the following entry for the 16th of March. "A pretty serious day for Co. 'K'. We found the enemy strongly entrenched at Averysboro, N.C. Co. K was sent out to the skirmish line and soon provoked a fire from the enemy. A number of the boys were wounded and Capt. French killed. I hastened to his side. The ball entered at his shoulder and ranged downward. He was lying with his face down when hit, hence, the ball reached his vital parts. As I crawled to his side, he raised his hand to take mine, saying: 'Orderly, take good care of the boys. I've got my death shot.' Four of us carried him back to the tent hospital where he lingered until nearly midnight, going off to sleep under the influence of morphine. I undertook to watch by his side, and dropped off into a deep sleep. When I awoke my Captain and friend had also fallen into a deep sleep from which from which it will require the trump of Gabriel to awake him." Like Bogardus, Captain French had recruited and led this company of Princeville boys for nearly three years and now just days before the war would come to an end, Capt. French was dead.
At the time of French's death, Bogardus was the oldest of the original Company Commanders still with his company. Back in August of 1862, Bogardus was less than 2 months short of his 40th birthday. Even at that time, of the original 912 volunteers in the 86th, there weren't 30 men in the entire regiment as old as he was. Only one Company Commander was older at that time and he had resigned. Of the original Company Commanders, two had been promoted, two had resigned, one had been promoted and then resigned, and now French was dead. Including Bogardus, only four of the original Company Commanders were still with their company and Bogardus, now 42 years old, was far and away the oldest. Now most of those "old men" were gone. If nothing else, Captain William B. Bogardus had to be considered a pretty tough old man. As for his leadership abilities, only one opinion has been found to date and keep in mind that enlisted men often have a natural dislike for the commanding officers. In a letter written on __________ __, 186__, Corporal George W. Ferner wrote, "Captain Bogardus is a good man to get along with but he is not fit to command a Co. or anything else. He has no more judgment about him than a child five years of age. The boys are down on him and he has been requested to resign different times and go home to his family but no he must hang to the Co. like another fool altho I dont wish him any harm Sol (Lt. Solomon Zinser apparently) and him can('t) get along at all."
On the morning of Sunday, March 19th, 1865, Captain William B. Borgadus rose and like most mornings for the past 2 and a half years watched as the Tazewell County company was assembled for the days duties. Little did he know that this was the last time he would see this happen. That morning, of the 86 men who had been mustered in to the Tazewell County company, about 40 remained. Capt. Bogardus had led them and watched as disease, and illness and Confederate lead had taken good Tazewell County men from the ranks. He had led them through some of the countries darkest days and through some of the bloodiest battles of the war. Now almost half of them were gone. There were now about a dozen newer recruits there that brought his company strength up to just over 50.
In his HISTORY OF THE 86TH REGIMENT, J. R. Kinnear wrote, "Early on the morning of' the 19th, the 14th Corps, being in advance of the 20th on the same road, marched directly on to Bentonville. On arriving at that place it soon discovered the enemy in force, strongly intrenched on the further side of a difficult swamp. The 1st division, driving back his cavalry and skirmishers, took a position on the left of the road, and the 2nd division to the right of the same. These divisions set to work and built log breastworks.
As soon as General Slocum ascertained that the combined forces of Hoke, Hardee and Cheatham, all under command of rebel General Johnston, were massed in his front, he ordered the two divisions of the 20th Corps to form on the left of the 14th Corps, at the same time ordering up the two divisions that were back with the supply trains. Meantime the enemy sallied out on the left flank of the 1st division of the 14th Corps, driving it back pell-mell, then pushing forward, struck the flank and rear of the 2nd division.
At this juncture our brigade was moved out from the works on the double-quick to cover its left flank. Before it got its lines formed the rebels were upon it, and in the battle and confusion that ensued it was driven back, but forming again it threw up logs and rails for protection, which it held against six or seven successive charges. The giving back of our brigade left exposed the rear of the other two brigades. These brigades were formed in two lines, and were now attacked furiously in front and rear. Therefore the rear line changed sides of its works, and thus the advance of the enemy was met from both ways. These brigades fought heroically, and after a most desperate engagement came out victors, severely chastising the enemy, and capturing over three hundred prisoners. It was about this stage of the game that the 20th Corps was brought up to our assistance, Johnston's forces driven back, and our lines mended. Our trains would certainly have been captured had it not been for the timely arrival of these fresh troops, for they were brought up close in the rear of the lines of battle, as there was no engagement with the enemy anticipated.
Finally, when the battle began to rage in all its fury, there arose a panic among them far surpassing what had happened in the fight. The approaching storm of the battle seemed to them to be against us, and the conclusion was, there was no safety but in flight. Teamsters began to flee to the rear with their teams, and ambulance drivers with their ambulances. Each tried to outrun the rest, for all were eager to be foremost; consequently, in the jumble and excitement that ensued, no headway could be made. In trying to head each other off, they stuck fast in the swamp. The drivers did not try to extricate their vehicles, but mounting mules fled for a serener sky.
There had certainly been a mixed time with the rear gentry as could be seen the next morning. From the time the enemy made his first attack until dark there was an incessant roar of artillery and musketry. It was the days of Chickamauga renewed. Our artillery did good execution, and its deafening roar was awful in that dismal swamp.
Night ended this dreadful battle. It was fought in a low, difficult swamp, with mud and water over shoe mouth in depth, then it was densely covered with a thick growth of shrubs, briars and vines, closely interwoven. Judge the difficulty of such a place during a desperate engagement.
When the 3rd brigade was thrown out on the flank of the division, the Eighty-sixth Illinois was met by the enemy before it had formed its lines, Colonel Fahnestock ordering it to lie down and maintain its own, which it succeeded in doing for about ten minutes when the enemy struck it in flank, forcing it back several hundred yards, where it formed again and threw up a slight protection by means of logs and rails, with its left resting on the main road. Here it remained, holding its own, during the desperate charges made by Johnston on our lines.
In this day's fight, General Feering was wounded, and Colonel Langley took command of the brigade. Soon after the battle had ceased, the enemy fell back to his main line of works; our forces following up on the 20th, and taking position, built breastworks."
After the battle, it was found that the 86th Illinois had 2 men killed outright and 21 men were wounded, for a total of 23 casualties. Of the wounded, five would die from their wounds. Company G had suffered the most, having one man, Private James Hodgeson, killed and six men wounded, including Capt. Bogardus, 1st. Lt. Solomon L. Zinser, Corporal David Birkett, and Privates Thomas Everhart, James Trowbridge and James Parker, three of whom, Bogardus, Birkett and Everhart, would die from their wounds.
The reports of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois state that Captain William Bowen Bogardus died from his wounds on Thursday, April 13th, 1865, the day before President Abraham Lincoln would be assassinated near Bentonville, North Carolina.
However, 1st Lieutenant Solomon L. Zinser, who was elected by the men of Co. G to serve as their Captain after the death of Capt. Bogardus, spoke at the first reunion of the 86th Illinois in 1887 and related the following about the events surrounding the Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina. His speech was entitled "OUR LAST BATTLE." In this speeech, he mentioned the following pertaining to the death of Captain Bogardus. "I tell you comrades, I am proud of my old regiment in 'our last battle.' We lost one killed and twenty-two wounded. Among the wounded was Capt. Bogardus, of Company G. He died of his wounds on his way home. Several others died in the hospital."
Captain Bogardus did live for nearly four weeks after his wounding and depending how badly he was originally wounded may have had some opportunity to head home. If Capt. Bogardus started for home after his wounding, he must not have gone far, if he actually started at all, as it appears he most likely died in an army hospital near Bentonville. If he died in an army hospital near Bentonville, there were probably a number of officers who would have seen to that his body was sent home. If he did make it some distance home, them perhaps someone from the 86th was traveling with him as someone saw to it that his body was sent on to Washington, Illinois.
Carol Dorward wrote the following in an email to me in March of 2014;
"[Note: For what it is worth, Rev. John Borland was the minister who preached a dual memorial service for Capt. William B. Bogardus and his Commander-in-Chief, President Abraham Lincoln. Borland must have been in Washington Twp. during part of the mid-1860s. According to an account by one of the Bogardus daughters, Capt. Bogardus' body returned to a black-draped community, which had actually been draped in black for Lincoln. This service was held in the wooden frame Methodist church when it was located on East Jefferson street.]"
The day of William B. Bogardus' funeral, May 4, 1865, was the same day that President Abraham Lincoln's body was being laid to rest in Springfield, Illinois and the Washington, Illinois town square was already draped in black in honor of the President. Captain William Bowen's Bogardus' earthly remains were laid in the Old Washington Cemetery in Washington, Illinois, next to those of his wife of 12 years. Bogardus was honored for his service to the community of Washington and to the county when the local G.A.R. Post was formed years later, it took as it's name the William B. Bogardus Chapter # 474.
With the passing of their mother on February 9, 1865 and the death of their father on April 13, 1865, 12 year old Helen R. "Zella" Bogardus and 3 year old Elizabeth M. "Lizzie" Bogardus found themselves orphans. In the same letter that is mentioned above, Zella wrote the following in 1911 about those times. "My mother having died a few months before my father's death, I and my little sisters were left orphans and we went to live with my aunt, Mrs. John Eldridge, who, in 1870, moved to Texas, where I married in 1871 and where I have lived ever since." Elizabeth M. "Lizzie" Bogardus died there in Gainesville, Texas in 1872, leaving Zella the only living descendant of William B. Bogardus and Angeline Mercer (Maris) Bogardus.
At the time of the 1870 census, John Eldridge and Anna Aliza (Bogardus) Eldridge are found residing in Normal, McLean County, Illinois;
John Eldridge 43 Farmer RE 2800 PE 5500 NY
Ann Eldridge 42 Housekeeper NY
Henry Eldridge 18 Student ILLS
Ida Eldridge 15 Student ILLS
Zellie Bogardus 17 Adopted ILLS
Lizzie Bogardus __ Adopted ILLS

In the May 21, 1914 edition of the THE WASHINGTON POST AND NEWS, published in Washington, Illinois, the following notice was printed on page 3;
"DEATH OF MRS. ELDRIDGE, FORMERLY ANNA E. BOGARDUS
We have received a letter from Mrs. H. E. Eldridge, of Gainesville, Tex., announcing the death of Mrs. J. W. Eldridge, formerly Anna Eliza Bogardus, who passed her girlhood in Washington. She and her husband, John Eldridge, were married in this city. He died seven years ago, and her son Henry E. Eldridge, the only remaining child, passed away very suddenly December 11, 1909. Her brother, Capt. Wm. Bogardus and wife rest in our cemetery. The letter further states that Mrs. Eldridge enjoyed reading the Post and News and never tired of talking of those she had known and loved in the 'long ago.' A paper containing an obituary notice was mailed us, but it must have been mislaid for it was not noticed."

By Carol Dorward, Deb McCallister and Baxter B. Fite III

(Baxter would enjoy hearing from anyone, especially descendants of the Bogardus family, who might be able to add to the biographical material that we have on William B. Bogardus and the Bogardus family. Baxter would also love to see copies of any other photographs of William B. Boagardus that may have survived the years, added to his Find A Grave site for all to see.)