(NOTE: Presly S. Cunningham probably never had his portrait taken prior to the Civil War. However, during the 10 month period that the 86th Illinois was in the Nashville, Tennessee area in 1862-63, Presly, like most of the Union soldiers in the Nashville area, probably took the time to sit for a portrait to send home to the loved ones that he left behind. These portraits were made in the form of what was called a "deguerotype" or "tin type", or most often printed in the form of what was called a "CDV", which was a new fangled paper picture glued to a heavier card stock about the size of a modern day baseball card, and the soldiers didn't just have one or two copies of these made. Most of the time, they had a dozen or more made, so they could swap pictures with their tentmates, messmates and for their friends, in the 86th and back home.
Presly S. Cunningham then survived the war and lived well into the 20th century. During his life, Presly probably had his picture taken dozens of times. I would dearly love to see a copy of that CDV added to his Find A Grave site for all with an interest to see. However, at this point, I would be thrilled just to see some more pictures of him added to his Find A Grave Memorial, even more of him as an old man. Can anyone else help me? Thanks, Baxter)

Private PRESLY STUART CUNNINGHAM, Co. B, 86th Illinois

Presly Stuart Cunningham was born on April 10th or 18th, 1831 in Delaware, Delaware County, Ohio, the son of Joseph D. Cunningham, who us believed to have been born on June 10, 1807 in __________, Pennsylvania, though in the 1840 census, he is listed as being between 50 and 59, which would place his birth sometime between 1780 and 1790. Joseph is believed to have died c. 1840-41 in Ohio.
Nancy M. (__________) Cunningham was born on September 12, 1808 in Ireland and died on August 29, 1860 in Delaware, Delaware County, Ohio. The children born to Joseph and Nancy include;
1. Presly Stuart Cunningham, born April 10/18, 1831 in Delaware, Ohio. See his biography below.

2. Harriet P. Cunningham, October 1832 - 1849

3. Susannah Cunningham, October 1833 - before April 29, 1842

4. Rhoda J. Cunningham, 1836 - c. 1898, Rhoda was married to Ethan Willey on October 9, 1856 in Delaware County, Ohio.
Their children include;
A. Luellan Willey, born c. 1857 in Ohio.

B. Ada M. Willey, born c. 1861/62 in Ohio.

At the time of the 1870 census, Rhoda and her family are found in Delaware Township, Delaware County, Ohio;
Ethan A Willey M 35 Ohio, United States
Rhoda J Willey F 33 Ohio, United States
Luellan Willey F 13 Ohio, United States
Ada M Willey F 8 Ohio, United States

5. (Dau.) ____________ Cunningham, born between 1835 and 1840 in Delaware County, Ohio

At the time of the 1840 census, the Cunningham family is found in Delaware Township, Delaware County, Ohio as follows;
1 male between 50 and 59
1 male under 5
1 female between 40 and 49
1 female between 9 and 5
2 females under 5

After Presly's father died, sometime between 1841 and 1850, his mother, Nancy, married 2nd the Rev. John C. Havens, who was a widower. At the time of the 1850 census, The Rev. Havens and the combined Havens and Cunningham family is found in Delaware town, Delaware County, Ohio, where he is a M. E. Clergyman;
John C Haven M 48 New Jersey
Nancy Haven F 41 Ohio
A B Haven M 19 Ohio
Lucus A Haven M 14 Ohio
Rhoda J Cuningham F 14 Ohio

Presly Stuart Cunningham was married on June 22, 1852 in Delaware County, Ohio to Mary Grimes Faris, the daughter of Robert Faris and Margaret Jane (Irvin) Faris. Mary was born on May 27, 1833 in Delaware County. Robert was born in 1801 in Ohio County, Virginia (now West Virginia) and died in 1867 in Henry, Illinois in Marshall County. Margaret Jane (Irvin) Faris was born in 18__ in __________ and died in 1836 in Delaware County, Ohio when Mary was just two years of age.
Eight children are known to have been born to Presly Stuart Cunningham and Mary Grimes (Faris) Cunningham. They are;
1. Anna Josephine Cunningham; born July 3, 1853 in Delaware County, Ohio. Anna was married to William Franklin "Frank" Steere on May 19, 1872 in Ellsworth County, Kansas. William was born March 22, 1835 in North Woodstock, Connecticut and served in the Civil War in the artillery.
Their children include;
A. Harry Prestona Steere

B. Ernest Presley Steere

C. Flora Alton Steere

D. Alice Marion Steere

2. Ernest Oakley Cunningham, born February 15, 1856 in Whitefield Township of Marshall County, Illinois. Ernest was married to Florence Mary Campbell. They resided for many years in Langley, Kansas in Ellsworth County. Ernest died on December 8, 1939 and his mortal remains were laid to rest in the Langley Cemetery in Ellsworth Co. Kansas.

3. Flora Belle Cunningham, born June 10, 1857 in Whitefield Township of Marshall County, Illinois. Flora was married to James Roscoe Alton on __________ __, 18__. They eventually moved to East Woodstock, Connecticut.

4. Sarah Margaret Cunningham, born May 9, 1859 in Whitefield Township of Marshall County, Illinois. Sarah was married to Charles Robinson on __________ __, 18__. They resided for many years in Ellsworth County, Kansas.

5. Rosa Luella Cunningham, born September 22, 1861 in Whitefield Township of Marshall County, Illinois. Rosa died on ____________ __, 1863 in Marshall County, Illinois and her mortal remains were laid in the Mansfield Cemetery in Marshall County, Illinois. See her Find A Grave Memorial #85717453.

6. Elsie Verner Cunningham, born __________ __, 18__ at __________, __________. Elsie was married to T__________ E. Holt on __________ __, 18__. They also resided many years in Ellsworth County, Kansas.

7. Mary Cunningham, born and died in 1869 in Marshall County, Illinois. Her mortal remains are almost certainly buried near those of her sister, Rosa Luella Cunningham in the Mansfield Cemetery in Marshall County, Illinois.

8. Robert Faris Cunningham, born August 10, 1873 in Kansas. Robert died at the age of 10 weeks on October 24, 1873 and his mortal remains were laid in the ________________ Cemetery in ______________, Kansas.

Presly and Mary brought the family west to Illinois sometime between the summer of 1853 and the fall of 1854. There they settled in Whitefield Township in Marshall County, Illinois.
On August 12, 1862, Presly Stuart Cunningham volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in the Henry, Illinois area of Marshall County, by a man by the name of Elias C. Brearly. At the time he volunteered his name was somehow mistakenly spelled Presley.

ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name CUNNINGHAM, PRESLEY S
Rank PVT Company B Unit 86 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics
Residence WHITEFIELD, MARSHALL CO, IL Age 31 Height 6' 1 1/2 Hair BLACK
Eyes GRAY Complexion DARK Marital Status MARRIED Occupation FARMER
Nativity OH

Service Record
Joined When AUG 12, 1862 Joined Where PEORIA CO, IL
Joined By Whom CPT BREASLEY Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out N/A
Muster Out Where N/A Muster Out By Whom N/A
Remarks TRANS TO 1 VETERAN VOLUNTEER ENGINEERS JUL 25, 1864

A few days later, when Brearly had about 100 volunteers, he led the Marshall County volunteers into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Brearly and 88 of his volunteers were mustered into service as Co. B of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Brearly was elected Captain of Co. B.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, and boarded a train bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana. Three weeks later, the men of the 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 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 to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.
During the next two years, Private Presly Stuart Cunningham served faithfully in Co. B as the men of the 86th served in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. During this time, Presly 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 Chickamauga, Georgia; Resaca, Georgia; Rome, Georgia; Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia and Peach Tree Creek, Georgia.
Shortly after the Battle of Peach Tree Creek, volunteers were needed to beef up the Engineer Corps as there was a great need for men to repair railroads and to build bridges. On July 25, 1864, Private Presly Stuart Cunningham volunteered and was transferred to the Engineer Corps. He was transferred to the 1st Regiment of the Veteran Volunteer Engineers and according to his obituary, served in Co. G. His Invalid Card verifies this as well. Presly is believed to have served out the remainder of the war in the Engineers. The 1st Veteran Volunteer Engineer Regiment was organized at Chattanooga, Tennessee on August 30, 1864, by Col. William E. Merrill, under the Act of Congress of May 20, 1864, which authorized the enlistment for three years of any enlisted man who had served or was serving as a pioneer, pontonier or engineer. The regiment served with the Army of the Cumberland, but apparently never took the field in combat operations. However, in and about Chattanooga it constructed earthworks and revetments of Forts Creighton, Phelps, Putnam; and Redoubt Jones, and was engaged in such activities as building reserve magazines, the water works, and hauling and rafting lumber. The men of the 1st Regt. of V. V. Engineers were mustered out of the service on September 26, 1865, probably there in Chattanooga. So it appears that Private Presly Stuart Cunningham served the last year of the war in and around Chattanooga, Tennessee, helping to build a number of fortifications in and around Chattanooga. Private Presly Stuart Cunningham was probably discharged sometime after the war had come to a close, very likely in September of 1865, with the rest of the 1st and was most likely home in the early fall of 1865.
At the time of the 1870 census, Presly and his family are found in Whitefield Township, Marshall County, Illinois;
Presley S Cunningham M 38 Ohio
Mary Cunningham F 36 Ohio
Sarah Cunningham F 11 Illinois
Elsie Cunningham F 5 Illinois

In the late summer of 1870, the Cunninghams left Illinois and headed west for Kansas. They arrived in Ellsworth County, Kansas in November of 1870, settling on Clear Creek. Years later, Mrs. Presly's obituary states that, "at that time there were only three or four families in that neighborhood. They continued to live there until the fall of 1901, when they moved into town, where they have resided since."
At the time of the 1880 census, the Cunninghams are found in Empire Township, Ellsworth County, Kansas, where they are farming;
Presly S Cunningham Self M 49 Ohio, United States
Mary G Cunningham Wife F 47 Ohio, United States
Elsie B Cunningham Daughter F 14 Illinois, United States
Edward Faris Nephew M 10 Kansas, United States
Franklin Faris Nephew M 9 Kansas, United States
Manford Bailey Other M 15 Indiana, United States

In 1887, some of the surviving members of the 86th Illinois organized and held a reunion in Peoria during the week of August 27, 1887, the 25th Anniversary of the mustering in of the old 86th back in 1862. The reunion was attended by some 130 surviving veterans of the 86th and was such a success that it was decided that they would continue to hold these reunions in Peoria ever year on the August 27th anniversary. The reunions continued to grow in attendance for a number of years as more and more veterans found out about the reunion. It is believed that the men located Presly Stuart Cunningham in the early years of the reunion as he is believed to have stayed in contact with some of his pards back here in Central Illinois. However, Presly Stuart Cunningham never attended any of the reunions, which continued to held through the years 1923, the great distance to be traveled and the expense of making that trip undoubtedly playing a part.
In 1889, their mailing address was Kanapolis, Kansas, but they are known to have later moved to Ellsworth in Ellsworth County, Kansas. They remained in Ellsworth County the remainder of their lives.
Mary Grimes (Faris) Cunningham died on November 19, 1907 in Ellsworth, Kansas. THE SALINA EVENING JOURNAL edition of 21 Nov 1907 carried the following obituary;
"Ellsworth, Nov 21. - Mrs. Mary G. Cunningham aged 74, died of hemorrhage of the brain at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Thomas E. Holt, Tuesday morning. She was the wife of P. S. Cunningham, who survives her. They moved to this county in November, 1870, settling on Clear Creek. At that time there were only three or four families in that neighborhood. They continued to live there until the fall of 1901, when they moved into town, where they have resided since. Deceased leaves one son, E.C. Cunningham of Langl*y and four daughters, two of whom were at her bedside. The daughters are Mrs. Frank Steers and Mrs. Roscoe Alton, East Woodstock, Conn.; Mrs. Chas. Robinson and Mrs. T.E. Holt, Ellsworth. The funeral will be held Thursday at 2 o'clock, from the Presbyterian church and interment made in the Ellsworth cemetery, Rev. Allen conducting the services." This obituary was contributed by Dana Jenkins-Snellings, whose email address is [email protected]

Private Presly Stuart Cunningham died on July 31, 1911 in Ellsworth, Ellsworth County, Kansas.

by Jeanne Lee Cunningham and Baxter B. Fite III.
Jeanne Lee Cunningham
932 Lawrence Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66049
(home) 785-841-0000 or (work) 785-864-0355
[email protected] or [email protected]

(Baxter and Jeanne would enjoy hearing from anyone who might be able to add to the biography of Private Presly Stuart Cunningham or the Cunningham family. Baxter and Jeanne would also love to get a copy of any picture that may still exist of Presly, especially any of him in uniform from his days in the service, for his Find A Grave site and for the local Historical Society.