ALEXANDER JOHN DOUGLASS -- 153rd INFANTRYCLERK MOVED TO WISCONSIN - In 1840, six-year-old Alexander John Douglasswas living with his parents, James Van Rensselaer Douglass, who was amiller in Champlain, and his first wife, Nancy Maria Douglass. James andNancy's common ancestor, William Douglass, arrived in Massachusetts fromScotland in 1640.When he was 18 years old, Alexander enlisted in the 153rd Infantry inChamplain in August 1862. At the time, he was working as a clerk in astore there. He was mustered into Company H as a private and, by January1, 1863, he was promoted corporal and transferred to Company I.The regiment stayed in the Alexandria/Washington area performinggarrison and guard duty until March 1864, when it was sent to join theRed River Campaign in Louisiana for three months. While Alexander was onthe campaign, he was promoted to commissary sergeant. The 153rd cameback East to the Shenandoah Valley to confront General Jubal Early andAlexander was taken prisoner in early October near Strasburg, VA. At theend of the war, he made it back to his regiment, and participated in theGrand Review of the Armies in May 1865, then they were sent to Savannah,GA, for additional guard and provost duties. Alexander got home in lateOctober.He stayed in the Champlain area for a while, then moved to Racine, WI.By 1878 he had married Sarah Sanborn, who was born in Chelsea, VT, andthey had twin daughters -- Helen Rae and Daisy Mae. He supported hisfamily working as a salesman for sewing machines. Alexander died in 1894in Milwaukee and his wife received her Widows Pension until she died in1920.
