HENRY J. ANNIS -- 118th INFANTRYFROM THE HORSE AND BUGGY TO THE AUTOMOBILE AGE - In July 1862, therecruiter for the 118th Infantry, 1st Lieut. John S. Boynton, enlistedHenry J. (or G.) Annis into his company, Co. K, to serve for 3 yearsunder Captain John S. Stone. Captain Stone was later killed at Drewry'sBluff in 1864. The Saranac, Grand Army of the Republic Post No. 352 wasnamed after him.\Henry was from Peru, and was working as a farm laborer when he decidedto go to war. The regiment was organized in Plattsburgh and Henry foundhimself in a company that was recruited mainly from the Au Sable, BlackBrook and Peru area. The regiment mustered on August 30 and by September3, they left the state for Washington.The 118th served in and around the capital through the fall and winterand in April 1863, found itself at the Siege of Suffolk, VA. In July,they had their first casualties at South Anna Bridge, VA, where 3 mendied from their wounds, another 6 were injured and 2 went missing.By May 1864 they were at the operations against Richmond and Petersburgwhere they had their heaviest engagements at Drewry's Bluff on May 14through the 16th. It was here they lost 3 officers and 52 soldiers onthe battlefield. In total, during the month of May, they had 56 menkilled, 97 wounded and 46 missing in action.The 118th moved on to Cold Harbor, then back to Petersburg and Richmond.At Chaffin's Farm and Fair Oaks, they had heavy casualties in the fallof 1864. Finally, on April 2, 1865, Petersburg fell.\They mustered out on June 13, 1865, having lost by death during service,6 officers and 98 enlisted men, killed and mortally wounded; 188enlisted men by disease and other causes, a total of 292; of whom 45died in Confederate prisons.Henry made it through the war, although he did spend a couple of monthsin military hospitals in Washington in 1863.He returned to Peru, and later moved to Michigan with his wife andadopted son. In 1920, he was living with his son, Gillman Huntingdon,who took the name Annis, in the Village of Buchanan, MI. Gillman was amachinist in an auto factory.Henry died in 1922 and is buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery there, withhis wife Dexalana, his son and his daughter-in-law, Waivae.To see a list of Annis family members who were in the Civil War, go to: http://www.angelfire.com/mi/annisall/AllHonorCW2.html
