SIR HENRY WELLS -- 118th INFANTRYDIED OF TYPHOID 14 MONTHS AFTER ENLISTMENT - A man with the unusual name of Sir Henry Wells enlisted in Ellenburg in August 1862 He was the son of Jacob Wells and his wife, Thirza, who got 40 acres of land for his part in the War of 1812. In 1860, he and his parents were living on their farm in Ellenburg when he enlisted in the 118th Infantry.The regiment made their way to Washington and left the city on April 20, 1863, for the Siege of Suffolk. For a few days, they were in Camp Nansemond near Suffolk, then moved to Fort McClellan and starting on May 1st were at Fort Union for another two weeks.In mid-June they participated in the destruction of some of the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad near Suffolk then moved on to Yorktown by rail to camp there for a few days.On June 26th, the men got on transports to travel 40 miles upriver to White House on the Pamunkey River where they scattered as advance pickets on different roads. With General Dix's expedition they marched to the north of Richmond and on the night of July 4th received their first 11 casualties in the field.After the battle, the regiment marched to Yorktown and then moved on to Fort Keyes on Gloucester Point on the York River where they stayed for three months. The order then came to get on transports for Norfolk about 40 miles to the south. While encamped at Camp Barnes near Norfolk, Henry contracted typhoid and died in the Regimental Hospital in Norfolk on October 9th about a week after arriving in camp. No gravesite for him can be found.
