Theron E. Janes

Theron E. Janes, also known as “Jaynes,” born 1841 or 1843 in Wayne County, New York, the son of Charles Stewart (b. 1815) and Emily C. (Peckham, b. 1812).

New York natives Theron’s parents were probably married in New York and lived there for some years. Sometime between 1848 and 1850 Charles and his family left New York, probably with several of Charles’ siblings and possibly his parents as well. In any case, by 1850 Charles and his family were reportedly living with his younger brother Jesse and probably two of their sisters as well as their mother Julia, on a farm in Duplain, Clinton County, Michigan, where Theron attended school with his siblings. Charles took his family and settled in Owosso, Shiawassee County where by 1860 he was working as a plow-maker and Theron was living with the family.

Theron stood 5’8” with blue eyes, brown hair and a light complexion, and was 18 years old and probably still residing in Shiawassee County when he enlisted in Company G on May 13, 1861. Soon after the Third Michigan arrived in Washington, DC, he wrote a letter to his friend John Faxon, to apologize for not writing sooner. “Dear Friend,” he wrote on June 24, 1861, from Camp Blair, near Georgetown,

Hoping that you will forgive me for not writing to you before I now take the opportunity to write you but do not know how to commence. -- After leaving Duplaine I went to Owosso and joined my company which you are probably aware disbanded in a week or two after my arrival there. But not wishing to ‘give it up so’ I went to Grand Rapids and enlisted in the third Regiment for three years. . . . I have enjoyed myself very well since I left home, from the time we left Grand Rapids we were greeted at every station that we stopped at in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania with cheers and people passed through the cars with baskets loaded down with provisions. -- I had a fair view of the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains and . . . we passed through quite a number of tunnels dug through mountains and over very long bridges.

I have read my testament over half through and I have been enabled so far to resist the many temptations that surround me and I am determined to serve God as long as I live. Pray for me, my friends, that I with you make my way from earth to Heaven. I miss our prayer meetings very much but I hope to live to enjoy them again.

After saying that he hoped John would write soon, he closed with the postscript “I have heard it remarked that Gen. Scott said he would warrant we would all be discharged by the 1st of October.”

Theron was transferred to Company B on February 2, 1862, and reenlisted as a Musician on December 23, 1863, at Brandy Station, Virginia. He was presumably absent on veteran’s furlough in January of 1864 and probably returned to the Regiment on or about the first of February. He was transferred to Company E, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864, promoted Principal Musician on August 17, 1864, and transferred to the non-commissioned staff. On May 23, 1865, near Washington, DC, he was reduced to the ranks, for offense(s) unknown, and was transferred to Company H.

There is no further record, and no pension record seems to be available.

His parents were living in Duplain, Clinton County in 1870.