Albert Hough Scranton

Albert Hough Scranton was born on May 26, 1846, in Concord, Jackson County, Michigan, the son of Elnathan (b. 1783) and Louisa (b. 1809).

New York native Elnathan, who had served as a Lieutenant in a New York militia regiment during the War of 1812, eventually left New York and moved westward, settling in Michigan. He was probably living in Jackson County by 1805 when he married his first wife, Lucretia Andrews, in Concord and he resided in Concord for many years. He married his second wife, Rebecca Hough in 1818, also in Concord, Jackson County, and his third wife, New York native Louisa in 1836, also in Concord. By 1850 Albert was attending school and living with his family in Grattan, Kent County.

Albert was 16 years old and living in Grattan, Kent County, Michigan when he enlisted in Company H, Twenty-first Michigan infantry, on August 7 or September 4, 1862. He was discharged for disability on December 21, 1862, in Louisville, Kentucky. He subsequently served in the Veteran’s Reserve Corps.

He returned to Michigan and stood 5’9” with black eyes, brown hair and a dark complexion and was an 18-year-old farmer possibly living in Kent County when he enlisted in Company E, Third Michigan infantry on January 18, 1864, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, and was mustered the same day. (He was possibly related to George Scranton who also enlisted in Company E.)

Albert joined the Regiment on February 10, was wounded on May 5 at the Wilderness, Virginia, and subsequently absent sick in the hospital in May of 1864. He was still hospitalized when he was transferred to Company E, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864, and he remained absent sick until he was mustered out, presumably on July 5, 1865, at Jeffersonville, Indiana.

After the war Albert returned to Michigan.

He was married to Michigan native Sarah J. (b. 1847) and they had at least three children: Mary Lula (b. 1869), Bertha B. (b. 1871) and Frances G. (b. 1877). They were still living in Michigan in 1869 but soon moved to Kansa and by 1870 Albert was working as a merchant and living with his wife and family in Centropolis, Franklin County, Kansas. They were still in Kansas in 1871.

Albert was living in Grand Rapids in 1875 and still in Michigan in 1877, but by 1880 was working as an agent for a sewing machine company and living with his wife and children in Medina village, Medina County, Ohio. By the turn of the century was residing at 4017 Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.

He was a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association.

In 1871 he applied for and eventually received a pension (no. 133896).

Albert probably died in late 1908 or early 1909.

In February of 1909 his widow applied for and received a pension (no. 677903). Sarah was probably living with her daughter Lula and her husband Edmund Blair in Chicago in 1920.