Sunday, June 10, 2007

William Banner

William Banner, also known as “Bannen” or “Bonner”, was born in 1829.

In 1850 there was a William Bonner, born around 1822 in New York, working as a farmer and living with his wife Charlotte, age 23 also born in New York, and their one-year-old son Henry, born in Michigan, in Homer, Calhoun County.

According to one source William may have been living in Ottawa County before the war. In fact, in 1860 there was one William Bonner, age. 35, born in New York, working as a laborer and living with his wife (“Mrs. Bonner”), age 30, also born in New York, and their two-year-old son Charlie, born in Michigan, in Crockery, Ottawa County.

In any case, William was 32 years old and possibly living in Crockery, Ottawa County when he enlisted in Company I on May 13, 1861. (Company I was made up largely of men from Ottawa County, particularly from the eastern side of the County.)

He reportedly deserted on July 22, 1861, at Arlington, Virginia.

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

Interestingly, however, in 1899 one William E. Bonner was living in Michigan when he applied for a pension (application no. 1216249), based on service in Company I (?), Thirty-third Michigan infantry. There were in fact only 30 regiments of Michigan infantry (numerically), although three (the 3rd, the 4th and the 11th) also had reorganized regiments as well. In any case, the certificate was never granted.

In 1880 there was one William Bonner, born c. 1824 in New Jersey, working as a farmer living with his wife Cordelia in Casnovia, Muskegon County. (It is possible that this William Bonner was related to the Bonner brothers who had both served in the Third Michigan Infantry and who were also from Casnovia.)

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