Bio: Higgins, Erastus M. & Ethie Louise (Wilcox)
Contact: Stan

----Source: Connit, Crystal Wendt & The Clark Co., WI History Buffs, Side served: Union; State served: Wisconsin; Enlistment date: 20 Aug 1862.

Surnames: Coburn, Gill, Harvey, Higgins, Hovey, Pearce, Wilcox, Willard, Woodford

 

Erastus M. & Ethie Louise (Wilcox) Higgins

Levis Township, Clark Co., Wisconsin

 

Please contact us if you can supply a photo or additional information about this soldier.

 

 Erastus M. Higgins was born in 1840-46 in New York, the son of Thomas and Julia Ann Higgins.  August 20, 1862, "Rastus" joined the Union Army and fought in the Civil War as a private with Company C, 29th Wisconsin Infantry.  His regiment left the state by rail for Cairo, September 2, 1862, under Colonel Charles R. Gill.  Company C was commanded by Captain Horace E. Connit, with James O. Pearce serving as its First Lieutenant and Lovell F. Willard as its Second Lieutenant.  By November 7th, they had arrived at Helena, Arkansas and were camping on the east side of the river, opposite the town.  On the 16th of November, General Hovey, commanding the Department of Eastern Arkansas, organized a force of about 7,000 soldiers for an expedition against Arkansas Post, of which 400 picked men, of the Twenty-ninth Wisconsin, under Colonel Gill, formed a part.  The force was to move up White River to a point twelve miles distant from the Post, on the Arkansas, which distance it was proposed to march.  The water in the river was so low as to prevent the passage of the transports over the bar at the mouth of that stream, and, after repeated efforts, the whole expedition was abandoned, and returned to Helena.   April 6, 1863, Erastus received a disability discharge and resumed family life in dense woodlands of Levis Township, Clark County, Wisconsin.

 

Theodore Davis' Illustration (above) depicts the "jumping-off" place for the Union troops at Cairo, Illinois where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers meet.

 

Delilah Higgins, the first wife of Erastus who was born August 20, 1854, died October 2, 1877 when she was just 23 years old.  She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Colburn.  At the time of her death, her youngest child was just one month old where his aging parents were farming.  She was buried in the Levis Township Cemetery, Clark Co., Wisconsin.

 

The five year old daughter of Erastus and Delilah, Corrah J. Higgins, who was born June 23, 1872, died September 11, 1877 of brain fever.

 

Their son, Perry Lee Higgins, who was born August 4, 1877 and died November 3, 1877.  Timothy Higgins was born during the heat of August in 1870 and died in the fall of 1885 (Oct. 15th).

 

In 1899, he married Ethie Louise (Wilcox) Harvey who was born October 27, 1863 and had previously married to Samuel Howard Harvey September 28, 1879 in Clark County, Wisconsin.  She was the daughter of David A. and Hulda Ethie (Jones) Wilcox. Samuel died July 2, 1896 in Cleveland, Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

 

Erastus died May 21, 1911. 

Census Records

 

1870 Federal Census - Levis, Clark County, Wisconsin 
Name Age Sex Race Occupation Value of Real Estate Value of Personal Estate Birth Place
Higgins, Thomas 69 m w Farmer   100 New Jersey
Higgins, Julia Ann 61 f w keeping house     New Jersey
Higgins, Noah 20 m w works on farm     New Jersey
Higgins, Sarah Jane 16 f w at home     New Jersey
Coburn, Joseph W.* 49 m w Farmer 800 200 Vermont
Coburn, Elizabeth 42 f w Keeping house     Ohio
Coburn, Miles M.  17 m w works on farm     Wisconsin 
Higgins, Delila P.  15 f w at home     Wisconsin
Higgins, Erastus M.  27 m w works on farm     New Jersey
Coburn Jaynes W.  13 m w at home     Wisconsin
Coburn, Josiah L.  10 m w at home     Wisconsin
*Coburn - should be Colburn

 

1875 Wisconsin State Census

Levis Township, Clark Co., Wisconsin

Name Males Females
Higgins, Erastis 2 2

 

1880 Federal Census - Irving, Jackson Co., Wisconsin
 Name  Relation Marital Sex Race Age Nativity Occupation Father's Nativity Mother's Nativity
 John Higgins   Self   M   Male   W   48   NJ   Farmer   NJ   NJ 
 Sophronia Higgins   Wife   M   Female   W   40   VT   House Keeper   VT   VT 
 Marion Higgins   Dau   S   Female   W   13   WI   At School   NJ   VT 
 Charles Higgins   Son   S   Male   W   11   WI   At School   NJ   VT 
 Velmore Higgins   Son   S   Male   W   7   WI   At School   NJ   VT 
 Fayette Higgins   Son   S   Male   W   5   WI   At School   NJ   VT 
 Thomas Higgins*   Father      Male   W   80   NJ   Farmer   NJ   NJ 
 Julia Ann Higgins*   Mother      Female   W   70   NJ      NJ   NJ 
 *Parents of Erastus Higgins

 

1880 Federal Census - Levis, Clark County, Wisconsin
Name Race Sex Age Relation Occupation  Birth Place Father Birth Place Mother birth place
Philips, Nancy w f 58   keeping house New York New York New York
Woodford, William w m 38 son-n-law farming Iowa New York New York
Woodford, Alitha w f 20 wife keeping house Wisconsin New York Wisconsin
Woodford, Henry w m 11 son   Wisconsin New York Wisconsin
Woodford, Robert w m 2 son   Wisconsin New York Wisconsin
Woodford, Cakey w m 9 months son   Wisconsin New York Wisconsin
Higings, Rastus* w m 35 boarder farming New York New York New York
* Believe this should be Erastus Higgins, with incorrect Nativity given by the Woodford or Philips Family.

 

1880 Federal Census - Spencer, Marathon County, Wisconsin
Name Race Sex Age Relation Occupation  Birth Place Father Birth Place Mother birth place
Samuel Harvey w m 26 Head Works in Saw Mill Canada Canada Canada
Ethie Harvey* w f 16 Wife farming Illinois Canada Unknown
 

 

1900 Federal Census - Cleveland, Jackson County, Wisconsin 
Name Relation Race Sex Birth Month Birth Year Age Martial Status Marital Years Kids Born Kids Living Birth Place Father birth place Mother birth place Occupation 
Higgins, Erastus head w m Aug.  1846 53 m 1     Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania farmer
Higgins, Ettie wife w f Oct. 1863 36 m 1 7 5 Illinois Canada Kentucky  
Harvey, Samuel  step-son w m Feb. 1882 18 s       Wisconsin Canada Illinois farm laborer
Harvey, Freddie step-son w m Feb. 1890 10 s       Wisconsin Canada Illinois at school
Harvey, Jane step-son w m Jan.  1893 7 s       Wisconsin Canada Illinois at school
Harvey, Mamie step-daug w f July  1895 4 s       Wisconsin Canada Illinois  

 

1910 Federal Census - Brockway, Jackson County, Wisconsin
Name Relation Sex Race Age Marital Status Marital Years Kids Born Kids Living Birth Place Father Birth Place Mother Birth Place Occupation
Higgins, Rastus head m w 70 m2 11     New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey Ours Income
Higgins, Ethie wife f w 46 m2 11 9 5 Illinois Virginia Virginia  
Higgins, John W.  son m w 17 s       Wisconsin Canada Illinois  
Higgins, Mamie daug. f w 14 s       Wisconsin Canada Illinois  
Higgins, Lyda daug. f w 7 s       Wisconsin New Jersey Illinois  
Higgins, Donald son m w 2 s       Wisconsin New Jersey Illinois  

 

Military



U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865


Name: Erastus Higgins
Side: Union
Regiment State/Origin: Wisconsin
Regiment Name: 29th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry
Company: C
Rank In: Private
Rank Out: Private
Film Number: M559 roll 13

American Civil War Soldiers


Name: Erastus Higgins,
Residence: Hubbard, Wisconsin
Enlistment Date: 20 Aug 1862
Side Served: Union
State Served: Wisconsin
Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 20 August 1862.
Enlisted in Company C, 29th Infantry Regiment Wisconsin on 20 Aug 1862.  Received a disability discharge from Company C, 29th Infantry Regiment Wisconsin on 6 Apr 1863.
Sources: Side served: Union; State served: Wisconsin; Enlistment date: 20 Aug 1862.

 

Research Notes

 

Wisconsin Marriages, 1835-1900

Name: ERASTUS R. HIGGINS
Spouse: ETHIE [Mrs] HARVEY
Marriage Date: 22 Sep 1898
County: Jackson
State: WI

Wisconsin Marriages, pre-1907

Name: Erastus R Higgins
Marriage Date: 22 Sep 1898
County: Jackson
Volume: 02
Page: 0231

Name: Ethie Harvey
Marriage Date: 22 Sep 1898
County: Jackson
Volume: 02
Page: 0231

 

 


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