It's Enke Family Time

I like to take turns with families when writing in this blog. I've just mentioned the Wilsons so now it's time for the Enkeys. Lydia Enke was my 2nd ggrandmother. She married William White Wilson. My blog from January 21st tells where I am in researching this family. Lydia (again...love that name) had a grandfather Jacob Enke, married to an Elizabeth (another beautiful name.) Jacob was born in Pennsylvania about 1776. That's where my information stops. So the Enkey/Enke family has been in America a long time. I'm thinking that they are of German descent. Quoting from 1886 Portrait and Biographical Album of Knox County, "Hiram's father (Lydia's father), was of German descent. Hiram's mother, Ann Susan Pryer was of English extraction and birth and was mother of 15 children"...Lydia being one of them.

I have mentioned Robert Enkey.(4th cousin). In 2006 he mentioned that he had an uncle living in my community of New Richmond. I didn't recognize his aunt(Anne) & uncle (Edward) nor did either of their children, Carol and Curtis ring a bell. I looked today and didn't find an Edward Miller in the phone book. That doesn't mean a lot...perhaps he has a cell phone, or maybe Edward is in a nursing home, without a land phone of his own. Rather interesting...small world. I'm assuming that Robert can be found in Florida right now and hope to hear from him.

I had also mentioned Erich Enke. His ancestor, Josiah, was Lydia's brother. They had many siblings. Josiah and Lydia had a brother Hiram...also mentioned on Jan. 21. Reading his biography, it says that Hiram enlisted in the 7th Illinois Cavalry, Co. D., with Capt. Reynolds of Galesburg having command. Hiram entered his regiment at Camp Yates, in Springifled, then proceeded to St. Louis, Mo. The regiment was then ordered to Columbus, Ky and from there to Corinth, where there was a "pitiful struggle" on the 4th and 5th of October. The regiment came out of the fight without the loss of a single man and Hiram Enke remained in the city of Corinth for the next three months. He was then ordered to Bolivar, Tenn. than LaGrange for winter quarters. The next summer, HIram guarded the railroad from Memphis to Corinth. In the spring, on to middle Tennessee. In the battle of Franklin, Tenn. in 1864, Hiram's regiment was situated on the left flank. The battle was successful and they went on to Nashville, where they remained until the battle at that city. His brigade lost several men in this engagement. They next followed Hood to the Tennessee River and at Tuscumbia all his regiment was dismounted and compelled to wade a swollen stream, which gave Hiram a severe illness, from which he never recovered. He was mustered out of service on the first day of July, 1864, at Nashville, Tennesee "with honor attending him as courageous man and soldier."

In politics, Hiram upheld the Republican party with word and deed. He believed that no "creed save that of commong good, but is of true and pure moral character." He held the principles of the Prohibitionist.

Somehow I found myself writing about the Civil War again! Even though Hiram is the brother of my 2nd ggrandmother, it helps to show the world that Lydia was living in. Lydia married William White Wilson, after he had a noble history in the Civil War. The war must have had an enormous influence in her life.