John Danbert

John Danbert was born in Switzerland in about 1841. His place of birth was sometimes given as "Germany" (for instance in Curtis). Remember, though that the nation state of Germany did not exist until later in the Nineteenth Century. The term German was more encompassing that it is today. At some point, John emigrated to the United States.

In the summer of 1862 John was living in Detroit and working as a gas fitter. He enlisted in Company D on August 15, 1862. His age is given as either 20 or 21. He mustered into service with his company on August 15th, 1862.

John Danbert served with the Regiment throughout the war, although not much is known of his service. He was wounded in the battle of Laurel Hill on May 8, 1864. The nature and severity of this wound is not known. He had returned to duty by February 1865, however. He was wounded in the battle of Dabney's Mill on February 7, 1865. The Regimental historian related the story:

A solid shot passed directly under sergeant Augustus Pomeroy, which stunned him and covered him with mud. The same shot ricocheting, killed sergeant George H. Canfield and George Wallace, both of Company I; wounded Sergeant Walter Morley of D and took a leg off of John Danbert of D." (Curtis p. 292)

In another place Curtis indicates that John's leg was amputated. Family history indicated that his wound was less severe, the loss of his right foot and the great toe from his left.

After a lengthy hospital stay John was discharged from the hospital and the army at Washington D. C. on June 8, 1865. Because of his missing limb, John was eligible for a pension. Shortly before he died, his pension reached $100.00 per month. During the war, John earned $13 per month.

John moved to Canada after the war, but left a wife and at least three children, one of them a boy named after him, living in Detroit. In spite of a prosperous business and a generous pension, he started a new family and never claimed these American children (according to the pension record of the National Archives.) He lived until December. 1933. According to a newspaper article in the possession of his descendants, he was the only Civil War Veteran living in Canada in 1932.

Despite the fact that he abandoned his first family, his grandson was also named for him.

Descendant: Great-Granddaughter Ardeane Danbert Stankowski. danski@cts.com