John Danbert Article

This newspaper article about John Danbert, appeared in 1932 in a "Niagara Falls " falls Newspaper. Special Thanks to Ardeane Stankowski for typing it up and sending it along.

EIGHTY YEARS OR MORE.

One of the fourteen surviving veterans of the American Civil War- the only one residing in Canada at the present time-is John Danbert, who lives on Main Street in Chippawa.

Born in Switzerland on December 17, 1844, Mr. Danbert emigrated to the United States when a young child and lived in Flint, Michigan for a number of years. He enlisted with the 24th Michigan, Company D under Col. Henry A. Morrow in 1862, and three years later, after escaping injury in the Battle of Gettysburg, had his left leg blown off at the Battle of Hatches Run. Mr. Danbert was the only soldier in his platoon of six men to survive this battle. For seven hours he was left lying on the battlefield before his left leg was amputated, and after the amputation he rode in an ambulance over twelve miles of corduroy road to the emergency hospital.

A great admirer of Abe Lincoln, the veteran soldier proudly remembers an occasion in Wash. D.C. when the President of the United States at that time shook his hand. " Lincoln was a good man in spite of any statements to the contrary" Mr. Danbert told the reporter. Pictures of Lincoln adorn the walls of Danbert's home and he frequently refers to the hand-shaking episode.

The food rations served to he soldiers in the civil war were limited to beef and hardtack, according to Mr. Danbert. The hardtack was often flavored with juicy worms and when the soldiers complained the officers told them to put the "lumbricus terristris" in their coffee and steam them off.

When he was demobilized from the army, Mr. Danbert returned to Flint and later moved to Buffalo where he was interested in the steam fitting and Plumbing industry. Thirty-five years ago, he moved to Chippawa and established a (word unreadable on copy ) business, retiring some time ago. While in business, Mr. Danbert installed a large part of the plumbing and heating fixtures in Chippawa homes, stores and business places. Playing Solitaire and collecting old pipes, some of them 25 years old, are hobbies of Mr. Danbert and he keeps pace with developments in this era by reading a medley of newspapers daily.

Although a resident of Canada, he is not forgotten by the American government and every moth receives a pension cheque. Every three years he is allowed a new leg or the equivalent in cash. In 65 years Mr. Danbert has had only three legs, and still possesses the first leg issued to him in 1865.

Mr. Danbert's wife died five months ago at the age of eighty-five years. He has two daughters and a son- Mrs. William Rapelje, Mrs. Albert Greenwood, and Mr. E. Danbert, all of Chippawa, and six grandchildren; Ralph Danbert, Mrs. Harry Henderson, Miss Jean Rapelje, Mrs. Eva Mc kenzie, Mrs. Tom Bowyer and Albert Greenwood, all of Chippawa. Mr. Danbert's great-grandchildren are Donald, Delbert, William, Harry, Jean , Lois, and Marjorie Henderson, Malcolm and James Mc Kenzie, all of Chippawa.

A brother of Mr. Danbert's resided in Mobile, Ala. When war broke out, and he has never heard from him since that time and believes he may have joined up with the Rebel army and been killed.

Mr. Danbert is a member of Trinity Church in Chippawa.

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