Pvt Wallace Sands
| Sands, Wallace Peterson Born: March 4, 1841, Granby, Connecticut Died: August 18, 1918, New Haven, Connecticut Burial: Riverside Cemetery, Windsor, Connecticut Occupation: Farmer; Teamster Enlisted: December 4, 1863, Hartford, Connecticut Unit: 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment Company: C Rank: Private --------------------------- Born in Granby, Connecticut on March 4,1841, Wallace Sands was the eldest son of Hilton Sands and Caroline Peterson. He spent much of his childhood in Granby, although the family lived briefly in New Haven during the 1860s. Wallace enlisted in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment on December 4, 1863, listing his residence as Granby. He served for the duration of the war, discharged in May 1865 due to chronic rheumatism of the back, six months before the regiment returned to Connecticut. On September 25, 1865, Wallace married Anna Miner. The couple appears in the 1880 census residing in East Granby with no children. In January 1882 the couple divorced. Wallace was remarried a woman named Susan Maria Elkey on March 17, 1883 with home he had a child, Maude Sands two years prior. The lineages of Wallace Sands and his new wife, Susan Maria Elkey, are deeply intertwined with the nation’s founding and wars. Wallace’s grandfather, Cato Sands, served in the Revolutionary War with the 30th Massachusetts Regiment. His grandmother, Rebecca Wallace Sands, had three brothers—Zebulan Wallace, London Wallace II, and Joseph Wallace—who also served during the Revolution. His great-grandfather, London Wallace, served in the French and Indian War. Wallace also had several first cousins who fought alongside him in the Civil War. Wallace was also related to his new wife, Susan Maria Elkey. She was the daughter of John Elkey, who served with Wallace in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment. Her mother was Susan Maria Jackson, Wallace’s first cousin born to Susan Maria Sands, Wallace’s aunt. Thus, Wallace’s wife, Susan Maria Elkey was his first cousin once removed. As a result, all of the Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers in Wallace’s lineage were also ancestors of his wife. Susan Maria Elkey died on October 9, 1895. Her obituary reports that she had been ill for several years and died in Tariffville, a village within Simsbury, Connecticut. Now widowed, Wallace appears in the 1900 census living in Windsor, Connecticut, in the household of Traverse C. Babcock. On August 9, 1902, Wallace married Elizabeth Phillips, widow of Charles Phillips, who had also served in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment. Notably, Wallace’s daughter, Maude Sands, married Henry James Phillips on June 4, 1902—the son of Wallace’s new wife. Elizabeth Phillips died on January 15, 1908, leaving Wallace widowed once again. Wallace was well known within the Windsor community as he worked for several years for the Wallace Wrisley Company, likely as a Teamster. Wallace G. Wrisley was a prominent business owner in Windsor that had a large brick making business and brick yard located on Pleasant Street in Windsor. On August 19, 1918, the Hartford Courant reported Wallace Sands’s death, indicating they received the news the day prior. The notice stated that he had been living in New Haven for many years. His body was transported to Windsor for burial at Riverside Cemetery. Wallace Sands was 77 years old when he died. |