Troy Times - Veteran - Co. B, 94th Regiment O. V. I

January 14, 1864

STEPHENSON, WM. (WILLIAM) WALLACE - In Memoriam - Died in Brown's Hospital, Louisville, Ky, of Consumption, Dec. 30th, 1863, Wm. Wallace Stephenson, a member of Co. B, 94th Regt. O. V. I. Aged 24 years, 8 months and 8 days. Another life has been sacrificed upon the altar of American Liberty. Another one of our brave young men has fallen a victim to this accursed slaveholder rebellion; and today his body rests in the soil of the free State of Ohio, where his grave can be watered by the tears of freedom, and o'er whose soil the banner of the free, under which he fought and died, yet waves in triumph. When in the summer of 1862, the President's call for more men to fill up the ranks of our army reached him, his young heart responded, and in company with some six or eight of his young associate, (two of whom passed on before him to the land of spirits), he volunteered on the 7th of August, 1862 in Co. B. 94th Regiment O. V. I. then being recruited in this county by the lamented Captain Drury. He went into camp at Piqua with his Company on the 11th of August, while here in Camp he made a resolution that he would never touch the intoxicating bowl, gamble or use profane language. In writing to a friend soon after the memorable battle of Stone River, he says the resolution which I made at camp Piqua thus far I have faithfully kept. He went with his regiment from Camp Piqua into Kentucky, he participated in the battle of Perryville, Stone River, Hoovers Gap, Pigeon Mountain, and the fight of Chattanooga fought between the forces of Rosecranz and Bragg. At the time of the battle fought between the armies of Grant and Bragg, he being overcome with fatigue from incessant duty, was lying sick at the United States Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn. He was removed from the Chattanooga Hospital on the 7th of December, and on the 11th of the same month was admitted into Brown's Hospital, Louisville, Ky. His disease at first was the chronic diarrhea, which finally terminated into that dread disease, the consumption, of which he died. He was a brave soldier, and much beloved by all with whom he was surrounded. His Captain says of him, that he never when able shrank from any of his duties, and that he was an honor to his parents, and his Company and the Country, to save which, he willingly offered up his life as a sacrifice.--His chaplain and nurses say that during all of his illness, he was never heard to murmur or complain; but amid all his afflictions appeared resigned to the will of God. He remained sensible of his approaching dissolution until within a few minutes of 3 o'clock of the afternoon of Dec. 30th, when his spirit disembodied from its clay tenement, took its flight, we trust to enjoy the company and fellowship of Washington and the kindred spirits of the Revolution, in the kingdom of God. His remains were brought home by his parents on Sunday, Jan. 3d, and on the Wednesday following were escorted to the Baptist Church of this place by Co. B. 87th Battalion, where an appropriate discourse was delivered by Rev. D. Whitmer, from 21 Tim. 3d Chap., 3d Verse. After which with the sound of the muffled drum and solemn tread, we followed and laid him to rest, free from all of his toils in the Casstown Cemetery. Let us hallow his memory, guard the spot where sleeps his dust, and sing in the language of the following lines--