Major William B. Sturges was born in 1825. From 1853 until the beginning of the Civil War, he lived on a farm in Fairfield Township, Huron County, Ohio. Sturges enlisted in Company A on 3 June 1861, at Norwalk. His reward for recruiting volunteers was a commission as a second lieutenant in the company.
Sturges suffered from an injury obtained during his war service. One moonless night in October 1861 at Cheat Mountain Summit, West Virginia, Sturges plummeted twelve feet down a rocky gorge, where he landed on his right knee. Unable to stand, Sturges required the aid of the men on picket duty to rescue him and help him climb the steep slope.
Sturges' knee injury plagued him for the rest of his life. During the war, Sturges marched with his troops until his knee gave out. Then, he climbed into a regimental wagon or ambulance to remain with his command. The wartime injury to his knee eventually earned him a pension from the federal government.
Sturges performed well as an officer and was a good administrator. He advanced steadily to command Company A. After the Battle of Chickamauga, Sturges received another commission as Major. For the remaining six months of the 24th OVI's enlistment term, he was second-in-command.
Following his war service, Major Sturges returned to Huron County, Ohio. He learned that his bad knee was no longer suited for farming either, so he looked to his wartime talents for a new career. He quickly discovered that his ability to convince troops to fight hard and do their duty could also be applied to other fields. For much of the remainder of his life, Sturges was a traveling salesman.
By 1906, Sturges felt unable to take care of himself independently, so he moved to the Sandusky, Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Home, where he resided until his death 18 April 1908.
Biographical source information provided by: Tom Gamble, 989 Teakwood Court, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425. 304-728-0009
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