Daniel L. Druse

Name: Daniel L. Druse Company: A
Birth Date: August 24, 1842 Place: Boone County, Illinois	Mustered In Date: August 31, 1862 Rank: Private Age: 20 Residence prior to military service: Boone County, Illinois; Roscoe, Goodhue County, Minnesota Vocation prior to military service: Farmer
Death Date: December 14, 1939 Place: Washington	Mustered Out Date: September 6, 1865 Rank: Private Age: 23 Residence following military service: Roscoe, Goodhue County, Minnesota; Yakima County, Washington Vocation following military service: Farmer

Daniel L. Druse Biography and Civil War Narrative

Daniel L. Druse was born in Boone County, Illinois, on August 24, 1842, to Zina and Sally Ann (Lawrence) Druse. Following his father's death in 1846, Daniel's mother married Charles Dana, Sr., on July 5, 1850, in Boone County. In 1856, Charles and Sally Dana moved with their family to Roscoe, Goodhue County, Minnesota. At the time of the 1860 U.S. Census, the Dana household consisted of 55-year-old Charles (farmer, born in Vermont), 40-year-old Sally (born in New York), 20-year-old Edmund (farmer; born in Illinois), 17-year-old Daniel (farmer, born in Illinois), and 8-year-old Charles (born in Illinois). Soon after the 1860 census, Charles Dana died, and in 1864 Sally married widower Oliver Webb, a farmer at Roscoe, Minnesota.

On August 31, 1862, at the age of 20, Daniel Druse enlisted as a Private in Company A of the 5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. His older brother Edmund H. Druse had enlisted in the same company on December 19, 1861. The 5th Minnesota regiment was present at the Battle of Iuka, Mississippi (September 19) and participated in the (2nd) Battle of Corinth (October 4). In 1863 the Druse brothers and the 5th Minnesota participated in the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi (May 18 - July 4). Brother Edmund re-enlisted as a veteran on March 31, 1864, and was promoted to Corporal. In 1864 Daniel and the 5th Minnesota participated in the Red River Campaign (March 10 - May 22), Smith's Expedition to Tupelo (July 5-21; non-veterans only), Mower's expedition to Brownsville, Arkansas (September 2-10), a pursuit of Confederate General Price across the state of Missouri (September 17-November 15), and the Battle of Nashville (December 15-16). On the second day of the Battle of Nashville, Corporal Edmund Druse was badly wounded in his left leg which was then amputated. Daniel continued his service in the 5th Minnesota as the Civil War drew to a close: they participated in the Campaign against Mobile, Alabama and its Defenses under General Canby from March 7 to April 12, 1865, and served garrison duty at Montgomery, Selma, and Demopolis, Alabama, until August. Daniel Druse was mustered out with the regiment on September 6, 1865.

Daniel returned to Minnesota to farm in Goodhue county. On September 6, 1868, he married Mary Carey, born in Wisconsin. She died in childbirth on November 8, 1869. In 1870, Daniel and 7-month-old daughter Mary lived with Daniel's mother and step-father, Oliver Webb. Also in the household were Daniel's younger brother Charles (age 18) and domestic servant, Sarah Sackett (age 17). On September 21, 1870, Daniel married Sarah Sackett, born about 1853 in New York. An 1870 plat map of Roscoe Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota, shows 48.95 acres owned by D.L. Druse in section 19, and 40 acres in section 30.

At the time of the 1880 census, Daniel farmed in Roscoe Township and lived with his wife, Sarah, daughter Fannie (age 9), son John (age 7), son Charles (age 4), and daughter Helen (age 1). Additional children born to Daniel and Sarah were Alice G. and Albert Z. Unfortunately, Sarah Druse died on July 30, 1886, so on July 22, 1888, Daniel married Amanda S. Dam of Zumbrota, born July 1856 in Maine. Daniel and Amanda had two children, son Alton S. (born June 1889 in Minnesota) and Mildred S. (born August 1896 in Washington). While living in Roscoe, Daniel L. Druse served as town clerk for seventeen years. He was the enumerator of the census in 1880.

Between the births of Alton and Mildred, Daniel Druse moved his family to Yakima Valley, Washington, in 1895. He bought 20 acres in 1894 and a total of 75 acres afterwards. The 1900 Census shows the Druse family living in Fruitvale, Yakima County, Washington. Fifty-seven-year-old Daniel worked as a farmer. Children of Daniel living in the household at the time were Mary (teacher, age 30), John (farmer, age 27), Helen (seamstress, age 21), Alice (teacher, age 19), Albert (at school, age 16), Alton (at school, age 10), and Mildred (age 3).

Daniel lost his wife Amanda when she died on April 27, 1906. For the fourth time, Daniel Druse married--this time to Laura F. Dorsett of Yakima on January 4, 1909. The 1910 U.S. census shows Daniel and Laura living by themselves at Nob Hill, Yakima County, Washington. Nearby neighbors include his older brother, Edmund, who had also moved out to Washington from Minnesota. Ten years later 77-year-old Daniel lived with 63-year-old Laura at 9 South Seventh Street in Yakima City, Yakima County, Washington. Mr. Druse had served as justice of the peace for at least 22 years, and township assessor for at least 2 years. He was a charter member of the Yakima County Horticultural Union and an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic, having served as commander of Meade Post, No. 9, and adjutant of the post for more than 12 years.

Daniel L. Druse died December 14, 1939, in Washington, at the ripe old age of 97.

A biography of Daniel L. Druse was published in The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, by the S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 640. It concludes his biography with the following sentence:

At no time has this country ever engaged in war save for the protection of its legitimate interests or the extension of democracy, and Mr. Druse may well be proud to be numbered among its military heroes.

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