MILITARY HISTORY IN PAULDING COUNTY
By: Mark Holtsberry
Charles C. “Charlie” Sloan was born June 7, 1888, in Oakwood, Ohio. He was the son of Wilson Shannon Sloan, a Civil War veteran who served with Company H, 179th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Wilson was born April 20, 1842, in Knox County, Ohio. Charles’s mother, Sarah (Harmon) Sloan, was born in 1849 in Ohio. The couple was married on December 4, 1870.
They were the proud parents of six children: Minetta, born November 12, 1873; Ruth A., born in October 1878; Henry A., born March 21, 1881; Hannah A., born September 12, 1885; Charles C., born June 7, 1888; and Margaret, born in October 1890.
Wilson passed away on June 14, 1899, and was buried in Prairie Chapel Cemetery. On August 3, 1899, Sarah filed for Wilson’s Civil War pension. By 1900, Sarah and her children were living in Brown Township with her eldest son, Henry. Henry was working as a farm laborer, and Charles was attending school. Ruth and her husband, Lee Steele, were also living in the household. Lee, too, was a farm laborer.
By 1910, Charles and his sister Margaret were still living with their mother in Brown Township. On September 3, 1912, Henry passed away and was buried in Prairie Chapel Cemetery.
On June 5, 1917, while living in Oakwood, Charles registered for the World War I draft in the west precinct of Putnam County. He was described as medium height and build, with brown eyes and black hair. At the time, he was working at the Bluffton Stone Company.
Charles joined the Ohio National Guard out of Paulding on July 24, 1917. He was assigned to the supply staff in Company B, 2nd Ohio National Guard, serving until October 18, 1917. On September 13, 1917, his mother Sarah passed away and was buried alongside Wilson.
Charles was then assigned to the 73rd Infantry, National Army, until November 19, 1917, when he transferred to the Supply Company of the 146th Infantry, 37th Division. He was promoted to Wagoner on November 19, 1917.
In June 1918, Charles was sent overseas to France, where he served in the Ypres-Lys and Meuse-Argonne defensive sectors. On March 18, 1919, he boarded the ship U.S.S. Maui at Brest, France, for his return home. He arrived at Hoboken, New Jersey, on March 31, 1919, and was honorably discharged on April 13, 1919.
Later that year, Charles married Hazel Alice Chambers, a divorced woman born June 26, 1901, in Ft. Loramie, Ohio. Their son, Virgil Charles “Bud” Sloan, was born on December 27, 1919.
By 1920, Charles, Hazel, and Virgil were living at 328 North Jefferson Street in Lima, Ohio. Charles was employed as a laborer at a sawmill.
On Thursday, August 19, 1920, Charles returned home from work at the Lima Construction Company during a rainstorm. After getting soaked, he went upstairs to change into dry clothes. While changing, a bolt of lightning struck the house, knocking Charles to the floor. His eyelashes and the hair on his right arm were burned off. He spoke only a few words before he died.
Hazel, who had been removing a pot of coffee from the stove, had it thrown from her hand by the shock. Their son, Virgil, was knocked to the floor but remained unharmed.
Funeral services were held on Sunday, August 22, 1920. Charles was buried in Prairie Chapel Cemetery alongside his parents, in lot 8, grave 2.
Hazel went on to remarry twice more. She passed away on May 27, 1983, and is buried in Lima with her fourth husband. Virgil passed away on September 20, 2000.
…Unit Next Time!