Thaddeus Harlan Stanton

STANTON, CONGER

Posted By: Joanne Breen (email)
Date: 4/27/2023 at 16:23:05

Son-in-law of Jonathan Clark Conger and Jane Sloan Conger of Washington, IA.

STANTON, Thaddeus Harlan, soldier was born at Liberty, Ind., Jan 30, 1835 son of Seth and Phoebe (Leonard) Stanton, and a descendant of Robert Stanton, a native of England, who settled in Newport, R.I., in 1637, the line being traced through his son John and his wife, Mary Horndale; their son John and his wife, Elizabeth Clarke; their son Samuel and his wife, Sarah Coffin; their son William and his wife, Phebe Macy; and their son Zaccheus and his wife, Sarah Butler, who were the grandparents of the subject of this sketch. Of the same family was Edwin M. Stanton, Lincoln's secretary of war. Thaddeus H Stanton was educated at Mount Pleasant, Ia., and at the age of twenty-two joined John Brown and Gen. James H. Lane, and engaged in nearly all the conflicts between the Free State and Pro-Slavery parties in 1857-58. He enlisted in Company A 13th battalion District of Columbia volunteers for the civil war, and after a three months term of service, went to lowa and became a member of the general assembly. He then raised a company in Iowa, and took part in the campaigns in the border states. Later he was on the staff of Maj. Gen. S.S. Curtis, and in December, 1862, became a paymaster in the Army of the Tennessee. Assigned as chief paymaster in November, 1864, he was later given a position in Washington, where he remained until 1870, being assigned to duty with the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel. He was also auditor of public accounts for the state of Virginia, and had charge of the collection of the taxes and of the payment of the state's expenses under the reconstruction acts. In 1871 he served as a member of the board which adjusted the war claims of Kansas against the United States. He was with Gen. Crook in the Black Hills expedition in 1875, and later became his chief of scouts in his operations against the Indians, where he acquired his sobriquet of the “Fighting Paymaster.” Meanwhile he was fulfilling his duties as paymaster, and in December, 1879 became chief paymaster of the department of the Platte. In recommending him for the post of paymaster general, Gen Crook said in a letter addressed to the adjutant general: “His entire army life has been a period of unselfish, untiring, intelligent and oftentimes heroic performance of duty.” He was appointed paymaster general of the army in March, 1895, by Pres. Cleveland on account of his unusual ability and efficiency as shown by thirty years of arduous work under all kinds of difficulties, retiring from active service Jan. 30, 1899 according to law. Gen. Stanton was a genial character and a great favorite in army circles especially with his fellow officers. He was married July 23, 1862, to Marietta Elizabeth daughter of Jonathan Clark Conger of Washington Ia., and his children were Maud, wife of Capt. Charles B Western, U.S.A.; Flora, wife of Lieut. Frank G. Kalk, U.S.A.; and Josephine Carey Stanton, wife of Thomas F. Kennedy, of Omaha. Gen. Stanton died in Omaha Neb., Jan 23, 1908, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Va.

Source: The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Volume 16, page 229

Thaddeus H. Stanton Gravestone
 

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