Civil War Soldiers Record Database

William Deloss Love was born in Barre, Orleans Couny, NY on September 29, 1819 to William Love and Lucinda Oaks. He attended several schools before being ordained as a pastor in the Congregationalist ministry. This included: Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, Hamilton College, and Yale Theological Seminary, and Andover Theological Seminary.

As part of his profession, Deloss Love was assigned to many churches on both the East Coast and in the Midwest, serving at one before moving on to another. Before the war, this included Eastern Congregational Church in NY (1852), a church in Berlin, CT (1853-57), and the Spring Street Church in Milwaukee, WI (1858-1871).

In the mid-1840s, he married Matilda Wallace. Together, they had nine children: Katie (1846 in CT), Fannie (1848 in CT), Edward (1850 in CT), William (1852 in CT), Archibald (1854 in CT), Laura E. (1857 in CT), Henry M. (1860 in WI), Ida M. (1866 in MI), and Hattie L. (1871 in MI).

When the war started, Deloss Love was living in WI as part of his work at the Spring Street Church. He joined the WI 15th Infantry, Company G. The men of the company called themselves the “Rock River Rangers.” The army listed him as living in Beloit, Rock County, WI, age 40, and unmarried. Love enlisted for three years on January 2, 1862 at Beloit, and mustered at Madison, WI as a Private (Menig). While serving, he worked on the Christian Commission and helped found a provisional church in the army. He was discharged from the service at Mississippi River Island No.10 on September 5, 1862 for disability due to disease.

After the war, he returned to his family and continued to serve at the church in Milwaukee until 1871. Then, they moved to MI where he served at a church in Saginaw (1871-1876) and Andover (1877-1878). In 1879, they relocated to South Hadley, Hampshire County, MA, and he served at a church in town between 1879 and 1889. Then, he and Matilda returned to the Midwest, and were living in St. Paul, MN in 1895. Deloss Love died in St. Paul on September 5, 1898. Matilda died in 1906. They are both buried in Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee, WI, the town where he worked as a clergyman for so long.

Aside from working as a clergyman, Deloss Love is the author of many works: Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion (1866); Sabbath and Sunday (1896); Future Probation Examined (1888); Obedience to Rulers- The Duty and Its Limitations (1851); and Christ Preaching to Spirits in Prison (1883). His son, William Deloss Love, Jr. is also a prolific writer, and published many books related to Colonial America and religion.

Sources: Series 1200: Records of Civil War Regiments, 1861-1900, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, box 76-9; Regimental muster and descriptive rolls, 1861-1865, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, vol.20, p.102; Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers], Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1894), p.538; U.S. Civil War Draft Registration Records, Vol. 3, No. 29; 1850 Census, Roll: M432_47, Page: 261B, Image: 321; 1860 Census, Roll: M653_1422, Page: 333, Image: 339, Family History Library Film: 805422; 1880 Census, Roll: 537, Family History Film: 1254537, Page: 200A, Enumeration District: 336, Image: 0401; 1895 MN Census, Roll #V290_89, line 16; findagrave.com; Hathi Trust Digital Library; Proceedings [of the] Annual Business Meeting (State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1899), p.83; The Year Book of the Congregational Christian Churches of the United States (Boston: 1899), p.25-26.