Isaac James Sheets & Newell Hazelton Rowlingson


This information was submitted by Margie Wood of Mt. Pleasant, MI.

Sheets family information I have gotten from family members, Michigan State Archives and a book about the Jacob Bear family that married into the Sheets family.

Isaac James Sheets was born near Salem, Ohio, on July 22, 1834, son of James and Mary Ann (Elkins) Sheets.

Recollections from Grandma Lockwood (Edna Sheets), recorded by her granddaughter Marcia Clark.

Isaac James Sheets called Grandma (Edna Sheets) "Frizzy" when she was a child. He served nearly three years in the Civil War. On Christmas day, 1883, Grandma Lockwood related the following stories Isaac James Sheets had told to the family.

"The Union and the Confederates were fighting and the time would come when they would need a break, similar to a coffee break. At this time, they would share and trade tobacco, food and candies. When their break was over, they would resume fighting, shooting at each other."

"The Union soldiers would circle around the Confederates, sneak up and attack them during the night time hours. During this time, the Union soldiers circled around a woman's house and one of the soldiers asked her if the gunshots had kept her awake. She responded, "No, it was General Sherman's @33!~#& machine that kept her awake." (Grandma Lockwood said if the family told anyone she had said those words, she would deny it!)

Newell Hazelton Rowlingson (grandfather of Edna Sheets) was born May 24, 1829 and passed away at the age of 77 on March 10, 1917. According to Grandma Lockwood, he had a long white beard which fell into his lap. He stopped chewing (tobacco) so as not to dirty his beard. He was a 2nd Lieutenant in the 11th Michigan Cavalry in the Civil War. He was stationed at Lexington, Kentucky for 15 months. He was discharged in poor health. He was in lumbering.

Isaac James Sheets is listed in the Civil War Veterans books at the Michigan State Archives, vol. 14, pg. 103. He enlisted in Company D, 14th Infantry on August 9, 1862 at Delta, Michigan for three years. He was 28 years old. He mustered in on Ausgust 15, 1862 and was on duty with the 16th Illinois Infantry in March 19, 1864. He was promoted to Corporal on April 21, 1865 and discharged at Washington D.C. on June 12, 1865.

Newell Hazelton Rowlingson is listed in the Civil War Veterans books at the Michigan State Archives, vol. 41, pg. 83 as serving in the 11th Michigan Cavalry.

Genealogy of the Jacob Bear Family 1747-1906 compiled by Walter Scott Bear, pg. 92:

Isaac James Sheets served nearly three years as a Union soldier during the Civil War. He enlisted Ausgust 9, 1862, in company D, 14th Mich. Inf., in the army of the Cumberland. After joining the regiment at Nashville, Tenn., they were put on dispatch service until the spring of 1864, when they joined the brigade near Chattanooga, Tenn. In the spring of 1864 they went into the campaign of Atlanta, and from there with Sherman on the "March to the Sea", then from Savannah across the Carolinas to Richmond and thence to Washington. Mr. Sheets was in twenty-one battles and skirmishes, including the battle of Atlanta, where the side of his face was burned by a flying bullet.