Daniel A. Reams

As one of Seattle's last two living Civil War veterans, Daniel Reams remained a representative of the Grand Army of the Republic well into the 1940s, even after almost all of Seattle's Union veterans had died. He spoke about his experiences meeting Abraham Lincoln as a young boy, enlisting in the Union Army at 15, and being shot four separate times during the course of the Civil War. After the war, he made his life here in Seattle, and was one of the city's most notable veterans until his death in 1943.

Born on October 22, 1846, Daniel Reams grew up on his family's farm in Illinois. His father was a staunch advocate for the abolition of slavery, and hosted then-statesman Abraham Lincoln in their family home. Young Daniel listened in on their conversation, and retrieved Lincoln's horse for him. At only 15 years old, Daniel Reams enlisted in the 75th Illinois Infantry. During his Civil War service, he was shot four times: once in the chest at Perryville, once in the arm at Chattanooga, once in the right ankle at Chickamauga, and once on the top of his head at Missionary Ridge. Remarkably, he survived all of this and was able to return home to his family after the war, where he married Rosanna Nebergal, who had been waiting for him since he left for the war. The couple had six children together. In 1896, Rosanna died; Daniel then brought his family to Seattle in 1906. He worked for Puget Sound Power and Light Company for 16 years, then worked as a carpenter until he retired in his 70s. In Seattle, Daniel Reams was very involved with the Grand Army of the Republic, holding numerous leadership positions, including Commander of Stevens Post No. 1. By 1943, Daniel Reams and Hiram Gale were the last two living Union veterans in Seattle, and carried out GAR duties well into their 90s. Daniel Reams died in 1943, leaving Hiram Gale as the last Civil War veteran in the Pacific Northwest.

Meeting Lincoln & Military Service

When Daniel Reams was nine years old, his father hosted Abraham Lincoln in their home in Paw Paw, Illinois to discuss abolitionism. The year was 1858, and Abraham Lincoln was a Republican candidate running against Stephen Douglas for the Illinois Senate seat. Daniel Reams recalled the following about Lincoln's visit to his home: “We youngsters peeked through the doors at this big, sad-looking man who talked all the time about slavery to my father.” (Seattle Daily Times, October 9, 1943) After the two men wrapped up their conversation and dinner, Daniel's father sent him to get Abraham Lincoln his horse. When he returned with the horse, Abraham Lincoln smiled at young Daniel Reams and said to his father: “Take care of this lad. Some day he'll make something of himself.” “I don't know that I ever did though,” remarked Daniel Reams in an interview for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in 1941.

Despite his humility, Daniel Reams went on to experience a harrowing military career, and survived the Civil War against all odds. As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer put it, “Death snatched at him four times while he was still a youth in his teens, and then apparently decided that it was no use reaching for Daniel Reams until he decided he was ready to go.” At 15, he enlisted in the 75th Illinois Infantry. His first battle was a brutal one for him, as he recalled losing a childhood friend on the battlefield and being shot himself:

“Our first fight was at Perryville, Ky., where I was wounded, but didn't know it till later. I was bending over a comrade I'd known since boyhood. His face was bloody, and I tried to get him to drink from my canteen. But he was gone. I felt blood trickling down my own chest. A bullet had gone through eight thicknesses of blanket roll across my chest and buried itself just under the skin. A surgeon dug it out, while I held onto myself — no anesthetics, then.” — Daniel Reams

Throughout the course of the war, he was shot three more times. He was shot in the forearm at the Battle of Chickamauga, shot in the ankle at one of the early battles of the Chattanooga Campaign, and then a bullet grazed the top of his head at the Battle of Missionary Ridge. Reams kept the bullet that struck him in the chest at Perryville, and had it when he lived in Seattle.

Post-War Life

After he was discharged from service in 1865, Daniel Reams finally returned home. His commander, famed Illinois politician turned Union general John A. Logan, recommended that he attend West Point, but Reams declined. When he was 19, he married Rosanna Nebergal, who had been waiting for him since he left for the war. The couple had six children together. In 1896, Rosanna died, and Reams brought his family to Seattle in 1906. He worked for Puget Sound Power and Light Company, one of Washington State's oldest private power providers, for 16 years. He then worked as a carpenter for Stone and Webster, the company that operated Seattle's streetcar system at the time, until he retired in the 1920s.

Daniel Reams was possibly one of the more famous members of the GAR in Seattle, especially as time wore on and he became one of the last remaining Union veterans in the city. He was the Commander of Stevens Post No. 1 for a time, and was a regular at Seattle's Memorial Day events. In 1938, he was one of several Seattle men to travel to the Gettysburg Reunion. This was an event held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, and to foster unity in an increasingly divided United States. This event brought about 1,500 veterans — both Union and Confederate — to the Gettysburg battlefield, and was one of the last reunions of its kind.

Daniel Reams lived to see three of his great-grandchildren and two of his great-great-grandchildren serve in the military, one of whom served in the Women's Army Corps. He lived through the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and the beginning of World War II, and witnessed the world change significantly. In reflecting on bombings during World War II, he expressed his horror at the modern state of warfare, even saying, “The Rebels never did anything like that.” When he was 87, he married his third and final wife, Josephine Brasfield, who was 83. Even at 95 years old, Daniel Reams was remembered as still going strong. In an article written to commemorate his 95th birthday, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer stated, “He still gets around; goes downtown and gets a haircut, and does some shopping. Last night in their apartment at 1729 12th Ave, Mrs. Reams fixed him a nice chicken dinner with dumplings.” Just short of his 97th birthday, Daniel Reams died on October 9, 1943. He was the last veteran to be buried in this cemetery.

The long life of Daniel Reams is a reminder that though it may seem like a distant time, we are much closer to the American Civil War than we may realize. A man who met Abraham Lincoln and faced the bloody battlefields of the Civil War was getting a haircut and shopping here in Seattle less than 85 years ago, and walked the same streets in the same city that we do today.