Very little is known of Augustus, he seems to have died prior to age 40. Augustus was born in 1830 while his parents were residents of the small town of Harlem in Delaware County, Ohio. The first entry we have for him is the 1850 census as follows:
1850 Iowa Co., WI census exact transcription.
pg 310B
Augustus Dilly, age 20, miner, b. IN, living in hotel.
Augustus had stayed on in Iowa County, same as his brothers Stephen and Stuart, when his father left for California in 1849 and his mother had remarried and was living in Sauk Co., WI.
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The next entry we have for Augustus is the 1860 census:
1860 Iowa Co., WI census, Mineral Point
Gustavus DILLEY, age 30, laborer, b. NY, living in hotel.
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On 14 September 1861 Augustus enlisted for the Civil War into the 6th Independent Battery Light Artillery "Buena Vista Artillery". He was discharged from service on 10 July 1862 due to a "disability". While in service, his company of light artillery engaged in the following:
-Duty in the fortifications of New Madrid, Mo., and Island No. 10, Missouri, until May 17, 1862. Moved to Hamburg Landing, Tenn., May 17-23. Siege of Corinth, Miss., May 23-30. Pursuit to Booneville May 30-June 12. Moved to Rienzi and duty there until October 1.
(courtesy of Civil War Archives website at http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/unwiarty.htm#6thlight)
It appears Augustus was discharged while the company was on duty at Rienzi.
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-6 months and two days after Augustus was discharged from service, he married Miss Adelaide Wardnell in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Possession of their marriage entry is the clue we needed to prove Augustus was indeed a son of Deriah and Almira Dilley (the 1850 and 1860 census entries, with birthplaces of IN and NY respectively, had thrown us off to even consider Augustus being their son).
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-1863 daughter Augusta Dilley was born in Sauk Co., WI.
(Note: From the book From book "Only in Sumpter" by Erhart Mueller, Worzalla Publishing Co., Stevens Point, WI, 1977, it is discovered that Augusta Dilley taught school for the summer session of 1878-1879, at age 16.)
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Augustus died sometime prior to the 1870 census, and it appears his wife may have died also. Daughter Augusta is living with her grandmother, Almira Dilley (and her husband Daniel D. Dilley) in Sauk County, WI, at age 7.
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Prairie du Sac Cemetery, in Sauk Co., WI shows a headstone entry for Augustus Dilley, with only the following information entered:
Augustus DILLEY, 6 Wis. LA
(the 6 Wis LA was his Civil War service from above. 6th Wisconsin, Light Artillery).
He is buried near his mother, Almira Dilley, that died 1 September 1879.
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