Shambo, Charles R.
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MILITARY SERVICE Age: 28, credited to Panton, VT Unit(s): 1st VT CAV Service: enl 10/3/61, m/i 11/19/61, Pvt, Co. K, 1st VT CAV, pow 6/19/62, prld 9/13/62, reen 12/31/63, SADR 1/1/65, tr to Co. C 6/21/65, m/o 8/9/65 See Legend for expansion of abbreviations VITALSBirth: abt 1833, Montreal, Canada East Death: 8/1911 Burial: Le Roy Cemetery, Le Roy, MN Marker/Plot: Not recorded Gravestone photographer: Dan Taylor Findagrave Memorial #: 158933017 MORE INFORMATION Alias?: None noted Pension?: Yes, 12/23/1880, Canada Portrait?: Unknown College?: Not Found Veterans Home?: WI (If there are state digraphs above, this soldier spent some time in a state or national soldiers' home in that state after the war) Remarks: None DESCENDANTS (Are you a descendant, but not listed? Register today) |
BURIAL: Copyright notice  LeRoy Cemetery, LeRoy, MN Check the cemetery for location/directions and other veterans who may be buried there. |
Obituary
CHARLES SHAMBO
A NIGHT OF TERROR - Driven to Take Shelter in the Tree Judd Palmer of LeRoy See Charles Shambo Drop Into Flood and Drown - SCENE OF TRAGEDY LIT BY TERRIFIC LIGHTNING - Flash of Lightening Reveals the Drowning Man as He is Swept Away by the Raging Torrent - Survivor Remains All Night in a Tree Which Threatens Every Moment to Fall - Rescued in the Morning - Much Damage by Cloud Burst at LeRoy
The storm of Sunday afternoon and evening struck LeRoy section with terrific force and when the morning light broke, Mr. Charles Shambo, an old soldier had gone to his death in the torrents of sweeping water, a section of the old dam had gone and spreading floods over the low lands sweeping away bridges and making those who watched the storm remember it as a night of terror.
The following story of the storm is told by an eye witness; "About six o'clock Sunday night an electrical storm of considerable fury broke. Between 7:00 and 10 o'clock a regular cloud burst occurred with much wind and a continual illumination of lightning. We were almost too frightened to know what the storm was doing. We were located near the Thomson dam, and the going out of a large section of this was the main cause of the floods and the direct cause of the loss of Mr. Shambo's life. Below the dam has been located for three summers a handly, well-appointed camp, where Charles Palmer, Frank young, Charles Shambo, Judd Palmer and others with their families have camped Sunday afternoon when the storm broke, the campers returned to their homes in town, leaving Mr. Shambo and Judd Palmer to care for the camp. The camp is located on a point of high land projecting into the river and has always been considered an ideal spot."
The men at the camp watched the storm until nearly 11 o'clock when it seemed to abate and they decided to retire. Before doing so Mr. Palmer lifted the flap of the tent and found the dam had broken and the water was up to the tent and ready to flood it. Escape to the land had been cut off and both men realized that they must seek safety in the trees. Each took a lantern and climbed into as stout a tree as they could find. Mr. Shambo was an elderly man about seventy-seven years of age. Whether he became dizzy with the whirling waters carrying trees and debris past him or whether from the result of heart failure, Mr. Palmer saw his lantern fall and go out. The flashes of lightning next revealed a sight which was horrible to behold and the memory of which will haunt Mr. Palmer for many a day. The body of Mr. Shambo, with face upward and one hand raised above the waters passed him going down stream. The night was inky black except for flashes of electricity and Mr. Palmer was powerless to render the least assistance. He was in the tree the entire night and not rescued until daylight made it possible for friends to reach him with a boat.
People from town realizing the severity of the storm and remembering the men at camp, came out from LeRoy. They saw the light in the tree but could not reach Mr. Palmer. Another severe storm broke about 2 a.m., but scores of people from LeRoy remained near the scene of the accident all night.
Mr. Shambo was an old soldier who made his home with the Charles Palmer family. He was a devoted friend of Mr. Remore and spent the entire afternoon with his old comrade the day before the death of the latter. He was noted as especially sad at the funeral of his old time friend. Mr. Shambo's friend died about the time Mrs. Remore died four years ago, and the wives as well as the husbands were close friends.
Up to Monday evening the body of Mr. Shambo had not been found though the waters receded rapidly, after the storms ceased. The debris and fallen trees however, made a mass in which the body might easily be concealed.
Source: Austin Daily Herald, Aug. 8, 1911, pg. 2.
R.A. Schutz of LeRoy was in Austin yesterday afternoon. He informed us that the body of Chas R. Shambo, whose sad drowning is noted in our LeRoy items was found in the river yesterday morning a half mile below where he was swept away.
Source: Austin, Mower County Transcript, Aug. 9, 1911, pg. 3.
The T. T. Young and C. S. Palmer families, who have been camping on the bank of the river near the old town bridge, lodged at home Sunday night leaving J.D. Palmer and Mr. Shambo in charge of the camp in the electric storm and downpour, the river suddenly rose to such dimensions that the two men sought safety by climbing tall trees, Mr. Shambo being quite an old man made use of a step ladder, which was swept from beneath his feet, the limb to which he was clinging also breaking, he was precipitated into the rushing water, Mr. Palmer being powerless to reach or aid him, at the writing (Monday afternoon) the body has not been recovered.
Source: Austin, Mower County Transcript, Aug. 9, 1911, pg. 7.
Courtesy of Dan Taylor.