"S.A." was the youngest of four children bore to Samuel and Anna.  Brita Stina was born September 11, 1831, she was not listed on the manifest; Johanna Catharina born October 5, 1837; Nickus Fredrik born July 18, 1841 all children were born in Ingatorp parish, Joenkoeping County, Sweden.

On October 15, 1861 Samuel "S.A." BERGQUIST enlisted as a private of Capt. Hugo WESTERMANN's Co. of the 43rd Regiment Co. H of Illinois Infantry Volunteers at Andover, Henry County, Illinois.  He was discharged due to medical disability on October 2, 1862 when he received a rupture while engaged in loading teams at Bolivar, Tennessee.  According to the Surgeon he received hernia scrotslis.  Then again on February 29, 1864 he re-enlisted at Andover, Henry Co., Illinois into Company C of the 43rd Reg't of Illinois Infantry Volunteers. On June 25, 1864 his record states he was a detached service steamboat guard at Fort Smith.  He mustered out November 30, 1865 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

After the war Samuel "S. A." married Vernelia TROTTER, daughter of David TROTTER and Elizabeth ASBEL, in Havana, Mason County, Illinois.  Vernelia was born October 5, 1855 in Havana and died December 19, 1943. By June 1900 Samuel "S.A." and Vernelia had moved to Woodland Twp, Fulton County, Illinois.  Samuel "S.A." and Vernelia were the parents of nine children as follows: Etta Jane "Jennie" wife of Charles CLEER; Jessie Mae wife of Wm. H. RUDISILL; Alice Belle wife of George DANNER; Samuel David husband of Bessie WORKMAN; Minnie Ann wife of Andrew WEBER; Frederick Nicholas November 4, 1889 and died tragically March 27, 1904; Estella "Stella" wife of Guy THOMAS; Harry J. April 24, 1898 and died very young February 20, 1900; and Dorothy wife of Glenn RING. [Biography of Samuel August Bergquist aka Samuel August Samuelsson written by Tammie (Orr) Brown, g-g granddaughter of Samuel Bergquist. Sources: Illinois certificate of death, Astoria Argus Searchlight March 20, 1926, Illinois marriage license, Astoria Argus Searchlight March 31, 1904, Military records, U. S. Federal census records, Swedish passenger arrivals in US ports 1820-1850 by Nils William Olsson (& Erik Wiken), and grateful help from Aunt Mary Ann Wade and Lars Brathe]