Walter W. Waite was born on February 16, 1843, in Lagrange County, Indiana, the son of Justus (b. 1813) and stepson of Matilda (Tewksbury, b. 1808).
Sometime between 1848 and 1850 Ohio native Justus remarried Vermonter Matilda Hines Tewksbury. Matilda’s husband Elijah had died shortly before, probably in Ohio but possibly in Indiana and by 1850 Matilda and her children were living with Justus and his family in Fairfield, DeKalb County, Indiana. One of Matilda’s’ sons was Asahel who would join Company I of the Old Third in 1861 while his stepbrother Walter would join Company K. Sometime in the early 1850s Justus moved his family to Michigan, settling first in Burr Oak, St. Joseph County, Michigan, and then pushing on to Blendon, Ottawa County.
By 1860 Walter was a farm laborer living with and/or working for Edward Carrier in Grand Rapids’ Second Ward. Justus was living in Blendon, Ottawa County. Next door to Justus’ family lived Wilber Scott who would also enlist in company I, Third Michigan.
He stood 6’0” with blue eyes, brown hair and a light complexion and was 19 years old and possibly living in Blendon, Ottawa County or perhaps in Kent County when he enlisted with his guardian’s consent in Company K on May 13, 1861; he was possibly related to brothers Benjamin, Isaac, John and Thomas Waite all of Company I. According to Alexander French of Company K, sometime in early fall of 1861 Walter discussed buying property from Alex’s brother Zerah in Mecosta County.
one of boys here wants to buy land of [from] you on my recommendation. I drew him a map of your village as near as I could from memory and he says that if he could get a lot right north of mine that he would pay the gold all within this payment and the next [referring to his army pay?]
Now what I want of you is to write and tell me if any of those along north of mine is vacant and if they are tell the lowest figure that you will take for them. He is a boy about my age and he says that he tries to keep his money here that he will spend it sure and if he sends it home there will be nothing sure about finding it when he gets there now. I would like to have you be as easy as you can be with him for he is a poor boy like myself.
If those lots are not vacant tell in your next the nearest to mine that is vacant; tell me something more than just the number of the lot and block you know you can tell me where they lay so that I can tell him.
His name is Walter Wait; he is six feet two inches and a half tall. You can depend upon him and most of your money is ready now.
Walter was discharged for consumption and rheumatic arthritis on October 21, 1861, at Fort Lyon, Virginia.
After he was discharged Walter returned to Blendon where he reentered the service in Company B, Sixth Michigan cavalry on September 7, 1862, for 3 years, giving his residence as and crediting Blendon. He was mustered on October 11 at Grand Rapids, where the regiment was being organized. The Sixth remained on duty at Grand Rapids from October 13, when it was mustered into service, until December 10 when it left for Washington where it participated in the defenses of the capital until June of 1863.
The Sixth occupied Gettysburg, Pennsylvania briefly on June 28 and while it was engaged at Hanover, Pennsylvania on June 30, Walter was reported missing in action. He may have been taken prisoner although this is unclear. In any case he was listed as absent sick from January of 1865 through June and discharged on July 17, 1865, at Detroit.
After the war Walter returned to western Michigan. By 1870 he was working as a laborer and living with his parents in Blendon; also living with them was Thomas Waite (probably a cousin) who had also served in the Third Michigan along with his brothers Benjamin, John and Isaac.
Walter married Michigan native Junia or Jessie S. Sherburn (1856-1939) -- she may have been a sister of Oscar Sherburn formerly of Company I -- and they had at least three children: Lottie (b. 1875), Eva (b. 1877) and Julia (b. 1879).
Sometime around 1876 he settled in the vicnity of Eden, Mason County and by 1880 he was working as a farmer and living with his wife and three daughters in Eden. He was living in Marble, Mason County in 1883 when he was drawing $6.00 per month for a fractured left thigh (pension no. 126,942, dated February of 1874). He was still living in Marble in 1890 and 1894, but around 1900 he was residing in Scottville, Mason County.
Walter died on July 5, 1905, presumably at his home in Mason County, and the funeral services were held at the North Eden Evangelical church, Rev. Hall of the South Custer F.M. church officiating. According to one report some 400 friends and neighbors attended the service. He was buried in Lakeside cemetery, Eden Township.
In late July of 1905 his widow, Jessie S., was living in Michigan when she applied for and received a pension (no. 615123).
Showing posts with label Tewskbury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tewskbury. Show all posts
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Monday, January 03, 2011
Asahel Adams Tewskbury
Asahel Adams Tewskbury was born on June 24, 1836, in Boston, Summit County, Ohio, the son of Elijah (b. 1809) and Matilda (Hinds, b. 1808).
New Hampshire native Elijah married Vermonter Matilda sometime before 1835 by which time they had settled in Ohio. Sometime between 1848 and 1850 Elijah died (probably in Ohio but possibly in Indiana) and Matilda remarried a widower (or divorcee) Justus Waite (or Wait). By 1850 Matilda and her children were living with Justus and his children on a farm in Fairfield, DeKalb County, Indiana. (Asahel’s stepbrother Walter Wait would join Company K of the Old Third in 1861.) Sometime in the early 1850s Justus moved his family to Michigan, settling first in Burr Oak, St. Joseph County, Michigan, and then pushing on to Blendon, Ottawa County.
In 1856 Asahel married New York native Sarah Ann Smith (1838-1874), in Allegan, Allegan County, and they had at least seven children, Orville (b. 1857), Clarissa or Clara (b. 1859), Alice (b. 1861), Ezra (b. 1866), Wilbur or Clarence (b 1867), Matilda (b. 1870) and Arthur A. (b. 1871). Asahel and his wife moved into a house next door to his mother and stepfather. By 1860 he was working as a farm laborer and living with his wife Sarah in Blendon. He still lived next door to his stepfather and mother and on the other side lived Wilbur Scott who would also join the Third Michigan.
Asahel was 25 years old and probably still living in Blendon when he enlisted in Company I on May 13, 1861. (Company I was made up largely of men from Ottawa County, particularly from the eastern side of the County.) He may have been wounded by a shell fragment on May 31, 1862, at Fair Oaks, Virginia. In any case, he claimed some years after the war that during the battle he “received an injury by a cannon ball passing in close to his head from which partial deafness of left ear, and slight paralysis of shoulders and neck have resulted. That he was knocked down by [the] cannon ball and rendered unconscious and for some time was unable to perform any duty.” He added that he did not seek treatment for his injury at the time although he was requested to go to the hospital since he had “a great dread of the hospital” and he was treated by the regimental assistant surgeon W. B. Morrison. He eventually recovered but apparently did not rejoin the regiment and was reported as a pioneer from July of 1862 through October. He was possibly wounded by a gunshot in one of his legs near Culpeper, Virginia in mid-October of 1863. In any case he was serving with the Brigade (probably as a pioneer) from April of 1864 through May. He was mustered out on June 20, 1864, at Detroit.
After his discharge from the army Asahel returned to his home in Blendon. By 1870 he was wortking as a farmer and living with his wife and childrenin Blendon. Sarah Ann died in 1874 and Asahel sent the two youngest children to live with his brother-in-law Milo Smith in Leighton, Allegan County. Around 1876 or so his oldest daugher, Clara, began keeping house for him and took care of him off and on for the remainder of his life, although she was not listed as living with him in 1880 and in any case he eventually married a second time to one Elvira (or Elvina) Chandler (d. 1912). By 1878 Asahel had left Ottawa County and settled in Middleville, Barry County where he was living in 1880 listed as a widower and working on a farm; severalof his children were still living with him. He was living in Middleville in December of 1886 when he became a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association.
He was also a member of G.A.R. Hill Post No. 159 in Middleville, and he received pension no. 614500, drawing $12.00 per month by 1907 and $30.00 per month by the end of 1914.
He probably lived the rest of his life in Middleville, working for many years as as a farmer. According to his daughter Mrs. Clara Reynolds (a widow by 1915), on or about October 1, 1912, Asahel, suffering from “congestion of the liver” and “laGrippe,” became ill enough to require regular and daily attendance (it is possible that he went to live with his daughter but this is not known for certain).
In any case, he remained under her care until he died of congestion of the liver in Middleville on March 1, 1915, and was buried in Mt. Hope cemetery in Middleville.
New Hampshire native Elijah married Vermonter Matilda sometime before 1835 by which time they had settled in Ohio. Sometime between 1848 and 1850 Elijah died (probably in Ohio but possibly in Indiana) and Matilda remarried a widower (or divorcee) Justus Waite (or Wait). By 1850 Matilda and her children were living with Justus and his children on a farm in Fairfield, DeKalb County, Indiana. (Asahel’s stepbrother Walter Wait would join Company K of the Old Third in 1861.) Sometime in the early 1850s Justus moved his family to Michigan, settling first in Burr Oak, St. Joseph County, Michigan, and then pushing on to Blendon, Ottawa County.
In 1856 Asahel married New York native Sarah Ann Smith (1838-1874), in Allegan, Allegan County, and they had at least seven children, Orville (b. 1857), Clarissa or Clara (b. 1859), Alice (b. 1861), Ezra (b. 1866), Wilbur or Clarence (b 1867), Matilda (b. 1870) and Arthur A. (b. 1871). Asahel and his wife moved into a house next door to his mother and stepfather. By 1860 he was working as a farm laborer and living with his wife Sarah in Blendon. He still lived next door to his stepfather and mother and on the other side lived Wilbur Scott who would also join the Third Michigan.
Asahel was 25 years old and probably still living in Blendon when he enlisted in Company I on May 13, 1861. (Company I was made up largely of men from Ottawa County, particularly from the eastern side of the County.) He may have been wounded by a shell fragment on May 31, 1862, at Fair Oaks, Virginia. In any case, he claimed some years after the war that during the battle he “received an injury by a cannon ball passing in close to his head from which partial deafness of left ear, and slight paralysis of shoulders and neck have resulted. That he was knocked down by [the] cannon ball and rendered unconscious and for some time was unable to perform any duty.” He added that he did not seek treatment for his injury at the time although he was requested to go to the hospital since he had “a great dread of the hospital” and he was treated by the regimental assistant surgeon W. B. Morrison. He eventually recovered but apparently did not rejoin the regiment and was reported as a pioneer from July of 1862 through October. He was possibly wounded by a gunshot in one of his legs near Culpeper, Virginia in mid-October of 1863. In any case he was serving with the Brigade (probably as a pioneer) from April of 1864 through May. He was mustered out on June 20, 1864, at Detroit.
After his discharge from the army Asahel returned to his home in Blendon. By 1870 he was wortking as a farmer and living with his wife and childrenin Blendon. Sarah Ann died in 1874 and Asahel sent the two youngest children to live with his brother-in-law Milo Smith in Leighton, Allegan County. Around 1876 or so his oldest daugher, Clara, began keeping house for him and took care of him off and on for the remainder of his life, although she was not listed as living with him in 1880 and in any case he eventually married a second time to one Elvira (or Elvina) Chandler (d. 1912). By 1878 Asahel had left Ottawa County and settled in Middleville, Barry County where he was living in 1880 listed as a widower and working on a farm; severalof his children were still living with him. He was living in Middleville in December of 1886 when he became a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association.
He was also a member of G.A.R. Hill Post No. 159 in Middleville, and he received pension no. 614500, drawing $12.00 per month by 1907 and $30.00 per month by the end of 1914.
He probably lived the rest of his life in Middleville, working for many years as as a farmer. According to his daughter Mrs. Clara Reynolds (a widow by 1915), on or about October 1, 1912, Asahel, suffering from “congestion of the liver” and “laGrippe,” became ill enough to require regular and daily attendance (it is possible that he went to live with his daughter but this is not known for certain).
In any case, he remained under her care until he died of congestion of the liver in Middleville on March 1, 1915, and was buried in Mt. Hope cemetery in Middleville.
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