Happy Memorial Day Weekend

I would be remiss not to mention or salute my ancestors who have served this great country. I am lucky to have a rich family history dating back to 1709 when my first ancestors (Weygants) arrived here from Germany and founded Newburg, N.Y. My mother was a Weygant and to this day in the Newburg Public Library there are preserved genealogy records of the family.

My ancestors are veterans of the War of 1812, Civil War, WWI and WWII. I have a few pictures and brief descriptions to share:

In 1862 Charles H. Weygant assisted in the formation of the One Hundred and Twenty fourth Regiment of New York Infantry with Colonel Ellis. This regiment would become known as the “Orange Blossoms.” In September, 1862, he was mustered into service as Captain of Company A. He took an active part in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Beverly Ford, Gettysburg, the Wilderness and Spottsylvania, and in every general engagement of the Army of the Potomac after Cold Harbor until the close of the war.

Not even a year into service, during the battle of Gettysburg, the regiment’s Colonel (Ellis) and Major (Cromwell) were killed, and the Lieutenant-Colonel (Cummings) was incapacitated, leaving the regiment in command of Captain Weygant. Here is a quote from Stephen Sears book, “Gettysburg,”

“As the Rebel battle lines crept closer, the 124th New York’s Colonel Van Horne Ellis and His major, James Cromwell, determined that their best hope lay in a counterattack. Ellis and Cromwell mounted and took places for the charge… the New Yorkers rushed down the west face of Houck’s Ridge at the double quick. The 1st Texas reeled back some 200 yards under the surprise onslaught… ‘Roaring cannon, crashing rifles, screeching shots, bursting shells, hissing bullets, cheers, shouts, shrieks and groans…’ Suddenly behind the wavering Rebel line there was revealed through the battle smoke an unwavering second line… Major Cromwell tumbled dead off his horse, shot through the chest. Then Colonel Ellis was down…The 124th New York, leaderless and spent, staggered back to its starting point. Command fell to Captain Charles Weygant, who counted barely a hundred men to defend their original line.” (pp. 273-274)

Weygant was later breveted Colonel by Congress as a special recognition of his services and those of his regiment, who during the siege of Petersburg captured one hundred and fifty-five Confederates, their commanding officer and battle-flag, killing and wounding thirty others, without losing a single man on his side. At the battle of Chancellorsville, on the morning of the second day, he was left with one hundred men to observe and retard the advance of Stonewall Jackson’s twenty thousand, while his corps, the Third, fell back to a new battle line which had been assigned it. Fortunately, when Jackson’s men advanced the next morning, our subject found that nature had provided a small ravine through which he, after having performed the duty assigned him, was enabled to escape with the loss of only eight men. On that same day of May, 1863, the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth suffered a loss of nearly two hundred men killed and wounded, and he received a scalp wound which invalided him for a few days.

The One Hundred and Twenty-fourth was one of eight regiments which led Hancock’s charge at Spottsylvania, and there Colonel Weygant was wounded in the limb, while in the act of planting a Union flag on the enemy’s inner line of works, after his regiment had captured four guns, over three hundred prisoners and a rebel flag. His wound was so serious as to keep him from duty about seven weeks. At the battle of Boynton Roads, later in 1864, while in command of a force consisting of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth New York and Berdan’s Second Regiment of Sharpshooters, he was again wounded, being shot in the left side, but was back on duty again in a few weeks. His regiment, acting as sharpshooters, took a conspicuous part in Grant’s last campaign, skirmishing with the enemy’s rear guard nearly every day from Petersburg to Appomattox, capturing many prisoners, guns and wagons, and losing twenty men, killed and wounded, in the last encounter between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia, the day preceding Lee’s surrender. At the close of the war he took part in the Grand Review, and then returned home, with a record as a valiant soldier of which he might justly be proud.

Some years after the close of the conflict, Colonel Weygant wrote a History of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Regiment, N. Y. S. Vols., which comprises a valuable addition to our war literature, and is a very interesting book, filled with thrilling adventures and memorable incidents connected with that long struggle. Of late, very few histories covering the Army of the Potomac have been written without it being cited. Rev. E. P. Roe, in the battle scenes of his most famous novel, An Original Belle, copies extensively from it, which fact he gracefully acknowledges in his preface in the following words: “In touching upon the battle of Gettysburg and other historical events, I will briefly say that I have carefully consulted authentic sources of information. For the graphic suggestions of certain details I am indebted to the `History of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Regiment, N. Y. S. V., by Col. Charles H. Weygant.’” (Much of the above is taken from, BIOGRAPHY: Charles H. Weygant; Newburgh, Orange co., New York.)

Colonel Weygant is a hard act to follow, but I am very honored to mention my other ancestors.

Cyrus Prescott belonged to the 10th Minnesota Regiment and served in Company E. His regiment served mainly in the western theater including the pursuit of Price through Arkansas and Missouri. His regiment took part in the Battle of Nashville, the pursuit of Hood and ended up taking part in the assault and capture of Fort Blakely on April 9th, 1865 just hours after Lee surrendered to Grant.

My last Civil War ancestor was also there that day on April 9th, 1865. William Henry Oettiker lived in Platteville, Wisconsin when in October 1861 he joined the 11th Wisconsin Regiment. During his 4 hard years of service, his regiment traveled over 9,000 miles (3,500 of it on the march) to as far away as the Gulf of Mexico, Texas. Seeing hard service in Missouri fighting bushwhackers, Arkansas, down the Mississippi and serving in Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign. During this time they took part in fighting at Port Gibson, Champion Hill, Big Black River, and the bloody May 22nd assault on Vicksburg, when the regiment suffered some of the most casualties.

So, oddly enough, Oettiker would end up taking part in the assault of Fort Blakely along with the 10th Minnesota Volunteers. Both Cyrus and W.H. Oettiker survived the war.

During WWI Clarence Weygant served with the 65th U.S. Infantry which took part in the battles of St. Mihiel, Meus, and the 1st and 2nd Argonne. He survived the war and was discharged in 1919.

Finally, I have two ancestors who fought in WWII. Vincent Robert Weygant and my grandfather, Robert Weygant. Vincent Robert saw action in North Africa, Sicily, and France. He served in the Third Infantry Div., 7th Infantry. He was wounded at Avignon, France on October 20, 1944 and returned home. My grandfather served in the Pacific where he was a mechanic. He suffered from diabetes and never saw combat.

I also know that an ancestor, Daniel Prescott, fought in the War of 1812, however I have no other details yet. And I am also looking into the possibility of an ancestor (Weygant) who probably fought in the Revolutionary War.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!