Anyone researching the Medal of Honor recipients of earlier days has a mountain of obstacles in their way. Records sloppily kept, false information given, or recorded, no information to be found. Or so little, it all adds up to major headaches and the poor telling of tales that so much need to be told... and preserved.

Sifting through misinformation like fake age on enrollment, wrong dates of enrollment, wrongs dates of birth and death, and even wrong spelling of the name all play a roll in today's story. But what I bring forth hopefully brings some corrections forward.

We will start at birth.

Numerous sources tell us that Louis Chaput was born in 1842 or 1844. But with the careful work of a Victoria Genealogist Society member we have confirmed birth being 23 August of 1847. The name on birth and baptismal records shows it to actually be Louis Georges Chaput. He was born at Sorel Canada East (Montreal area) and had an older sister by two years and 2 younger brothers and another sister to come along later.

I have yet to find any info on Louis in Montreal in his youth or when he went to the US, but it was on the 10th of May 1864 when this youth entered the New York recruiting offices and enlisted in the US Navy . He indicated that he was from Canada East and had no occupation. He claimed having no previous military service and was given the rank of a Landsman, reflecting his lack of naval training. (seamen would have sea training) Louis also declared that he was 19 years old. Truth be told, he was a little over 16 1/2. While his enrollment papers clearly state his last name was Chaput, this seems to have changed.

He only served the first of a three year stint, but was released due to disabilities caused by the war. The year would see him onboard three different war vessels. And on two of these he would serve two different terms. But curiously, the muster rolls of each term lists his last name as being COPART. 

Regular readers of this blog will have read in the past about the famous battle at Mobile Bay and the attacks on the three mile front of Fort Fisher where several Canadian soldiers and sailors and marines fought on numerous vessels and on land and some coming  away with Medals of Honor. Chaput was one of these sailors.

The battle was fought in early August of 1864. By that time the Union plan to close down all the Confederate ports which just about over. These ports were vital to the south as they allowed the Confederates to ship out supplies and trade them for desperately needed war supplies. Without bullets guns were useless. Mobile Bay, with her two powerful forts , one on the left and one of the right, and several powerful vessels within had to be taken, It was the 2nd last Confederate port stronghold, and would take several weeks to finally crumble.

To access the bay you had to pass through a narrow channel and then sail several miles upstream to get to the actual harbour. Admiral Farragut leading the charge of some 18 powerful Union wooden sailing craft had to get past the big port entry forts and fast. Their powerful guns were capable of lodging cannon shells of upwards of 200 pounds some 3 miles to sea and were not something to play with. A speedy advance past the guns would take the Admiral's fleet into a deep harbour where they could move about and take on the Confederate fleet on site which was limited to four powerful wooden hulled war ships and the dreaded CSS Tennessee. This ship was an iron clad monitor that was pretty well immune to anything the wooden vessels could throw her way.  So they thought!

And the Tennessee was commanded by the most senior fleet admiral the Confederates had. His name was Buchannan ...and he was the very man that commanded the CSS Virginia (AKA the CSS Merrimack) during the famous battle back in 1862. (Only two of his Confederate sailors died that day. The first was a fellow born in New Brunswick) 

The harbour was fitted with several protective measures including a mine field that would allow entry in the channel only to a narrow strip of above 400 to 500 yards. And of course the powerful forts would be expecting activity in that very portion of the entryway to the inland Bay.

The line of attack called for the USS Brooklyn to lead the way. This was because it had special attachments below the waterline designed to deal with any mines to its front. When the fleet advanced, the Brooklyn slowed down to deal with one of these mines. It then came across the Tennessee and headed of course to take her on. An impatient 2nd vessel therefore jumped to the lead. This was the USS Tecumseh and it ran right into a mine and sunk within 3 minutes. Of her crew of 113, over 90 went down with the ship.

The firing was so heavy that the ships and the forts could not even see each other at some point, gunpowder explosions caused lots of smoke and the fog thus  obliterated sight for both sides. They were often simply firing in the blind at nothing more that a bright flash when a cannon was fired. Admiral Farragut had to climb up the main mast and lash himself there so as to see the battle below, and when the advancing ships started to get backed up cause of the Tecumseh going down and causing commotion in the front vessels, it was then that Farragut was, by popular belief, but probably wrong, was to have yelled... damb the torpedoes... full speed ahead. 

After about three hours of shells being lobed at the Tennessee and just bouncing off, some of the Union ships took a shot at ramming it. This is a sketch of the Lackawanna doing so. After several attempts the Union was finally able to damage the steering gear. The vessel then became a sitting duck as it could not manoeuvre about and ultimately surrendered.

Prior to this a 200 hundred pound shell bounced in the water at the edge of the Lackawanna, bounced on board and then over the other side. But in the process it did so much damaged that several were killed and many more wounded by splinters flying all about.

It was probably here that Louis Chaput earned his Medal of Honor. He was wounded seriously in the arm and leg and face and had to seek medical attention but quickly returned back to his gun and continued to man it. He almost collapsed and was finally removed from the gun after manning it as best he could till then. He would later claim in pension documents that he was wounded eight times at Mobile Bay.

The battle amongst the ships came to an end with the Union taking command of the harbour and within weeks both Confederate forts ultimately surrendered, leaving the South with but one harbour left in the entire Confederacy to be taken before the war would come to an end months down the road.

I has been said that at Mobile Bay one of the vessels received a cannon ball from the enemy that did not explode. They apparently wrote on it...Return to Sender... postage Paid... and launched it off again.  Maybe that's what Elvis was really singing about. hehe. Even stranger, the ship battles with the forts were so intense... and interesting to watch at one point, that a small Confederate Fort and the union soldiers attacking it both agreed to suspend their actions long enough to watch the main battle as it progressed.

After the war Louis took up the printing trade and lived in the New York area for about 25 years. He then  returned to the Montreal area were he died on 17 April 1916 and lies buried today at Notre Dame, probably the largest cemetery in Canada, where Fathers of Confederation, some 20 Mayors of Montreal and hundreds of other famous men and women lie at rest among the 500,000 graves, 350 acres of land, 65,000 monuments, and some 10,000 trees a few being even older than 150 years.

Louis Georges Chaput is the only Medal of Honor recipient there. 

Bart

Like so many before and after him, Thomas Joseph Kearsey from Newfoundland would migrate to the US  early in his life. Born near St John's he would be raised on a farm at Twenty Mile Pond, now called Windsor Lake. Thomas had an older sister, by about 5 years and both probably were kept quite busy with chores around the farm.  While still a youth, it is believed his mother may have moved to one of the eastern states and when about 18 he may have joined her or went off on his own to the Boston area.

Thomas claimed an Everett Massachusetts residence on 19 October 1870 when he signed up at Boston for a 3 year stint as a seaman in the US Navy. His enlistment papers indicate that he had no special skills nor previous military service.  Historic records indicate that he joined up on the 18th, but it was clearly the 19th. The enlistment document also notes that he came from a place called NEW FOUNDLAND. Curious.  It also claimed he was 24 years old, but some math indicates he may have been born in 1846 rather than the oft quoted 1847. Thomas also decided that his name ought no longer be KEARSEY, as spelt at birth, and so he changed it to Kersey, a spelling that followed him for the rest of his life.

First assigned to the USS Ohio and then to the USS California, his first year of service obviously agreed very much with the US Navy. They had him promoted to Cox'n at one point and another to the Captain of the Top. All within his first year of service. Thomas would then serve on the USS Independence, the USS Vermont, the USS Wabash a 2nd time, the USS Plymouth and finally the USS Wabash for a third stint before leaving the service.

In 1876 Thomas was listed on what was called a Descriptive List. (documents periodically created that listed rolls, and other pertinent info)  The entry says he was 29 years old, thus making his birth in 1846 versus 47, and also noted, again rather curiously that he was from St John's  NOVA SCOTIA, instead of Newfoundland. 

After enlisting in 1870 Thomas would re-enlist a total of 3 more times and would ultimately serve about 14 yrs in the US Navy. It is believed that he may have been on the  USS Plymouth, pictured above at Norfolk in 1885, for less than a month but within that short period his heroism would result in his earning a Medal of Honor.

On 26 July 1976 while at the New York Naval Yard the waters must have been quit rocky for not one but three Medals of Honor would be awarded for sailors diving into the water to attempt the rescue of fellow shipmates who had fallen from the vessel. Two medals went to 2 fellows who's citations read that they ATTEMPTED to rescue another, suggesting that the attempt might not have been a success. But Thomas also dived in to rescue a shipmate and his attempt was successful. Two weeks later two others would also be awarded a MOH from this ship for saving a civilian who was struggling in the waters of Halifax, Nova Scotia but that will be covered in a later blog.

This is the General Order that announces the awarding of Medals of Honor to several individuals. Order #215 at the bottom brings notice of the Kersey award.

The last ship Thomas would serve on was the Wabash.. for a third stint. This would come to an end in July of 1878 when he got so sick that he had to take a discharge based on a disability. It was caused by injuries to the kidney that he had to deal with since the MOH incident a few years earlier. He would be in and out of hospital with the ailment and eventually died at the Hospital... a naval hospital at Chelsea Mass. on 17 April 1888, not the 16th as widely documented.

Thomas was buried at the Hospital but later his remains were removed from an old location on site to a new one. Or so the story goes. Some 42 headstones and supposed remains were also removed. But later it was found that some of the 42 were only headstones, and not remains. Later search for remains proved fruitless. Other graves were found on site but with no indications who they were. Poor records are compounded by two stories. One having Thomas being removed to Newport Rhode Island and another having his remains going to Woodlawn Cemetery at Everett Mass, but the later had no records substantiating this.

To this day the mysterious has yet to be solved.

Canadian war hero Thomas  Joseph Kearsey died 125 years ago tomorrow.

Moving on to another topic... Back on 21 March I brought you a number of items including comments about a new medal the US government was creating for drone operators who were a zillion miles away from the enemy but could soon earn bravery medals for their jobs in front of a computer.

You can guess my views on the subject. Many in the military and out were infuriated with the creation of a medal for this purpose and the placing of it in an order of ranking above the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.... medals for true bravery in the face of the enemy, And without mouse in hand.

The latest news is that the order had been given to halt the production of the medal. Now this does not kill it.. just halt it. Make no mistake. It may very well still live. The powers to be are now contemplating some sort of a device... like maybe a star or a "V"  for valor or whatever...that can be affixed to some other medal the service member had already earned. The matter of where the "Device" will rank with other medals is also being examined.

One can only hope that the front line airmen and women, and soldiers and sailors and marines and coast guard members and others who daily face their enemy will be consulted on the issue BEFORE another blundered is announced. Talk to these front line troops... not just their Generals and Admirals.

Kudos to those who had the strength to step up to the plate and ensured they were being heard about the ill advised creation in the first place, and to others who actually listened.

And a final comment... Today is my 100th blog.  I hope you have enjoyed these as much as I have enjoyed doing them, though I will confess it is taking a lot more work that I thought back in December of 1812..or whenever I started them...hehehe

I want to thank you for staying with me all this time and for the comments I have been receiving about this work to keep the memories of these heroes both in the US and Canada alive. Comments have come in from across Canada, London England and several US States. If you have not done so, please take a few minutes to drop me a line from wherever you are to say hello and give some input in what you are finding in these blogs.

It would also be helpful if you could pass along the blog URL to others that you may think would enjoy it, and also to the press who may well find it worthy of coverage. 

I hope you will agree with my statement that much of this is new to you and not readily available elsewhere.

cheers and I'll be back tomorrow.

Bart

Strange how things happen! His heroism should have put the tiny village of White Bay on the map. But in fact  a few years later the village became deserted. Thomas spent his earliest days there as a fisherman and probably had little in the way of education. Soon after  WW1 started he made his way to St. John's and signed up with the Newfoundland Regiment. Ten months earlier his older brother George signed up so what was good for George ought to have been good for Thomas.  It would be more exciting than continuing as a fisherman and with little education, what did the  future hold for him at White Bay anyway? Thomas told the recruiters he was 18, but truth be told he was just 4 months beyond his 15th birthday. Little did they know!

The Newfoundland regiment had a very proud history by that time. They had almost been whipped out at Beaumont Hamel in July 1916. In the slaughter of that one day 780 Newfoundlanders men went into battle. The next day only 68 showed up for roll call. But that didn't destroy their guts to keep going. They would rebuild and continue to show the world what they were made of.  And to show off their taste for fashion to boot! Pardon the pun. When the unit first was raised, many of the normal military supplies were not available in Newfoundland. One of the clothing items needed was khaki puttees. These were long strips of material that were tightly wrapped around the leg, boot up to almost knee. This provided support and protection from critters like snakes. Since none were available the unit made their own... and soon they were famous for those as well.

Thomas has so little education that one reference suggested that he had to sign the enlistment papers with just an X. But sign it he did after traveling clear across the province (then a colony of Britain)  to St John's and soon he was boarding the SS Florizel for the Atlantic crossing.

The Florizel, see here en-route to the St John's harbour, was specially built with a steel hull to deal with the icy  waters off Newfoundland. She was refitted annually to take part in the seal hunt and during rest of the year operated with some 145 first class units for passengers travelling between Newfoundland, Halifax and New York.

The ship  was also used as a troop carrier and in fact sailed the first  540 volunteers of the Newfoundland Regiment to Europe.

Thomas must have taken some training in Newfoundland after his enlistment in September of 1916 and boarded the Florizel for her crossing on 30 Jan 1917. It is believed the ship first travelled to Nava Scotia before heading into the crossing.

After some initial training in Scotland Ricketts and others were sent off to France to join the Newfoundland Regiment. This is the cap badge of the lower ranks in the unit at the time.

By November of 1918 Ricketts' luck had run out and, after fighting in six battles he finally became wounded with a rifle shot to the right leg in the battle at Cambrai, the very site were his brother George went Missing in Action and presumably dead on an earlier date. Thomas' battle wound was far less serious but it took him out of battle and required treatment at various centers ending up with him back in England and out of the war for a short period.

It would  be at the de Burt farm lands near the village of Drie-Masten and Ledegem, (B above)  about 75 Kilometers east of Dunkirk (A above) where Thomas Ricketts would earn not only the Victoria Cross but also the French Croix de Guerre.  

His unit and others were advancing on a railway establishment which is an important military target for whoever holds it. His Newfoundlanders were with a couple of other units on the advance when they came across some no-man's land on 14 October 1918. The area was covered with barbed wire entanglements which slowed them down. While attempting to cross these they also found that they were very much under the eye of the Germans with several artillery guns and many machine gun nests only a few hundreds yards to their front.

His unit was pinned down and unable to go forward or back without taking many more hits. He volunteered with his section commander to carry a Lewis Machinegun on a flanking tactic ... and off they went firing the weapon from their hip on the run. Soon the had used up all their ammo. Ricketts immediately dropped the gun and ran back to friendly lines to get two more boxes of clips and returned but under a low fog his commander had disappeared. He loaded up and continued his advance and by some miracle was not hit by the enemy. In fact he was pouring so much lead into one of the farmhouses that the enemy fled. he kept going forward onto the 2nd farmhouse and soon heard the yells....   Komrade  Komrade... he stopped shooting and an officer and seven men surrendered to him. Four artillery guns were behind the farms and all of these were captured. Ricketts also chased off some Germans who were trying to hook up some horses to a fifth gun and when his fellow troops came along side they  hauled all the guns off. His efforts turned the tide of the battle at that point, but not before the Newfoundlanders lost 23 men, 6 being from his own company.

On December 14th 1918 The company Commander for B Company called his men together and announced to all that Ricketts, a private in the company, was being awarded the Victoria  Cross.  A month later he was sent to England, and since it was known that he was taking his opportunity of leaving the military, rather than waiting for a formal presentation at a later date, he wanted an early exit from England. He therefore was granted an audience with King George V at Sandringham Palace, as noted above for the investiture. (Note that in the address to Ricketts, it states he had earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal. This was wrong.)

On 19 Jan., 1919 Pte Thomas Ricketts was escorted to visit with King George V. He would attend a private ceremony where the King pinned his VC to his chest, beside the French Government's Croix de Guerre which was presented a few months earlier, for the same events that brought resulted in getting the VC.   That day he would meet several dignitaries and members of the Royal family. He would have a ten minute chat with the King who then turned to two of the Royal family and said... "This is the Youngest VC in my army." (Though two others only 15 1/2 years  of age earned VC's in the Crimea, and in November of 1916 a 16 year old was awarded the VC, but this was a posthumous award. 

Shown above on the left is Ricketts after his promotion ten days after the investiture, and now wearing the VC on the left and the Croix de Guerre on the right. (looking at picture) The picture to the right shows him wearing just the ribbons, but note the strip on his left sleeve (at his finger tip) . This indicates that he received a war wound.

Thomas arrived back in Newfoundland in early February of 1919. His boat had to be anchored for the night and not allowed to dock till the next morning. Word was out that Ricketts was onboard. A quick thinking reporter snuck out in a rowboat to get an exclusive interview and thus scoop the story on the rest of the press.  This fellow was JR Smallwood, the later equally famous Premiere.

Ricketts went back to school and got an education that he had not mastered before the war. He became a druggist and had a business for many years and died at his office in 1962...  43 years to the day from when he first arrived back home after the war.

Ricketts was born 112 years ago today, on 15 April 1901.

Bart

This is a continuation of yesterday's blog. If you missed the first one you might want to scroll down and read it first.

While Dennis Buckley was held at Camp Parole his unit was engaged in many battles including the 1863 famous battle at Gettysburg. Dennis' POW status may well have saved his life.

Upon rejoining the 136th New York Infantry,  Dennis would take part in the advance on the Georgia state capital at Atlanta. This was a major centre of commerce and one of the last Confederate strongholds that had to be taken by the North. It's fall within a few weeks would be one of the factors that assisted Lincoln in his re-election bid.  But before that could happen the Union troops had to get past Peach Tree Creek.

Crossing the Peachtree Creek in Georgia, the Union troops of about 21,500 immediately set about digging in for preparation of the advancing Confederates, some  20,250 strong and the start of their attack. But the Confederates came sooner than expected and the beginning of a 5 hour battle was on. When it finally came to an end about 7,000 men lay dead or dying, were missing, wounded or been captured as POW's. One of the wounded would be a brother-in-law of Lincoln's. Another soldier of the field of battle  would become a later President of the United State. (Harrison)

Above is an artist's rendering of a portion of the battle. To the right, a close look will show you Atlanta and to its north about 20 miles is Marietta. Two places that played prominent roles in the Andrews Raiders adventure that was covered in several blogs in this space most recently.  If you draw the base of a triangle, being between these two cities and then put the third point about 20 miles to the east you will find Peachtree Creek where the above battle took place. There are crossed swords indicating the location on the above map. 

It would be here that Dennis Buckley's war... and his life came to a tragic end!

While advancing on the enemy Dennis used the butt of his riffle to clobber a Confederate officer who was carrying the flag of the 31st Miss. Infantry. The officer went down and Dennis grabbed the flag, dropping his weapon at the same time. (It took two hands to handle the 9 ft. longs shaft that the flag was fastened to). Turning his back on the enemy and waving the flag at his comrades he was encouraging  them with screams that they can keep coming on, and that  EVERY BULLET IS WORTH A COW." A reference no doubt to his days back on the farm in Lindsay Ontario.

Those were Dennis' last words in the war... and in his life of only 20 years! An enemy bullet struck the flagpole, bounced off and hit this Canadian soldier in the forehead killing him instantly.

Many of the dead were buried after the battle right on location. A few years later they were transferred to a federal cemetery at Marietta. But Dennis Buckley's grave marker spelled his name wrong, as seen below to left.

A fellow in New York by the name of John DuBois is a historian and researcher for the unit that perpetuates the memory of the 136th New York. He has a vested interest as his Great Grandfather fought with the regiment. John and others had been searching for the Buckley grave for well over 100 years when John one day came to realize that Dennis had a great friend in the war and that fellow was also killed at the same battle. His idea was to go and find that fellow's grave and look around to see if Buckley was close. He was stunned to find that Dennis was buried right beside his wartime buddy... but as noted and as can be seen, no one thought to look for Dennis under a different spelling. That of BURKLEY

John did his research to ensure he had solved the mystery and then went about fixing the problem. He arranged to have the marker upgraded not only in spelling but in adding the fact that this man was a war hero and had earned the Medal of Honor. The only one in his regiment!  A story on the internet led me to finding out that John's unveiling ceremony was yet to take place so I immediately researched and found him and we exchanged some info. I then put him in touch with the Canadian Embassy's Council General office at Marietta just about 20 miles away from where Dennis was buried. I asked that they participate in the ceremony and they did. It should also be noted that John and several others in fact drove for some 14 hours to go from NY to Marietta to conduct the service.

What great Americans honouring a Canadian!

In the spring of 2007 I wrote an article in a Lindsay Ontario paper about Dennis Buckley and how the Americans went out of their way to bring honour to this Lindsay resident of years past. I ended the article with a note that perhaps it was time some recognition came to him in his own home town. Within weeks the Victoria  Historical  Society of the Lindsay area called me to say that a local monument company had stepped forth and offered to make a monument at no charge and have it installed at the local cemetery.

Soon a formal unveiling committee was arranged and many groups played a role in bringing this to fruition. This picture shows the US Consul, Jeff Tunis who was then the Chief Consular officer for the US Embassy at Toronto on the left. The American fellow that did so much work to honour Dennis in Marietta... John DuBois was invited to attend our service and he and a few others in the family drove to Lindsay to participate. He is pictured in the centre and the slim fellow on the right.. hehe.. is me as we unveiled the new marker for Dennis Buckley. This of course is only a monument to Dennis. he lies buries in Georgia.

It was a wonderful service and we all had considerable pride in playing a role to help recognize this hero.

There needs to be many more ceremonies across Canada for other heroes waiting for their well earned day in the limelight.

Hopefully my efforts, and perhaps yours,  will see some more of these happening.

The General Order awarding Dennis Buckley his Medal of Honor, which was delivered in person by the President to Dennis' Mother, was dated on 7 April 1865, 148 years ago Sunday past.

Bart

Mind boggling as it may seem, there were over 1,000 Regiments raised for Union Army service during the US Civil War. Numbers seem harder to come by for the south but there were many hundreds there as well. In the earliest days most felt the war would not last, so when President Lincoln put out the call for 75,000 troops many applied and were put into very short term Regiments. These being of only 90 days. Soon the war progressed and enlistments were for longer periods, 120 days, 6months a year and eventual three year terms of enlistment became more the norm.

By the Fall of 1862 men were being slaughtered at higher an higher numbers, regiment lengths  were increased and recruiters were always on the lookout for more young men. Laws allowed anyone who was drafted to hire a substitute to go to war for them. That is exactly what Abe Lincoln did. Laws also allowed for the creation at the local community or state  and even at the federal level, for the creation of bonuses for signing up. The more desperate the request the higher the bonus. Some started as low as $50 and up to $300, an amount you have read in early blogs, that was enough to buy you a farm in those days. Some bounties even went into the thousands of dollars.

Creative entrepreneurs would sometimes desert, change their name and sign up under another name in another town and get a 2nd or 3rd or 4th bonus. One fellow finally went to jail after being caught doing  it, if memory serves correct, well over 30 times.

Bounties would be one of the incentives used by recruiters who roamed the country and ultimately even overseas and here in Canada in search of young blood to pave their battlefields. Some recruiters also used other devious means... like alcohol or promised jobs that did not exist upon arrival etc, to get the youth to sign up.
 
At Lindsay Ontario in the  Fall of 1862  the following little note appeared in the Ingersoll Chronicle....

I can remember as a child hearing stories of witches getting tarred and feathered. This article suggests that there might be some truth to the practice.

Searching for youth was a main preoccupation of some. During the Civil War 2.7 million would serve, and of these some 2 MILLION were 21 or younger. One million were 18 or younger. About 200,000 of these were no older that 16, and 300 were only 13 or younger.

Dennis Buckley was a youth of about 18 in Lindsay when this article appears. One must wonder if he saw it. he sure needed some money. He worked at farm labour and gathering up logs to raise the only money coming into the household. He had an older brother who had left home years earlier, 2 sisters under three years of age, a mother that took in cleaning and sewing and a father that had serious medical issues that had prevented his working for many years.  His income had to literally clothe and fee the entire family.

In a statement years later when his mother sought a pension, the desperation of the family was clearly noted. Here is a portion of that document...

Here you can read that the family of five lived in a shanty and were squatting on another person's land. Another document in the pension files indicated that at the time the entire net worth of the family was limited to about $150, and all they had was the clothes on their backs and the shanty to show for it. Couple this  with the struggles the entire area was probably suffering no doubt was constantly on Dennis' mind. The area were he lived was a small community and its town business center was entirely destroyed by fire just a year earlier. That had to have had financial and emotional effect on most of its citizens. 

Dennis did his best to supply for the family but it was no doubt a terrible burden for him. The files tell of a case in point. He had worked for a month for one of the local farmers but times were so tough that the farmer had no money to pay Dennis. All he could do is give the youth a cow. Dennis took that cow home  faithfully to his mother and in such grief explained that that was all they could pay him that month. The mother took it in stride, as mothers throughout history have done, and made the best of the situation. It was a lesson Dennis took to his death bed... on a far away battlefield.

In August of 1862 Dennis left the family home and went south to New York state were he vowed to join the Civil War, get a nice bounty and start sending his mother money every  month. The following month he was enlisted in the 136th New York Infantry as a private and to serve for three years.

After some initial training in New York, Dennis' regiment  moved off to Washington DC, then they crossed the Potomac to Arlington Heights, home before the war to General Lee, and later, as today, home of the famous Arlington  National Cemetery. Today the remains  of over 300,000 soles rest, including over 365 Medal of Honor recipients. There are dozens of Canadians buried there including at least ten who have earned the Medal of Honor.

In early January 1863 the 136th became involved in sentry duties at a place called Bank's Ford Virginia. Here the Union troops of the North were on one side of the river and the Confederates of the South were on the other side. Couple this with another practice and along comes Dennis.  There were several times during the war that the men from both sides would fight during the day and lay their arms down at night. Sometimes you would here the battles of music when one side with play their best tune, and then the other would respond in kind. Often the men  would go further and try to meet in the middle of no mans land to do some trading... coffee for tobacco... boots for alcohol... who knows what else.

On the night in question Dennis went out into mid stream and met with a Confederate and the exchanges started. Then Dennis was lured to the other side on the promise of some more much needed supplies. Of course on arrival he was stunned to find himself arrested and now a Prisoner of War. But perhaps with lots of tobacco.  hehe

Dennis would soon be shipped off to Maryland and to the unit called Camp Parole. Parole is a French word meaning..."word."  When a prisoners was captured it cost to much to keep him, house him, feed and give medical assistance etc, so the idea was to hold him on one side till another fellow was captured on the other side and then ultimately an exchange would take place with each soldier being released to return to his regiment.

In the earliest days of the Civil War Camp Parole did not look as accommodating as seen above and was more or less little more than a bunch of tents huddled together. The above shows some progress.  When a soldier was released as a POW he had to promise... or give his... WORD.., that he would not take up arms against his enemies till "paroled." Sounded great in theory but often when it came to be exchange time the released fellow was nowhere to be found. So they sent up camps to house them until formally released. Once then released the soldier was expected to find his way back to his unit and carry on with the unit's war efforts. 

Dennis was  housed here in Maryland probably from about Feb of 1863 till the summer of 1864. On release he was assigned for a short period of time as a nurse orderly at a military hospital in Virginia.

He would finally rejoin the 136th New York in time for the advance on Atlanta Georgia in July of 1864.

But I will bring you the rest of Dennis' story tomorrow.

Bart

It was no doubt a long way from County Tipperary Ireland to the battlefields of Gettysburg but that didn't stop many dozens of Irishman from making the journey.

The Lonergans, including two sons, made the journey in an attempt to escape the failed uprising back home, so to Vermont they travelled in 1848. Young John and perhaps his brother as well worked in the cooperage and grocery business with their father at Burlington in the early years. Then came along the Civil War. John immediately signed up in 1860 with an outfit that just started up and called itself the Emmett's Guard after a famed fellow from back in Ireland. It was a 9 month regiment, like so many that started early in the war. All felt the war would only last a short time and so more than 90 days might not have been needed. So they thought!

The company was mostly Irishmen who had worked in the quarries. There were also a few dozen non Irish and perhaps as many French Canadians.  John being so popular he was soon elected the captain of the company, and that very company would become the first, and thus A Company of what would later be renamed the 13th Vermont Infantry.  (A net listing has 375 names of Canadians in Vermont regiments during the Civil War)

John would serve with the 13th from Oct of 1862 to mid July of 1863. It would be at Gettysburg in early July that he would earn his keep and become famous. It was said that the Irish were always cantankerous ..in uniform or out.. and thus perhaps his speech before the battle included the line that...  "Boys, you have been quite anxious for a fight ever since you enlisted, now you have a chance to fight  and show what kind of stuff you are made of."

And so they did!

In command of only 63 men at the time, he was tasked to go forth and recaptured two artillery guns that a Unit of the Regular Army had lost in battle. They not only recaptured these two but took two more from the enemy. Enroute back to friendly lines they came under so much heavy fire from a house that they dropped the heavy artillery pieces and surrounded the house and Lonergan then gave his famous words to surrender. The sharpshooter officer and 83 men came out with their hands up. Lonergan had less men in his own commend and ended up coming back to friendly lines with not two or four but now SIX artillery guns, an enemy officer and 83 prisoners of war to boot.

As if that wasn't enough, the next day his unit and two other Vermont units played a crucial role in turning back the famous advance that would become known as Pickett's Charge. A charge led buy the very General who shortly after the war sought refuge in Montreal Canada.

John Lonergan finished the war and kept close ties with the Irish community. So close that he became heavily involved in the Fenian movements of the day.

Later he was employed in the customs business in Vermont and ultimately appointed as an agent working out of Montreal, probably at the railway station there. He would remain in Canada for the next 16 years, Most of these with customs till health forced him to resign.
He would raise five children in Canada. In the early 1890's he applied for the Medal of Honor whilst at Montreal and later was so awarded and the medal forwarded to him in Canada. His was the only MOH for the 13th Vermont. But a total of  63 would eventually be issued for the Gettysburg battle.

One of his sons would become a literary editor with the Montreal Gazette pre the 1950's.

Upon his death at Montreal in 1902 his body was shipped back to the US for burial in his hometown of Burlington Vermont. It is believed that two swords, a canteen and possibly even his MOH may still be in Canada with family.

Many miles west of Montreal, and near to Calgary lies the remains of another Gettysburg soldier. His name was Barnett and he was born in 1842 in Vermont. He served with the 11th Virginia Infantry and at death in 1933 he was said to have been the last survivor of the Pickett's Charge. He was on a 3 week visit to Canada when he had a heart attack.

And travelling even farther west to Victoria BC, a few years back the MOH for Sgt George Roosevelt, a relative of the Presidents, was in a coin shop and being offered for sale. It was bought and travelled back to Ontario where an unscrupulous fellow tried to sell it on the internet in the US where such sales were and still are illegal. He was caught in a sting by about 14 different agencies including the FBI and was sent to jail. The medal was recovered and not long ago it was turned over to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for display.  It was awarded for actions at Bulls Run and Gettysburg.

Bart

The fifth blog in this space, way back on 15 December, brought you the story of the late Colonel Lewis Millett of California. Lewis  deserted the National Guard to come to Canada, got trained and sent off to war in WW11, then went on to become a hero and then got court marshalled for desertion. He was fined and continued his service both throughout the war and then in Korea and Vietnam. He was quite proud of his Canadian service and the fact that he was perhaps the only Colonel in the US military to be a deserter... and then earn the DSO and Medal of Honor.

Well, today's story is about another fellow who seems to have also been a deserter. But he escaped the navy, changed his name, came back into the army and went on to earn a MOH as well. And like Asel Hagerty's  story of a few days back, his MOH was also earned at Sailors Creek, close to Petersburg and just days before the Civil War came to an end. 

Charles Felix Kauffman was born in Strasburg France in 1844 and by age 4 his family had relocated to the US. By age 20 he had left home, probably  against his parents wishes, and to hide from them he joined the US Navy for Civil War service under the name of John Chapman. He claimed birth at Saint John New Brunswick, Canada. His papers though misspelled it as being St. Johns. Felix/John apparently served on three vessels... the USS  Olive, Vermont and Monongala  as a coal-heaver or fireman and may have done close to a three year term before apparently deserting.

This statement makes no mention of earlier service...or a desertion...but says he enrolled with the First Maine Heavy Artillery in October of 1864. That seems to have been AFTER his naval service. Records show that there were no less than a dozen men in the First Maine that were using aliases. And  there were no less than 17 Medals issued to men in false names throughout the history of the medal. Another 62 would be engraved with misspelled names.

Charles /John served with the unit only from October till the following September, just shy of one year. He would have been in the thick of battle near Petersburg and then travel with his unit to do city protection at City Point and then on to Sailors Creek were the last major engagement of the war took place. This was just a few days before the war came to an end with General Lee's surrender of about  27,800 Confederate soldiers after battling it out with over 100,000 Union soldiers  at a place called Appomattox Court House.

During the battle at Sailors Creek Charles/John captured one of the Confederate flags. Research has yet to locate details of what flag was involved or circumstances surrounding the event. Nevertheless, on 16 April 1865 General Meade, who was the commander of the Army of the Potomac, wrote to  Adj. General Townsend. In his letter he gave notice that he has already  provided 30 days furlough to 15 soldiers, including Haggerty of a few blogs ago, Chapman and also Lt Custer, brother of the famed General. He noted that these soldiers had captured flags and recommended that each be awarded a Medal of Honor. Eleven days later, on the 27th it appears the affirmative decision was made and a list of some 98 soldiers names were sent to the Chief Clerk of the War Office with the direction to make the medals as soon as possible and have them ready for delivery. Custer, Haggerty and Chapman's names were all included in this list.

On June 3 1865 a total of 85 flags were hand delivered at DC to the Secretary of War by the very men who had captured them Custer, Haggerty and Chapman were among those who not only presented their prized Confederate flags, but got to shake the hand of the Secretary of War and possibly had a most brief conversation with him. Medals had by that time already been forwarded to General Meade with the request that they be presented to the recipients as soon as possible. Some references say medals were given  at the flag presentation ceremony in June. Who knows?

Charles Felix Kauffman, AKA John Chapman was thought for well over 100 years to have been a Canadian. Several years ago it was discovered that he was in fact from France as above noted. After the war he relocated from Maine to California were he spent the rest of his life. He rests to day at a Cemetery in Colma California.

Back on 7 January I posted a blog on this site about several Canadian MOH recipients buried in California. Information was posted there about the work of a California lady who had located the Kauffman grave and noted it said nothing about the alias or that the hero was in fact a MOH recipient.  She then went to work to have this changed and her results are evident in the picture on the right and  above. She also arranged to have a suitable unveiling ceremony, and for this.. .kudo's to her for her work. She also was put in touch with the Canadian Council General office in Los Angeles by me and as a result the American flag presented at the Chapman service ultimately was presented to the CG's office for permanent display. A few years ago I visited that office and saw the flag on display. If in California you ought to visit it as well.

Charles Felix Kauffman, AKA John Chapman's date of action that resulted in his being awarded the Medal of Honor took place 158 years ago Saturday past.

Bart

At the beginning of WW1, the United States had not joined the war. Many do not realize it but, with the influx of Americans coming north to enter the war from Canada, several "American Regiments" were set up in Canada to accommodate these men. The  97th Infantry Battalion ("Toronto Americans) was one of these.

It would be here that the fourth American to earn the Victoria Cross would enlist and before war's end, would be awarded the VC and  also earn the most prestigious Military Cross. As such he would be the only one of the 7 American VC recipients to earn both medals. 

And to top that off this man was not even a fighting man. he was physician and surgeon, who's job it was to fix wounds... not make them.

This man was Mount Carmel Illinois born Bellenden Seymour Hutcheson.  After his high school courses Bellenden went directly in training at the Western Medical School at Chicago about 175 miles north of his home town.  He would then take up a practice as a surgeon and physician but then WW1 broke out.  Bellenden would later claim that he was deeply sympathetic to the Allied cause. Apparently his great grandfather fought under Nelson and lost an eye at Trafalgar. His maternal grandfather was an adjutant of a Union regiment during the Civil War. With this in mind and a desire for adventure, he also felt war time experience would help him in his medical life after war.

Hutcheson would soon find himself on a troop ship for England and later fighting in many of the battlefields of Europe. While In France he would be serving in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, who had sub units attacked to many regiments. He'd be sent off to provide services as the Medical Officer, and with the rank of Captain,  with the 75th Overseas Expeditionary Force, a unit that would later have its name changed to the  Toronto Scottish Regiment. This unit still exists today as a militia unit at Toronto. (I served with this unit for many years in the mid 60's to mid 1980's era) 

Captain Hutcheson would get plenty of chances to learn field medical surgeries in France. In a written account of how he earned his Military Cross he would talk about treating the wounded about 60 miles north of Paris under constant  bombardments of artillery shells from the enemy who were getting their orders from enemy balloons flying overhead and planes swooping down in the area as low as 50 feet above the ground. He would write that whenever a shell landed, the Allies would know that there would be about 6 more coming in short order. When he would get out to the wounded he and his men would be trying to repair shell damage and then more shells would go off to cause much more damage in many cases. 

His London Gazette announcement that he had been awarded the MC in August  of 1918 says that... " the enemy put down a heavy barrage  and many casualties were sustained. This officer worked unceasingly in attending to, and dressing the wounded under heavy fire in open ground. During the mopping up of a village the passed through the streets attending to the wounded. He also voluntarily dressed nearly  100 enemy wounded who had been left behind."

Please note ... these 100 were ENEMY WOUNDED.

As noted earlier, Hutcheson was an American serving with the Canadians. There were seven Americans who earned the Victoria Cross. Four of them would be from battles in France. Hutcheson would be the only one of the American VC recipients to also earn the MC, and thus, his would be a very rare medal indeed in the US, or throughout the world.

Less than a month after earning his MC, Captain Hutcheson was awarded  his Victoria Cross for bravery on the line that stretched between Queant and Drocourt in France.

Nine months later he would be standing at attention at Buckingham Palace as King George V pinned the VC to his chest.

After the war he would marry a Nova Scotia nurse, whom he made wait till war's end, not wishing to possibly leaving a widow behind.  They moved back to the States and  he again took up his profession as a surgeon and doctor. He would serve as  the health officer for the Mound City and also on staff at St Mary's Hospital. He would also be the official MO for two different railway companies..

When King George VI visited Washington DC in 1939 he requested that Captain Hutcheson, accompany him to Arlington where he placed a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier.

In 1954 Hutcheson died from cancer and was laid to rest at Mount Caramel Illinois, on the same grounds as another man that dealt with wounds for several years. But this fellow actually made them!  His name was Al Capone. And at the same cemetery are a few of his fellow gang members.

Hutcheson's old regiment, the Toronto Scottish, called Fort York Armouries their home for over 70 years.

That changed in September of 2009. They have moved away from the CNE area of Toronto to the Etobicoke area and they have a brand new armouries at their disposal. (as of 2009)

It is called the Captain Bellenden Seymour Hutcheson VC Armoury.

And so it should be!

This hero died 59 years ago tomorrow.

Bart

In June of 1825 nine ships arrived at Quebec from Cork Ireland in an experiment to relocate many from the desperate areas of Ireland to new lands and a new start. On one of the ships, called the Resolution about 60 passengers started out but on the month long journey 12 babies were born. Eleven other children died en-route as did about a dozen adults. On arrival they were immediately transhipped to a steamer and sailed off to Montreal, and from there most were taken to the Perth Military Settlement. This was a new housing community moved away from the frontier as a result of threats of continued invasions from the south after the War of 1812. Residents here were the most reliable, and could be called upon in times of military need. One in five was on half pay from former military service to the Crown.

On Board the Resolution was a former army staff surgeon by the name of George Hume Reade. He lived at Perth and had earlier been granted acreage there for loyal service in the British army, and from there, retiring in 1917.  Shortly after the influx of Irish, he would be again called up for service with the British as their Surgeon Superintendent at the Perth settlement.

During the Lower Canada Rebellion, Reade was recalled back into the militia and posted at Quebec's Citadel.  It would be here that two sons Herbert Taylor and John By Cole would spend their youth and no doubt gain some knowledge of their father's practice in medicine. (John's middle name came from his godfather... Colonel John By, who was the very fellow who was tasked by the British to create a town to house the workers who would be building the Rideau Canal. He was to supervise its construction as well. The town would later change its name to Ottawa.

Being a military man George Hume Reade returned to Britain and took his sons with him where they took training in medicine. George and both boys would end up serving in the Crimean War, George was killed in the war. The boys would serve in different units in the Indian Mutiny.

In 1850 Herbert Taylor Reade would become the Assistant  Surgeon in the 61st Regiment of Foot, later called the Gloucestershire regiment. By 1857 he would hold the rank of  Staff Surgeon 2nd class, and in that capacity would be in the thick of battle during the  Siege of Delhi that year.

He was also active in the Ferozapore skirmish, and present during the  assault against the Cashmire Gate. For his actions at Delhi and a few days later Herbert was awarded the Victoria Cross. Here is his London Gazette announcement of the award.

Herbert Reade would continue witht he miltary till retirement in 1887. He would serve over 37 years. Eight years into his retirement  this Canadian Officer was appointed Surgeon to HRH Queen Victoria and held the post till death 2 years later.

This is Reade's picture and his grave at  Locksmith Cemetery in Somerset. Note the base reference to his tasking with the Queen.

Herbert's brother John By Cole also joined the army and was promoted to Assistant Surgeon and provided services at the Battle of  Alama,  Inkerman and Sevastopol in the Crimean war and later also served in the Indian Mutiny at Cawnpore and Lucknow. He would also serve a long term with the army and by 1873 held the rank of Surgeon Major. And like his brother John would also serve as surgeon to Royalty. First to King Edward V11, and later to  King George V

In about 1902 the John Players and Sons, Imperial Tobacco Company produced a series of history keepsake playing cards and circulated them in cigarette packages. Back in January I showed you the card on the right depicting VC recipient Philip Smith's heroism. The one of the left depicts Canadian Herbert Reade's heroism during the Indian Mutiny.

The people of Perth Ontario can be very proud of the Reade family, as can the rest of Canada. How many families can boast that 2 in the family were surgeons to the reigning Monarch... not once or twice... but three times?

Bart

Just yesterday I brought you the story of a shoe and boot maker that went on to become a national hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor. Well, today is about another shoe maker. And he was also a Canadian.

During Civil War days is was often a fact that a soldier or sailor signed up for service under a name other than their own. Ontario or Quebec born Asa Hagert was such a fellow. His army name to start with was  Asel Hagerty, but during the one year he served in the 61st New York Infantry and the paper trail after the war, it has resulted in his spelling his name four different ways. But regardless, this 37 yr old signed up in NY with the 61st in August of 1864 and thought that he would try something other than making shoes for a living.

He started with a windfall, almost like winning the lottery of the day. He was given $300 from a fellow who got drafted by decided that he would find a replacement that would do the soldiering for him and along came Hagerty. In those days the $300 was enough to buy a man a farm. His monthly wage in the service would have been about $13,

Notice also that his memory must have been slipping. He was 37 yet declared being only 22. Pte Hagerty enrolled for a two year stint  or less should the war end sooner. It did and he would end up only serving the first of the 2 years. While he was in A Company, the Captain of C company would also earn a MOH, as did Hagerty, but more on this fellow in another blog.

Hagerty's first duties were at Hart's Island NY but he was soon moved to the 61st where initial duties would have him acting as an aide to the Regimental Adjutant and in charge of mail services. But soon he would be at the front lines and facing the horrible battle at a place called Sailors (Sayler's) Creek Virginia. Here the Confederates  with about 11,500 soldiers would duel with the Union's 15000-16000 soldiers. It would onlt be a day long battle and the Union would end up with some 1150 casualties. The Confederate casualties numbers seems unknown but one figure suggest it could be as high as 8,000. All in just one day's work. Nine Southerm Generals alone would be captured that day.

Saylors Creek was the last major battle of the Civil War. It happened just five days after the Confederates were forced out of Petersburg... to the north of this map, and had vacated Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.

Here you can see the Union troops in blue forcing the Confederates still further south and towards the Appomattox  Court House.

The Confederates were routed and in battle lost more than 40 of their regimental or national flags or colours.

On 10 May 1865 Major General Meade, who was then the commander of the Army of the Potomac wrote to breveted Brig. General ED Townsend. He advised  that he had given a furlough and leave of absence to 42 different men who were being accompanied to DC to present Townsend, who was then the Assistant Adj. General.. with the very flags they captured from the enemy. Private Asel Hagerty was one of the proud bearers of a flag. He and the others were also recommended by Meade for the Medal of Honor.

For those following this blog from the beginning you will hopefully recall the name Townsend from one of the earliest blogs. He was one of those who helped push through the recommendations for the very creation of the medal back in 1862.

MOH resource materials do not seem to have much available info on Hagerty. His citation is documented as being nothing more than... "Captured enemy flag." But further research has located Meade's letter to Townsend in which he identifies the flag as being that of the 4th North Carolina Infantry, a southern unit. This unit must have been very brave. It fought in over 60 skirmishes or battles throughout the war and the loss of its flag must have been quite devastating to the regiment.

This is the very flag that Hagerty captured.

The incredible losses at Saylors Creek were witnessed by none other than General Lee who was looking on at the battle from high upon a hill. He was devastated and just three days later he surrendered his army at Appomattox. The Union generals showed their respect for their enemy by standing and saluting the Confederates as they marched past, bringing the war an end after four years and over 1,000,000 soldiers and sailors killing each other. More were lost in this war than all other US wars COMBINED. 

Asel was released from the military in 1865 and moved to the Defiance area of Ohio where he would get married in 1878 and made a living till retirement in the dry goods and other business ventures including farming. 

Ansel died of natural causes in March 1919 and was buried in Defiance. Neither his obit nor the marker told of the military service or that he was a national hero and had been awarded the Medal of Honor.

His grave became lost to the MOH world and about 1984 a search was put on to try and find out where this hero was buried. It was finally found and confirmed in  1994 by earlier members of the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the US, of which I am a member. They then went about having a suitable marker made and placed at his place of rest and conducted a full military unveiling in 1995.

This is Hagerty's new marker front and back. The back is most unusual, and it is doubtful that there are others like it.

It is a wonderful reminder to all readers that not only was this Canadian an American war hero but he was also very instrumental in the closing days of the war..to actually help bring it to an end.

His battle took place 148 years ago this Saturday.

Bart