Vermont/Wisconsin Soldier Research

[Pvt_6thnhvi]

Mods, not sure the best place for this post so bear with me. Perhaps there should be a Research folder??

Anyway,

I have maintained a cemetery in Marlboro VT for the last 10 years and over the years have taken care of several of the CW veteran's markers,flag holders and plots.

I happened to notice a stone that was quite weathered and nearly impossible to read. As I approched it for further scrutiny I could make out the faint carving of the name Lieut. J.H.Thayer (research proves James Hervey Thayer)

He was Born to Ezra and Thirza Thayer Sept 4 1833 in Marlboro VT
He died Oct 8th 1864 of wounds rec'd near Atlanta. (actually a Marietta hospital)

I am at a dead end so it seems as to any further info on him.

What I am able to find is he was a 1st Sgt upon enlistment and died a 2nd Lieut. in the 12 Wisconsin Infantry Company E (via soldiers and sailors website as well as local documents)

My question is: Any of you folks arounf the Madison area with access to archieves?

What I would like to do is get a GAR marker from my SUV magizine and perhaps have a small cerimony with my local unit to bring to light this forgotten soldier that has not had a flag at his resting place in many years.

Any help would be appreciated. Sorry this post is so long winded.

I remain,

Your humble servant
Robert Tarbox
Pvt. 6thNHVI

P.S. I am dying to know how this Vermonter ended up in Wisconsin??? Was there a great cheese rush or something I am unaware?? :wink_smil

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Re: Vermont/Wisconsin Soldier Research

Mods, not sure the best place for this post so bear with me. Perhaps there should be a research folder??

Pvt. Tarbox,

There is a research folder, and it's located in the "Camp of Instruction."

However, I think your post is fine right here in the sinks.

Hog-Eye

[MissMaggie]

Re: Vermont/Wisconsin Soldier Research

Sir,
I'm guess that there may have been a married sister living in Wisconsin at the time he would have joined up. I was bored so I looked up all the names of Ezra Thayer's children as of 1850: Amanda (24), Sarah (19), Harvey (17), Sylvia (13), Mary (9) and Orson (21). Going totally on age and the birthplace of Vermont I found two Sarah's living in Wisconsin in 1860. One 29 in Racine and the other 30 in Milwaukee. Not much to go on, but its a theory.
I do live in Wisconsin, however, I don't get to Madison much (its full of scarry liberals). I'll check the library next week to see what they've got in muster records on Microfilm.

[MassVOL]

Re: Vermont/Wisconsin Soldier Research

This might help it has his residence:

Residence Newport WI;
Enlisted on 9/7/1861 as a 1st Sergeant.

On 9/7/1861 he mustered into "E" Co. WI 12th Infantry
He died of wounds on 10/7/1864 at Atlanta, GA


He was listed as:
* Wounded 8/14/1864 Atlanta, GA


Promotions:
* 2nd Lieut 5/11/1862



Got that from the Civil War Database

[Pvt_6thnhvi]

Re: Vermont/Wisconsin Soldier Research

I thank you all for your assistance thus far! Very decent of you to help out and the info is valuable. Will do some more digging when I head back to work tmw.

YOS
Rob Tarbox

[Pvt_6thnhvi]

Re: Vermont/Wisconsin Soldier Research

Miss Maggie,

Thanks for the info. I suppose I will write to the national archives at some point,there is certainly enough info to go on. The killer is I probably won't hear anything from them for several months to a year. So if you have the time and are so inclined please do let me know what you find out.

It would be great to really bring this soldier back from obscurity and perhaps have a small cerimony of sorts.

Thanks again
YOS
Rob

Sir,
I'm guess that there may have been a married sister living in Wisconsin at the time he would have joined up. I was bored so I looked up all the names of Ezra Thayer's children as of 1850: Amanda (24), Sarah (19), Harvey (17), Sylvia (13), Mary (9) and Orson (21). Going totally on age and the birthplace of Vermont I found two Sarah's living in Wisconsin in 1860. One 29 in Racine and the other 30 in Milwaukee. Not much to go on, but its a theory.
I do live in Wisconsin, however, I don't get to Madison much (its full of scarry liberals). I'll check the library next week to see what they've got in muster records on Microfilm.

[MissMaggie]

Re: Vermont/Wisconsin Soldier Research

Newport Wisconsin is located in Columbia County. The county boarders the Wisconsin river and the town is probably only about an hour or two trip (in the modern world) from Madison which is where the 12th was organized. Looking over the census records of Newport in 1860 it seemed to be a town of about 1,000 people. James Thayer did not show up. I did notice the town had a few lawyers, a few Rail Road men, some engineers, merchants, a lot of farmers and some lumberman. I've been using a serch engine for the 1860 census provided by my library and I can't find a James Thayer anywhere in it. However, there is a Harvey Thayer, listed as a child of Ezra. Same guy? The ages would match up.

[styler]

Re: Vermont/Wisconsin Soldier Research

Have you considered the possibility that JH Thayer may not be buried in the cemetery in Vermont and that the headstone may be a memorial stone put up by his parents? Not that that would mean much for any commemoration of his sacrifice, but you may want to keep looking to see if he isn't in any National Cemeteries.

As you probably already know, in the 19th C. it was pretty common for folks from the east to head west (heck, even northern New York was west for Vermonters ;) ). Also, from my experience in reseaching individuals lots of folks went by their middle names. Harvey Thayer would fit this James Hervey/Harvey Thayer.