UnionBios

Matthew Rector

Born: 1836 POB: Louisville, KY

Parents: William and Ann Parents POB: Pittsburgh, PA

Siblings: One sister-Jenny, who is engaged to an Irishman.

Events

1836-1852

Schooled (up to age 16) and in Louisville area.

1852-1861

Occupation listed as a laborer. Work consisted of unloading cargo from Riverboats and barges. Also traveled up and down the Ohio River working for uncle. He was a resident of Guyandotte, VA, which afforded me the opportunity to visit that place often and make some money working. Also I was there enough to be recognized as a usual visitor and made regular friends in town. There was a time or two when my cousin and I were thrown out of area taverns after being paid. I had traveled as far as Evansville, Indiana and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Other work included working as a hired hand on relations farms, tavern assistant and at times at the Brewery in town.

1861

I was married to Lucy-Jane this year. After that I mainly worked at my father in law’s Inn, which was located in between West Point and Louisville, Kentucky. I still traveled the Ohio River with my Uncle when time allowed, but it wasn’t nearly as frequent as before the War. I decided that the War would end soon and my participation wasn’t needed. Since I didn’t show the enthusiasm for enlisting and being a member of the Democratic Party, I was approached by unsavory characters in Secret Societies (Sons of Liberty being one of them) and asked of my interest-which I flat out told them to go to the d-l as my loyalty was for the Union! My father was a volunteer in the Mexican War under Henry Clay, Jr.’s command and if need be, I would follow in his footsteps and enlist myself should I find the Union in that need.

1862

My interest in joining the Army increased, though I decided to wait until the fall. I still hoped for a peaceful resolution between the States. In late September I traveled to Louisville to take care of some business and to visit my folks. When I arrived I found the city much excited and worried as rumours were spreading about the approach of the Confederate Army. I made arrangements to stay with at parent’s house and arriving in the afternoon. I took care of my business and errands then made my way to my parents home. While on my way I was approached by an officer with two armed men who conscripted me to labour on earthworks. I made a protest but was threatened with arrest. Not wanting any further trouble I allowed myself to be taken away for this task.

While on my way I ran into one of my uncle’s crewmen, Ben with his Negro Robert. He told the officer in charge I was a hired hand for his boat and I was needed unloading government supplies. This got me out of this sticky situation.

When arriving at my Uncle’s boat (which had already been unloaded of its cargo) I was warmly greeted by my Father and Uncle. Our talk soon turned to the War and of my Uncle’s son in Guyandotte. Apparently he was thinking of enlisting. After much talk and seeing the dire situation of the City I decided the time had come for me to enlist as well. I thought I should do so with my cousin and decided to travel back to Guyandotte with my Uncle the following week when he passed through from Evansville, Indiana. I returned with my father to his home and was fully praised for my decision that evening. I made my visit in Louisville short and returned back to my wife as soon as I could. The next week was made preparing for my departure.

I traveled with my cousin to Barboursville and enlisted in the 13 W. VA Infantry on October 20th, 1862.

Bill Watson

Well, here's one you all need to know: Your officer is now notoriously known to carry out his orders thoroughly and to the hilt, having been denied promotion because he unsuccessfully "interpreted" an order not too many months ago and botched an assignment. So he's kind of in a "vicious compliance" mode right now, and determined to do exactly what he has been told by his superior officers even if it means the end of civilization. He's kind of quietly being a sorehead, he resents being ordered around by men he considers his intellectual inferiors, and you

should be somewhat worried. Making sure the mission gets done quickly and efficiently is one route to salvation for you. Figuring out how to get out of the way of various consequences if things go awry is probably another. You can figure out other things that might be on your mind under these circumstances for yourself. :-)

Bill Watson

Yer officer

Name- Amos Reynolds

Born in Wexford, Penna. on May 28th, 1826 to Ephraim & Alice (Albright) Reynolds, who are still working the family farm. The farm was started by my Grandfather ( Christian Reynolds) who came out west after the Revolution ( he was a Rifleman in Daniel Morgan's command).

My older brother ( Samuel ) and his wife ( Mary(Crider)) are living with my parents and working the farm with them. My older sister Jane married James English and have a farm of their own in Wexford. My younger brother Martin is un-married and serving in Co.E, 9th Penna. Reserves.

I was married to Elizabeth DuMont and we had two children, a son, Christian and a daughter, Mary. We were also living on and working the family farm. They died of scarlet fever on September 20th, 1858. After their deaths, I lost interest in farming and quarreled with my brother Samuel and my father, so in April of 59 I went down to Monaca and signed on as a deckhand on the steamer Rocket. On Oct. 9th, 1862 we were hauling freight and 6 passengers to Cincinnati when we had to stop at Point Pleasant to repair the drive shaft for the stern wheel. I went to a local tavern and got to talking to a man about the war. I guess I had too much to drink, for when I awoke the next morning I found that I was now a private in the 13th W. Va. Infantry. So here I be, and none too happy about it, for I was making $20 a month on the Rocket. Now I make $13 and get treated like I'm a mule, carrying this and that all over God's good earth.

Name: Craig William Solomon

Age: 22 (born September 25th, 1840)

Father: Michael Paul Solomon

Mother: Katherine Rector Solomon

Family: Two younger brothers: David Laurence (September 10, 1846) and Andrew Michael (August 10, 1849).

1840-1857

Taught at home by my mother in Guyandotte. My family was “technically” Methodist, however we rarely attended church.

1857-1859

My father was an agent for the First Pittsburgh and Cincinnati Packet Line in Guyandotte. He hired me on as a bookkeeper. The work wasn’t difficult, but I began to get tired of living at home. I didn’t really want to work for my father, either.

1859-1862

Since my brothers were getting older and I was showing no real interest in the family business, my father found me a job working for the Merchants & Mechanics Bank in Point Pleasant. I was working as a clerk, although my job was pretty much what I’d done for my father (minus the excitement of getting to hang around the docks every now and then). Plus, it was a bit lonely living away from home. I still visited my family, but the distance of about 40 miles usually required booking passage on a riverboat, or else a journey of a couple of days overland.

Every now and then, my cousin (who worked for my father as a laborer) would be in town and we’d visit the local “establishments” (as we’d done covertly on occasion when I lived in Guyandotte). However, by 1861 he’d got himself a wife and settled down, so even those visits stopped.

I wanted to join up in ’61 when the war broke out, just to relieve the monotony of accounting and clerical work, but my parents were adamant against the idea. Reluctantly, I remained in Point Pleasant, despite the insinuations that I was a coward from the local population for not joining either side.

However, in 1862, with the war still dragging on, I finally made up my mind to join up, with or without my father’s blessings. My father, since he couldn’t stop me, finally gave his approval, so long as my cousin, Matt Rector (who had been entertaining similar thoughts), enlisted with me (I have a hunch he wanted him to keep an eye on me). I signed the rolls at Barboursville on the 13th of October.

Accordingly, I don’t care much for slavery one way or the other. I believe in the Union, but that’s not the driving force behind my decision to enlist (good old boredom brought that on, however, it did dictate which side I joined). I’m rapidly learning my lesson, though, finding that I’m not all that cut out for a soldier’s life. I’m kind of partial to complaining and have found that the army isn’t quite the glorious change I was hoping for.

Name: Dane Utter (Will Ackert)

House Hold Structure:

Father: George Ackert (52 years old)

Mother: Diane Ackert (49 years old)

1st Brother: George Ackert (27 years old)

2nd Brother: Martin Ackert (24 years old)

3rd Brother William Ackert (18 years old)

Occupation and class: My family owns a small farm and produces normal things such as wheat, corn, vegetables, and apples. We are low to middle class farmers. The farm was once my great- grandfather’s (who died when I was 3). We all live together besides my oldest brother George who lives with his wife Mary in Ohio.

Other: Being young and adventurous I joined the army to see the world and experience life outside the farm. While I love my family, I cannot stand some of them (such as my mother and my brother Martin), which gave me even more incentive to join the army.

Where I joined up: Point Pleasant

When I joined up: March 19th 1863

I am John Grimes, born April 1827 and raised in the small town of Coldsmouth, on the Kanawha River about 50 miles east of Point Pleasant just down river from Charleston. My parents migrated there in 1820 from Rockingham County, Virginia. They arrived in the Kanawha Valley in search of making a living in the lucrative salt industry. They started out with a small furnace. My fathers soon joined other competitors and helped create the Kanawha Salt Company, a consortium of salt producers. The family business thrived and by the mid 1840’s my older brother Robert and myself took over the family business after our father passed away. Our families were able to build quite a comfortable living. Life was good up until the war and Mother Nature came knocking on our part of the country.

First there was the flood of ’61. It wiped out the nearly the entire salt industry in the valley. Our furnaces were severely damaged and the wells flooded out. What the flood didn’t ruin the Confederates destroyed as they left the area in an attempt to keep anything useable from falling into the hands of the advancing federals. 1862 saw hard times beseech our family. Broke, we were forced to stay with relatives in Charleston. My brother Robert’s two sons joined up with the 7th WV Inf. We received news soon after Antietam that William the youngest was killed there.

Seeing that there was little work available in the area, I set off west hearing that business prospects were better out there. So leaving my wife and 2 young children behind with my brother and his wife, I set out to try and secure a means of supporting the family that would enable us to be together again. Having traveled only as far as the Ohio River I was unsuccessful in finding a job. Not starting my journey with the intention of joining the federal army, circumstances at home required a need for income and soon. So, desperate and with great reluctance, I enlisted in the 13th WV Infantry on October 9th, 1862 at Barboursville. I wonder if it was a mistake.

My nickname is Tiny. Everyone calls me that.