Brewster Brothers in the Civil War

Brewster Brothers: George W, Winfield Scott, Daniel M, James Henry (seated), 1913.

Last week I shared a newspaper article and a photo of the first Brewster Reunion, held in Adams County, Indiana, in 1913. Among those in attendance were two Civil War veterans. Brothers James Henry and Daniel M. Brewster served in Company E of the 80th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry [OVI].

According to James Henry Brewster’s Civil War records he enlisted on 24 December 1861, at Camp Meigs, Canal Dover, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He enrolled for 3 years as a private on 24 January 1862 at Rockford. I assume they were referring to Rockford, Ohio, which is very near where we now live.

He was in the muster rolls by March of 1862 and by October 1862 he was in a Hospital in Corinth, Mississippi. Throughout the war he was plagued with chronic diarrhea and dysentery which he contracted at Inka, Mississippi, in September 1862. He also suffered with rheumatism which affected his back and head and resulted in heart trouble.

James Henry was appointed Corporal 24 August 1862. He was in the march from Holly Springs to Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the fall/winter of 1863 and served at Bridgeport, Tennessee. He was honorably discharged at Huntsville, Alabama, on 31 January 1864 but reenlisted in February 1864 for the duration of the war. James Henry was appointed Sergeant on 10 April 1865 and was honorably discharged on 13 August 1865 at Columbus, Ohio.

After the war he returned to New Philadelphia, Ohio, and married Jane Newton in 1866. They had 10 children and in 1884 they moved to Kansas. James Henry Brewster was a customer in the First National Bank in Coffeyville, Kansas, when the Dalton Gang robbed it in 1902.

According to his military records James Henry Brewster was born 9 August 1841 in Masontown, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and died 9 March 1916. He was 5′ 9 1/2″ tall with dark hair and brown eyes.

Daniel M. Brewster enlisted in Company E of the 80th Regiment OVI for 3 years on 9 May 1864 in Columbus, Ohio. That same month he joined his Regiment at Larkinsville and left from the depot. He was present at muster until September 1864 when he was taken to the General Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In November of 1864 he was admitted to the No. 2 Hospital in Chattanooga for acute and chronic diarrhea. During 1865 he was a patient in both hospitals as well as the Northern Hospital and a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Daniel was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps on 28 December 1864 and to the Invalid Corps on 13 August 1865.

Daniel Brewster gave the following information in his General Affidavit for Civil War Pension: “I was sent from Chattanooga to Nashville on the [train] car to be cared for in the hospital, and was injured while on the way……being sick at the time of injury.” (dated 21 June 1879)

Also contained in Daniel’s Civil War Records: Daniel was 5′ 7″ tall, with blue eyes and light hair. He was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and was a farmer.

Notes, hand-written by Harriet Ann Brewster Buckmaster, daughter of Daniel Brewster and his second wife:  “Daniel Brewster was 18 years old when he enlisted in Company E of the 80th Ohio Regiment of Infantry on the 9th day of May, 1864 and served until he was injured when a train was derailed by confederate soldiers and hospitalized. I recall father saying he walked from his home to Union City to enlist and then after being discharged he was given a new pair of boots and walked again from Union City home suffering with blisters on his feet by the new boots.  He served under General William Tecumseh Sherman in that memorable march to Atlanta where the train was derailed. He fought in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Dalton, Reseca, Kenesaw Mountain and others, going without food for three days at a time. 

They ate corn that they could eat when it was ripe. I remember his telling about them going without food for several days at a time and once when they were resting some of the soldiers stole a hog from a farm house and killed it. But when they were ready to cook the meat they had orders to march and did not get the meat they so badly needed. 

[Daniel] was on his way to the memorable march to the sea when his train was derailed by confederate soldiers and was hospitalized with an injury to his back. He was given an honorable discharge on July 27,1865…

Our father was a very patriotic man and was a staunch Republican.”

After the war Daniel moved to the Adams County, Indiana, area and married Sarah Ann Fetters in Mercer County, Ohio, in 1867. They had four children. Sarah died in 1877 and Daniel then married Loverda Bebout. Daniel and Loverda had six children. I descend from Daniel and Sarah’s son Phillip Henry Brewster.

According to the website Eightieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the 80th OVI was organized at large from October 1861-January 1862, to serve three years. On the expiration of its term of service the original members (except veterans) were mustered out and the organization, composed of veterans and recruits, retained in service until 13 August 1865, when it was mustered out in accordance with orders from the War Department. The 80th OVI participated in the following battles:

Corinth, Mississippi (siege of), 30 April-30 May 1862
Farmington, Mississippi, 9 May 1862
Iuka, Mississippi, 19-20 September 1861
Corinth, Mississippi, 4 October 1862
Raymond, Mississippi, 12 May 1863
Jackson, Mississippi, 14 May 1863
Vicksburg, Miss. (Siege of), 18 May-14 July 1863
Mission Ridge, Tennessee, 25 November 1863
Salkahatchie, South Carolina, 3-9 February 1865
Bentonville, North Carolina, 19-21 March 1865
Sherman’s March to the Sea

I have proved both James H. and Daniel Brewster in the OGS lineage society, Society of Civil War Families of Ohio. I also purchased a brick in Daniel’s honor.

Dan Brewster brick at OGS Library, Bellville, Ohio.

Sources:

Daniel Brewster, Civil War Service Records, National Archives, M552, Roll 13, Ohio.
Daniel Brewster, Federal Military Pension File, Civil War, National Archives, Cert No. 831,126, Can PL 386, Bundle 4807.
James Henry Brewster, Federal Military Pension File, Civil War, National Archives, File XC2691080.

 

7 comments

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    • Trudy on July 24, 2013 at 4:46 pm
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    Hi,

    I am descended from Daniel also – his son Charles William (from Sara Fetter union) and Maude (Marsh) . It is SO cool to find these pictures you have. Is there anyway I can get scanned pictures from you? I will reimburse if any cost is involved.

    Trudy Perkins

    • harold lee owens on September 16, 2014 at 3:06 pm
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    my brewster kin were from tazewell co virginia, but i found that some of them moved to ohio and indiana way before the civil war started,,, my line is comfort ,,,ebenezer,,,, andrew peery,,, james squire,,, james thomas , who died up there i think in ohio pike co, his daughter fannie anne brewster owens my grandmother, most of my line fought in the confederate army

    1. We have only been able to trace our Brewsters back to Jackson, in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in the 1840. We are not sure where they came from before that. This has been a challenging line. Another line to consider… Thanks for writing.

    • karen on February 10, 2015 at 5:15 pm
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    Your relative served in the same company as my 3x great grandfather, as he was also with 80th OVI, Co E. Thank you for posting this information– it’s neat to learn of others he served with, and some of the experiences that these men had, fighting for the Union.

    1. How interesting! Who was your Civil War ancestor? I am glad you found the information interesting. Thanks for reading.

    • Alice Mooney on November 3, 2016 at 5:11 am
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    My grgrgrgrandfather was John A. Miller from Butler Ohio . He was OVI 64th Co. A. He was married to Nancy Stull Miller. He was born in 1839 and passed away in Butler in 1907. Could we possible be related?

    1. No, I am afraid not. My Millers did not immigrate until the early 1870s. Thanks for reading!

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