| Nathaniel /Bachelder BIRTH 7 JUN 1768 East Kingston, New Hampshire DEATH MAY 1844 OCCUPATION Farmer Nathaniel lived in East Kingston until about 1801, when he moved to Readfield, Maine. In September, 1804, he bought land in Union, Maine, and moved there around 1805. He and five others, as Nathaniel Bachelor & Co., owned in 1809 the Union Cotton Factory Co. in Union. "Bachelor's Mills" was located on St. George's River. - from the Corrections to Pierce's Work by Charles Batchelder Sylvanus /Bachelder (This article was authored totally by Glen Bachelder) BIRTH 5 NOV 1820 Perry, New York DEATH 5 NOV 1898 Betha, Clinton Co., Michigan CAUSE Rheumatic heart condition BURIED 7 NOV 1898 Bath's Pleasant Hill Cemetery EVENT Funeral 7 NOV 1898 Bath's Methodist Episcopal Church Sylvanus settled in Woodhull Twp., Shiawasswee Co., in 1846 where he farmed, taught and was Inspector of Schools. By 1848, he moved to 129 acres on the east side of Rose Lake, Bath Twp., Clinton, Michigan. Sylvanus was township clerk, 1848-1851, and supervisor 1852-1855. On November 30, 1861, Sylvanus enlisted in Co. D. 14th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, at age 41. They mustered at Ypsilanti on February 13, 1862 under Colonel Robert Sinclair of Grand Rapids. They joined the Western Army just after the battle at Pittsburg Landing (Shiloh), Tennessee. Assigned to Pope's Army of the Mississippi, the regiment was part of the siege of Corinth, Mississippi. On May 9, they engaged the enemy at Farmington. Bruce Catton noted: "Like a great many of his soldiers, Grant had been unwell. Whether, as the men believed, the water supply around Shiloh was contaminated, or whether the standard diet of Fried pork and hardtack was having its natural affect, there was a great deal of camp diarrhea. . . commonly mentioned derisively as the 'Tennessee quickstep'." During this siege on Corinth, Miss., Sylvanus and many others became ill. Pension records show he was admitted on July 30 to Number 2 General Hospital, Evensville, Indiana, suffering from "debilitis" and was transferred August 9 to Number 5 Convalescent Hospital at Evansville with "chronic Rheumatism". November 22 he was again transferred, to Evansville's Number 1 General Hospital, afflicted with "chronic diarrhea". He rejoined his regiment in on May 2, 1863, outside Nashville. It was now part of the First Brigade, Second Division, 14th Corps, in Rosecrans' army, which remained its assignment later under General William T. Sherman. The regiment was at Brentwood, Tennessee, now under the command of Major George Grummond of Detroit. One of his first observations was that they were to be issued new Enfield rifles. Sylvanus' thoughts on his situation are summarized in his letter to James dated August 17: "I ought to be at home but there is no use in thinking of such a thing, every man we have got is needed at this time and I must forego the pleasures of home and submit with as good grace as possible. . . I am doing what I can to help my country in this her hour of trial. This will pay me for all the suffering I may endure while engaged in her service." Sylvanus reported on September 9 on a march from Franklin to Columbia, Tennessee. At this time, the 14th was converted to mounted infantry. " . . . a good many of the boys gave out. . .We had orders to take every horse we could find. . .got over thirty horses and every horse had to carry two men. You would have laughed to seen as I tell you we made anything else but a military appearance. . . Our company have now got horses and cavalry equipment. Then with our Springfield rifles we shall give rascally guerillas Hail Columbia. . . It would make your hair stand on end to see us ride over these stony roads. You had better believe the dust and stones fly." On November 12, he writes that they went on a guerilla hunt and stumbled on a rebel dance in the woods, "a regular breakdown" he calls it. He related: "We took fifteen, among them were one major, one captain, and one lieutenant. . . We have drawn Colts Navy Revolvers. . . and in a few days we shall draw what is called the Henry Rifle, a sixteen shooter. . . General Granger told our Colonel he could have anything he wanted." He describes Company D's November 4 raid on Lawrenceburg as follows: ". . .rode into town which we found deserted. . . took ten prisoners making our number twenty-five. We remained in town about an hour burning the jail and making our mark. . . About two miles further on, our company being a little in the advance were fired on by about one hundred rebels who were secreted in a thicket. . . Such a shower of lead I tell you Jim there was music there above, below and all around us and strange to say not a man was hit. . ." In January, 1864 he reported the Army of the Cumberland was re=enlisting, almost to a man. "We are going to whip the rebellion and then we are going to attend to a certain class in the north called Copperheads." Sylvanus explained his re-enlistment this way" "In the first place our term of service would not expire till the Seventh of next January. . . That would leave us nearly a year longer to stay. . . our new term of service commences from the date of re-enlistment, thereby gaining one year. . . we get four hundred and two dollars bounty (plus) one hundred dollars old bounty. . . besides our monthly pay which is increased to nineteen instead of seventeen dollars per month. . we are to have a furlough of thirty days." A letter in February reports the capture of "the noted guerilla chief Colonel Cooper". After its furlough in April, the regiment returned to Columbia to find they had been dismounted and restored to infantry status. Robertson reports this was an unpopular decision. There was wholesale dissatisfaction, some desertion and demands to be remounted or released from re-enlistment. Still on foot, the regiment joined Sherman at Dallas, Georgia, and moved on to the battle of Kenesaw Mountain. "Their skirmishers opened a heavy fire. . .Our boys immediately treed and a brisk fire was kept up. . . we were ordered to fall back. . . We were reinforced by the Tenth Michigan and made a dash at the rebel lines. We drove them about half a mile until relieved. . .. |
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