Individual Details

Antoine "Tom" BRUETTE

(12 Aug 1837 - 17 Oct 1919)

Physical description:
-- at age 25: height 5 ft. 5¾ in., complexion dark, eyes gray, hair black

Antone developed some kind of disease of the eyes at Camp Randall, in Madison, in 1861. Before the war, he was somewhat cross-eyed, but otherwise fine. Afterwards, he was increasingly debilitated until basically blind.

Surgeon's Certificate of 15 Aug 1899 found that Antone Brouette was indeed suffering from significant damage to his eyes, and specifically to the corneas, as a result of chronic trachoma, probably incurred from exposure and bad hygiene in army. He was quite unable to work. He was almost blind, and his poor vision was not helped by glasses. he needed very bright light to see at all, but this was intolerable for him.

Affidavit of William A. Ellis, dated 6 Feb 1888 (in Antone Brouette pension file) contains interesting information:
-- He had known claimant (Antone) for 30 years, and lived half a mile from him in Peshtigo.
-- As a Justice of the Peace, Ellis married Antone and his current wife (Mary Ann Landry).
-- Brouette had worked for the Peshtigo Lumber Company (of which Ellis was the superintendent and manager) since 1865.
-- To the best of Ellis's knowledge, Brouette was "sound and free from disability when he enlisted, and had no disease of eyes." From 1865 on, Brouette "has had disease of the eyes, and has at times been partially disabled from the performance of manual labor, by reason of disease of the eyes." States that Brouette had lost at least a quarter of his work hours, and had been laid up as long as two months at a time.
-- Brouette was employed in the lumber camp in the winter, and on the Boom in the summer.

Nick Cavoit's affidavit was much the same as Ellis's, stating that Brouette was sound and healthy before the war, and partially disabled from disease of the eyes after the war. He was employed by Cavoit at times, but sometimes had to quit work because his eyes were so inflamed he could not see to work.

Mose Landree deposed that Antone often had others write his name for him, because of his poor eyesight -- which explained the variations in spelling. He was called "Tone" and later "Tom" as a nickname. Called Thomas Bronette on death certificate of his first wife (Landree's sister).

American Civil War Soldiers Record
about Antoine Bruette
Name: Antoine Bruette ,
Residence: Peshtigo, Wisconsin
Enlistment Date: 14 October 1861
Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
Side Served: Union
State Served: Wisconsin
Unit Numbers: 3062 3062
Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 14 October 1861
Enlisted in Company F, 12th Infantry Regiment Wisconsin on 14 October 1861.
Mustered out Company F, 12th Infantry Regiment Wisconsin on 16 July 1865

Events

Birth	12 Aug 1837	Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Occupation	1861	Fisherman
Military	From 14 Oct 1861 to 16 Jul 1865	Civil War, Union Army, Company F, 12th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
Occupation	1865 - 1890	Worked in lumber camp in the winter and on the boom in the summer - Peshtigo Lumber Company, Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States
Marriage	3 Mar 1867	Mary Ann LANDRY
Census (family)	1 Jun 1870	Peshtigo, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States - Mary Ann LANDRY
Census (family)	1 Jun 1880	Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States - Mary Ann LANDRY
Marriage	11 Sep 1894	Holy Cross Church, Bay Settlement, Brown, Wisconsin, United States - Madeline CHAMPEAU
Census (family)	1 Jun 1900	524 Forest, Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, United States - Madeline CHAMPEAU
Burial	1919	Forest Home Cemetery, Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States
Death	17 Oct 1919	Marinette County, Wisconsin, United States
Alt name		Thomas BRONETTE

Families

Spouse	Mary Ann LANDRY (1851 - 1889)
Child	Adolph Antone BRUETTE (1868 - 1947)
Child	Harriet Theotis BRUETTE ( - 1943)
Child	Ida BRUETTE (1872 - )
Child	Alice Elizabeth BRUETTE (1876 - 1919)
Child	Edith M. BRUETTE (1880 - 1973)
Child	Rose Ann BRUETTE (1882 - 1924)
Child	Clement Albert BRUETTE (1883 - 1926)
Child	Martha Jane "Mattie" BRUETTE (1885 - 1975)
Child	Leander G. B. BRUETTE (1888 - 1901)

Spouse

Madeline CHAMPEAU ( - )

Father	Antoine Charles BRUETTE (1813 - )
Mother	Harriet WHITE (1814 - 1871)
Sibling	Louis "Charlie" BRUETTE (1838 - 1905)
Sibling	George BRUETTE (1840 - 1864)
Sibling	Phillip BRUETTE (1843 - 1925)
Sibling	Adolph Vincent BRUETTE (1845 - 1862)
Sibling	Napoleon BRUETTE (1849 - )
Sibling	John Baptiste "Batisse" BRUETTE (1852 - 1930)
Sibling	Charles "Charley" BRUETTE (1854 - 1903)