Individual Details

Birth

Theodore WEED, in written story of his life and service in the Civil War, gave his birth year as 1846, but this date is incorrect as his father's died in 1843.

Page 21 of the Spring 1993 issue of Greene Genes, vol. 6, no.1, lists the 1860 census with Theodore WEED, age 18, as a laborer on the farm of Charles (age 35) and Polly (age 70) SISSON. This fits with 1841 as his birth year.

Civil War Service Record

Theodore Dennis WEED enlisted at the age of 19 on 26 Sep 1861 as a Private in the Union Army, Company I, 44th Infantry Regiment, NY Volunteers (Ellsworth Avengers, People's Ellsworth Regiment). He received a disability discharge on 16 Jul 1862 at Fort Monroe, VA for wounds received in battle. He is recorded as receiving a Distinguished Service discharge.

The 44th Infantry Regiment numbered 1,061 men.

Regiment History: Regiment left Albany, 21 Oct 1961 for Washington. Assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, and later joined with the 5th Corps. On 28 Oct they camped at Hall's Hill.

10 Mar 1862 they advanced to Centerville, returned to Fairfax, and proceeded to Yorktown arriving on 1 Apr. From May 5 - 19, the 44th was garrisoned at Fort Magruder. They then proceeded to Gaines' Mill, engaged the enemy at Hanover Court House with a loss of 86 men; killed, wounded or missing. The 44th participated in the Seven Days' battles with a total loss of 56 men at Gaines' Mill and 99 men at Malvern Hill out of 225 engaged in last named battle.

The company returned to Alexandria, by way of Fort Monroe to Manassas, and in the battle of 30 Aug lost 71 men; killed, wounded or missing. The 44th was held in reserve at Antietum; spent time at Shepherdstown and Fredericksburg; shared the hardships of Burnside's "Mud March" and returned to winter quarters at Stoneman Switch near Falmouth.

Battles in which Theodore Dennis WEED fought with the 44th:
30 Apr 1862: Yorktown, VA
27 May 1862: Hanover Court House, VA
18 Jun 1862: Mississippi River
27 Jun 1862: Chickahoming, VA
Gaines' Mill, VA
28 Jun 1862: Savages' Station, VA
29 Jun 1862: Malvern Hill, VA
Savages' Station, VA
30 Jun 1862: Savages' Station, VA
1 Jul 1862: James River, VA
Malvern Hill, VA

Military

This note is from a document given to me by Jeanne (JAMES) WEED. It is an autobiographical sketch by Theodore D. WEED about his military record in the Civil War. It will be entered here as originally written. Numbers in parentheses refer to notes at the end of the document. These notes were added by Kristina (WEIS) NEWCOMER to aid in clarifying the information in the document.

THEODORE D. WEED

Theodore D. Weed was born at Catskill, Oak Hill, Greene Co., New York, on the Hudson River on July 20, 1846.

Prior to the War, I was a student; I graduated at Fort Edward (1) Institute, Washington County, New York. I graduated before I was fifteen years old.

I entered the war first with the Ellsworth Zuaves (2). I was at the first Battle of Bull Run, also at the Marshall House, Alexandria.

When a youthful commander fell mortally wounded, Elmer E. Ellsworth, I returned home and re-enlisted in the Ellsworth's Avengers, 44th regiment, New York, S.V. Co., 1, for three years. Sept. 27th, 1861, at Albany, NY

We numbered 1260 young men. I participated in 13 battles and skirmishes. I was at the siege of Yorktown (3), Battle of Williamsburg (4), Fair Oaks (5), Mulhaenies Hills, Hausen Camp. I was in two engagements of the day.

I was captured Prisoner of War at that time, May 27th, 1862 taken to Richmond, and put in Castle Thunder, then in Libbye (sic) Prison (6), Belle Isle, then Florence and Andersonviles (sic) (7). I was imprisoned 2 years, 11 months, 25 days.

I held the colors when I fell. Mrs. Eraslus (sic) Corning of Albany, NY (8) presented our regiment with a standard of colors in pure silk with the inscription, "Peoples Ellsworth Regiment, 44th New York S.V.", otherwise Ellsworth Avengers. Also Mr. E. Corning (9) gave to our entire regiment a Zuave uniform to each member.

In the last battle we fought over two hours, until we exhausted all our ammunition. Then we fixed bayonets for final charge. I was acting Color Corporal, having never received my new commission. Afterward as color Sergeant Young received five wounds. Holding the staff in his hand when the fatal fifth wound. Then I also received my fatal (sic) injuries with seven flesh wounds. Having been thrown by the front and rear ranks into the rebel dugouts. When I received the fatal (sic) injury of the spine, from which I have suffered for all these years. Spinal Paralysis from injury of the spine.

I am including information on the numbered subjects for clarity, they are as follows:

(1) Fort Edward, village, New York, Washington County, on the Hudson River, 50 miles north of Albany. The village was founded on the site of a fort built by Gen. Phineas Lyman in 1755 and was first known as Fort Lyman but afterward renamed Fort Edward in honor of one of the grandsons of King George II. The fort was important during the French and Indian War, and used during campaigns in the American Revolution, but was later abandoned.

(2) Ellsworth, Elmer Ephraim, 1837-1861, born in Malta, NY. In Chicago, he organized the Zuaves Cadets, who became famous for their perfection in drill and gave exhibitions throughout the north. He entered Abraham Lincoln's law office (1860), and accompanied Lincoln to Washington (1861). When the Civil War began, Ellsworth became Colonel of Volunteer 11th Zuaves regiment recruited from New York firemen. On 24 May 1861, the 24 year old Ellsworth became the first Union combat fatality while attempting to remove a Confederate flag from a hotel roof.

(3) Siege of Yorktown, 18 April 1862 to 3 May 1862; the enormous force of the Army of the Potomac overwhelmed the Confederates without a major battle. The Southern troops move toward Richmond and McClellan's forces enter Yorktown.

(4) Williamsburg, city, SE Virginia, between the York and James Rivers, 48 miles SE of Richmond. Here, on 5 May 1862, a division of Gen. McClellan's army, under Hooker, overtook the rear column of the retreating Confederate forces under Gen. Magruder. In all, 1703 Southern soldiers and 456 Union soldiers were lost, with 373 Union soldiers listed as missing.

(5) The battle of Fairoaks, Virginia (aka Seven Pines), 31 May 1862, was a major operation that took the lives of 5031 Union and 6134 Confederate troops. Despite being a Southern victory, it did little to ease Northern pressure on Richmond . It was part of the Eastern Theater, Peninsular Campaign.

(6) Libby Prison, Richmond, VA, formerly the candle warehouse of Libby and Sons Ships Chandlers. Largely used to confine officer POW's, the most notorious after Andersonville, it was commandeered by Gen. J. H. Winder after the 1st battle of Bull Run. It was 4 story, brick, with 8 rooms, no furniture. Prisoners slept on the floor. During the war, 125,000 prisoners passed through. The conditions in Libby Prison were exceeded in infamy only by those at Andersonville. There was one escape on 9 Feb 1864, and two Federal raids (28 Feb and 4 Mar 1864) in attempts to free prisoners. It was torn down in 1888-89.

(7) Andersonville Prison, located SW Georgia, first called Camp Sumter. Hastily built in the winter of 1863/4 (opened 27 Feb 1864) to hold the burgeoning Federal prisoners, the prison consisted of a 16 1/2-acre log stockade, later enlarged, divided by a stream. The stockade held more than 30,000 men at one time. Poor sanitation, lack of medical care and insufficient clothing caused an average of 958 prisoners to die every month during the 13 months the prison was in operation. Capt. H. Wirz, former commander of the prison, was hanged in November 1865, after being found guilty of charges of cruelty to Federal prisoners of war held at Andersonville.

(8) Corning city, NY, on the Cheming River, about 18 miles NW of Elmira. It was settled in 1789 and named for Erastus Corning, railway builder.

(9) Corning, Erastus, 1794-1872, born Norwich, CN. Began a successful iron manufacturing concern in Albany (1814), headed Utica and Schenectady RR (1833-53), formed the NY Central system and became its first president (1853-64), organized the Corning Land Co. (1835) as a commercial center. Four times the mayor of Albany, Erastus Corning was also a state senator (1842-46), member of Congress (1857-59, 1861-63), and a member of the Peace Conference at Washington (1861).

Works Cited: Hesseltine, W.B., Civil War Prisons: A Study in War Psychology (1930).
Bowman, H.S., The Civil War: Day by Day (1989).

Miscellaneous

I, Theodore WEED of Cairo, Greene county, NY do hereby certify that I was a Private in Co. G, 44th Regt N.Y.S.V. and was personally acquainted with Seward Brooks of Co. G same Regt. And that the said Seward Brooks was wounded at the Engagement at Hanover Courthouse on or about the 26th day of May 1862. Said Brooks was wounded in his left arm. And said Brooks was conveyed to the Division Hospital of the Sixth Army Corps of Gaines Mills. I was an inmate of said Hospital at the time of the death of Private Brooks on or about the 12th June 1862.

Subscribed and sworn to before me the 15th day of January 1870
Adam Montrof [or Montrop?]

Theodore's statement was recorded in the Greene County Clerk's Office for the State of New York for the purpose of securing a widow's pension for Seward Brooks' wife.

Pension Claim

EXHIBIT 23 (December)

[27148. Theodore D. Weed, priv., I, 44th N.Y. Vols.]

Paralysis from spinal injury.
Pensioned April 19, 1864, at $8 from January 20, 1864.
Dropped -- unclaimed.
Restored May 29, 1883, at $8 from March 4, 1865, and increased to $16 from October 21, 1881.
Application for increase June 9, 1888. (Louis K. Gilson & Co., attorneys.)
On this, both increase and re-rating granted as follows: December 18, 1888, at $8 from July 17, 1862, discharge; $16 from October 21, 1881; $50 from July 24, 1888.
This re-issue was to correct date of commencement of his pension, thus making it from date of discharge in 1862.

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.

Certificate of disability for discharge, total; February 29, 1864, total; May 1, 1872, 0; June 5, 1877, total; October 21, 1881. $12; July 24, 1888, 1st grade.
This seems O. K.

Burial

Theodore Dennis WEED is buried in Lot 29, Block 4 Original (veteran's section), Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery.