BECKWITH, Putnam
Putnam BECKWITH. Many of the prominent and
representative citizens of
Marshall
county served their country during the dark days of the
rebellion, making a record honorable and glorious. One of these
brave boys is now a leading farmer of Evans township, residing
on section 8, and is a
highly respected citizen. He was born in Magnolia township,
Putnam county, Illinois,
November 27, 1842, and is a son of Zera P. and Mary Ann
(GAYLORD) BECKWITH, the former a native of
New York.
Samuel BECKWITH, the paternal grandfather
of our subject, came to Illinois
in 1835, settling on a farm in Roberts township, Marshall county, but at that time was a part
of Putnam county, and there made his home until his death, about
1847. The maternal grandfather, Aaron GAYLORD, located in Putnam
county in 1834, upon Sandy creek. He was the son
of Lemuel GAYLORD, a revolutionary soldier and a pioneer of Illinois.
Zera P. BECKWITH was eighteen years of age
when he came with his father to Marshall county, was married in
Roberts township, but for years made his home at Magnolia,
Putnam county, where he worked at his trade of a tailor and kept
a clothing store. Coming to Evans township in 1854, he rented
land for two years, and then located upon his farm on section
29, which he improved and cultivated for a number of years. His
last days were spent in retirement at Wenona, where he passed
away in December, 1886, and his wife, who was born in 1819, died
on the 25th of January, 1896. They were both consistent members
of the Christian church, and during the civil war he served as a
drummer in the One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Volunteer
Infantry, but was discharged on account of disability. Tow of
his sons, our subject and Leonidas, were also members of the
union army, belonging to the same regiment, and the latter died
while in the service. In the family were five children who are
yet living – Putnam; Albert, of Normal,
Illinois; Orrin, residing on section 29, Evans
township; Mrs. Emma BALL, of Bennington
township, Marshall
county, and Clara.
The primary education of our subject was
obtained in the public schools of Magnolia, and as he was only
eleven years old on coming to Evans township, he here continued
his studies in the district school. After his return from the
war he was for a time a student in the schools of Wenona. On the
breaking out of the terrible struggle, he at once took steps to
place himself among the brave boys who were going forth to fight
the battles of our country, and enlisted July 3, 1861, in
Company A, First Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, for three years.
The regiment was organized at Alton under Colonel Tom Marshall, was at once sent to the
front, going to St.
Charles,
Mexico, St.
Louis and Jefferson City, Missouri, and then to Lexington, that
state, where it was placed under Colonel Mulligan, and there
participated in the siege. During that engagement Mr. BECKWITH
was wounded in the right hand by buckshot and in the left
shoulder by grapeshot. His company charged into the enemy and
retook a piece of artillery, and it was while thus engaged that
he was injured. Later the regiment surrendered, was paroled and
marched to Hamilton, Missouri.
At St. Louis
they received their discharge.
After a short time spent at home the
regiment reorganized at Benton Barracks,
Missouri, and in April, 1862, went to
Raleigh, that state. It joined General
Curtis’ army near the Arkansas border. Mr. BECKWITH was then on
guard duty until June, 1862, and while stationed as a picket at
West Plains, Missouri, May 18, 1862, was wounded in the right
hip by a pistol ball. He was first sent to the field hospital,
later to a hospital at St. Louis, Missouri,
and on the 14th of July, 1862, was mustered out.
After his recovery, Mr. BECKWITH
re-enlisted September 4, 1862, in Company C, Fourteenth Illinois
Cavalry, and was made sergeant of his company. The regiment was
organized at Peoria under Colonel Horace Capron, was sent to Kentucky with the army of the Ohio,
and took part in the engagement at
Salina, that state, and assisted in the
capture of John Morgan’s command. The troops were next under
Burnsides in the engagements in East Tennessee, and after the
engagement at Knoxville
took part in a most severe fight at Beam Station, against
General Longstreet. That was the hardest experience in his army
record, as he was stationed between the fires of both armies,
and were then sent into North Carolina after a band of Indians, and
succeeded in killing fifty and capturing fifty-five others. In
the spring of 1864 the regiment joined
Sherman’s army at Big Shanty and was stationed on the
right of that army until Atlanta was reached.
The command then participated in the
Stoneman raid, going to
Macon,
Georgia, and
Stoneman gave Colonel Capron the privilege to cut his way out.
This he did, and our subject came through safely. After being in
the saddle eight days continuously, during which time they had
but little sleep, they were surprised by the enemy, but with
eight others Mr. BECKWITH succeeded in making his escape and got
back to Atlanta.
After the capture of that city the regiment was sent to
Louisville
to be remounted, and then marched from there through Nashville and on to Hood’s army. Their next
engagement was with Forest.
While on picket duty our subject with a comrade were cut off
from the command and were six days in getting back. He next
participated in the battles of Franklin,
Nashville and
Pulaski. For gallant service he was promoted second lieutenant
of Company C, and as such was mustered out in May, 1865, after
almost four years of most faithful and arduous service.
After his return home, Mr. BECKWITH resumed
farming, for four years made his home in Roberts township, and
then removed to his present farm of two hundred and five acres
in Evans township. In 1869 he was united in marriage with
Frances DAGEN, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of
Charles DAGEN. They now have four children -
Bertha May, Herbert Horace, Charles Putnam and Mary
Gaylord.
In 1891 Mr. BECKWITH entered Mercy hospital
at Chicago,
where he underwent an operation – scraping the bone and cutting
on diseased bone – and suffered intense pain from inflammation
for months. He has since been compelled to use crutches. His
political support is unwaveringly given the republican party;
for two terms served as collector, and is an honored member of
the Grand Army pot at Magnolia. Both himself and wife are
devoted members of the Methodist church at Cherry Point, of
which he is trustee, and endeavor by their blameless lives to
set good example.
Extracted April 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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