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Alva A. Hunt is my 2nd great grandfather. He was born on May 20, 1843 in
Nassau, NY and sometime during the mid 19th Century crossed over the
Massachusetts border with his parents and siblings and settled in Pittsfield,
MA. There he worked as a teamster. On March 19, 1864 he enlisted for a 3 year shift
as a member of the 57th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers fighting against
the Confederacy during the Civil War. Alva’s
military career would be cut short for he would be seriously wounded at the
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in Spotsylvania, VA. A bullet that disabled his right arm led to
his discharge.
Before being discharged, Alva
married Julia Baker on October, 10, 1864.
They remained married for a
little over 20 years and during that time Julia would give birth to 9 children.
Sadly, she would die from pneumonia in
1886 at the age of 36, a little over a month after the birth of her daughter,
Grace. Upon his discharge from the Army
Alva continued working as a teamster but by the next census, he is listed merely
as a farmer and this continued until his death in Pittsfield in 1901.
Last fall I decided to take a trip
to Pittsfield. It was a new revelation
to learn that my mother’s family came from Pittsfield. I wanted to see Alva’s grave. So my mother and I headed to Pittsfield and
easily found the large cemetery on Wahconah Street. I inquired at the cemetery office. They told me what section of the cemetery to
look for his grave but they had no indication if there was a gravestone or
not. We searched and searched but found
no Hunt marker. I returned to the office
and asked for more assistance. This time I was given the surnames of his graveyard
“neighbors.” We found the neighbors, but
no stone. Was my great-great grandfather
so poor that he couldn’t afford a grave marker?
Was it too hard to be a one-armed teamster or farmer? Saddened we left Pittsfield.
I remembered, a few months later
that the Veteran’s Administration would pay for a marker for a Veteran’s
unmarked grave. So I applied in February, filled out the FORM 1330 and
coordinated with the Cemetery to validate my request and receive the marker. Excitement was building. The marker would be delivered to the cemetery
in a couple of months and I would feel like I did something significant for Alva
and my family.
Recently, my mother and I
made a second trip to Pittsfield to view the marker. It looked great but it
seemed to be in an unfamiliar area. To our surprise as we surveyed
the ground we found a sizable monument nearby with A.A. Hunt’s name on the
bottom! Also inscribed was Julia’s name with her birth and death dates. What a
shock! It seems that last time we were sent to the wrong area. Alva wasn't in an
unmarked grave after all! I feel better knowing that Alva wasn't poor.
He had bought this sizable monument for his wife when she died in
1886. I wonder why his children neglected to inscribe his dates on
it after his death,. At least the VA marker solves
this problem. It does make me happy
to know that Alva has received recognition for his Civil War service since his
death. We found an American flag planted next to our unpredicted
find.
Great story! Keep writing, Penny!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words, Sara!
DeleteNice work, Penny! I found my 3rd great grandfather, Civil War veteran, buried in an unmarked grave. I was able to get a stone from the Veteran's Administration - one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. Keep on blogging :-)
ReplyDelete