Great-granduncle of Wenda Fore

 

Corporal  Co. A     56th (old) Mechanics Fusiliers, IL Infantry

Dates of Service:  11 Oct 1861 - 28 Jan 1862

 

Charles G. Rockwell II was born on September 20, 1832 at Ridgefield, Connecticut. He was the son of Charles G. and Sarah (Sally Brotherton) Rockwell, Sr. He came with his parents to Oakland County, Pontiac, Michigan in 1847. In the August 1850 Federal Census he was listed as a farmer working for Nathan Terry. His father died on June 9, 1851.

 

In the July 1860 Federal Census he was listed with his widowed mother, Sarah, and his siblings with the occupation of wagonmaker. On October 11, 1861 he enlisted at Pontiac, Michigan as a corporal in Co. A, 56th (old) Mechanics Fusiliers Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry for a period of three years. He was forced mustered out on January 28, 1862 at Chicago, having served for three months.

 

¹When Charles was recruited in October 1861, he and many other recruits who were skilled laborers or builders, were told they would build barracks at Camp Douglas in Chicago. “Then in February 1862 came an incident staged by the Mechanics Fusileers Regiment, the builders of Camp Douglas. It seems their recruiter had falsely promised that their skills and labor entitled them to be paid an extra fifty cents per day, but the government was not bound nor had any intention of paying such a sum. Attempting legal action to no avail, finally it was decided the regiment would be mustered out of service. On the day that happened, the regiment marched into Chicago with colors flying to a Randolph Street saloon, broke ranks for refreshment, then marched back in teetering step to Camp Douglas and were officially disbanded.” (A History of Camp Douglas, Illinois, Union Prison, 1861-1865 by Dennis Kelly, August 1989.)

 

Charles applied for a pension on 21 January 1892 and was given Certificate No. 946701. His widow applied for his pension on 6 October 1911. three months after he passed away. No Certificate number appeared on the document.

 

He married Lucretia Irene Hunn at Rochester, Michigan on November 22, 1862. Lucretia was born on February 22, 1842 at Kankakee, IL, the daughter of Harold and Rebecca Doan Hunn, who lived in the Milford, Michigan area in the 1860's.

 

Charles G. Rockwell II came by boat to Manistee, Michigan from Detroit in 1863. He selected a homesite in Maplegrove Township and returned to Detroit. A son, Charles G. Rockwell Ill was born in Detroit. The family soon returned by oxcart to Maplegrove where a log cabin was built on the land he had selected. He worked in Onekama as a carpenter and walked home each week to bring supplies to his family. The family lived on the property in compliance with the Homestead Act until required time for ownership rights had elapsed. President Ulysses S. Grant signed the land grant for Charles Rockwell in 1866. The land grant hangs framed on the wall in the home.

 

Charles G. Ill died in 1866, but Charles and Lucretia had three more children. Jesse Romaine was born on November 29,1869, never married, and lived on the farm until his death in 1937. Beatrice Adell was born on January 15, 1873, and married Carl A. Bigge. She was a  schoolteacher and died January 12, 1963. Eva Irene was born on June 4, 1877. She studied nursing at Butterworth Nursing School in Grand Rapids, Michigan and met and married Dr. John Pedden in 1904. She died December 4,1965.

 

Two homes were built in Maplegrove Township, Manistee, County, MI. A small two-story house was built before Eva was born. The existing farm house was built at the turn of the century. Charles Rockwell died on July 27, 1911 and did not live to see the completion of his home. The Manistee Daily News, July 29, 1911, gave this account of his death: "Bear Lake - Charles Rockwell, who was one of the oldest pioneers of this part of the country, died of apoplexy at his home in Maple Grove yesterday morning. The funeral will be held on Sunday."

 

Charles' widow, Lucretia, lived on the farm until her death on December 21,1931. Now a Centennial Farm, the home belongs to the descendants of Eva Rockwell Pedden - the Vredenburg family.

 

A few years ago I was able to go there and meet Leah Vredenburg and get a tour of the home. There was a picture on the wall of Horace and Charles together. Leah was able to give us directions to Fairview Cemetery where Charles is buried. My husband, Ken and I found the cemetery, the Rockwell plot, and the grave where I planted a flag. Since it had no flag holder to indicate that he was in the Civil War, I contacted Manistee County and arranged to have one placed there. Just one way that we can “Remember our Boys in Blue”.

 

Compiled from Federal Census Records, family accounts, and the booklet KALEVA 1900-1975, The Diamond Jubilee of the Village of Kaleva.

 

GRAVESITE: Fairview Cemetery, South Annex, Bear Lake Township, Manistee County, MI

 

Written by Wenda Fore, June 18, 2004 

Updated February 2020 by Wenda Fore and family member, Andrew Vredenburg¹