Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Marquis L. Bacon

Marquis L. Bacon, or Marcus or Malfus, was born in 1824 in Oneida, New York.

According to Marcus or Marquis, in June of 1860 he left New York state and by early July he was working as a farm laborer for a man named Munson in Kaneville, Kane County, Illinois (possibly Amon Munson from Norway). Marcus then went to work for a farmer near Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan and he worked there until April of 1861 when he went to Grand Rapids, Kent County to enlist.

Marquis was unable to read or write, stood 5’6”, with brown eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion, listing his occupation as molder when he enlisted at the age of 38 in Company B on May 13, 1861. (He also listed his home as Jefferson, New York.)

On August 29, 1861 he was admitted to Columbian College hospital in Washington, DC, suffering from bronchitis and intermittent fever and returned to duty on September 2.He was reported absent sick in the general hospital at Alexandria, Virginia sometime from about March 15 through April of 1862 but soon returned to the regiment and was present with the regiment when he was shot in the left arm on August 29, 1862, at Second Bull Run, and subsequently hospitalized at Armory Square hospital in Washington on September 2. He was discharged on October 9, 1862, at Washington, DC, for partial paralysis of the left arm caused by a bullet passing through the arm.

It is not known if Marquis returned to Michigan after his discharge from the army, although he did list Grand Rapids as his mailing address on his discharge papers.

In any case, he returned to New York where he reentered the service in Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, as a private on August 18, 1863, in Company A, Fourteenth New York Light Artillery, for three years. He was present for duty through November but listed as having deserted on December 19, 1863, at Fort Richmond, New York (?).

Moreover, while a deserter from the Fourteenth New York Light Artillery, Marcus enlisted under the name Marquis L. Bacon at Utica, Oneida County, New York, as a private on May 3, 1864, in Battery H, Third New York Light Artillery, for three years and was mustered on October 31 at Chappin’s Farm by Lieutenant Daniel Mills. He was soon reported as a deserter but apparently returned to the regiment (at least on paper) by May 5 at New Berne, North Carolina. In fact according to the War Department, “This man was recruited by Captn. Mercer, Batty C, 3 N.Y. Lt. Arty, and assigned bny him to Batty H, same regt. After being enlisted this man was permitted to go to his home and afterwards gave himself up and was sent to Batty ‘H’. He states he never was mustered into the service” in the Third N. Y. battery.

Another governmental source reports the story quite differently, however. In 1885 the Department of Interior special investigator into Marcus’ pension claim reported that after he in fact he enlisted first in the Third New York artillery and

soon thereafter went home on a verbal promise. On his way back to the regiment he met with Lieut[enant]John Hutchins of Co A 14 NY Lt Arty and accompanied him to Rochester and enlisted in that organization. In about six weeks the Regiment was ordered to Staten Island and after stating there about three weeks he went home without leave. In April of 1864 he reported to Lieut[enant] Enoch Jones of Co C 3 NY Lt Arty who sent him to New Berne, NC and there he was transferred to Co H of that Regiment.

In any case, Marcus (or Marquis) was reported as present for duty until April 30, 1865, and was mustered out with the regiment at Richmond, Virginia on June 24, 1865.

Marquis eventually settled back in New York state and resided variously in Jefferson and Lewis counties where he worked for many years as a laborer. In 1890 he was living in Diana or Diona, Lewis County, New York.

By 1882 Marquis L. was apparently living in Pennsylvania when he applied for and received a pension (no. 794464), based on his service in both Michigan and New York regiments.

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