Thursday, January 24, 2008

Maynard E. Burgess

Maynard E. Burgess was born in 1840, possibly in Macomb County, Michigan, the son of Erastus (b. 1812) and Lucina (b. 1815).

New York or Ontario, Canada native Erastus married Ohioan Lucina and by 1830 he was probably living in Hudson, Portage County , Ohio. Erastus eventually settled in Michigan, and By 1840 one Erastus Burgess was living in Macomb County, Michigan. In any case, Erastus eventually moved his family to the west side of the state and by 1850 Maynard was attending school with his younger sister Matilda and living with his family on a farm in Plainfield, Kent County. In 1860 he was still attending school with Matilda and still living with his family but on a farm in Cannon, Kent County. (He was probably related to Charles Burgess who was living with his family in Ada, Kent County; Charles would also join the Third Michigan.)

Maynard apparently enlisted in Company C, Thirteenth Michigan infantry as a Corporal on December 2, 1861, at Cannonsburg, Kent County, for 3 years, and was mustered on January 17, 1862. (Charles Burgess, who had been living in Cannonsburg as well, enlisted in Company A, Third Michigan infantry the previous year.)

It seems that Maynard reportedly deserted from the Thirteenth Michigan on October 6, 1862, at Springfield, Kentucky (the regiment was in pursuit of Bragg’s forces from October 1-16 in the vicinity of Wild Cat, Kentucky) and remained a deserter through January of 1863. Apparently it was during this time that he attempted to enlist in the Third Michigan infantry. He was listed as 23 years old and possibly living in Kent County when he apparently enlisted on October 20, 1862, in Unassigned, Third Michigan, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, although there is no record of military service in any one of the companies of the Third Michigan.

In fact, it seems that Maynard eventually returned to the Thirteenth Michigan on April 24, 1864, probably while the regiment was stationed near Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, constructing military hospitals until September of 1864. The charge of desertion was never expunged but there is no mention of punishment in the available record. Furthermore, from July of 1864 through April of 1865 he was a Quartermaster’s clerk and on April 3 he was promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant.

The regiment participated in the March to the Sea November 15 to December 10, in the siege of Savannah December 10-21 and in the campaign in the Carolinas January to April of 1865. It took part in the surrender of Johnston’s army in late April. It also participated in the march to Washington in late April and in the Grand Review on May 24. The regiment then moved to Louisville, Kentucky from June 9-15. Maynard was mustered out with the regiment at Louisville, on July 25, 1865.

It is not known if Maynard returned to Michigan after the war.

In 1870 his father was working as a builder and living with his wife Lucina in Rockford, Kent County. By 1880 “Mainard” was working as a doctor and living with his parents in Solon, Johnson County, Iowa, where his father worked as a cabinetmaker.

Maynard was married to Helen M. She was reported as his widow (of the Maynard who served in Company C, Thirteenth Michigan) and living in Solon, Kent County in 1890 and also listed as living at 91 Second Street in Grand Rapids in 1890. Helen was probably living in Algoma, Kent County in 1910.

(There is one Helen M. Burgess, 1842-1922, buried in Rockford cemetery, Kent County, section F, lot 11, grave 7; also buried with her in the same lot is one Fred Lewis Burgess, grave 8, 1866-1899. It is possible that she was the same Helen M. Lewis, b. c. 1841 in Michigan, who was living with her family in Cannon, Kent County in 1850 and living with her siblings with the Watkins family in Cannon, Kent County in 1860.)

No pension seems to be available.

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