Hezekiah F. Lacey

Hezekiah F. Lacey was born in 1827 in Rochester, Cayuga County, New York.

Hezekiah married New York native Mary L. Barnes, on May 1, 1856, in Senate, New York, and they had at least two children: Charles (b. 1854) and Clara (b. 1857). Hezekiah and his family left New York sometime after 1857 and eventually settled in western Michigan by the time the war broke out.

He stood 5’9” with blue eyes, brown hair and a light complexion and was a 34-year-old farmer possibly living in Solon, Kent County when he enlisted in Company G on May 13, 1861. (He was possibly related to John Lacey who enlisted in Company F; and who was also born in Cayuga County, New York.)

According to a member of Company G, during the night of July 18, 1861, following the Regiment’s participation in the engagement at Blackburn’s Ford near Bull Run, Virginia, Hezekiah fell out exhausted after the day’s action. Soon afterwards, he was discharged on September 17, 1861, at Arlington Heights, Virginia, for deafness previous to enlistment. He also claimed after the war that “he was accidentally wounded in the forehead near the temple by falling on his bayonet.”

After his discharge from the army Hezekiah returned to Michigan and in July of 1862 he was possibly living in Grand Rapids, Kent County, when he applied for and received a pension (no. 521693).

In any case, he may also have returned to Solon where he reentered the service in Company F, Sixth Michigan cavalry on September 19, 1862, for 3 years, crediting Solon, and was mustered on October 13 at Grand Rapids where the regiment was being organized. The Sixth remained on duty at Grand Rapids until December 10 when it left for Washington where it participated in the defenses of the capital until June of 1863. The Sixth occupied Gettysburg, Pennsylvania briefly on June 28 and while it was engaged at Hanover, Pennsylvania on June 30 and participated in the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1-3 as well as in the pursuit of Lee’s forces back into Virginia. Hezekiah allegedly deserted on September 3, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There is no further record.

In fact, Hezekiah apparently enlisted in Battery M, Sixteenth New York Artillery on December 26, 1863, at Sennett, New York for 3 years, crediting Sennett, and was mustered on January 26, 1864, at Auburn, New York. He was on “daily duty” at Fort Magruder in May and June of 1863 and was absent as a hospital attendant in August. He was mustered out with his company on August 15, 1865 at Washington, DC.

Hezekiah eventually returned to western Michigan and by 1870 had settled back in Solon where he was living with his wife working as a painter and his son Charles was employed as a bookkeeper. He was living in Nirvana, Lake County in 1875. Hezekiah eventually settled for in Montcalm County, and by 1880 he was working as a farmer and living with his wife in Day, Montcalm County, and was living in Westville in 1888 and in McBride in 1890.

Hezekiah died on December 26, 1896, probably at his home in McBride and was buried in McBride cemetery.

His widow was residing in Ohio in April of 1898 when she applied for and received a pension (no. 494291).