Wilbur C. Scott

Wilbur C. Scott was born in 1835 in Sandy Creek, Jefferson County, New York.

Wilbur married New York native Harriet J. (b. 1844), probably in 1859 or 1860, possibly in New York, moving to Michigan shortly afterwards. In any case, they had at least five children: Warren (b. 1866), Edson (b. 1869), Minnie (b. 1871), Delia (b. 1874) and Sheridan (b. 1877).

By 1860 Wilbur was working as a beet farmer living with his wife in Blendon, Ottawa County. Next door lived the family of Justus Wait; he was the father of Walter Wait who would also enlist in Company I. And on the other side from the Wait family farm lived Asahel Tewksbury; he too would join the Third Michigan.

He stood 6’1” with hazel eyes, brown hair and a light complexion and was 26 years old and living in Blendon when he enlisted as Third Corporal in Company I on May 13, 1861. (Company I was made up largely of men from Ottawa County, particularly from the eastern side of the County.) Wilbur was promoted to Sergeant by the time he was reported sick in the hospital in August of 1862, and he remained hospitalized until he was discharged for heart disease on September 12, 1862, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

After his discharge Wilbur returned to Michigan where he reentered the service as Private in Battery B, First Michigan Light Artillery on December 15, 1863, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, crediting Blendon, and was mustered the same day probably at Grand Rapids where the battery was originally organized between September 10 and December 14, 1861. (The battery left Michigan on December 17 for St. Louis, Missouri, and during the battle of Shiloh in early April was overwhelmed and captured except for Lang’s section which was attached to Mann’s Battery “C,” First Missouri Artillery. It was subsequently reorganized at Detroit in December of 1862.)

The battery left for Columbus, Kentucky on Christmas day, and remained in Columbus until it was moved to Corinth, Mississippi January 4-9, 1863. It remained in Corinth until early March when it was moved to Bethel, Tennessee and remained on duty there until early June. It subsequently moved back to Corinth on June 7 and remained there until October 29 when it was moved to Pulaski, Tennessee, remaining on duty there until late April of 1864. It participated in the Atlanta campaign from May until September and was on duty at Rome, Georgia until mid-October.

It then moved to Alabama where it participated in numerous operations and was also involved in the March to the Sea November 15 to December 10, in the siege of Savannah in late December and the campaign of the Carolinas from January until April of 1865. It occupied Raleigh, North Carolina on April 14, participated in Johnston’s surrender and the march to Washington via Richmond April 29 to May 19 and the Grand Review on May 24. It was then moved to Detroit June 1-6, 1865.

Wilbur was promoted to Corporal on March 1, 1864, to Sergeant on October 1, and was mustered out on June 14, 1865, at Detroit.

He returned to Michigan, probably to his farm in Blendon where he was living with is wife and two children in 1870. Two houses away lived another former member of the Third Michigan, Roelof (“Ralph”) Steffins. By 1880 Wilber was working as a laborer and living with his wife and children on Taylor street in Grand Rapids. Wilber was living in South Blendon, Ottawa County in September of 1885 when he became a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association; he was also a member of Grand Army of the Republic Custer post no. 5 in Grand Rapids.

In 1882 he applied for and received a pension (no. 275284).

By 1888 Wilbur had moved to Grand Rapids and was living at 146 Thomas street in 1890 next door to Albert Babcock, formerly of Company B. He may have been working as a carpenter and living at 579 S. East Street in Grand Rapids in 1889-90.

In any case, Wilbur was living at 138 Second Avenue when he was admitted to the Michigan Soldiers’ Home (no. 2445) on July 16, 1895.

Wilbur was staying at the Home when he died of tuberculosis on September 7, 1895, and was buried in Oak Hill cemetery: section E lot 3.

His widow was still living in Michigan in late 1895 (?) when she applied for and received a pension (no. 423824).