Almon Yerington

Almon Yerington was born on January 15, 1841, in Michigan, the son of William (b. 1818) and Amanda (Bennett, b. 1819).

New Yorker William married Ohio native Amanda sometime before 1841 by which time they had settled in Michigan. His family moved to Michigan, possibly from Ohio, sometime before 1843, and by 1860 Almon was a clerk living with his family in Ionia, Ionia County, where his father operated a drugstore.

Almon was 18 years old and still living in Ionia County when he enlisted in the Band on June 10, 1861. He was taken sick in late June or early July of 1862, and was among a group of sick and wounded soldiers who left Harrison’s Landing, Virginia on July 8. He was eventually hospitalized in Annapolis, Maryland. Curiously, he was mustered out on August 13 at Harrison’s Landing, Virginia, “as a member of the Band not as a Musician,” rather than for disability.

In any case, after he left the army Almon returned to Michigan where he reentered the service in Company E, Sixth Michigan cavalry on December 6, 1862, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, and was mustered the same day 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.

At some point Almon was detached from the Sixth and reportedly serving in the Brigade band from August of 1863 through December. He was still on detached service from March of 1864 until May 23, 1865 when the Sixth participated in the Grand Review in Washington and in June of 1865 when the Sixth was transferred to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was probably still on detached duty and was probably among those veterans and recruits who were transferred to the First Michigan cavalry when the Sixth was mustered out of service in June of 1865. Almon quite possibly remained detached from the First until he was honorably discharged on October 11, 1865, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Almon returned to Michigan, probably to his family’s home. By 1870 he was working as a druggust (he owned $3000 worth of personal property) and was living with his parents in Alma, Gratiot County.

He was married to New York native Mary Bailey Moyer (1853-1937) on May 21, 1871 in Alma, Gratiot County. For many years he worked as a druggist. By 1880 he was working as Justice of the Peace and living with his wife in Arcada, Gratiot County.

In 1889 he was living in Gratiot County when he applied for and received a pension (no. 655015). He was also apparently a good friend of former Third Michigan bandmember Charles Axtell. Charles had also joined the Michigan brigade (which comprised the Sixth Michigan cavalry among other units) and he too eventually settled in Alma.

Almon eventually moved west and settled in Eugene, Lane County, Oregon. He owned and operated a drug store along with his brother George.

He was probably living at 193 E. 10th Street in Eugene when he died of “softening of the brain” on February 25, 1904, and was perhaps buried in Eugene; however there is a record of his being buried in cemetery in Greenwood cemetery, Petoskey, Emmet County, Michigan: section F, block 85, lot 14, grave 6.

In 1904 his widow was residing in Oregon when she applied for and received a pension (no. 624089). In 1914 Charles, by then living in California, mentioned in a letter to a family member that he was still in contact with Yerington’s widow who was contemplating a visit to the Axtells in Los Angeles. She remarried to one J. P. Metcalf in 1909 and was divorced in 1911. By 1928 Mary was living in Petoskey, Emmet County, Michigan.