ALVIN MERRIAM

Alvin Merriam was born on December 23, 1836, in Franklin County in northern New York, but was living in Iowa when he was enrolled at Hardin on August 11, 1862, as a Private in a company being raised by attorney William Crooke. At 5' 8¾", Alvin was of average height and was described as having brown eyes and hair and a fair complexion; occupation farmer. The company was ordered into quarters at Camp Franklin in Dubuque on August 16th and, with a total of ninety-nine men, was mustered in as Company B on the 18th. When ten companies were of sufficient strength, they were mustered in as the state's 21st regiment of volunteer infantry with a total enrollment of 985 men, officers and enlisted.

They left Dubuque on September 16th on board the four-year-old sidewheel steamer Henry Clay and two barges lashed alongside, spent one night at Rock Island, continued downstream, debarked at Montrose, traveled by rail to Keokuk, boarded the Hawkeye State, reached St. Louis on September 20th, left on the 21st, reached Rolla by rail on the 22nd, and for the next month camped near a spring southwest of town. From there they marched to Salem, Houston, Hartville and then, after a wagon train was attacked, back to the more secure confines of Houston. On January 9, 1863, word was received that Confederates under John Marmaduke were heading toward Springfield. Alvin was among a hastily constituted relief force that left on the "double quick," camped on the 10th along Wood's Fork of the Gasconade River and on the 11th fought a day-long battle at Hartville before returning to Houston.

During the next few months Alvin served as a company cook and in a pioneer corps as the regiment moved to West Plains, Iron Mountain and St. Genevieve before being transported to Milliken's Bend where General Grant was organizing an army to capture Vicksburg. Assigned to a corps led by General John McClernand, they slowly made their way south along the west side of the Mississippi until they reached the Disharoon Plantation. From there, on April 30, 1863, they crossed to the Bruinsburg landing on the east bank. With Alvin's regiment designated as the point regiment for the entire army, they moved inland and on May 1, 1863, fought the Battle of Port Gibson (also known as the Battle of Magnolia Hills). On May 16th they were present but held out of action during the Battle of Champion's Hill, but on the 17th, with the 23rd Iowa, led an assault on entrenched Confederates at the Big Black River. From there they moved to Vicksburg, engaged in an assault on May 22nd, and were stationed opposite the railroad redoubt during the siege that followed. Alvin had been present during the entire campaign and participated with his regiment in all engagements without injury although thirty-one of his comrades had been killed in action, thirty-four sustained wounds that would prove fatal, and another 102 suffered wounds that were less serious although some led to amputations and many of the injured were discharged.

The regiment then engaged in a pursuit of Confederate General Joe Johnston to Jackson, Mississippi, before returning to Vicksburg and going downstream. They saw subsequent service in southwestern Louisiana until November 22nd when one of the soldiers noted, "we took the cars last night about 12. o clock and arrived here at Algiers about sunup this morning we are now awaiting transportation either up the river or around to Texas." During the next few days some traveled on the Corinthian and others on the St. Mary's down the Mississippi and west across the Gulf to the coast of Texas. They were still there on April 13, 1864, when Alvin's captain, William Lyons, wrote to an Assistant Adjutant General that Alvin "has been a good and faithful soldier served with his Company and regiment in the campaign against Vicksburg and Jackson Miss, has not been absent from Company at any time. The said Soldier's father having died on the 8" day of August 1863 and left a large estate to be settled, which cannot be done without heavy loss to said soldier unless present." A furlough was approved by Brigadier General Fitzhenry Warren and one of Alvin's comrades noted that three members of the regiment had been granted furloughs, "Eno of Mcgregor and Alvin Marium and Timothy Hayes of Hardin." Transportation was provided for Alvin from Matagorda Island, Texas, to Geneva, Ohio. He rejoined the regiment two months later at New Orleans and was returned to duty with a stoppage of $16.06 for transportation. Alvin continued with the regiment for the balance of its service in Louisiana and Arkansas and, in the spring of 1865, during its successful campaign to occupy the city of Mobile in Alabama. They were mustered out at Baton Rouge on July 15th, boarded the Lady Gay on the morning of the 16th, debarked at Cairo on the 20th and "went to the soldiers rest where a dinner was waiting." From Cairo, they continued their journey on the Illinois Central Railroad and were discharged from the military at Clinton, Iowa, on July 24th.

Alvin moved to Keokuk County where, on February 22, 1866, he and Anna Collins were married by Rev. David Smith near the town of Webster. Their children included Clara A. (born April 23, 1871), Silas Hoyt (born May 30, 1872) and William H. (born May 23, 1873). In 1874 the family moved to Jewell County in Kansas, but two years later returned to Keokuk County where two more children were born: John E. (on May 6, 1877) and Ernest A. (on September 20, 1886).

On June 17, 1886, while living in Webster, Alvin applied for an invalid pension indicating he was suffering from rheumatism and liver disease caused by war-related diarrhea, fever, ague and exposure. Pension surgeons in Sigourney thought he was entitled to a "total rating" for a disability caused by "Ch. Diarrhoea & results." Unfortunately for Alvin, records of the Adjutant General and Surgeon General reflected no wartime illnesses. Willard Adams, William Lyons and David Drummond (Company B comrades) signed affidavits supporting the application as did neighbors and Alvin's personal physician, but the claim stalled.

In 1888, Alvin and Anna moved their family to Smith Center, Kansas, where Alvin continued farming and pursued his pension claim. On October 5, 1891, more than five years afer the claim had been filed, his attorneys, Smith & Talley, submitted a circular contending all requirements had been met, but the Pension Office responded by ordering a medical examination in Smith Center. These surgeons felt he was partially disabled from the results of chronic diarrhoea and heart disease, but the Pension Office pointed out that he had not previously claimed heart disease. More affidavits and examinations followed until finally, on November 19, 1894, Alvin was approved for a pension of $6.00 monthly, payable quarterly and retroactive to February 16, 1893, the date Alvin's declaration claiming heart disease had been filed with the Pension Office.

The pension was gradually increased from $6.00 to $8.00, then $10.00, then $12.00 and finally to the $15.00 he was receiving when he died on July 5, 1911, at the age of seventy-four. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery north of Smith Center.

On July 25th, seventy-one-year-old Anna Merriam applied for a widow's pension saying she and Alvin had married, they were never divorced and she had not remarried. The Pension Office advised her that proof of her statements was required and affidavits were soon forthcoming. Her widow's claim was quickly approved at $12.00 monthly as was her claim for Alvin's pension that had accrued but not been paid by the time of his death. Anna died on April 12, 1915, and was buried next to Alvin in Fairview Cemetery. Their five children - Clara (Merriam) Simpson, Silas Merriam, William H. Merriam, John E. Merriam and Ernest A. Merriam - are buried in the same cemetery.

Biography contributed by Carl Ingwalson January 30, 2018.

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