David Linn Hewitt

David Linn Hewitt and Amelia L. Hamilton were married on December 23, 1855 by the Reverend Leonard Hathaway in Garland, Penobscot, Maine. They were my great great grandparents. On March 20, 1856 their son Frederick Lesley Hewitt was born. Apparently prior to 1860 David and Amelia separated. David left them and moved to Minnesota where he took up farming. In 1862 David enlisted into the Army and on August 24, 1865 he mustered out at the end of the war and returned to Shakopee, Scott County, Minnesota. 10 days after David mustered out of the Army, Amelia was granted a divorce in her favor dated October 3, 1865. Eight days following the divorce, David married Harriet C. Richardson who was from Cooper Maine. They had three daughters, Irene, Viola and Dana. Amelia and their son Frederick evidently had moved to California. The next record of Amelia was found in Stockton, California where their son Frederick married Adie Worth on January 1, 1879.

Company "A" 9th Minnesota Volunteer
Infantry Regiment

Corporal David Linn Hewitt was one of 47 grandsons and great grandsons of our immigrant ancestor William O. Hewitt that honorably served in the Civil War for the preservation of the Union. On August 14, 1862, at 29 years of age, David Linn Hewitt enlisted into the United States Army; Company "A" 9th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Fort Snelling, Minnesota as a private. He was described as being 5' 8" tall with dark hair and blue eyes.

Company "A" participated in General Henry Hastings Sibley's Campaign against the Sioux Indians in Minnesota, from August 20, 1862 to November 14, 1862. They Joined the 6th Minnesota August 25, and marched to the relief of Fort Ripley between August 25th and August 28th. On September 10, 1862, David was placed in Detached Service to the 3rd Independent Battery, Light Artillery by order of General Sibley. At the conclusion of the campaign, David returned to his company and the regiment was sent to Fort Ripley. General Sibley led another expedition against the hostile Indians in the Dakota Territory between June 16, 1863 and September 12, 1863. On May 25, 1863, just prior to the expedition, David was again placed on detached service to the 3rd Independent Battery Light Artillery for the duration of the campaign.

They saw action against the Santee and Teton Sioux led by Chief Inkpaduta at Big Hills (or Mound), Dakota Territory, July 24th, Dead Buffalo Lake, July 26th, Stony Lake July 28th. and Missouri River, July 29th & 30th.

Following the Battle of Dead Buffalo Lake, Gen. Sibley continued his march after the retreating Sioux until he reached Stony Lake, where his animals’ exhaustion compelled him to encamp. On the 28th, the force had started out in pursuit again when Sibley discovered that a large number of Sioux was moving upon him. He ordered the men to make defensive preparations, which many had already accomplished. In the face of enemy, Sibley now resumed his march. The Sioux searched for weak points in the soldiers position. Finding none, the Sioux rode off at great speed, preventing pursuit. The Sioux had hoped to halt Sibley’s advance but were unable to do so. Sibley remarked in his report that Stony Lake was “the greatest conflict between our troops and the Indians, so far as the numbers were concerned.”

They moved as an escort to General Ramsey, U.S. Commissioner, from Sauk Center to Fort Abercrombie to treat with Chippewa Indians at Red Lake River Crossing, and then returned to Fort Ripley.

The regiment moved to St. Louis, Missouri between October 8 &12, 1863. They were attached to Department of the Missouri. They moved from St. Louis to Jefferson City, Missouri, October 13, 1863 and were assigned to duty guarding the railroad from the Kansas Line to near St. Louis until May 1864.

The regiment moved to Memphis, Tennessee on May 29 & 30, 1864. Joining other units, they became part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps, Department. of the Tennessee, until December, 1864. At that time they became part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Detachment of the Army of the Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, until February, 1865. Finally they became part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps (New), Military Division West Mississippi, Until August 1865.

From June 1 through the13, 1864 General Samuel D. Sturgis', lead the16th corps on an Expedition to Guntown, Mississippi. They saw action at Ripley on June 7th, at Brice's or Tishamingo Creek, near Guntown, June 10, again at Ripley on June 11 and at Davis Mills on June 12.

Major General Andrew Jackson Smith, lead the 16th corps on an expedition to Tupelo, Mississippi from July 5 through 21, 1864. They saw action near Camargo's Cross Roads on July 13, Near Tupelo July 14 & 15, In "Smith's Raid" to Oxford, Mississippi, August 1st through the 30th, the Tallahatchie River August 7, 8 & 9 and Abbeville August 23, 1864.

Major General Joseph Anthony Mower, lead the 16th corps on an Expedition to Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas from September 3rd through the 9th. Then on a March through Arkansas and Missouri in pursuit of Major General Sterling "Old Pap” Price, from September 17th to November 15th. The 16th Corps moved to Nashville, Tennessee, between November 24th & 30th 1864.

On December 1, 1864 David was promoted to Corporal. On December 15-16, 1864 The Franklin-Nashville Campaign in Davidson County, Tennessee took place. This was known as the battle of Nashville. The Principal Commanders were Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas [US]; Gen. John Bell Hood [CS]. The Forces Engaged were IV Army Corps, XXIII Army Corps, Detachment of Army of the Tennessee, provisional detachment, and cavalry corps [US]; Army of Tennessee [CS].

In a last desperate attempt to force Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s army out of Georgia, Gen. John Bell Hood led the Army of Tennessee north toward Nashville in November 1864. Although he suffered terrible losses at Franklin on November 30, he continued toward Nashville. By the next day, the various elements of Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas’s army had reached Nashville. Hood reached the outskirts of Nashville on December 2, occupied positions on a line of hills parallel to those of the Union and began erecting fieldworks.

Union Army Engineer, Brig. Gen. James St. Clair Morton, had overseen the construction of sophisticated fortifications at Nashville in 1862-63, strengthened by others, which would soon see use. From the 1st through the 14th, Thomas made preparations for the Battle of Nashville in which he intended to destroy Hood’s army. On the night of December 14, Thomas informed Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck, acting as Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s chief of staff, that he would attack the next day. Thomas planned to strike both of Hood’s flanks.

Before daylight on the 15th, the first of the Union troops, led by Maj. Gen. James Steedman, set out to hit the Confederate right. The attack was made and the Union forces held down one Rebel corps there for the rest of the day. Attack on the Confederate left did not begin until after noon when a charge commenced on Montgomery Hill. With this classic charge’s success, attacks on other parts of the Confederate left commenced, all eventually successful. By this time it was dark and fighting stopped for the day.

Although battered and with a much smaller battle line, Gen. Hood was still confident. He established a main line of resistance along the base of a ridge about two miles south of the former location, throwing up new works and fortifying Shy’s and Overton’s hills on their flanks. The IV Army Corps marched out to within 250 yards, in some places, of the Confederate’s new line and began constructing fieldworks. During the rest of the morning, other Union troops moved out toward the new Confederate line and took up positions opposite it.

The Union attack began against Hood’s strong right flank on Overton’s Hill. The same brigade that had taken Montgomery Hill the day before received the nod for the charge up Overton’s Hill. This charge, although gallantly conducted, failed, but other troops (Maj. Gen. A.J. Smith’s “Israelites”) successfully assaulted Shy’s Hill in their fronts. Seeing the success along the line, other Union troops charged up Overton’s Hill and took it. Hood’s army fled. Thomas had left one escape route open but the Union army set off in pursuit. For ten days, the pursuit continued until the beaten and battered Army of Tennessee crossed back over the Tennessee River. Hood’s army was stalled at Columbia, beaten at Franklin, and routed at Nashville. Hood retreated to Tupelo and resigned his command.

This was considered a major Union victory. The Estimated Casualties were 88 total (US 23; CS 65). David Linn Hewitt was one of the 23 US casualties. David was wounded and treated in the regimental hospital in December 16, 1864 for a "slight gun shot wound" and returned to duty on December 17.

After the battle of Nashville, they went in pursuit of General Hoot to the Tennessee River, between December 17th and the 28th. They moved to Clifton, Tennessee, then on to Eastport, Mississippi, between December 29, 1864 and January 4, 1865. They remained on duty there until February 6, 1865.

Between February 6 & 21 1865 they moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. They participated in the campaign against Mobile in Baldwin County, Alabama, and its Defenses between March 17 and April 12. They were at the Skirmish at Deer Park Road on March 25, the Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely between March 26 & April 8. Forces Engaged: XVI and XIII Corps [US]; Spanish Fort Garrison [CS]. The principal commanders were: Maj. Gen. E.R.S. Canby [US]; Brig. Gen. Randall L. Gibson [CS]. Maj. Gen. E.R.S.

Canby’s XIII and XVI corps moved along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay forcing the Confederates back into their defenses. Union forces then concentrated on Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely. On March 27, 1865, Canby’s forces rendezvoused at Danley’s Ferry and immediately undertook a siege of Spanish Fort. The Union had enveloped the fort by April 1, and on April 8 captured it. Most of the Confederate forces, under the command of Brig. Gen. Randall L. Gibson, escaped and fled to Mobile, but Spanish Fort was no longer a threat. The Estimated Casualties were: 1,401 (US 657; CS 744).

They assaulted and captured Fort Blakely in Baldwin County, Alabama on April 9. E.R.S. Canby’s forces, the XVI and XIII corps, moved along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, forcing the Confederates back into their defenses. Union forces then concentrated on Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely. By April 1, Union forces had enveloped Spanish Fort, thereby releasing more troops to focus on Fort Blakely. Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell, with about 4,000 men, held out against the much larger Union force until Spanish Fort fell on April 8, allowing Canby to concentrate 16,000 men for the attack on April 9. Sheer numbers breached the Confederate earthworks compelling the Confederates to capitulate. The siege and capture of Fort Blakely was basically the last combined-force battle of the war. African-American forces played a major role in the successful Union assault. On this one day the casualties were estimated at 3,529 (US 629; CS 2,900). Again this was a major Union victory.

They occupied the city of Mobile on April 12 and marched to Montgomery between April 13th and 25th. They remained on duty at Montgomery and Selma until July. They moved to St. Paul, Minnesota between July 26th August 11th and Mustered out August 24, 1865. David Linn Hewitt was honorably discharged on August 24, 1865 and mustered out as a corporal at Fort Snelling.

Following the war David's occupation was that of a Teamster and in 1883 he applied for a pension. His application states that during the civil war he was hauling corn by teams from surrounding country to warehouses belonging to the Union Army. "While so engaged he became heated and took a severe cold which resulted in rheumatism with which he has suffered ever since and by which he had been disabled for the extent of one half the time from doing the work of an able bodied man."

David died on `September 10, 1914 in the City of Anoka, Anoka county, Minnesota of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 82 years old. He was buried in the Forrest Hill Cemetery. His grave stone reads " David Linn Hewitte, Corporal, Co. A 9th-Minn. Inf." There are no dates engraved on the stone. The thumbnail image to the left is David's obituary.

Amelia Died on June 13, 1916 in Stockton, San Joaquin County, California. She was buried in an unmarked grave in the Hewitt Family plot in the Stockton Rural Cemetery.

James R. Hewitt Jr.

Sources:

The Silent Cities by Anoka County Historical Society
Certificate of Death for David Linn Hewitt Anoka County Minn.
Declaration for original Invalid Pension for David Linn Hewitt No.287032
Muster Rolls for Company A 9th Minnesota Infantry Regiment
Declaration for widow's pension for Hattie L. Hewitt no 354036
Declaration for Remarried widow's pension for Harriet (Hattie) C. (Hewitt) Rogers. No. 354036
Divorce Amelia L. Hewitt vs David Linn Hewitt dated October 3, 1865
Widow's pension Original file No 1035655
Death Certificate for Amelia L. Hewitt dated June 13, 1916 San Joaquin County, California
United States National Parks Service
William Hewett (Hewitt) and his descendants by Evelyne Hewett
1850 Census Garland Penobscot County, Maine
December 23, 1855 record of marriage Garland, Penobscot County, Maine