Veteran’s Day

By Richard  M. Thayer

Yesterday we marked the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I which formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.  On 13 May 1938, a Congressional Act was approved making the 11th of November each year a legal holiday to be known as Armistice Day.  On 26 May 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill making Armistice Day a day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in the First World War.  Six days later Congress amended the bill making 11 November Veterans Day instead of Armistice Day.  We have been observing Veterans Day ever since.  Albeit not in November for seven years in the 1970’s due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968.  Having been in the Federal work force (U.S. Air Force) in the 1970’s, I can remember the grumbling among us about holiday changes, “Why can’t Congress leave well enough alone!”

Map of Lower Canada for 1831 Census

This year I want to celebrate a veteran of the U.S. Civil War, my great-great-grandfather, Stephen K. Manning.  He was born on 26 Dec 1826 in Lower Canada.  Based on the 1931 Canadian census of Lower Canada, I believe his birth was in or near Hemmingford, Beauharnois District, Lower Canada.  Depending on the date of the document, this would be noted as Canada, or Lower Canada, or Canada East, or Quebec.  Hemmingford is about nine miles north of Mooers, Clinton County, New York.  This is an area of Canada and New York where in those days individuals and families moved back and forth over the border with few or no restrictions.  Sometime in the 1830’s, Stephen and his siblings moved with their parents, John and Kesiah Latten Manning from Beauharnois District to Mooers.  On 9 Sep 1847, he married Sally Ann Blackman of and in Mooers Forks which is a little way west of Mooers.   Stephen was a farmer and raised seven children with Sally Ann.  Number six was my great-grandmother, Effie Justina Manning.

When the U.S. Civil War started, Stephen volunteered for the Union Army.  He enlisted for 3 years on 31 August 1862 in Mooers, New York and was paid a bounty of $25 by Clinton County to enlist.  He mustered in on 18 October 1862, in the grade of Private, assigned to infantry company G of the153rd regiment, New York Volunteers.  Interestingly, this regiment was organized at Fonda, Montgomery County, New York which is half way to New York City from the Canadian border which meant Stephen had to travel some 150 miles just to get to his unit. They left New York the same day for Washington, D.C.  The 153rd were assigned guard and police duty at Alexandria, Virginia and Washington, D.C. with the XXII Corps until February 1864.

Then off to fight with the XIX Corps.  First as part of the Department of the Gulf trying to take control of the Red River valley of Louisiana and Shreveport, the capital of Louisiana.  The XIX Corps fought for several months and were not able to complete their objectives.  They retreated to Morganza, Louisiana and stayed there for 5 weeks.  Next the 153rd moved to Fort Monroe, Virginia then back to Washington, D.C. where they participated in several battles up and down the Shenandoah Valley until April 1865 when they stayed in Washington.  After the end of the war, the regiment participated in the Grand Review of the Armies on May 23-24, after which they were ordered to duty in Savannah, Georgia until the soldiers were mustered out on 2 October 1865.  Now they had to make their way back to New York.

The 153rd New York Infantry lost 200 men during the regiment’s service.  One officer and 38 enlisted were killed or mortally wounded.  One officer and 160 enlisted died of disease.  This tells me that the general living conditions were a lot worse than the fighting.  Stephen never made it to the fighting.  He died on 22 December 1862, of Typhoid Fever in Alexandria, Virginia.  His remains were shipped home for burial in Mooers Riverside Cemetery.

Inscription:  Stephen K. MANNING, Co. G.

 153 Regt. N.Y.V. Died Dec. 20, 1862 AE. 36 Y's.

Stephen and Sally Ann’s last child was born that summer before Stephen went off to war.  His name was Stephen K. Manning, Jr. continuing the family name.  Now my great-grandmother Effie decided to name her first born after her father, thus starting a tradition.  My grandfather’s name is Ralph Manning Thayer.  My father is Russell Manning, I am Richard Manning, my son is Reed Manning, and my grandson is Ryan Manning.  So, Stephen’s legacy lives on.  In 1999, I was able to capture 4 generations of R. Manning Thayers in the picture below.

Four generations of Thayers

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day Census of 1831, Lower Canada (Quebec) - Library and Archives Canada
Town Clerks’ Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War, ca 1865-1867, New York Archives.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/153rd_New_York_Volunteer_Infantry
Marker Photo - Jill Stephenson, 4th cousin once removed

------------
. . .More About Podcasts

My sincere apologies to Amy Johnson Crow whose new podcast, Generations Café, was omitted from my November 5, post.  She launched it on September 12, 2018 and has produced eight episodes through October 31.  Each episode is short, 10 to 30 minutes, covering just one topic.  It is easy to choose just the topics that are of interest to you and listen in a short bite.  Amy is a skilled interviewer and makes you feel as though you are enjoying a conversation over a cup of coffee or tea.

Barbara Mattoon