Mistaken Identity: Darius Marsh, War of 1812 and Civil War Veteran

I was researching Civil War widow buried at King, when I realized her father, Darius Marsh, had been a veteran of both the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

War of 1812: He enlisted into the regular Army on 1 Apr 1814 in Sherburne, NY, for a period of 5 years.  He told his recruiter that he was 24 years old, rather than the truth: he was only 16 years old. He probably got away with it because, at 5’10”, he was 3″ taller than the average adult male.  He was first assigned as a Private in the 1st US Dragoons – a cavalry unit. At the end of the war, the cavalry was downsized, and he was transferred to the 4th US Infantry regiment.  While he was in the 4th Infantry; a unit roll shows that, in Dec 1815, he was “sick in quarters, learning music”. Sometime thereafter, his rank was changed from Private to Musician.  He was honorably discharged at expiration of service on 31 Mar 1819.

He married Esther Spencer in 1820 and then studied to be a physician.  They came West about 1846, first to Illinois and then to Columbia County, Wisconsin.  They had at least 8 children: 2 died as children, William, George, Andrew, Esther, Mary Elizabeth, and Clarissa.  Clarissa’s husband died of disease during the Civil War.  After Darius died, Clarissa and her mother lived together and shared their widow’s pensions.

Civil War:  At the age of 62, he enlisted on 17 Oct 1861 as a Musician in the 10th Wisconsin Infantry.  The unit roll shows that he was discharged in “1862”.  Other sources state that he was discharged in Feb 1862 or in April 1862.

He returned to Fort Winnebago, WI, and continued to practice medicine.  On 22 May 1870, he was admitted to the National Asylum for Disabled Soldiers in Milwaukee.  He was on furlough from there when, on 8 May 1871, he died at the City Hotel in Portage, WI.  He was playing a “martial tune on his fife for his friends, when he dropped lifeless” to the floor.

This is a photo of his headstone in Fuller Cemetery, Marcellon, WI.  It is inscribed:  “Private, 36th NY Militia”

But he didn’t serve in the New York Militia (?).

The headstone was ordered in 1952 by the Columbia County Veterans Service Officer.  On the aplication, the only information about the veteran’s military service was limited to “War of 1812” – a unit was not provided from Columbia County.  The US Army Office of the Quartermaster (incorrectly) came to the conclusion that the deceased veteran was the “Darius Marsh” who served in the 36th New York Militia.  This conclusion was probably based on the year of birth provided on the application: 1798.  The man who served in the 36th NY Militia was born in 1795 and the man who served in the 4th Infantry was purportedly born in 1790.  Except, the man who served in the 4th Infantry lied about his age, so the “1790” should have been “1798”.

You could say that Darius Marsh’s 1814 lie continues to haunt him 200+ years later.

Turns out there was a second War of 1812 veteran named “Darius Marsh”.  He was born in 1795 in New York and he served in Capt Sperry’s Company of the 36th New York Militia.  Not that unusual during this war, he served for exactly one day and that was 31 Aug 1814.  For a single day’s service, he was paid exactly 66 cents.

With his first wife, he had one son: Clarence Marsh.  He moved to the St Louis area about 1840.  On 8 Jan 1850, he married his second wife, Mary Webb Hardy.  They had at least 4 children; only Ann and George survived to adulthood.  He died of dysentery on 28 Sep 1864 and was buried in Wesleyan Cemetery in St Louis.  Over time, this cemetery was disinterred and moved several times.  It is not clear where “St Louis” Darius Marsh is buried today.

These two men, and their military service, can best be separated by reviewing their pension application cards:

Darius Marsh #1:

His wife, Esther, is shown along with his service as a Musician with the 4th Infantry.

Darius Marsh #2:

His wife, Mary W, is shown along with his service in Capt Sperry’s Company of the New York Militia.