Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Alvah Kent

132^nd PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Summer, 1862 Camp Curtin Harrisburg, PA
Mustered In: 8/11 - 18/1862 Camp Curtin Harrisburg, PA
Mustered Out: 5/24/1863 Harrisburg, PA
 

11^th MARYLAND VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Spring, 1864 Baltimore, MD
Mustered In: 6/16/1864 Baltimore, MD
Mustered Out: 10/1/1864
 

5^th UNITED STATES REGULAR ARTILLERY
Organized: 5/4/1861
Mustered In: 5/1861
Mustered Out: Inf. Not Avail.

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (132^nd)

The 132^nd Pennsylvania was a nine month infantry regiment. During its brief period of existence it served in the eastern theater of the American Civil War (ACW).

This regiment, recruited from the north-central part of Pennsylvania, left the state on 8/19/1862 bound for Washington City. There, encamped near Ft. Corcoran, it worked on "drill and preparation".

The unit arrived at South Mountain, MD too late to participate in the battle for that place (9/14/1862). From there it moved to Sharpsburg/Antietam, MD where it suffered severely during the battle that raged there on 9/17/1862. Antietam losses were thirty killed, one hundred fourteen wounded and eight missing.

During 10/1862 the 132^nd shared in Federal reconnaissance to Leesburg and Charlestown, VA. Early November found it at Falmouth, VA.

At the battle of Fredericksburg, VA (12/11 - 15/1862) the unit lost one hundred fifty men out of three hundred forty engaged. The 132^nd had behaved like a veteran regiment. Winter quarters at Falmouth followed.

Early 1863 found the 132^nd engaged at the battle of Chancellorsville, VA (4/30 6/6). During the first two days of fighting the regiment was held in reserve. On the front line (5/3 - 4) it lost about fifty men.

On 5/14/1863 the 132^nd’s term of service expired. After that it was called back to Harrisburg for final muster. 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  3; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 0; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  70**; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 40. 

** The 132^nd was one of a scant few Union, short-term, regiments that lost more officers and enlisted during combat than it did from disease, etc.
 

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (11^th)

In the spring of 1864 Union forces under the command of General U.S. Grant moved southward into Virginia. One year later this and other Federal troops would put an end to four years of bloody civil war.

To field as many "seasoned" troops as possible for the 5/1864 Overland Campaign, existing regiments were pulled out of rear echelon and garrison posts and placed into the front lines. To fill the void created by these re-assignments many short-term, often non-combat oriented, units were created. The 11^th Maryland was one such organization.

The 11^th was a "one hundred days" infantry regiment. Its short period of service was within the eastern theater of the American Civil War (ACW).

On 7/1/1864 the 11^th left Baltimore, MD for Monocacy. There, (7/9) it fought holding Confederates under Gen. Jubal A. Early in check until reinforcements could move to Washington City and save the threatened, national capitol.

Following the battle the 11^th was on guard duty at Monocacy and Mount Airey. This assignment lasted until October when the original one hundred days enlistees were mustered out. 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 0 ; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents Etc.: 0  ;  Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 0  ; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 0 .*** 

*** Seldom seen is a short-term unit that did not lose any officers or enlisted men - for whatever reason - during its period of service. 

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (5^th)

The 5^th U.S. Regular Army Artillery, a three year regiment, was created in May, 1861 by a proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln. In mid-July the proclamation was confirmed by congress with all appoints to the new organization dated 5/14/1861. 

Composed of twelve companies/batteries (six cannon each) the new regiment differed from previous artillery units. Although the words "field" or "light artillery" do not appear in the Congressional Act that created it, the 5^th was the first artillery organization armed and equipped to serve only in the field rather than perform both field and garrison duties. 

Artillery regiments, unlike those of the infantry or cavalry, seldom - if ever - came together as a whole. Instead, as individual companies/batteries were created, they were assigned where needed. The same held true for the 5^th. As a result, herein we are focusing only on the batteries in which Private Alvah Kent served. They were: 

Battery "B" -

Battery "B" was organized on 11/1/1862. Armed with six three-inch rifled ordnance guns, its period of service was in the eastern theater of the American Civil War (ACW). 

In 6/1863. Battery "B" was assigned to the Department of The Susquehanna. Next, it went to Harper's Ferry, WVA and the Department of West Virginia where it remained until April, 1864. 

Virginia actions during 1864 - many in the state's Shenandoah Valley - in which Battery "B" participated  included New Market (  5/15), Lynchburg,  (6/17 - 18), Catawba Mountains (6/21),  Berryville (9/3), Opequon/Winchester (9/19). Fisher's Hill (9/22) and Cedar Creek (10/19). Duties within the valley continued until 7/1865 when, at Washington, D.C., the battery was mustered out of existence. 

Battery "L" -

Battery "L" was organized on 10/1/1862. It was assigned to duty in Baltimore, MD until 5/1863 when it moved into Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Except for a period of time in the defenses of Washington City during 7/'64 when Rebel forces commanded by Gen. Jubal A. Early threatened that city, Batt. "L" primarily remained in the Shenandoah throughout the remainder of The War. However, the last few months of the unit's existence were spent back in D.C. There, it was mustered out in 8/1865.

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Loss Numbers Not Available

SOLDIER: (132^nd)
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age:
Enlisted/Enrolled: 8/14/1862   Rank:  Pvt.
Mustered In: Inf. Not Avail.
Mustered Out: Inf. Not Avail.
Discharged: Inf. Not Avail.
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.
 

SOLDIER:  (11^th)
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age:
Enlisted/Enrolled: 5/25/1864   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 5/25/1864
Mustered Out: 9/29/1864
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.
 

SOLDIER (5^th)
Residence:    Age:
Enlisted/Enrolled: April, 1864   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: Inf. Not Avail.
Mustered Out: June, 1866
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:
 

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Alvah Kent was created in June, 2022 during the waning days of the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Alvah M. Kent was born 2/17/1845. His place of birth was within Chemung County, NY.

Parents of Alvah were Lester Kent (b. 1813 PA) and Clarissa (no nee b. 1820 NY) Kent. In 1850 the Kents were farming in Elmira Kent County, NY.

As best as can be determined, based on available U.S. Census data. Alvah was the second of four children born to Lester and Clarissa. Older than he was William A. Kent (b. 1842). Younger than he were E.K. Kent (b.1846) and John Kent (b. 1849). All were birthed in New York. 

In April, 1861 civil war spread across America. Answering his country's call for defenders, on 8/14/1862 Alvah joined a U.S. Army infantry regiment - the 132^nd Pennsylvania. Whether or not Alvah was residing in Pennsylvania at the time of his enlistment is not known.

Although a short term - one hundred days - unit, the 132^nd saw a LOT of combat. Still, Private Kent survived the trials and tribulations of war and returned to civilian life.

Alvah remained a civilian for about a year. Then, he re-enlisted in an infantry unit. His unit was another one hundred days regiment, the 11^th Maryland. No information is currently available pertaining to Alvah's activities in the 11^th.

According to Alvah's pension card, beginning in May, 1864 he also served as an artilleryman in the 5^th U.S. Regular Army Light Artillery. This is where Private Kent's military history gets sticky because, as of May, 1864 he was still on the rolls of the 11^th Maryland. It may be that he transferred to the 5^th in May, but the 11^th kept him on their rolls until that unit was mustered out. Military service records will have to be accessed if this issue is to be resolved. Private Kent reportedly served in the 5^th until June, 1866.

********************************************************************************************************************

Post-1866 there is a big void in Alvah Kent's time line. We do not hear from him again until the U.S. Census of 1880. That tally found him employed as a "glasshouse man" in Belmont Martins Ferry, OH. In Belmont he was married and the father of two.

Alvah's bride was Louise M. Waters. Louise had been born in Ohio during March, 1851. How, when and where she and Alvah had met are unknowns. The couple was married sometime during 1877.

During their years together Alvah and Louise produced three children. They were Estella May "Mary" Kent (b. 2/26/1878 PA), William B. Kent (b. 1880 OH) and Howard Talmadge Kent (b. 10/14/1886 WI). All three were living when the twentieth century dawned.

Noting birth locales of the Kent children, each was born in a different state. It appears that at some point after being wed Alvah and Louise lived in Pennsylvania (Estell). From there, they removed to Ohio where William was born in 1878. Finally, Howard was born (1886) in Wisconsin. Available documents do not shed light on the inter-state moves.

By June, 1890 the Kents were residing in Seattle King County, WA. They, obviously, had migrated here sometime between the birth of Howard (10/1886) and the military census of 6/1890.  Exactly what had drawn them to the Pacific Northwest and, more specifically, the shores of Puget Sound and Lake Washington are unknowns. Seattle would be the final stop on Alvah and Louise's life journeys.

An 1892 Seattle census showed the Kent family in Seattle. No occupation is listed for Alvah.

By 1900 Alvah had become a Seattle police officer. He continued in that occupation until he retired sometime before 1920.

Alvah M. Kent died at home - 1225 E. Alder - in Seattle. The date of his passing was 10/4/1923. The cause of the seventy eight year (check) old’s death was noted as "aortic regurgitation" from which, it appears, he had been under a doctor's care for five years.  Burial was/is in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery located on Seattle's Queen Anne Hill.

Dropping back a bit. On 12/4/1899 former Private Kent had applied for and was granted a U.S. Government disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. Without accessing pension files the size of the initial monthly stipend (which was likely increased in 1907) remains an unknown.

It is unclear whether or not, after Alvah's passing, the widow Kent petitioned to continue receiving at least a portion of her late husband’s Government stipend. Interestingly, based on available pension card, it appears she did not.

After Alvah's death Louise lived out her years - and she had many still ahead of her = in Seattle. She died on 2/2/1838. She was/is buried in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery with Alvah.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

* The American Civil War Research Database notes soldier's name in connection with this unit as ALVEY M. KENT.

POSTED: 11/5/2023
UPDATED:

Buried at Mt Pleasant Cemetery AKA Free Methodist & Seattle IOOF