Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Latham Stewart

9^th MINNESOTA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: August & September, 1862
Mustered In: Fall, 1862 (By Companies)
Mustered Out: 8/24/65 Ft. Snelling MN

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:  

The 9^th Minnesota was a three year western theater infantry regiment. Organized and mustered into Federal service by companies during the latter part of 1862 it fought in two separate wars.
 

In 1862, Native American Sioux and other Indian tribes were warring against settlers along Minnesota/Dakota border. At the time that area was the U.S. "western" frontier. Fielded by companies, detachments of the 9^th served and fought the hostiles throughout that expanse of territory.
 

The Native American uprising quelled, on 5/24/64 the regiment came together as a cohesive unit for the first time. Rendezvoused at St. Louis, MO, the 9^th turned its attentions southward toward Johnny Reb.
 

Moving into Mississippi, at Guntown the regiment lost 286 killed, wounded and missing. 119 of those captured later died in southern prisons. Actions in Missouri and Tennessee concluded the year.
 

1865 found the 9^th active in the battles of Ft. Blakely and Spanish Fort near Mobile, AL. The unit remained in Alabama until moved back to Minnesota for final muster.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age: 18.0 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 8/19/62 Racine Mower County, MN   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 8/19/62
Mustered Out: 8/24/65 Ft. Snelling, MN
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Latham Stewart was created in March, 2021 during 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.
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 Latham Denison Stewart was born on 7/30/44. His birth location was a farm near the community of Western in Oneida County, NY.
 

Parents of Latham were Jonathan (b. 1816 NY) and Laura Denison (nee Martin b. 1823 NY) Stewart. The Stewarts named Latham after his maternal great grandfather, Latham Denison.
 

Although the following names and birth years are subject to error, as best as can be determined Latham was the third of six boys and one girl born to Jonathan and Laura.  Older than Latham were J. Alfred Stewart (b. 1841 NY *) and John Wesley Stewart (b. 1842 NY **). Younger than he were Cormeda Stewart (b. ca. 1845 WI), M. Thaxton Stewart (b. 1848 WI), Eugene Stewart (b. 1850 WI), Theresa Stewart (b. 1852 WI) and Jay Stewart (b. 1855 WI).
 

As noted by the birth states of the Stewart children, at some point following Latham's birth - his obituary would later say it was when he was one year of age - Jonathan moved his family from New York to Wisconsin. In the latter state the U.S. Census of 1850 found the Stewarts tilling the soil in Trenton Dodge County.
 

By September, 1857 the Stewarts had moved again. They were then near Racine in Township 164 of Bower Country, Minnesota Territory. According to a telling in  later years, the move had been made by covered wagon,  the family bringing with them cattle, farming implements and all else necessary to establish and equip a farm on the then vast Minnesota prairie. During this sojourn Latham reportedly drove the cattle and performed other chores expected of a young, teenaged boy.
 

In August, 1862 Latham followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers and enlisted in the U.S. Army Infantry. Unlike his brothers who served in the 2^nd Minnesota, his regiment was the 9^th. Without accessing his military service records all we can say about this Private Stewart's period of enlistment is that, like his brothers, he survived to return to civilian life in Minnesota.
 

On 10/28/68 in Fillmore County, MN Latham married. His bride was Martha Hazleton. Martha had been born on 5/5/50. The birth had taken place at an unidentified location in Ohio. 
 

Following their marriage, Latham and Martha settled in Fillmore County, MN. Two years later, however, they removed to Warren Mills Monroe County, WI. It was there the couples' only child, Daisy May Stewart, was born. Her birthday was 2/11/71.
 

In the spring of 1872 Latham moved his wife and young child to Richwood Baker County, MN. There, drawing upon his right to claim homestead land because of his American Civil War service, he established a farm on 103.75 acres which included a grove of giant oaks where he constructed a house.
 

The Stewarts lived upon and worked the homestead land past acquiring the deed (patent) on the parcel. Prior to 1880, however, Latham had determined he did not like farming. As a result he and his family moved to Bismark Burleigh County in the Dakota Territory. There, Latham turned his occupational attentions to carpentry.
 

Latham and family remained in Bismark until 1887 when, as a member of a group known as the "Puget Sound Colony", the Stewarts moved to the far western part of Washington Territory. Here, in 1887, they settled in the Clallam County community of Port Angeles. In Port Angeles Latham displayed his architecture and carpentry talents to such a degree that many of that city's original structures were constructed either by Latham himself or at least under his tutelage.
 

1905. Sometime during that year Latham moved a short distance away from Port Angeles and once again, in a Clallam County area along the old "Olympic Highway" known as Reno, turned farming - dairy farming to be more specific. He would continue that occupational lifestyle until February, 1920 when he sold the farm and returned to Port Angeles.
 

Before and after arriving in the Pacific Northwest Latham had been heavily involved in the activities of the Grand Army Of The Republic. After the American Civil WAR the G.A.R. - composed of former Union army, navy and marine veterans - was a strong socio-political force all across America. In Washington, alone, Latham was instrumental in the founding of G.A.R. posts in both Port Angeles and nearby Sequim.
 

Following his arrival in the Puget Sound region, on 6/7/98  Latham applied for and was granted a U.S. Government disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. Without his pension files we don't know much about the initiation of the policy, but by 8/4/26 he was receiving a tidy $65 per month stipend. More on this, later.
 

Latham Denison died at home in Port Angeles on 1/14/30. Cause of the old soldier's death was attributed to anemia and age. At passing Latham was 86 years, 5 months and 15 days old.
 

In addition to being active in the G.A.R. during his lifetime Latham had also been a devoted member of free masonry. According to Latham's 1/15/30 obituary printed in the Port Angeles Evening News: "The Masonic Fraternity was Mr. Stewart's religion and he always said that if a man lived up to the teachings and principles of Masonry, he must be a good Christian."
 

Latham's earthly remains were/are interred not in Port Angles, but in the - Masonic affiliated - Acacia Memorial Park located north of the city of Seattle in then-unincorporated King County. The grounds are now within the city limits of the city of Lake Forest Park.
 

Following Latham death Martha applied for and was granted a portion of her late husband's U.S. Government pension. Additionally, she remained in residence in Port Angeles where her adult, married daughter also lived. She died there on 12/4/40 at the age of ninety seven years.
 

Martha was/is buried with Latham in the Acacia Memorial Park.
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 * J. Alfred Stewart enlisted on 9/28/61. His unit was likely Company "A" of 2^nd Minnesota Infantry. He survived the war.

** John Wesley Stewart enlisted on 9/28/61. His unit was likely Company "A" of the 2^nd Minnesota Infantry. He survived The War.

Buried at Acacia Memorial Park Cemetery