Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Ezra Caffee

13^th IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Summer/Fall 1861 Camp McClellan Davenport, IA
Mustered In: 110/8/ -11/21861By Companies Cam McClellan Davenport, IA
Mustered Out:  7/21/1865 Louisville, KY

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:

The 13^th Iowa was a three year infantry regiment. It served and fought in the western theater of operations during the American Civil War (ACW).

Around11/7/1861 the 13^th left Iowa for Benton Barracks, MO. From there it moved to Jefferson City, MO where it spent the winter of 1861/’62.

In 3/1862 the 13^th departed Missouri for Pittsburg Landing/Shiloh, TN. There (4/6 – 4/7) the unit fought in one of The War’s first bloody battles.

On 4/6/1862 the 13^th was under enemy fire for ten hours. During that first day it lost twenty four men killed, one hundred thirty nine wounded and nine missing.

Following Pittsburg Landing/Shiloh the 13^th moved to Corinth, MS. That fall (10/3 – 4/1862) it participated in the battle for that place.

The regiment next marched to Memphis, TN. There, it closed 1862 by assisting in digging the Lake

Providence Canal.

1863. The opening months of that year found the 13^th repairing roads and performing other maintenance duties as Union forces under Gen. U.S. Grant began moving on Vicksburg, MS. That Rebel citadel surrendered on 7/4/1863. Amongst other activities, an expedition into Louisiana preceded going into winter quarters.

Early 1864 saw re-enlisted veterans of the 13^th furloughed home. Upon their return the regiment joined the forces of Union Gen. W.T. Sherman as they marched toward Atlanta, GA.  Unit losses from day one at Kennesaw Mountain (6/27) to the fall of Atlanta (7/22) were three hundred thirty one killed, wounded or captured. The 13^th then “marched to the sea.”

The opening months of 1865 found the 13^th trekking northward through the Carolinas. The regiment closed its fighting career at Bentonville, NC (3/19 – 21).
Next came participation in the Grand Review at Washington City (5/23 – 24/1865). Thereafter the regiment moved to Louisville, KY where it was mustered into history.                                                                         

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 5; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 4; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 114; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 205.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Anamosa, IA   Age: 17.5 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled:  10/15/1861   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 10/15/1861
Mustered Out: 7/21/1865 Louisville, KY
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

Ezra Delos Caffee was born 5/15/1843. His place of birth was within the state of Iowa.

Fathering Ezra was John Calvin Caffee (b. ca. 1814 KY). His mother was Eliza Ruth (nee Reed b. ca. 1823 NY) Caffee.

 Ezra had at least five siblings. They were Vesta Caffee (b. ca. 1842 IA), Thomas Caffee (b. ca. 1847 IA), Alva B. Caffee (b. ca. 1852 loc. unk.), Frances (b. ca. 1854 loc. unk.) and an unidentified male Caffee (b. ca. 1860 loc. unk.).

In 10/1861 teenaged Ezra enlisted in the U.S. Army. His unit was the 13^th Iowa Infantry. The 13^th was a three year western theater organization. Surviving his initial enlistment, Private Caffee re-enlisted in 1864 and served until the end of the American Civil War (ACW) in 1865.

At some point in time post-ACW, Ezra married. All that is known about Mrs. Ezra Caffee is that her first name was Ann or “Annie” and she had been born 3/1844 in Ohio.

It appears that during their time together Ezra and Annie produced three children – all daughters. Only one of the three is named in available documentation. That daughter was Lulu Caffee. Lulu was born 5/1885 in Nebraska.

While in Nebraska Ezra and family homesteaded, receiving the patent (deed) to the land tract in the late 1880s. Ezra then applied for a second homestead tract, but that request was denied.

By the dawn of the twentieth century the Caffees were residing in Washington State. Their initial settlement appears to have been in Pacific County. By 1910, however, they had moved northward to the Whatcom County city of Bellingham.

Ezra died in Bellingham Whatcom County, WA on 1/26/1918 after “an illness of only a few hours.” Burial was/is in Bellingham’s Bayview Cemetery under the auspices of the old soldier’s Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) chapter.

Dropping back some decades, on 1/9/1875 Ezra had applied for and been granted a U.S. Government disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. Following her husband’s passing Annie, on 2/25/1918 petitioned the government to continue receiving a portion of her late husband’s monthly stipend. That petition appears to have been granted.

Where Annie Caffee spent her final days/years is an unknown. Another unknown is her final resting place.
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* The American Civil War Research Database erroneously lists Ezra’s surname as Coffee.
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Note:  The preceding courtesy of the Whatcom (County) Genealogical Society. For additional information on this veteran’s life please see our Links page which contains information on how to obtain  access to the Genealogical Society’s on-line site entitled Civil War Veterans in Whatcom County (including 2014 updates).

Posted: 4/8/2024
Updated: 

Buried at BayView Cemetery Whatcom Co.
Row: SECTION L, Lot 878
Site: Grave 4-A