Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Lysander Mathews

11^th WISCONSIN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Summer/Fall, 1861 Camp Randall Madison, WI
Mustered In: 10/18/1861 Camp Randall Madison, WI
Mustered Out: 9/5/1865 Mobile, AL

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:
 

The 11^th Wisconsin was a three year infantry regiment. Its period service was spent in the western theater of the American Civil War (ACW).
 

Leaving the state (11/20/1861) the 11^th performed railroad guard duties until moving further south into Arkansas. It remained there until spring, 1862.  It was then sent into Mississippi. Its first real clash with the enemy came (5/1/1863) at Port Gibson.
 

As Union forces under Gen. U.S. Grant marched toward Vicksburg, MS the 11^th saw action at Champion's Hill (5/16/1863) and at Big Black River (5/17/1863). Unit losses were heavy at Vicksburg.
 

After the fall of Vicksburg (7/4/1863) the 11^th spent several months in arduous, but uneventful campaigning. Still, three quarters of the regiment chose to re-enlist and veteranize the unit.
 

Returning to the field after re-enlistment furloughs, the 11^th was given outpost duty at Brashear City, AL. During this period Company "D" was detached to Bayou Louis.
 

The 11^th’s last clash with the enemy came at Mobile, AL’s Fort Blakely (4/2 - 9/1865). Final muster was at Mobile.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  6; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:  4; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 80; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:  283.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Sylvan Richland County, WI   Age: 18 yrs., (est.)
Enlisted/Enrolled: 9/12/1861   Rank: Musician
Mustered In: 9/12/1861
Mustered Out: 9/4/1865
Highest Rank:  Musician
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:
 

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Lysander Mathews was created in May, 2022 near the end 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.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

 Based on available documentation, Lysander Mathews was born in Ohio sometime during 1843. No specific birth month or date has been found.
 

Parents of Lysander were Lyman Mathews (b. 1/5/1815 Trumbull County, OH - d. 11/14/1866 Minneapolis, MN) and Lydia (nee Wyckoff b. 4/12/1815 PA - d. 11/12/1885 Minneapolis, MN) Mathews. The Mathews family was a farming family.
 

According to U.S., census tallies, Lysander was second of at least nine children born to Lyman and Lydia. Older than he was Rufus P. Mathews* (b. 1841 PA) and Hannah E. Mathews (b. 1844 OH). Younger than he were John (b. 1846 OH), Eliza Mathews (b. 1847 PA), Monroe Mathews** (b. 1848 PA), Antoinette Mathews (b. 1851 PA), Henry D. Mathews (b. 1853 PA) and Sarah Mathews (b. 1856 WI).
 

In September, 1861 Lysander left the parental farm and enlisted in the U.S. Army. His unit was the 11^th Wisconsin Infantry. Lysander enlisted as a musician, but what kind, we do not know. He was not a bandsman, so likely he was a fifer, drummer or bugler. At final muster he was ranked as a private soldier. What had become of his musicianship is not known.
 

With army life behind him Lysander returned to Sylvan Richland County, WI.  On 3/7/1870, likely in Richland County, he married.
 

Lysander's bride was Carrie C. Carson. Carrie had been born in Wisconsin on 9/6/1853. When, how and where the two had met are unknowns. After marriage the couple settled into farming in Richwood Richland County, WI.
 

During their years together Lysander and Carrie produced three children. Only two of the three are identified: Myrtle L. Mathews (b. 1873 MN) and Eliza Grace Mathews (b. 1878 MN).
 

Looking at the birth states of the Mathews children, it is obvious that Lysander and Carrie did not reside for long in Wisconsin. By 1873 when Myrtle was born the family had moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota. There, in 1880, they were residing in the community of St. James located in Watonwan County. There Lysander was employed as a grocer.
 

An interesting fact pertaining to the Mathews household in St. James is that in the home besides Lysander, Carrie and their two children were Lysander's parents as well as he older sister Hannah and two of his younger brothers - Henry and Rufus.
 

By 1892 the Mathews family had exchanged Minnesota for Seattle King County, WA. What had drawn them to the shores of the Puget Sound and exactly when they arrived here are not known. In 1892 Lyman noted his occupation as "contractor", while eight years later, at the dawn of the twentieth century he was a law officer constable.
 

On the heels of the 1900 U.S. Census on 1/8/1900 Lysander died. The cause of his passing was some form of heart disease. At passing he was fifty seven or fifty eight years of age. Burial was/is in Seattle's Lake View Cemetery located near the north end of that city's Capitol Hill.

Dropping back a bit, while still in Minnesota, on 7/7/1890 Lysander applied for and was granted a U.S. Government disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. However, without accessing his pension files the nature of his monthly financial striped remain a mystery.
 

On 2/25/1900 widow Carrie petitioned the Government to continue receiving at least a portion of her late husband's monthly payment. Again, that petition was granted, but without accessing Carrie's widow pension files the size of her stipend remains shrouded.
 

Following Lysander's death Carrie remained in Seattle. In 1910 she was residing with married daughter Eliza, her husband and children.
 

Carrie C. Carson Mathews died in Seattle on 3/29/1921. She was/is buried in the Lake View Cemetery with Lysander.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 * During the ACW Rufus served in the 5^th Wisconsin Infantry. He survived The War.

** During the ACW Monroe served in the 5^th Wisconsin Infantry. He survived The War. 

POSTED: 1/18/2023
UPDATED:

Buried at Lake View Cemetery Seattle