Memories and family of Robert Waer (1841 - 1928) as told by his grandson Charles Arthur Waer (1892 – 1979) which was recorded on June 11, 1939
Starting with Rebeckah (French) Horton, she was born 16 Nov 1747 and died 20 Sept 1819 at the age of 72. She was the mother of Joseph Horton whose daughter Rebecka married William Washington Waer, son of Joseph Waer. They were the mother and father of Robert Wear who was born on 3 May 1841 in Holmes Co., Ohio on a farm on the Killbuck River. Grandpa Robert had three older brothers and four sisters also older. Robert was our grandpa and was the youngest of the family. Dave and Joe were working out most of the time after their father died (at age 54 of pneumonia) in 1854 when Robert was about 15 years old and he had to do the farming at home as Grandma had to keep the children together.
Grandpa lost his brother next older than himself and was between him and Susan. He thinks the brother starved to death in one the south prison camps after being taken captive in the war. At the beginning of the Civil War between the states, Robert enlisted at Paris, Illinois on 9 June 1862. At the age of 21 years he was mustered into service at Mattoon, Illinois in the 79th Illinois Infantry and went to Louisville, Kentucky and there joined the Regular Army and used old flintlock guns. He used them only a few weeks (they kicked hard against him) and then they were issued Springfield Muzzle Loaders.
He was under Col. Buckner to begin with and their first engagement or battle was at Lawrenceburg, Kentucky and it was a hard one. The second battle was at Frankfort, Kentucky (another hard one). Then the third battle was at Perryville, Kentucky also a hard fight. From there they went through Liberty Gap and, in this battle, he was wounded in his hand. He had his finger shot off. This was sometime in January and here they lost 18 men out of their Company but won the battle of Stone River which was the next hard fight. He did not even get to go home when he had his finger shot off. He kept on going and carried the (Union) flag.
At Murfreesboro, the next hard fight, their Bass Drummer was killed and Robert was detached as drummer and carried the Bass Drum the rest of the time he was in the Army.
At Tullahoma, Tennessee they had their next hard fight and after this fight they thought they had all of the rebels run out of there so the officers thought they would have a dance out there in the country in an old vacant house. It was in a timber grove and somewhat back in the timber from the road and there was an old barn right down at the road side where they left their horses with Robert and another soldier to guard them. At a late hour they were sitting in the barn when Robert heard a horse blow its nose and he jumped to the door. There, coming down the road towards them was a Company of Rebel soldiers on horses and, as near as he could see, they were coming lazily along, sleeping on their horses. He ran back and told his comrade, who had been dozing, to come quickly and also not to make a sound. He told them to be ready and wait until they got right up close then be sure and get one of the leaders. He himself would get the other as they were coming two abreast and they were told to keep pouring it into them for that was their only hope if they could scare them and make them think that they had run into a whole army, for not another man at the dance had a gun with them, only some side arms. They waited until the first ones, which were officers, were right up close then they both fired and both leaders fell off their horses and Robert said that the horses wheeled right around and took back down the road just as hard as they could go. The others just seemed to come up and turn with them just like they had been drilled and Robert kept on firing as fast as he could until the last were turned and gone. His comrade only shot once or twice then left him and ran up to the house to tell the others, who of course heard the first shots anyway and immediately put out all lanterns and lights. Grandpa Robert never did tell me just how many they had to bury of those rebels. He only said there were several and then to go back to their camp they had to go right back down that same road and they were sure scared that they might run into those rebels and be ambushed down through that timber. They went cautiously and finally they came to where the road had a fork in it and they could see by the horse tracks that the rebels had turned off there, so they got back to camp all safe and they carried Robert around on their shoulders for they were so glad for what he had done and saved them all. This is the story engraved on the bronze medal that President Abraham Lincoln had made for Robert after he was told about their escape and the episode they went through. Sometime after this, Robert received an order from the President for the medal and the order was in his knapsack on his back at the time it was shot off his back and he never did try to find it. He said he didn't think he could get it without the order so he never thought anymore about it until recent years when Mr. Lineberger went to Congress and happened to be looking over the old medals. He saw the medal with the name, Robert Waer, and immediately contacted Robert to see if he was the same Robert Waer. (He had known Robert in Whittier) Anyway, Robert confirmed that he was the same Robert Waer so the medal was sent to him. I have heard him tell about the incident long before he received this medal. One time as I was talking to Grandpa about his experiences and life history I said to him, "What do you want done with this medal when you are gone?" and he said due to the fact that I had been the only one to take any interest in the affairs of the G.A.R. and the S. of Vets, and being at that time, Commander of Whittier Camp of Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civic War, he wanted me to have it. After his death, Grandma called me into the house and took the medal off Grandpas coat and gave it to me and I shall always cherish it very dearly.
Now to get back to where we left off at Tullahoma, Tennessee and continue on through the war. Their next hard battle was at Chickamauga, Tennessee. The next was at Missionary Ridge and then the Battle of Knoxville, Tennessee. After this they went into winter quarters at Sweetwater, Tennessee and laid there until starting on the Atlanta, Georgia campaign. They marched all the way and were in a fight about every other day for a month. Grandpa was in the battle with Major General McPherson and saw him fall from his horse. The horse was also killed. They lost 3,000 men in 3 hours’ time at Atlanta, Georgia on the 22nd of July 1863. The next battle was at Jonesboro, Georgia, about 18 miles from Atlanta. Then they reorganized and General Sherman took the boys on the march to the sea and General Thomas in the 4th Corps and struck General Hood first a Spring Hill, Tennessee and next a second battle at Nashville, Tennessee. It was winter again and they went into winter quarters all winter at Nashville. In the spring they went up into Lawrenceburg, Virginia and were there when General Lee surrendered, ending the war. He was in no more fights and came back to Nashville, Tennessee where he was mustered out on 18 June 1864 having marched everywhere they went, during the war, on foot.
Grandpa said he thought he had walked as far as around the world and if anyone would care to, they could take a map and figure the actual distance pretty close by tracing their route. Grandpa only got to go home once during the war and that was a 30-day furlough after the battle of Missionary Ridge. He only stayed 26 days for Grandma (Lucretia Price) had died in the fall of 1863 so he prepared a place for Nelson and Tom (Papa and Uncle Tom) to stay. They stayed until the end of the war with Uncle Jim Elliot (no relation). There was one error I made back at the time Grandpa had his finger shot off (and correction here). This furlough was on that account and was granted a slight wound furlough. This Grandma who died while he was away was Lucretia Price (ca 1843 - ca 1863) who Grandpa married in the fall of 1857 and was the mother of James Nelson and Tom Waer. Nelson was born 2 April 1862 and Grandpa enlisted 9 June 1862 and never saw Grandma alive again.
After the war they made two trips, in mover wagons, from Paris, Illinois to Lincoln, Burton County, Missouri and from there to Viroqua, Wisconsin in lumber wagons. He was married to Emeretta Gray who was the mother of Harriet, Elva, Charles and Frank. At this time, he had two teams. Papa and Mama (Nelson and Ella Canfield) were married in Crawford Country, Wisconsin and just went on a trip home, that is to Viroqua. Leaving Wisconsin, they came to Peabody, Kansas in Marion County and lived there for 2 years, then into Reno County, Kansas for 10 years. Then back to Springfield, Missouri for 10 years then came back to Ellsworth Kansas for about 10 years (on train both ways). They then went to Whittier, California 11 Nov 1910 and Grandpa passed on to Glory in Whittier, California 20 August 1928 at the age of 87 years 3 mo, 17 days and I was with him when he passed away. I sat up with him many nights and I know he was ready to go, for he talked about the angels coming after him and kept begging for them to come and take him. He talked like he could see them and I thank the Lord for a grandpa with that. My other Grandpa was a Christian and Preacher, as well as a Soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic, but I never had the opportunity to visit with him like I did Grandpa Robert Waer. Grandpa Canfield passed on when I was only 12 years old and somewhere near it.
I think I am the only one that ever wrote down a record of Grandpa Waer's history and this is it.
James Nelson Waer (Papa) was Commander of the S. of U.V. of the Civil War when he passed away and was a Christian and ready to go to be with Jesus and after that I was elected as Commander of the S. of U.V., then Mr. Topping, then Mr. Samson. Since then, the S. of U.V. has not been very active, but never the less, I have never yet failed to be at a Memorial Service with a little bouquet of flowers to put on the unknown grave in honor of the G.A.R. and the Sons of Veterans.
I have taken the liberty to correct a few errors that Uncle Charlie made in his original letter. Some of the corrections made to the information written by Uncle Charley Waer came from the old Waer family bible that was in the possession of Aunt Elva Waer. After her death, I believe the bible was passed on to a son of Elsie (Waer). I also corrected spelling and made a few breaks in his sentences. I was unable to locate some the places he talks about concerning the Civil War. Linda Collison Vander Veur 31 March 1993