The morning call., 1891-12-16
ELEVEN SOLDIER SONS.
Ten of Them Served in the War
to Preserve the Union.

Mr.. Asher Miller of Wrights, Cal, in a
letter to The CALL writes:
In a recent issue Of The CALL l noticed
an article taken from the Philadelphia
Ledger entitled, Seven Sons. All Soldiers"
l have personal knowledge of case still
more remarkable. Mrs. Elizabeth Upright
Of Rockford, Iowa, sent eleven sons into
tile army and ten of them to the war l was
in the same regiment (Seventy-fourth Hi
nois Infantry with two of them: Their
fathers name was Merchant. The sons
were:
l. G. W. Merchant was a private, COM
pany c, afterward a Lieutenant, honorably
discharged September 26 1865.
>. A bel L. Merchant was private, Com
pany c, Fifteenth Illinois Volunteers, and
died in the service.
3. Dewitt C. Merchant was private in
the last-named company, and was killed in
action July 90, 1864.
4. Enoch Merchant was a Corporal, Com
pany +, One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Hi
nois Volunteers, hOnorably discharged Sep
TENDER 20, 1865.
5. David o. Merchant, private In Com
pany c, Seventy-fourth Illinois Volunteers,
honorably discharged June TO- 1865.
6. Silas b. Merchant was a private. Com
pany G. Forty-fourth Illinois Volunteers,
promoted to First Lieutenant, and resigned
September %, 1864.
last-named company, and hOnorably dis
charged September % 1865.
s. Lewis II. Merchant was private in
Company G. Forty-ifth Illinois Volunteers,
and honorably discharged September 26,
1864
9. Aaron Merchant was private in Com
pany q, Fifteenth Wisconsin Volunteers,
and was killed at Island No. 10 December
26. 1862, by the accidental discharge of
cannon.
employ of the Quartermaster' Department.
IL. Norman III. Merchant enlisted March
3. 1873. as a private in Company B, United
States Cavalry, and was discharged March
II, 1878, by reason OF expiration of term of
service. He again enlisted May 4, 1878, and
was assigned to Battery B. Fourth ArtiI-
lery.
This is an extraordinary record, and the
more notable, because neither the mother
nor her sons sought either notoriety or
recognition from the Government. The case
was first brought to the notice of Congress
IN 1879 by the following letter from the
Hon. George w. McCrary, then Secretary of
War.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON. Feb. IL 1879
Tothe Hon. n. c. Deertng, House Of Represent
dtlUes-SIR: have considered the petition OF
Mrs. Elizabeth Upright OF Butler County. Iowa,
praying for the discharge from the mill airy serv
Ice Of her son, n. NJ. Merchant, Battery b. Fourth
Artillery, which petition was presented by you
and Is concurred In by numerous citizens. The
discharge OF this soldier is asked for by the peIi
toner, who says she is IA years old, on the
ground that she had ten sons In the Union army
during the rebellion, including one employed as
teamsjer, and that The one above named, her
eleventh and youngest son, has served for over
hVe years In the regular army. She furnishes
the names OF her sons and a statement of the or
CARNATIONS in which they served.
The papers having been referred to the Adju-
tant-General for an examination of the records,
with a view 10 verifying her statements, that
officer Teports that they are true in every partic
ular. The discharge OF this soldier Will be Or
defed in accordance with his mothers request.
Very respectfully your obedIent servant,
u. w. MCCRARY, Secretary of War;
At the time of the enlistment of her ten
sons she was widow and lived at Winnie
bago. Illinois. Afterward she married Nor
ris j. Upright, an ex-Sheriff and jailer at
Rockford, ILL.,, and with him removed to
Iowa.