Family
of Benjamin Smith Parmeter
Oswego County,
New York
Contributed
By Debra
LaFontaine, MN (See note by Martha's photo.)
Benjamin Smith Parmeter
Hi
Laura! Above is a photograph of my great great grandfather, Benjamin
Smith Parmeter (1833-1915), who served from Oswego Co., NY with Co.
C of the 4th NY Heavy Artillery from 1861 to 1862. He re-enlisted
in
1864 with Co. I of the 184th Regiment of New York State Volunteers
until
1865. He was born in Williamson, Wayne Co., NY and then lived with his
parents, Bliss (Elijah) and Rachel Mary (Elwell) Parmeter in the
1850's and 1860's in New Haven, Mexico and Texas, Oswego Co., NY.
After the war, Benjamin and his wife, Martha Ann Hopkins Parmeter
and their 2 sons, William Bliss and John Lincoln, settled in Rockford,
Wright Co., Minnesota. (Benjamin's name, B. Parmenter and his brother,
Silas, S. Parmenter, are engraved on the Mexico, NY soldier's monument
of the 315 veterans who entered the service from the town of Mexico, NY).
Thanks. Debra LaFontaine, MN.
Martha
Ann Hopkins Parmeter (shorter lady)
The shorter
lady, holding Bible and sword, is my great great grandmother, Martha
Ann Hopkins Parmeter (1840-1898), daughter of William Wallace Hopkins
and wife of Benjamin Smith Parmeter. Family lore has it that she
and a group of New York women followed their men to war and camped outside
of Washington, D.C. It is said she gained entrance to the White House and
was granted an audience with President Lincoln. My great grandfather, John
L. Parmeter, a lad of 3, was placed upon the President's lap as Martha
begged for permission to tend to her injured soldier husband. This is a
story that has been handed down for generations. The taller lady holding
the musket is unknown.
**I
just wonder if Martha's story was ever relayed home to Mexico or Texas
(Oswego Co.) and it was ever put in this local newspaper? It is said she
went with a group of women and I assume they, too, were from Oswego county,
NY. A historian, Euloda Fetcha, in your area during the 1980's, said
whoever had these newspapers would not allow the public to touch them anymore.
If anyone has additional information on the family and/or newspapers, please
contact me at: [email protected].
1892 New
Haven, NY, I.O.O. F. Invitation
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March 2006 Debra LaFontaine
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