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Emigrants arrival

Belgians in America

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C.W. Soldiers

Belgian REGULARS in the U.S. ARMY

§ Nicholas Pomas alias Nichlaus Pomes, born Waterloo, Belgium, age 25, a laborer, enlisted April 24, 1862 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the 14th Infantry, Co E. Nichlaus (Nicolas) Pomes was born 10 March 1834, Waterloo, Belgium, son of Jacob and Elizabeth Pomes. I find his name on the Elizabeth Hamilton, arrival in New York May 20, 1861.

When he joined the 14th Infantry, that unit was in the Peninsula. After that Campaign, it was assigned to Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia till September and was in the Second Bull Run battle. Followed by the battle of Antietam September 16-17 and Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15.

After having left the Army service, Nicholas Pomas went back to Wisconsin and married twice. First with Anna Stark, born Austria. They had three children Joseph, Mary and Louisa. Second, with Anna Mary Wickert on July 29, 1879 and had 6 children William, Bernard A, Gertrude Anna, Isabella, Elizabeth and Rose Anna.

The army registers put him a deserter to date March 4, 1863. Hoewever, a note on the same line says the sentence was commuted and he was discharged December 16, 1889, under an act of congress approved March 2, 1889 to date March 4, 1863, day of his "desertion". The problem surely occurred after he sent an application for a pension on October 17, 1888. I don't know what the problem was but it was soon resolved as I see his demand was accepted and received a certificate. As well the pension asked by his widow was also accepted.

He died May 7th, 1897 and was buried under the name of Nicholas Pomas in the cemetery of the village of Three Lakes, Oneida Co. Wisconsin. His wife died at the same place in 1920.

There is a biographical notice in the "History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"^[1] . There is many errors in that biography. First, Nicholas Pomes never enlisted in Wisconsin troops but in U. S. troops, and it was not in 1861 but in 1862. He was surely wounded at Bull Run, but during the battle know as "second Bull Run" on August 30, 1862. He is listed in the “Nominal report of casualties in Syke’s division in action of August 30, 1862” as “missing”.

And before marrying Anna Mary Wickert, he married first Anna Stark, born Austria and they had three children: Joseph, Mary and Louisa.

Pomes, Nichlaus, a Civil War soldier who many years ago established a home in the town of Three Lakes, Oneida County, which his wife and children subsequently developed into a fine farm, was born in Belgium, Mar. 10, 1834. He was reared and educated in his native land, where he lived until 1860, when he came to the United States. Soon afterwards, or perhaps immediately, he came west to Wisconsin. It was a critical period in the history of the nation, for in the following year the Civil War broke out and young POMES, moved by the spirit of adventure, or perhaps finding it difficult to obtain employment, enlisted in Co. E., 14th Wis. Vol. Inf. At the Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, he was wounded in the ankle, which caused him to be lame for the rest of his life. This disability caused his early discharge from the army and he returned to Wisconsin and re-entered the ranks of civil industry, for the most part doing carpenter work, though when necessary he turned his hand to other occupations.

On July 29, 1879, he was married to Anna M. WICKERT, who was born in Manitowoc County, Wis., Sept. 13, 1853. In 1893 he came with his family to Oneida County, taking a homestead in the town of Three Lakes, which he started to improve, and although handicapped by his crippled leg, he had made some progress when death called him on May 7, 1897.

His wife remained on the homestead and proved it up and, with the help of her children, in time developed it into a fine farm, though during the early years she had to keep boarders--mostly loggers--to help pay expenses. In 1909 Mrs. POMES sold the farm and moved to the village of Three Lakes, where she established a new home, buying a dwelling-house, which, with the aid of her sons, she has remodeled into one of the prettiest residences in the village. It is of cobblestone veneer construction, with a large screened porch and its comfortably furnished. Here in her declining years she is enjoying a life of comparative leisure after many years of arduous toil and anxiety.

She has reared a family of five children, namely: William, born July 22, 1880; Bernard A.; Jan. 9, 1882; Gertrude, May 4, 1884; Isabella, May 25, 1886; and Rose, July 18, 1890...

§ George Saure a Brass finisher, 21 y. o., enlisted 11 December 1862 in New London, Connecticut in the 14th Infantry. He is listed in the Connecticut rosters as a deserter with notice : N. f. r. A. G. O. (No further record, Adjutant-General's Office). A note in the Federal army roll also says it was his second enlistment, is first being in the 1^st Connecticut Artillery, were I find no trace of him. No further information