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Belgian Civil War soldiers in wisconsin |
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Alexandre FASHANT |
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US Navy |
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Alexander Fashant
joined the Navy on November 26, 1863 and was stationed aboard the "Clara Dolsen"
from Nov. 26, 1863 until Dec. 1, 1863. He was aboard the "Mound City" from Dec.
2, 1863 until Dec. 25, 1864.
The Mound City was not a very lucky ship. On May 10, 1862 it was sunk by a
Confederate Ram. (A ship with a heavy iron prow specifically designed to ram &
sink enemy ships) It was later refloated & repaired. On June 17, 1862, while on
the Arkansas River, near St. Charles Arkansas, it was hit in the stern boiler by
a cannonball that came through a gun port. The boiler exploded killing 125 of
the 175 men aboard. This was referred to as one of the most destructive shots
fired during the Civil War. There was no damage to the hull & it was refitted &
finished the War.
Alexander had the
following Tattoos- a "U.S. coat-of-arms" on his left forearm & a crucifix on his
right forearm.
Among the other residents of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin who served on the
Mound City were John B. Rahier and Ferdinand Phillips.
On Dec. 25, 1864 he was discharged from the Navy and on Jan. 13, 1865 he joined
Company B., 3rd Wisconsin Volunteers Infantry & served under General Sherman in
the Carolina Campaign. He was discharged from the Army on July 6, 1865.
On June 25, 1867 he married Catherine (Kate) Maurice, sister to Mary Maurice,
the wife of his shipmate John B. Rahier. All three of these families (Fashant,
Rahier & Maurice) lived in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin before moving to Wright County
Minnesota when that area opened for homesteading in 1865. They all settled in
the adjoining counties of French Lake & Albion.
Le sercive de santé de l'armée déclara, à sa demande de pension :
"Alexander Fashant, né en Belgique contracta la rubéole noire. Quand il
fut guéri, il gagna au cours d'une longue marche avec le 3eme Wisconsin une
forte fièvre pulmonaire et une diarrhée chronique. Quand il quitta l'hôpital
de Wilmington des séquelles des maladies précédentes se déclarèrent :
atteintes du foie, surdité quasi totale de l'oreille gauche. Il fut alors
soigné au Lincoln General Hospital de Washington D.C.
Depuis sa démobilisation, il souffre continuellement de faiblesse générale, de maux de tête, de tournoiements, de chutes et est souvent incapable de rester seul.
Depuis sa sortie de l'armée, il est fixé comme fermier dans le comté de Wright, MN. Avant son service militaire, c'était un homme sain, de bonne condition physique. Maintenant il est incapable de gagner sa subsistance par des travaux manuels. Les maladies ci-dessus décrites furent contractées au service des Etats-Unis".
Thanks :
to Len Knotts for providing
the photograph and biography of this soldier
Sources :
J. H. Mertens : "The Second Battle"
Jean Ducat : Petit-Leez au Minnesota ou French Lake, in "Emigration
de Belgique méridionale" D.B. 32 4/1994 pp. : 9-12
Lenl Knotts web site :
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/k/n/o/Leonard-O-Knotts/index.html
Pension file #536 270