Benjamin F. Morse (1844 - 1908)

Born 20 Sep 1844 in Livingston, Columbia, New York, United States

Husband of Elmira E. (Blakeslee) Shear — married 13 Aug 1865 in Lowell, Kent, Michigan, United States

Descendants

Died 24 Nov 1908 at age 64 in Michigan, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: K Morse [send private message]

Biography

Benjamin Morse was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Benjamin Morse is Notable.

Corporal Benjamin Morse served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: 13 May 1861
Mustered out: 10 Jun 1864
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Co C, 3rd Regiment; Co I, 5th Regiment, Michigan Infantry

This profile is part of the Morse Name Study.

Son of Elizabeth Way and Nathan Benjamin Morse (1801-bef.1880). Born in Livingston, NY on 20 Sep 1844, he was the second of six children born. Benjamin, his two sisters and three brothers grew up in Livingston county. Like a most folks in that time, Benjamin and his family farmed. War was brewing, and sometime round 1860 the extended family moved to Michigan. It was in Grand Rapids that Benjamin enlisted.

Still months shy of his 18th birthday, Benjamin enlisted in the Army on 13 May 1861. He and Co C, 3rd Regiment mustered on 10 Jun 1861. The beginning of his military career was thankfully no harbinger of things to come: he became quite ill with the measles, was MIA, wounded in the head and a paroled prisoner-of-war!

• Presented Medal of Honor : 24 February 1891

Research Notes

FamSrch - LK1J-3PW

CMOH awarded for action 12 May 1864 in Spotsylvania, Va. For Capture of Colors of 4th Georgia Battery (CSA).

Early in the morning of May 12, 1864, at Spotsylvania, Virginia, Morse captured a stand of colors from the Fourth Georgia Artillery, which earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1891. In her 1966 work on Michigan Civil War Medal of Honor Winners, Minnie Dubbs Millbrook wrote that “while in the line of duty and while on a charge on the rebel breastworks on the morning (3:30 a.m.) of May 12, 1864, at Spotsylvania, Virginia,” Morse “captured a rebel flag (artillery) and that said flag was turned over to the commanding officer of the Regiment and went to Washington, DC. A letter dated September 20, 1864, was discovered in the War Department naming Benjamin Morse as the captor of the flag, and he was also mentioned in a report of General Winfield S. Hancock as the captor.

Military

Sources

• “Congressional Medal of Honor Society,” https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/benjamin-morse. U.S. Civil War - U.S. Army. Entry for Benjamin Morse.

• "Michigan, Civil War Centennial Observance Commission, Committee on Civil War Grave Registration, Burial Records", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4RBX-J6MM : Fri Mar 08 13:47:10 UTC 2024), Entry for Benjamin Morse.

• "Michigan, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1876-1945", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24T-H42V : Sat Mar 09 22:54:09 UTC 2024), Entry for Benj Morse.

• “Military Awards for Valor - Top 3, U.S. Department of Defense,” (https://valor.defense.gov/Recipients/Army-Medal-of-Honor-Recipients/), U.S. Army Medal of Honor Recipients. Entry for Morse, Benjamin NMI, Civil War 1861-1865.

Military Service Hx

Name Benjamin Morse
Enlistment Age 19
Birth Date 20 Sep 1844
Birth Place Livingston, Columbia Co., New York, USA
Enlistment Date 13 May 1861
Enlistment Place Grand Rapids, Michigan
Enlistment Rank Private
Muster Date 10 Jun 1861
Muster Place Michigan
Muster Company C
Muster Regiment 3rd Infantry
Muster Regiment Type Infantry
Muster Information Enlisted
Rank Change Rank Corpl
Casualty Date 29 Aug 1862
Casualty Place Groveton, Virginia
Type of Casualty Wounded
Muster Out Date 10 Jun 1864
Muster Out Information Transferred
Side of War Union
Survived War? Yes
Injured in Line of Duty? Yes
Last Known Residence Place Lowell, Michigan
Death Date 24 Nov 1908
Burial Place Lowell, Michigan
Cemetery Oakwood Cemetery
Notes 1862-07-01 Missing, (Richmond, VA); 1862-08-08 Returned, (Harrison's Landing, VA); 1863-05-02 Missing, (Chancellorsville, VA); 1863-10-01 Paroled

Additional Notes 2 Muster 2 Date: 10 Jun 1864; Muster 2 Place: Michigan; Muster 2 Unit: 1113; Muster 2 Company: I; Muster 2 Regiment: 5th Infantry; Muster 2 Regiment Type: Infantry; Muster 2 Information: Transferred; MusterOut 2 Date: 05 Jul 1865; MusterOut 2 Place: Jeffersonville, Indiana; MusterOut 2 Information: Mustered Out;

Title Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers 1861-65; Deeds of Valor. How our Soldier-heroes won the Medal of Honor; Medal of Honor Recipients 1863-1994

Pension Application

Name Benjamin Morse
Gender Male
Unit C 3; I 5 Mich. Infantry
Filing Date 18 Jan 1866
Filing Place Michigan, USA
Relation to Head Soldier
Spouse Almira E Morse

Sources

• "United States Census, 1850", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCYY-T6V : Fri Mar 08 13:31:29 UTC 2024), Entry for Nathan Morse and Betsey Morse, 1850.

• "Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCDZ-XMQ : 17 January 2020), Benjamin Morse, 1865.

• "Michigan Births, 1867-1902", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQC3-F5S : Sun Mar 10 11:33:07 UTC 2024), Entry for Marshall Morse and Benj. Morse, 1870.

• "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWS2-SRY : Sat Mar 09 10:02:41 UTC 2024), Entry for Benjamin F. Morse and Almira E. Morse, 1880.

• "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KF32-FX3 : Fri Mar 08 21:31:09 UTC 2024), Entry for Lewis Peter Morse and Benjamin Morse, 27 Mar 1934.

• "Find a Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVQ-PZ35 : 4 October 2023), Benjamin Morse, ; Burial, Lowell, Kent, Michigan, United States of America, Oakwood Cemetery; citing record ID 7940403, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

— See Also —

• "Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCTJ-RQZ : 17 January 2020), Benjamin Morse in entry for Allen D Morse, 1898.
• "Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3PF-FQV : Sun Mar 10 06:06:20 UTC 2024), Entry for <Unknown> and <Unknown>, 1915.

• "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KF32-FX3 : Fri Mar 08 21:31:09 UTC 2024), Entry for Lewis Peter Morse and Benjamin Morse, 27 Mar 1934.

• "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KF3J-Q49 : Sat Mar 09 10:25:58 UTC 2024), Entry for Allen D Morse and Benjamin Morse, 26 Dec 1940.