Elisha Westgate

In 1860 he was a 24 year old laborer living with his parents in Rehoboth, MA. He enlisted on 31 November 1861 in Assonet, MA and mustered as a Private in Company F, 29th Massachusetts Infantry on 8 or 9 August.

He was slightly wounded in the hip by a piece of shell in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862.

On 1 October he was admitted to the Summit House hospital in Philadelphia but was reported as a deserter from there in January (or April) 1863. He was administratively transferred to the 36th Massachusetts Infantry on 29 January 1864. He was arrested in Boston on 22 March and again on 21 May in Washington, DC and returned to duty on 27 June 1864. By August 1864 he was sick in hospital and was awaiting trial for desertion. He was never tried, instead returned to duty in December 1864 with stoppage of pay from time of desertion and the missing time to be added to his term of enlistment. In June 1865 he was docked pay for losing his Springfield rifle and accoutrements. He was finally discharged on 29 July 1865.

By 1880 he was a farmer, still in Rehoboth, MA. In 1900 he was working as a day laborer and lived with his son Elisha and his large family in Taunton, MA. In 1910, still laboring at age 75, he was next door to his son Elisha in a neighborhood in Taunton with at least 10 Westgate families.

His service from Soldiers, Sailors and Marines 1 and his Compiled Service Records,2 online from fold3. Wound details from Nelson.3 Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1860, 1880-1910. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

His father Joseph was mortally wounded at Antietam and died in Frederick, MD in October.

There were 8 Westgates in Company F of the 29th Massachusetts including 2 Elishas and 2 Josephs; only 3 of them survived the war.

He married his cousin Emily Westgate (1847-1922) in July 1861 and they had 10 children.

09/12/1835; Seekonk, MA

11/01/1918; Taunton, MA; burial in Thompson Hill Cemetery, Lakeville, MA