HISTORY TIDBIT: IN HONOR OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH! While many organization celebrate well-known Hispanic heroes, today we remember some of the forgotten heroes of Hispanic heritage who served in the American Civil War and received medical care at VHA’s ancestor, the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (NHDVS), during its first 15 years of operation (1865-1881). No photographs of these veterans have been found, to date. They were among the first known Hispanic veterans in VHA’s long history: Private Alexander Mercon was born around 1822 in Cadiz, Spain. We do not yet know when he emigrated to the U.S., but by 1860 he was a shoemaker in Boston, Massachusetts, and lived on Pleasant Street with his wife, Hannora, and four small children. He was nearly 40 when the Civil War began and midway through the war, he enlisted with the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry volunteer forces on April 4, 1863. During the war, on August 24, 1864, he injured his back in Smithfield, Virginia, and never fully recovered. He served until discharged on June 16, 1865. He applied for a disability pension on August 23, 1867 and was admitted to the National Home’s Eastern Branch in Togus, Maine, on November 4, 1870 where he received medical care off and on for nearly 10 years. He was discharged on March 1, 1880. According to notes in his National Home record, he had an “injury to back and hip which subsequently affected his sight, so that he is now nearly blind.” He died of phtisis on January 8, 1881 and his burial location, at this time, is unknown. His surname is spelled as Mercon and Marcon in historical records and no photographs of him have been found to-date. Today the NHDVS Eastern Branch is known as the VA Maine Health Care System. Private John Defore was born on the Portuguese island of Madeira around 1816. His emigration date is unknown. According to his National Home records, he was a widower with no family and worked as a merchant in Philadelphia. He enlisted as a temporary “volunteer” soldier during the first year of the Civil War and served with the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company C, on August 1, 1861. While stationed in Washington, D.C., he was kicked by a horse and injured. He also served with the 16th Veterans Reserve Corps and 2nd Battalion of the Veterans Reserve Corps during the war. He was discharged on October 25, 1865 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Fifteen years later he was admitted to the National Home’s Central Branch in Dayton, Ohio, on January 20, 1880 and lived in Barracks 3. Private Defore died of bronchitis on January 6, 1884 and is buried in the home’s cemetery, which is now known as the Dayton National Cemetery. Today the NHDVS Central Branch is known as the Dayton VA Medical Center. Private Daniel Pia was born in Cuba around 1838 and lived in New York City before the Civil War. He enlisted with the 14th Connecticut, Company H, at New London on August 23, 1862. His unit fought at Gettysburg. In 1864, during the Battle of Cold Harbor near Richmond, Virginia, he received a gunshot wound on his left side. As a result of his injuries, he was transferred to the U.S. Veterans Reserve Corps and served for the remainder of the war. He was discharged from military service on June 24, 1865. He was first admitted to the National Home’s Southern Branch in Hampton, Virginia, around January 18, 1872 and was dishonorably discharged on November 20, 1873 for bringing liquor onto the property. He was later re-admitted to the Central Branch in Dayton, Ohio, where he ultimately died of consumption (tuberculosis) on November 21, 1875. He is buried in the home’s cemetery, which is now known as the Dayton National Cemetery, in Section A, Row 6, Gravesite 11. Private William Ramos was born in Mexico around 1834 and lived in St. Louis, Missouri, before enlisting in the 5th Iowa Infantry, Company C, in February 1862. He received a gunshot wound to his right leg and foot during the war, but from which battle is unknown at this time. He was married with 3 children and his occupation was listed as deckhand; he may have worked on Mississippi River steamboats before enlisting for military service. He entered the National Home’s Northwestern Branch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on January 6, 1877, received a monthly pension of $8, had intermittent residency at the home. He died while on furlough on January 10, 1891. His burial location is unknown. The National Home’s Northwestern Branch is now known as the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee. Links: National Park Service’s Hispanics and the Civil War: From Battlefield to Homefront: nps.gov/heritageinitiatives/latino/Hispanic_CivWar.pdf Loreta Velazquez: nbclatino/2013/05/23/video-a-filmmaker-brings-attention-to-a-latina-soldier-who-fought-in-the-u-s-civil-war/ latinamericanstudies.org/mexicans-civil-war.htm
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 14:20:05 +0000