Amasa (Macy) Whitlock – born in Washington County, Tenn (probably Fall Branch), in 1841. His name comes from the Old Testament stories of David and his son Absalom (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amasa). The name apparently means “burden” in Hebrew and apparently was in use during the 19th century. He went by the nickname “Macy” as is shown by his official war records and his gravestone. Here is a photo of him, probably taken around the time he decided to enlist.
His age is listed as 21 years when he joined the 13th Illinois Cavalry on January 10, 1862 in Waverly, Ill. He joined at the same time with his younger brother, John. Both signed up for a three year enlistment. The unit was mustered into Federal service on Feb. 20, 1862 at Camp Douglas, Chicago. Camp Douglas was the site of the mustering in of many soldiers; later the camp became an infamous federal prisoner-of-war camp where thousands of Confederate soldiers died. Directly below is an image of part of his Civil War records that includes his description.
The 13th Illinois Cavalry deployed to southeast Missouri where the troops protected federal interests in this highly volatile border state. This area was important because of the presence of a railroad and an iron mine, resources that were crucial to the Union war effort. Thus the area was guarded by Union forces to keep the resources from Confederate troops. This town is near Pilot Knob, a geographical feature that was the site of a key battle in 1864. Here is a photo I took of the site in 2005. The marker is located on the grounds of a very nice state park; the tree covered hill in the background is Pilot Knob and the building is the visitor center. I will do a separate blog post about the battle and this area.
Macy became ill within a few weeks of arrival in Ironton, Missouri. In most wars the majority of deaths are due to disease, not weapons, and Macy became one of the countless casualties of microscopic bacteria. He apparently contracted typhoid fever, a disease caused the bacteria Salmonella typhi. Infection is usually brought about by poor sanitation. In modern America this disease is not a threat due to antibiotics and sanitation, but there are many areas of the world where typhoid fever is a major threat. As recently as 2004 in the Republic of the Congo an outbreak caused over 42,000 cases and 214 deaths (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoid_fever). Here is an image of the "Casualty Report" from Macey's records.
He died on April 30, 1862 at the post hospital in Ironton, Mo. His official records say his body was transported home to Waverly, Ill. by friends, where he was buried in Roger’s Cemetery. I cannot even imagine the sorrow that pervaded the Whitlock home in Waverly when the news was heard. Macy’s brother Alexander had been severely ill during his initial enlistment before being medically discharged, so to have a member of the family die so soon after joining the Union Army had to be a bitter experience.Here are a couple of photos of Roger’s Cemetery outside of Waverly, Ill. where Macey, his parents, and many kinfolk are buried. The photo on the right is of my cousin Jay Toler pointing to the headstone of Rebecca (Wheeler) Whitlock, mother of Macey and wife of Johnson J. Whitlock (Macey’s father). The graves are thick with peonies that are no doubt beautiful when in bloom. Macey’s grave is on the left, Rebecca’s in the middle, and Johnson’s is on the right. The other photo is a close-up of Macey’s grave. Please note that the unit is listed as 13th ILL INF (for “Infantry”). It should read ILL CAV (for “Cavalry”).
I would like to acknowledge the work and patriotism of Waverly resident and distant cousin, Shirely Aleguas, in obtaining Macey's veteran headstone and GAR marker. Shirley is an extraordinary genealogist, and she is responsible for obtaining many of the Civil War veteran headstones in Morgan County, Ill.
The next post will be about John Whitlock and his service. I will also post separate blogs of the history of the 13th Illinois Cavalry and the Battle of Pilot Knob.
