Monument to Soldiers

of the

Civil War

Winfield, NY


From the West Winfield Star/Courier, Wednesday, July 5, 1995
Provided by the Herkimer County Historical Society



On July 4, 1867 the citizens of the Town of Winfield dedicated a Civil War Monument in what is the West Winfield Cemetery on Main Street, West Winfield. There are no known records of this event, according to Winfield Town Historian, Steven Davis. The information has been gained from the decomposing markings of the base of the monument.

The monument stood with a pillar and eagle on the top until 1983 when a wind storm took down several trees around it and in the process took the upper part of the memorial. There has been a new interest in restoring the monument by the West Winfield Cemetery Association and a group of Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, in Sidney.

According to the markings that the town historian was able to get from the memorial these are the details.

On the north side of the monument, that facing Rt. 20 it is written, "In Memoriam, Erected by the Voluntary offerings of the Patriotic citizens of the Town of Winfield in honor of our brave soldiers who during the Great Rebellion of 1861-5 laid themselves living sacrifices upon the altar of liberty and died that their country might live. Dedicated July 4th 1867."

Then follows the listings of those honored.

Side of monument facing west:

  • Capt. Nelson O. WENDELL, 44th NYV killed at Fredericksburg, May 3, 1863, AE 31 yrs [see note at bottom of page]
  • Jeremiah WRIGHT died July 7, 1864, AE 30 yrs
  • Fayette D. WING, 121st NYV, died June 20, 1864, AE 31 yrs
  • Samuel G. BUTTON, 121st NYV killed at Spotsylvania Court House, May 10, 1864, AE 22 yrs
  • Henry M. WILCOX, 126th Ill Vols, killed at Parkers Cross Roads, Dec. 31, 1862, AE 31 yrs
  • James P. ROSE, 121st NYV died at Helena, Ark., Feb. 3rd, 1862, AE 23 yrs
  • Alonzo WRIGHT, 152nd NYV died Feb. 21, 1863, AE 18 yrs
  • William PORTER, 152nd NYV died at Yorktown July 1st, 1863, AE 46 yrs
  • Stephen D. POTTER, 34th NYV

The side of the monument facing south has the following inscriptions:

  • Thomas ROUNDS, 34th NYV, Reenlisted in the 34th NYV, wounded at Fort Stedman Dec. 12 and died Dec. 14th, 1864, AE 21 yrs
  • Lt. Benjamin N. THOMAS, 44th NYV wounded at Gettysburg July 2nd and died July 18th, 1863, AE 20 yrs
  • Capt. Calvin H. THOMAS, 51st Ill. Vols. Reenlisted and was killed at Franklin Nov. 30, 1864, AE 30 yrs
  • Henry SESSIONS, 152nd NYV died June 21, 1865, AE 22 yrs
  • Asahel DAVIS, 121st NYV killed at Fredericksburg Dec. 18, 1862, AE 28 yrs
  • Amos LAMB, 121st NYV died July 7, 1864, AE 22 yrs
  • Frederick BOSTWICK, NYMR killed near Petersburg Dec. 15, 1864, AE 18 yrs
  • Henry COLE, 121st NYV died Jan. 23rd, 1875(?), AE 47 yrs

The inscriptions on the east side of the monument:

  • George W. MEADE, 34th NYV died Dec. 31, 1864, AE 22 yrs
  • Joseph S. MEADE, 34th NYV died Nov. 1864, AE 25 yrs
  • Robert COOK, 26th NYV Wounded at Fredericksburg Dec. 14th, died Dec. 25, 1862, AE 38 yrs
  • Levi S. JONES, 121st NYV died Aug. 13, 1863, AE 22 yrs
  • John T. JONES, 121st NYV died Jan. 14th, 1863, AE 16 yrs
  • Benjamin JONES, 13th Mich Vols. died Nov. 28, 1864, AE 24 yrs
  • Addison M. ELDRED, 152nd NYV killed near Petersburg June 22nd, 1864, AE 26 yrs
  • Moses S. ELDRED, 44th NYV killed March 31, 1865, AE 30 yrs
  • John ASHPOLE, 121s NYV killed at Spotsylvania Court House May 10th, 1864, AE 34 yrs


I was going through some of the Civil War postings on the Herkimer website and was wondering if on the Winfield, Herkimer County, New York Monument to Civil War Soldiers you might add to the bottom to correct a couple of things that are incorrect.

Capt. Nelson W. Wendell was actually Nelson O. Wendell. Middle name being Orville. He had originally been in the 44th N.Y. at the beginning of the war. He then recruited Company F of the 121st of which he was the captain. Though listed that he died at Fredericksburg he actually died in the Chancellorsville Campaign at Salem Church on May 3, 1863 and was buried on the battlefield.

Charlott Wells Jones


Thomas Rounds went by T. Morris Rounds and is the brother of Arminius Rounds, 34th NY Vols and my g-grandfather Joseph Bonson Rounds, 121st NY Vols. Jane F.



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Created: sometime in 1997
Last Updated: 6/25/13
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