Absalom Morse Rexford

I was asked by a nice lady by the name of Deborah ( lost her last name ), to put some information together on her ancestor who was a Chief Bugler.  She wanted it posted on the post I did on Chief Buglers of the Civil War.  However by the time we put our information together it was to large to put on the post.  So I deiced to give him a post of his own.

Deborah will be glad to hear from anyone who has information or questions, she can be reached at the following.  nomdepluume@comcast.net
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Absalom Morse Rexford  DOB: Feb 17, 1838 Minerva, New York

Married Caroline Carrie"  Matilda Miller Feb 4, 1864 in Potsdam, NY

She was born Aug 27, 1843 and died Aug 2, 1921

Absalom became a sawyer and owned a sawmill, unknown location, probably in New York 

He may not have known it, but he was a Mayflower descendant of Georg Soule.
He died Feb 11, 1916

Children: Frank Thomas Rexford (my grandfather) DOB: Nov 11, 1869  Hydroengineer, owned a Mobil Station/Cafe in West Lebanon, NH  Died: April 24, 1940 of a heart attack.

Sidney   1881-1936.

Fred Jordan 1866-1920.
Arthur Miller  1885-1963.
Mary Louise 1872 - 1968.

Absalom's  bugle, I believe,  stayed in the family, and my brother, William T. Rexford, had a family bugle( that probably came from my grandmother Rexford's house)  in 1974 when my dad was stationed at Hanscom AFB in Massachusetts.  One evening my brother blew "Taps"  perfectly at twilight in our neighborhood, and you could hear the neighbors applauding.  I don't know what happened to the bugle after that (we didn't know then what the connection might have been) and my brother passed away in 1985. 

Absalom Morse Rexford.

Birth: 1839.
Death: 1916.

Wife: Carrie Rexford.\

Children: Arthur M. Rexford.

Burial: Pierrepont Hill Cemetery, Pierrepont, St. Lawrence County, New York.

New York State Records.

REXFORD, ABSOLEM M.—Age, 22 years. Enlisted, August 19, 1861,-at Potsdam; mustered in as private, Co. H, September 7, 1861, to serve three years; transferred to Co. B, November 1, 1861; promoted artificer, date not stated; appointed musician, date not stated; re-enlisted, January 4, 1864; mustered out with company, June 13, 1865, at Fort Barry, Va.

50th Regiment, New York Engineers

Overview:

Organized at Washington, D. C., from 50th New York Infantry October 22, 1861. Attached to Woodbury's Brigade, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1862, and to Engineer Brigade, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1865.

Service:

Duty at Alexandria, Va., till March, 1862, and at Washington, D. C., till March 18. Moved with Army of the Potomac to the Virginia Peninsula. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Advance up the Peninsula and constructing bridges on the Chickahominy River May. Battle of Fair Oaks, Seven Pines, May 31-June 1. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battle of Seven Pines June 27. White Oak Swamp and Charles City Cross Roads June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing till August 16. Moved to Washington, D. C., August 16-22. Maryland Campaign September-October. Operating at and about Harper's Ferry, W. Va., and Berlin, Md., during and after the battle of Antietam. Threw two pontoon bridges over the Potomac River at Berlin, Md., for the crossing of the Army of the Potomac in their pursuit of Lee from Antietam. Rappahannock Campaign November, 1862, to June, 1863. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Franklin's Crossing April 29-May 2. Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg, May 3. Salem Heights May 3-4. Banks' Ford May 4. Operations at Deep Run Ravine June 5-13. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 13-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-4. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River May 3-June 15, 1864. Laid all bridges for Army of the Potomac during the Campaign. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Spottsylvania Court House May 8-21. To expedite the transportation of wounded three Companies made a forced march to Fredericksburg on May 10, starting at 11:30 a. m. Built bridge over the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg Lower Crossing, having it completed and ready for use at 4:30 p. m., having marched 8 miles and built bridge 420 feet long in 5 hours. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. On line of the Totopotomoy May 28-31. About Cold Harbor June 1-12. Crossing of James River June 15. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June, 1864, to April, 1865. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23, 1864. Demonstration on north side of James River July 27-29. Deep Bottom July 27-28. Hatcher's Run February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. (Co. "I" march to Danville with 6th Army Corps April 23-27.) Mustered out at Washington, D. C., June 13, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 1 Officer and 19 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 206 Enlisted men by disease. Total 227.