My Genealogy Hound

Henry A. Hilpirt is a brother to John T. Hilpirt, whose sketch precedes this and was born in Switzerland, April 25, 1844. He was a small child when brought to the United States, and was reared in Cleveland, Ohio, receiving a common-school education. When the great Civil War broke out he was but sixteen years of age, but he promptly enlisted in Company A, First Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and after serving with the same three months, enlisted in the Regular Army of the United States, in Company C, Fifth Regiment United States Artillery, and after serving three years enlisted for three more years in the same regiment and company. He was shot through the knee by a musket-ball at Antietam, and was in the hospital twelve months, and was then on duty two months in the hospital and at the regimental headquarters at Ft. Hamilton, N. Y., and in September, 1865, was honorably discharged on account of his wounds. He was in the following battles: Dranesville, Va.; Fredericksburg White House Landing, Mechanicsville, June 26, 1862; Gaines Mills, June 27, 1862; Savage Station, Charles City Cross Roads, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill June 30, 1862; White Sulphur Springs, Va., Manassas, Bull Run, August 27, 1862; South Mountain, Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862; draft riot, New York City, Locust Grove and Mine River, Nov. 27 and 30, 1863; Wilderness, May 6, 1864; Po River, May 10, 1864; Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864; North Anna River, May 21, 1864; Cold Harbor, June 7, 1864; Deep Bottom, June 28, 1864; siege of Petersburg, Weldon, R. R., Appomattox and surrender of Lee. He was in about thirty battles and a great many skirmishes, and was a faithful and courageous soldier. He was taken prisoner at Bull Run, but escaped the next day. He returned to Cleveland, Ohio, after the war and attended school for six months. He then learned the carriage maker’s and blacksmith’s trades and came to Lawrence County, Mo., in 1881, and purchased 173 acres of land, which is now a fine farm. December 8, 1869 he was married to Rachel Lamoreaux, in Canada West, and by her became the father of one son, John J. The wife died in 1880, in the township of Mayfield, near Cleveland, Ohio, and November 5, 1885, he was married to Elizabeth a daughter of Seth and Catherine (Farrell) Whaley. The Whaleys were early settlers of Tennessee, and came to Missouri in 1851. Mr. Hilpirt and his last wife have one child, William Henry. Mr. Hilpirt is a stanch Republican, true to the colors he so bravely fought under; he is a Mason of the third degree. There are very few men of his age who can hand down to their descendants the war record that he can.