Hathaway, Edward Payson
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MILITARY SERVICE Age: 21, credited to Bennington, VT Unit(s): 14th VT INF Service: enl 8/27/62, m/i 10/21/62, CPL, Co. A, 14th VT INF, m/o 7/30/63 See Legend for expansion of abbreviations VITALSBirth: 11/18/1841, Bennington, VT Death: 09/12/1933 Burial: Village Cemetery, Bennington, VT Marker/Plot: Not recorded Gravestone photographer: Carolyn Adams Findagrave Memorial #: 95718604 MORE INFORMATION Alias?: None noted Pension?: Yes, 8/22/1890, VT Portrait?: Unknown College?: Not Found Veterans Home?: Not Found (If there are state digraphs above, this soldier spent some time in a state or national soldiers' home in that state after the war) Remarks: Letter to his Aunt Laura on Spared & Shared DESCENDANTS Cousin of William Hathaway, Bennington, VT 2nd Great Grandfather of George Edward Hathaway IV, Watervliet, NY 2nd Great Grandfather of LtCol Seth Allen Hathaway USMC (Ret), Athens, GA (Are you a descendant, but not listed? Register today) |
BURIAL: Copyright notice   Village Cemetery, Bennington, VT Check the cemetery for location/directions and other veterans who may be buried there. |
Edward P. Hathaway
Bennington Banner
September 12, 1933
E. P. HATHAWAY,
CIVIL WAR VET,
DIED TODAY, 92
Believed to Be Last
Resident Survivor
of Conflict
WITH 14th REG'T.
Saw Service at Several Minor
Battles and at Historic
Gettysburg Clash
Col. Edward Payson Hathaway, 92, known throughout Bennington County as one of the few survivors of the Civil war, and, in the belief of the Banner, last member of the George A. Custer Sixth Corps post, died at his home on Gage street this morning about 3:30 o'clock. Colonel Hathaway had been in ill health for some time and had in fact, been confined to his bed since last February as a result of a shock suffered at that time.
His condition had grown steadily more feeble and intimates were faced last week with the realization that Colonel Hathaway, representative of an honored family and exponent of a simple but richly splendid manner of living was facing his last battle.
Col. Hathaway was born in Bennington November 18, 1841, a son of Seth and Hepsibah Spencer Hathaway and has been a lifelong resident of this town. His emigrant ancestor, Nicholas Hatha way, an English Puritan came to Boston from England in 1638, eight years after the founding of the Boston colony. John Hathaway, a descendent of Nicholas purchased considerable land in the vicinity of Taunton and there erected the Hathaway homestead which remained in sole possession of the family until it was torn down some years ago.
Seth Hathaway, descendent of John and grandfather of Colonel Hathaway came to Bennington and in 1793 built a log house in that district now known as Brooklyn. Later he built a frame dwelling house in which the colonel was born and which still is standing though no longer in the possession of the family.
Edward P. Hathaway was 21 years of age when on August 27, 1862, he enlisted as a corporal with Company A of the 14th regiment of Vermont volunteer infantry. On October 31 the same year he was mustered into the Union troops under Captain Ransom O. Gore.
After an encampment at Brattleboro, Company A was detached to Washington where the unit became part of the defences of that city. Later Colonel Hathaway saw service at Alexandria, Fairfax, and Wolf Run Shoals in Virginia where his unit served on picket duty. During his term of service he participated in the repulse of Stuart's raid, which was one of the great triumphs of the year, and also in the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, in the terrific combat which marked the turning point of the war.
At the end of the same month on July 30, Colonel Hathaway was mustered out of the army, returning to Bennington to take up with the same spirit of courageous endeavor which characterized his war time record, the less dramatic but sometimes more trying problems of peace.
Upon his return from the army, Colonel Hathaway engaged in the profession of school teaching, a profession which he followed for some years. On July 28, 1864, almost a year to the day from his honorable discharge from the army, he married Helen E. Rockwood of Bennington, who died in 1905. The couple had six children.
After some years of successful experiences as a teacher, Col. Hathaway abandoned this line of endeavor to become a practical farmer and for many years he followed the vocation of a tiller of the soil. During the latter part of his working years , he was manager of the farm of his father-in-law, Charles H. Rockwood.
Having been during his service with the Union Army a corporal and color guard, Colonel Hathaway was on the staff of two national commanders of the Grand Army of the Republic. As his interest in the welfare of the G.A.R. represented one facet of his many sided interests, so his devotion to his church, the Second Congregational church, in which he was a deacon, represented another phase of his life. Devoted to the ideals represented by a liberal Christianity, Col. Hathaway found in literature much of the enjoyment which, particularly during the last decade, he found in life.
Possessed, even in his declining years, of a versatile and comprehending mind, he was probably one of the most widely read men in Bennington with the exception of acknowledgedly professional men. He had an extensive knowledge of history and philosophy and science and found in his reading a tremendous consolation and inspiration. To the reading of poetry he was particularly devoted and his receptive mind and admirable memory made it possible for him to quote at length from those of the bards which were his favorites.
Though his body failed him during his later years, his mind retained its youthful activity and its original broad horizons. The background of his life, soldier, teacher and farmer, gave him a breadth of understanding and a magnanimity of vision which marked him as one of the outstanding members of the community.
Descendants of an honored and respected family and one which has set its stamp throughout many generations upon the development of Bennington, the death of Colonel E. Payson Hathaway signifies not only the passing of one of the rapidly thinning ranks of "boys in blue," but marks the end of one who, by his Christian philosophy and faith and charity, by his exemplary life and his civic conduct, was a factor in the life of Bennington which this town can not well afford to lose.
He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. B.G. Slade of Beech street and Miss Nellie Hathaway with whom he made his home; by four grandchildren, George E. Hathaway of Watervliet, Mrs. Ann Hathaway O'Brien of Scotia, Charles Hathaway of Cohoes, and Mrs. Arthur LaValle of Jamaica, L.I., as well as by three great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon. There will be a prayer at the home at 1:300 o'clock and formal services will take place at 2 o'clock from the Second Congregational church with Rev. Stanley Cummings officiating. Bearers will be officers of the church. Burial will be in the family lot in the village cemetery.
Bennington Banner
September 16,1933
HATHAWAY RITES
Legion Men Attend Funeral of Civil War Veteran.
The funeral of Col. E. Payson Hathaway, one of the last of Vermont's "boys in blue," was held Friday afternoon. Prayer for members of the family and close relatives was held at the Hathaway home on Gage street at 1:30 o'clock and the church services were held at 2 o'clock from the Second Congregational church with Rev. Stanley Cummings officiating.
A delegation of American Legion men in uniform escorted the hearse to the cemetery, and the funeral was attended by delegations from each of the patriotic organizations of the community. Bearers were offices of the Second Congregational church: Homer W. Webster, Theodore Thomas, Hiram L. Hall, A.W. Braisted, E.B. Patterson and Arthur Ewell.
Color guard were James Hamilton and Marvin White. Color bearers were Frank Brazil and Louis Levin. The firing squad was in charge of Abe Ruskin, commander of the Bennington Post of the American Legion and was: Louis J. Aubuchon, P. Haviland Sibley, Charles Tidd, Nelson Lorette, Alfred Greenwood, Robert Ash, Patrick Neelan and Joseph Reeney.
Contributed by Tom Boudreau.