Capt. (USA), Cornelius C. Weaver

Palladium Item Richmond, Indiana 29 Jun 1914

Cornelius Weaver, 85 years old, among the first to enlist for service on the first call of President Lincoln, is dead here today after a long illness. He will be given a military funeral tomorrow. He was the father of "Jocko" Weaver, once a famous baseball catcher.

A biographical sketch of Cornelius Weaver taken from info in Hazzard's History, Henry Co., IN.

Cornelius C. Weaver, a farmer and shoemaker, was born July 3, 1832 in Wayne Co., IN, the youngest of four children of Christian and Sarah (Shidler) Weaver, both natives of Ohio, of German descent. His father died before his birth, and his mother, soon after, came to Indiana, and purchased 80 acres of land in Jackson Twp., Wayne Co., IN. His mother, Sarah, was a women of rare energy and business ability, and by the time her sons were old enough to help her, they had her farm well cultivated. She married again to Casper Bowen, and had seven children. She died at seventy-three years in 1880.

When Cornelius was fourteen years old, he began to work at the tanner and courier's trade and served an apprenticeship for five years. But his health made him abandon the trade, and he then learned boot and shoe making, serving as an apprentice for three years. He worked as a journeyman for a while and then embarked in business in Cambridge City, Wayne Co., IN, then to Lawrenceburg, Dearborn Co., IN, a year later, and worked for three years, then, in 1852, he went to Illinois.

Cornelius was one of the first, in 1861, to enlist into the service of his country during the Civil War. He entered the ranks as a Private, but was elected by his companions to First Lieutenant of Company B, 18th Illinois Infantry. After a year and a half as Lieutenant, he was promoted to Captain of the company, and served until the expiration of his term, when he returned to Illinois, but soon after moved back to Wayne Co., IN

On January 2, 1866, he married Louisa R. Keller, the daughter of David and Mary Keller, of Maryland, who came to Indiana in 1856. Cornelius came to Henry Co., IN, in 1867, where he settled in Dudley Township and farmed, then worked his trade during the winter. He paid special attention to vegetable gardening and the culture of bees.

Politically, he was a Republican. And in 1874, he served as Justice of the Peace. He and his wife were members of the Evangelical Association. Cornelius and Louisa had a family of five sons: Edward W., Charles E., Fred W., John W., and Frank.

Cornelius remarried, after Louisa's death, to Emily U. Bland, the daughter of William B. Bland.

Bio info Contributed by FAG member Angels A-Far

Weaver, Cornelius C. BATTLE UNIT NAME: 18th Regiment, Illinois Infantry SIDE: Union COMPANY: B
SOLDIER'S RANK IN: First Lieutenant SOLDIER'S RANK OUT: Captain ALTERNATE NAME: FILM NUMBER: M539 ROLL 95 PLAQUE NUMBER: NOTES: none