Clark C. Kenyon, John J. Giffey, Volney Brown, Levi P. Blanchard, and Herman Giffey

Clark C. Kenyon, John J. Giffey, Volney Brown, Levi P. Blanchard, and Herman Giffey

The following two pictures of five Grand Army of the Republic veterans were taken at the 1916 Memorial Day ceremonies at Rosendale, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. The first picture (standing under a shade tree) was obtained in 1997 from The Village of Rosendale, Wisconsin 1847-1974, which was compiled by Harriet Scheid and Carrie Griffiths and published after the death of Mrs. Scheid (Ms. Betty Dahlke, granddaughter of Carrie Griffiths allowed the use of the photograph). Unfortunately, the veterans' hats and the shade of a tree obscured the faces of the men making it difficult to identify all of them. The second picture (in car) was discovered in 2001. It shows the same veterans in the same parade but this time in an open car, greatly facilitating identification (Glenna Giffey Moodie of Ripon, Wisconsin allowed the use of the second photograph). A brief description of the five Civil War veterans (left to right as seated in the car photograph) is presented below:

Clark C. Kenyon was a Corporal in Company H, 32nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted August 21, 1862 from Rosendale and was mustered out June 12, 1865.

John James Giffey was a Private in Company H, 35th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted February 6, 1864 from Fond du Lac and was mustered out March 15, 1866. John, the older brother of Herman Giffey, was born July 25, 1847 in Bienenbüttel, Hannover. He died July 6, 1928 in Springvale Township, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. He married Elizabeth Mack on March 31, 1883. She was born March 21, 1858, in Fond du Lac and died February 20, 1943. They are buried in the Rosendale Cemetery.

Volney Brown was a Private in Company B, 1st Wisconsin Cavalry. He enlisted August and mustered out July 19, 1865.

Levi P. (Lee) Blanchard was a Private in Company I, 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry. He enlisted October 17, 1864 from Herman. He mustered out October 17, 1865. He was born December 21, 1839 (location unknown) and died March 13, 1917. He is buried in the Rosendale Cemetery. His wife was Emma Thayer (June 22, 1846 - February 4, 1929).

Herman Giffey was a Private in the 17th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted October 4, 1864 from the Richfield Township, Washington County, Wisconsin. He was mustered out July 14, 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky. From remarks on Muster Out Roll of Detachment, dated July 14, 1865, he was … "assigned to the 17th Wis. Vol. Infantry but never joined the regiment … .[He was] temporarily attached to Dept of the Cumberland … . [A]t the Battle of Kingston (sic), N.C. Mar. 10, '65, [the Detachment], … under command of Col. C. J. Upham, 15th Conn. Vol. Inf., [was] … mostly killed, captured or wounded; nothing further is known respecting them." Herman Giffey had been captured and was imprisoned for a few weeks in Libby Prison, Richmond Virginia. Following the war, he joined the Ben Sheldon Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Post #136 located in Brandon, Wisconsin. The Ben Sheldon GAR Post #136 was chartered on March 7, 1884. It was disbanded in 1926. At that time, the last two surviving members of the Post were the flag bearer (George Dunning) and Herman Giffey. Herman Giffey was born October 22, 1849 in a log cabin in Richfield Township in Washington County, Wisconsin and died in Springvale Township, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin on October 30, 1926. He married Friedrike Kaschube on March 25, 1881. They are buried in the Rosendale Cemetery.

Photographs and information were submitted by Herman Giffey's grandson, Neil Giffey, of the Col. Henry Harnden Camp #2, Department of Wisconsin, SUVCW.

John J. Giffey (far left) and Herman Giffey (far right), 1916

(Left to right as viewed in the car): Clark Kenyon, John J. Giffey, Volney Brown at the wheel, Levi P. Blanchard, Herman Giffey. The residence in the background is immediately east of the UCC Church on Highway 23 in Rosendale, Wisconsin.