In April, 1861…
5 years had passed since the final brick was laid, and the drums of the American Civil War began to echo across America.
At the age of nineteen, Augustus Perry answered that call and joined in the Union Army…
Possibly…
For transparency’s sake, the most challenging aspect of this whole project was trying to determine the Perry’s position on military service during the Civil War years.
In fact, I spent weeks researching this only to run into dead ends repeatedly…
What I can tell you is this:
The Perry Family is still rumored to this day to have been very passionate about matters of equality, which leads me to believe they would have felt passionate about the Civil War as well.
While we were working through the process of purchasing The Brick House anyone who had a story to tell about the homestead stopped by and filled us in on the home’s previous lore.
One of the stories that surfaced repeatedly were the rumors that the home had served a role on the Underground Railroad. Yet, in Indiana, it is not uncommon to hear such rumors about all old farmhouses.
Admittedly, the thing that gave me pause was the fact that these rumors all had a consistent theme in the fact that it was explained how each residence operated in coordinating fashions together along with the river that is within walking distance.
But, per their reported religious beliefs, they would have been called to shun violent conflict and warfare.
What do you do when your beliefs and your convictions run contrary to one another?
Within the Civil War muster rolls, I have found 2 men named Augustus Perry, however
neither of them are our Augustus.
This became apparent when their records continued on in their respective States during the years following the conflict.
I was also able to find a Carroll County Military log from 1863 which cataloged all of the men of fighting age in Carroll County as of that date. I thought perhaps this was my missing link and showed that he had been here and present in 1863, alas, this is not correct. After doing additional research I learned these logs are not an accurate account of those present, but rather simply a list of the county’s residents of fighting age.
I would be tempted say he did not, however there is evidence
that he may have served under an alternative name.
This evidence is limited and found in a very damaged Union muster.
In this entry, once can clearly read:
This entry is peculiar in the fact that it was entered into a Massachusetts muster roll with a litany of other Perry family members who were all enlisting at the same time from the region which Edwin’s family of origin had come in the early 1800’s.
Did Augustus leave Indiana and go fight under a different name due to conflict of religious and personal beliefs? Or did he stay in Carroll County and labor on the farm and help keep the home front safe?
I personally cannot say with any authority either way…
However, to add to the mystery…every year an American flag stands straight and true on his grave, placed there by a White County volunteer who is instructed to do so by the County’s Veteran Service Officer. These flags dot the graves of all of our Hoosier veterans in observation of Memorial Day.
On April 9, 1865, the Civil War was declared to be over and the Union had won. The Reconstruction Era had begun.
On October 10, 1867, two years after at the completion of the war, at age 25, Augustus married Ms. Hannah Campbell.
For a short period the newly formed couple farmed Edwin’s original farm in White County before moving back to Carroll County.
They were the proud parents of 7 sons and 5 daughters.
According to census records, it would appear around 1890, Augustus and Hannah moved into the Brick House and officially took over the management of the Carroll County farm while Francis “Frank” Perry leaned more into the White County property.
Upon Edwin’s passing in 1894, his will made provisions for Lydia to remain in The Brick House, under Hannah and Augustus’ care until her eventual passing on 1901.
After Lydia’s death in 1901,
Augustus and Hannah inherited ownership of the Brick House and continued to run the Carroll County and White County farms mutually with Frank until Augustus’ death on April 10, 1909.
After Augustus ‘ death, the last living Perry daughter,
Malinda, moved into the Brick House with her husband George and assisted Hannah in the daily management of the bustling farm.
Hannah retained legal ownership, yet share habitation with George and Malinda until her death on September 13, 1922.
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