Memorial Day, or as it used to be called Decoration Day, was conceived in nearby Waterloo shortly after the Civil War as a way of showing our gratitude for the sacrifices made by the members of the armed services. I thought it appropriate at this time of year to write about Weedsport's last Civil War veteran, Francis M. Hunting.

Hunting was born in 1843 in Euclid, Onondaga County, moving to this area (Brick Church) in 1856.

At the age of 13, he drove the family herd of cattle from Euclid to Brick Church on foot. Five years later, the Civil War broke out and with the patriotic fervor of youth, he left the farm and enlisted Sept. 16, 1861 in Company G, 75th New York Volunteer Infantry.

The regiment, which was recruited basically in Cayuga County, went into training in Auburn.

On Dec. 13, 1861 the group arrived at Santa Rosa Island in Florida where he received his first baptism of fire in the army. In one of the early engagements in that place, he was slightly wounded, but able to continue on duty.

They were next assigned to garrison duty in Pensacola until August of 1862.

From there they went to New Orleans which had just been captured by the federal troops. Fighting their way from New Orleans through the swamp eliminating pockets of resistance until June of 1863. They then returned and captured Port Hudson suffering heavy losses.

Hudson was severely wounded during this action and was actually in the hospital when the rest of Company G was captured at Sabine Pass.

His ardor for fighting for the cause had not dissipated, and although his enlistment was up, he re-upped in Company D and was sent back to New Orleans for garrison duty.

Leaving New Orleans in July of 1865, he and his company were ordered to join General Philip Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, and he was with them for the duration of the war, including the battle of Cedar Creek.

In his later years, Hunting used to tell of General Sheridan galloping down Winchester Pike on his famous black charger to rally the men for the imminent assault by Confederate General Jubal Early. This incident later inspired the poem “Sheridan's Ride”

Hunting returned home in 1871 to marry Miss Minnie Rude and went west to Missouri with his bride.

He then spent several years in Colorado, returning first to Meridian and then spent the last 48 years of his life back in Weedsport.

Francis Hunting passed away Dec. 18, 1937 at the age of 94, our last surviving civil war veteran. For many years Weedsport had a very active G.A.R. Post (Grand Army of the Republic).

The Chester Whiteside Post was of course comprised of veterans of the Civil War and with Hunting's passing, the Whiteside Post also went into the files of history.

We are fortunate at the museum to have considerable material on such local heroes and shown is Hunting's Commission Certificate into the Grand Army of the Republic. Shown also is the Weedsport Cornet Band leading the 1908 Memorial Day Parade up Brutus Street on the way to the cemetery.

Denny Randall is president of the Old Brutus Historical Society in Weedsport.