Born and raised in Plymouth, Willard Roe,
along with many of his friends and neighbors enlisted in the Twenty-fourth
Michigan on August 8, 1862. He was made 4th Sergeant of company
C. He was 24 years old, and the muster roll describes him as being
5'8" tall, with hazel eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion.
He was a joiner (fine carpenter) by trade.
His younger brother Ambrose had enlisted in company C a few days earlier on August 5th. Another brother, James, was only 16, and remained home while his older brothers went off to war. By the spring of 1865, however, James was 19, and he too enlisted in the 24th Michigan.
The two older brothers went off to war, and fought in the Battles of Fredericksburg, Fitzhugh Crossing, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. Later in life Willard recounted his experiences at Gettysburg for the Detroit News (see below).
At some point prior to Gettysburg, Willard Roe was promoted to Sergeant, although the exact date and circumstances are not currently known.
Shortly after Gettysburg, Willard was assigned to signals duty near Washington, D.C. His memoirs mention this, but in his diary, Edward Aldrich Raymor indicates that this occurred on July 8, 1863. This duty apparently suited the young man. He never returned to field duty with the 24th Michigan. On May 10, 1864, Willard was formally transferred to the Signal Corps. He was able to get Ambrose assigned to the same duty on June 30.
While in the Signal Corps, Willard was stationed at various posts in the vicinity of Washington and he saw no further combat. As part of the transfer, Willard took a cut in rank and pay and became a private. He was discharged from the Signal Corps on June 21, 1865 at Washington, D.C. He was given a promotion to Sergeant on his last day in service for "faithful and meritorious service." The promotion was honorary, however. When he was paid off on his muster out, he received a private's $13 per month. Ambrose mustered out of the Signal Corps on June 30, 1865.
Willard returned to Plymouth and his trade. He attended "Michigan Day Day Gettysburg on June 12,
1889.
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Willard Roe is indicated by the arrow. His brother Ambrose may also be in this photograph, but none of the other men are identified. The location and exact date of this photograph are also unknown.
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Co. C, Twenty-fourth Michigan Infantry, went into the battle of Gettysburg, July 1, 50 years ago and at the conclusion of the first day's fighting every one of the approximately 40 officers and men of the company was killed or wounded. One of the four who finished the day unhurt was Willard Roe, still living at Plymouth and enjoying good health, although he is now 75. The other three are Charles Noble, an eminent civil engineer of New York City; Private Nelson Pooler, of Ypsilanti; and Private Charles Durfee, of Kansas, who is a brother of Probate Judge Durfee, of Detroit. Judge Durfee himself was a member of Co. C and lost his right arm at Gettysburg.
The Twenty-fourth regiment was organized in Wayne County, and about two-thirds of those who enlisted in it were farmer boys living in the townships. Henry A. Morrow resigned as judge of the recorder's court to accept a commission as colonel of the regiment, and he led it at Gettysburg. Mark Flanigan resigned as sheriff of Wayne county to go out at Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment, and he lost a leg at Gettysburg. Calvin B. Crosby, of Plymouth, who, from 1879 to 1883 served as treasurer of Wayne county, was Captain of Co. C.
Veteran Roe, recounting recollections of the memorable first day at Gettysburg when the Twenty-fourth lost a total of 316 said:
"Co. C was in position near the Lutheran Seminary. We gave the Johnnies the best we could until things go so hot we were compelled to fall back. We took position behind a fence, which afforded us some protection, at least we thought it did, from the rain of shot and shell that the enemy was firing. I wasn't noticing any of the company's boys except myself and the first thing I knew myself and a comrade were alone, the rest having fallen still farther back. I said to my pal, 'we'll give them one more shot and run.' which we did. We got away just in time to escape being captured. I retreated through Gettysburg village towards the cemetery on the ridge, dodging behind buildings and trees, for the Johnnies were pressing us and keeping up a continuous fire. It was the next morning before I found what was left of the regiment. We were not in the fighting during the 2nd and 3rd. Soon afterwards, I was transferred to a signal station near Washington."
Little is understood of the inner workings of the signal corps, yet this department of the army was as important as any. It was through it that messages could be transferred from post to post almost as quickly as by telegraph, and with less work on the part of construction corps. With a flag or torch initially held upright "one" was indicated by waving the flag to the left and returning it to an upright position; "two" by a similar motion to the right, and "three" by a wave or dip to the front. One or more figures constituted a letter of the alphabet. By combinations and signal codes the signal corps became one of the chief intelligences of the army. Stories of a confederate advance on the capital were continually rife, and it was deemed wise to erect a lookout or tower from which the confederate lines could be observed in the direction of Manassas.
Private Roe enlisted at the age of 24 and served three years. Two other brother also enlisted. Ambrose, who also served three years, and William who was in the service four years. Ambrose and William died after the war. Although the three brothers saw plenty of hard fighting none of them was wounded. Last summer Willard went with the rest of the Michigan veterans to the Gettysburg reunion, and he observed that it was very much different than during the battle, when he laid on his stomach and fought in order to make as small a target as possible for the enemies' bullets.
Last Updated: 07/04/99
Webmaster: Rob Richardson
robr@advnet.net
All original material © Copyright 1998, 1999 Rob Richardson
Signal Corps Photograph © Copyright 1998, 1999 Plymouth Historical
Museum
Please note the crossed flag insignia faintly
visible on Willard's sleeve. Photograph courtesy of the Plymouth
Historical Museum.