Charles Hermann Witt - deceased NSW Australian war veteran needs your help
A deceased NSW Australian war veteran needs your help.
I have been working to acquire a free bronze memorial plaque from the American Veterans Administration for Mr. Charles Hermann Witt, a Maitland New South Wales Australian American Civil War veteran, whose gravesite remains unmarked; but after 10 years the American Veterans Administration in the United States have "changed" the rules. They will no longer accept a request from a cemetery, but 'now' demand acknowledgement from a descendant to act on their behalf.
Charles Hermann Witt was born on March 26, 1830 in Hamburg, Germany. Whitt’s life before immigrating to America is virtually unknown except that at an early age he took up the profession of watch making, that his father was in some medical profession, his grandfather lived to be 112 and his mother to be 93. and that he migrated to the United States where Witt’s occupation was a silversmith in Sacramento, California in April 1862; the same year he enlisted in Company E, 1st Washington Territory Infantry at Fort Vancouver, as a Private.
Obtaining a discharge on April 18, 1865 and sailing out of Portland, Oregon in 1870, Charles Witt arrived in Australia that same year; arriving at New South Wales. In the town of East Maitland Charles resumed his profession of watch and jewelry-making and in December of 1871 he married a widow; Anne Maria Leary. They remained in East Maitland for the next six years then moved to South Australia where Witt again turned to the military as a way of life. He joined and became a Major in the Adelaide Rifles, where he spent the next twelve years before returning to East Maitland; where he remained with his wife. Charles and Anne had seven children born to them between 1873 and 1884, of which only three survived infancy; Violet May was born in 1878, Ada Annie in 1879 and Charles Hermann in 1881.
Charles Hermann Witt received a veteran’s pension of $50 (US) a month for a good many years; until the time of his death at the age of 96 years and 6 months; on September 26, 1924. Anne also received a widow’s pension, until her death, on August 29, 1828.Charles Hermann Witt was survived by one son and two daughters; Charles Witt of East Maitland, Mrs. Jackson of Sydney and Mrs. J. Searles of Morpeth. Charles Hermann Witt was buried in the Church of England Cemetery in East Maitland, in an unmarked grave in Plot 16, Section 25, Anglican section of the East Maitland Cemetery.
If anyone knows of ”any” descendant of Mr. Charles Hermann Witt they are asked to please contact James Gray immediately; at [email protected], phone 07 3801 3400 or by post at 11 Corndale Street, Loganholme, Qld., Au., 4129. If you can find one of his descendants, we can move forward with acquiring a free marker for this Australian veterans gravesite.
Sincerely,
James M. Gray, Cmdr.
Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc
SCV Camp 2160, Australia
www.acwv.info