Augustus Jehiel Dayton was born in New York City February 4th 1829. He was one of four brothers to have given service during the war and the eldest of eleven children of John Augustus and Adelia Malvinia (Trowbridge) Dayton. His father, John A. Dayton, was Alderman of the 11th Ward Brooklyn for many years. We see in the New York Times of June 6, 1861 that " Ex-Alderman John A. Dayton left for Annapolis, yesterday, carrying with him a beautiful stand of colors, prepared for the Thirteenth Brooklyn Regiment." From The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 7, 1879 we note; "As Chairman of the War Committee in 1860, Mr. Dayton gave the service no small measure of his time, as, with four sons in the field, he gave it no stinted proportion of his family, and he spared no pains to promote the interests of the "boys in blue." He had served with his father Capt. Jehiel Dayton of North Granville, Washington Co., NY during the War of 1812. Jehiel Dayton ran a general store and was Post Master there in 1843. His father, Israel Dayton [1744-1805], gave service during the American Revolution and previous to that the French and Indian War in which his brother, Jehiel Dayton [1737-1759], was killed in 1759. Their father, Israel Dayton [1715-1756], was killed in the war three years earlier. This Dayton family is descended through Isaac Dayton from Samuel Dayton [1624-1690] and his father, Ralph Dayton an original founder of East Hampton, L.I.
Thus, Augustus came from a long line of important men associated in military, governmental and political service. The memory of whom are reflected in his father's choice for his son's name. Augustus, like many of the name, was more often referred to as "Gus" by family and friends. In military records and items of an official nature his full first name is written out but in all personal accounts I find he is called Gus. An example of which is written on the back of a photograph of him in uniform; "Brother Gus, Adj of 51st Reg. NY. of Col. Feraro Company." written in his sister, Eveleen Trowbridge (Dayton) Kane's hand. I imagine she is not the only one to have misspelled Ferrero over the years.
One of the earliest references to Gus I note, other than his recorded birth in the family bible, is in a letter written Monday January 18th 1830 by his father John to his grandfather Jehiel; "the little grandson speaks a great many words plain, he walks quite smart, and plays peakaboo- makes faces tell mother as well as his father ever could- in fact if you have a boy in Granville as strong and smart as him you may bragg in earnest- ..." In another letter to his uncle Robert Gaius Dayton [1816-1895] of November 4th, 1849 Gus is mentioned when his boat won the silver cup, and again in his sister Josephine Adelia (Dayton) Titus' letter to their cousin Evie Vulte' and also in her small hand diary both of 1853. The name Vulte' is often written Vultee and they are related through the Trowbridge side.
At age 32 Gus enlisted on the 23rd of April 1861 in Co. B, 13th Regt., NYSM under Capt. Sprague and was discharged at Brooklyn the 6th of August 1861 after a 3 month term in service. [In July of 1861 his infant daughter, Lela Vulte' Dayton, died and was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery Lot 8159 sec. 52]. Ten days after his discharge, on August 16th 1861 at Brooklyn he enrolled again signing second on the enlistment sheet just below his friend and comrade Samuel H. Sims. His address is noted as "301 Adelphia Street" and he had been employed as a clerk and storekeeper. Mustered into the 51st Regiment NYSV Infantry as 1st Lieut. and Adjutant on October 2nd 1861 he was discharged there from on May 16th 1862 "on tender of resignation cause my health no longer permitting me to remain in service." Gus subsequently served in the 159th NY Inf. enrolling Aug. 28th 1862 at Albany for a term of 3 years. He was mustered in as 1st Lieut. Sept. 2, 1862, serving as adjutant from Sept. 2nd through the 24th. Then commissioned Captain Nov. 10, 1862 with rank from Sept 24th of Co. B 159th NY Inf. and discharged Feb.28th 1863 "on tender of resignation… no cause assigned." Gus' brother, George Duffield Dayton, also served in the 159th NY Infantry. Another brother, Sidney Smith Dayton [1846-1910] served in Co. I, 73rd NYV, Co. E, 120th and the 71st NYV as a musician.
In letter of July 15th 1863 from Capt. Sims to fiancée Caroline Eliza Dayton, Gus' sister, Sims writes; "It is news indeed to hear that Gus has reached home. I trust he is well and that his wife has improved." It should be mentioned in October of 1864 another daughter, Josephine Titus Dayton, died. She was under the age of ten years. The loss of this child [and of Lela previously,] let alone Gus' absence at home due to his service in the war, may have been contributing factors in the divorce of Gus and his first wife. Or perhaps his role in the Callicott whiskey revenue fraud court case of 1867 added reason to their parting. It was quite a scandal and widely publicized topic in the news at the time. Although it seems Gus was innocent of any wrong doing the strain the case must have placed on their daily lives may have been too great. He was among those that had been arrested and his bail was set at $20,000. Upon giving testimony in May of 1868 he exhibited vouchers of earnest solicitations from many of "our first citizens" which aided in his appointment to office. It was further stated "from them we are glad to know that Mr. Captain Dayton was a pure patriot of the good old stamp, and served his country like a little man." In May of 1867, when the incidents concerning the removal of the whiskey from the warehouse took place Gus was residing on DeKalb Avenue.
Gus was twice married. He married his first wife, Harriette Louisa Colfax of Brooklyn, the mother of their six children about 1851. After they divorced she married Henry T. Coates of NYC. Then, on April 30, 1872 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Gus married Isabelle C. Brown. She had previously been married to Edward W. Brown who died Aug. 19, 1864 at 97 W 10th Street, NYC. Gus himself died October 29th 1897 the cause noted as progressive anemia, at which time he resided at 421 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY. He was interred Nov. 2nd 1897 in lot # 15483 sec. 159 of the Green-Wood Cemetery. Isabelle was interred there on Oct. 14th 1900. The day following his death there appeared a notice in The Brooklyn Eagle and again for the next two days the last being the day of the occasion of his funeral, Monday, Nov. 1st, held at his late residence. In the notice it specifically invites members of U. S. Grant Post No. 327, G.A.R., "Officers only in uniform," Society of Old Brooklynites and Volunteer Fireman's association, of which Gus was an active member for many years.
Nine days prior to his death on Oct. 20, 1897 Gus applied for Invalid Pension being disabled due to "catarrh of stomach and intestines" which was filed by his attorney and received at the pension office on Oct. 23rd. After his death his widow, Isabelle applied for pension Nov. 5th, submitted affidavits from two of Gus' brothers; Geo. D. Dayton [1841-1900] and Fredrick Louis Dayton [1843-1914] stating they're familiarity of the case and of Isabelle which were rec'd Dec. 9th. She later supplied transcripts of death certificates for both husbands, but by March of 1898 was still unsuccessful in her endeavor to be granted said pension. At present we are still uncertain as to the final outcome.
In later years an article appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle of Sept. 16, 1894 entitled "Some Crack Fisherman, Brooklynites who have become expert with hook and line," in which Mr. Hugh "Boss" McLaughlin states, "If you want a good fish story go over to the municipal building and see Gus Dayton, who, I hear, caught a thirty pound bass the other day." The story continues; "Mr. Augustus Dayton of the bureau of streets of the department of city works has been an enthusiastic angler for between fifty and sixty years and in the youth of his old age looks capable of doubling his record. He has fished from Barnegat to Block Island and has hooked so many different varieties of the finny tribes that he had not time enough at his disposal to enumerate them. He makes all his own tackle and rods and is continually inventing some new device to snare the unwary. The event that added the latest luster to his laurels came off at about 11:30 o'clock on the night of July 18 last, when off the old iron pier at Coney Island he landed a striped bass that when weighed brought the finger of the scale opposite to 22 pounds. His only regret in the matter is that he waited till morning to do the weighing, feeling sure that had it been done at once he would have been credited with a 25 pound catch . He was trolling along the pier with rod and spoon, without a sinker using a killie for bait. A moment after his cast he had a strike and for fully a half hour thereafter he had one of the gamiest fights of his many years experience. But finally with the aid of a lobster net he landed his catch and was heralded as the champion in due form."
written by S J MacPherson,
copyrights reserved.
Thus, Augustus came from a long line of important men associated in military, governmental and political service. The memory of whom are reflected in his father's choice for his son's name. Augustus, like many of the name, was more often referred to as "Gus" by family and friends. In military records and items of an official nature his full first name is written out but in all personal accounts I find he is called Gus. An example of which is written on the back of a photograph of him in uniform; "Brother Gus, Adj of 51st Reg. NY. of Col. Feraro Company." written in his sister, Eveleen Trowbridge (Dayton) Kane's hand. I imagine she is not the only one to have misspelled Ferrero over the years.
One of the earliest references to Gus I note, other than his recorded birth in the family bible, is in a letter written Monday January 18th 1830 by his father John to his grandfather Jehiel; "the little grandson speaks a great many words plain, he walks quite smart, and plays peakaboo- makes faces tell mother as well as his father ever could- in fact if you have a boy in Granville as strong and smart as him you may bragg in earnest- ..." In another letter to his uncle Robert Gaius Dayton [1816-1895] of November 4th, 1849 Gus is mentioned when his boat won the silver cup, and again in his sister Josephine Adelia (Dayton) Titus' letter to their cousin Evie Vulte' and also in her small hand diary both of 1853. The name Vulte' is often written Vultee and they are related through the Trowbridge side.
At age 32 Gus enlisted on the 23rd of April 1861 in Co. B, 13th Regt., NYSM under Capt. Sprague and was discharged at Brooklyn the 6th of August 1861 after a 3 month term in service. [In July of 1861 his infant daughter, Lela Vulte' Dayton, died and was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery Lot 8159 sec. 52]. Ten days after his discharge, on August 16th 1861 at Brooklyn he enrolled again signing second on the enlistment sheet just below his friend and comrade Samuel H. Sims. His address is noted as "301 Adelphia Street" and he had been employed as a clerk and storekeeper. Mustered into the 51st Regiment NYSV Infantry as 1st Lieut. and Adjutant on October 2nd 1861 he was discharged there from on May 16th 1862 "on tender of resignation cause my health no longer permitting me to remain in service." Gus subsequently served in the 159th NY Inf. enrolling Aug. 28th 1862 at Albany for a term of 3 years. He was mustered in as 1st Lieut. Sept. 2, 1862, serving as adjutant from Sept. 2nd through the 24th. Then commissioned Captain Nov. 10, 1862 with rank from Sept 24th of Co. B 159th NY Inf. and discharged Feb.28th 1863 "on tender of resignation… no cause assigned." Gus' brother, George Duffield Dayton, also served in the 159th NY Infantry. Another brother, Sidney Smith Dayton [1846-1910] served in Co. I, 73rd NYV, Co. E, 120th and the 71st NYV as a musician.
In letter of July 15th 1863 from Capt. Sims to fiancée Caroline Eliza Dayton, Gus' sister, Sims writes; "It is news indeed to hear that Gus has reached home. I trust he is well and that his wife has improved." It should be mentioned in October of 1864 another daughter, Josephine Titus Dayton, died. She was under the age of ten years. The loss of this child [and of Lela previously,] let alone Gus' absence at home due to his service in the war, may have been contributing factors in the divorce of Gus and his first wife. Or perhaps his role in the Callicott whiskey revenue fraud court case of 1867 added reason to their parting. It was quite a scandal and widely publicized topic in the news at the time. Although it seems Gus was innocent of any wrong doing the strain the case must have placed on their daily lives may have been too great. He was among those that had been arrested and his bail was set at $20,000. Upon giving testimony in May of 1868 he exhibited vouchers of earnest solicitations from many of "our first citizens" which aided in his appointment to office. It was further stated "from them we are glad to know that Mr. Captain Dayton was a pure patriot of the good old stamp, and served his country like a little man." In May of 1867, when the incidents concerning the removal of the whiskey from the warehouse took place Gus was residing on DeKalb Avenue.
Gus was twice married. He married his first wife, Harriette Louisa Colfax of Brooklyn, the mother of their six children about 1851. After they divorced she married Henry T. Coates of NYC. Then, on April 30, 1872 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Gus married Isabelle C. Brown. She had previously been married to Edward W. Brown who died Aug. 19, 1864 at 97 W 10th Street, NYC. Gus himself died October 29th 1897 the cause noted as progressive anemia, at which time he resided at 421 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY. He was interred Nov. 2nd 1897 in lot # 15483 sec. 159 of the Green-Wood Cemetery. Isabelle was interred there on Oct. 14th 1900. The day following his death there appeared a notice in The Brooklyn Eagle and again for the next two days the last being the day of the occasion of his funeral, Monday, Nov. 1st, held at his late residence. In the notice it specifically invites members of U. S. Grant Post No. 327, G.A.R., "Officers only in uniform," Society of Old Brooklynites and Volunteer Fireman's association, of which Gus was an active member for many years.
Nine days prior to his death on Oct. 20, 1897 Gus applied for Invalid Pension being disabled due to "catarrh of stomach and intestines" which was filed by his attorney and received at the pension office on Oct. 23rd. After his death his widow, Isabelle applied for pension Nov. 5th, submitted affidavits from two of Gus' brothers; Geo. D. Dayton [1841-1900] and Fredrick Louis Dayton [1843-1914] stating they're familiarity of the case and of Isabelle which were rec'd Dec. 9th. She later supplied transcripts of death certificates for both husbands, but by March of 1898 was still unsuccessful in her endeavor to be granted said pension. At present we are still uncertain as to the final outcome.
In later years an article appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle of Sept. 16, 1894 entitled "Some Crack Fisherman, Brooklynites who have become expert with hook and line," in which Mr. Hugh "Boss" McLaughlin states, "If you want a good fish story go over to the municipal building and see Gus Dayton, who, I hear, caught a thirty pound bass the other day." The story continues; "Mr. Augustus Dayton of the bureau of streets of the department of city works has been an enthusiastic angler for between fifty and sixty years and in the youth of his old age looks capable of doubling his record. He has fished from Barnegat to Block Island and has hooked so many different varieties of the finny tribes that he had not time enough at his disposal to enumerate them. He makes all his own tackle and rods and is continually inventing some new device to snare the unwary. The event that added the latest luster to his laurels came off at about 11:30 o'clock on the night of July 18 last, when off the old iron pier at Coney Island he landed a striped bass that when weighed brought the finger of the scale opposite to 22 pounds. His only regret in the matter is that he waited till morning to do the weighing, feeling sure that had it been done at once he would have been credited with a 25 pound catch . He was trolling along the pier with rod and spoon, without a sinker using a killie for bait. A moment after his cast he had a strike and for fully a half hour thereafter he had one of the gamiest fights of his many years experience. But finally with the aid of a lobster net he landed his catch and was heralded as the champion in due form."
written by S J MacPherson,
copyrights reserved.
Augustus Jehiel Dayton was born in New York City February 4th 1829. He was one of four brothers to have given service during the war and the eldest of eleven children of John Augustus and Adelia Malvinia (Trowbridge) Dayton. His father, John A. Dayton, was Alderman of the 11th Ward Brooklyn for many years. We see in the New York Times of June 6, 1861 that " Ex-Alderman John A. Dayton left for Annapolis, yesterday, carrying with him a beautiful stand of colors, prepared for the Thirteenth Brooklyn Regiment." From The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 7, 1879 we note; "As Chairman of the War Committee in 1860, Mr. Dayton gave the service no small measure of his time, as, with four sons in the field, he gave it no stinted proportion of his family, and he spared no pains to promote the interests of the "boys in blue." He had served with his father Capt. Jehiel Dayton of North Granville, Washington Co., NY during the War of 1812. Jehiel Dayton ran a general store and was Post Master there in 1843. His father, Israel Dayton [1744-1805], gave service during the American Revolution and previous to that the French and Indian War in which his brother, Jehiel Dayton [1737-1759], was killed in 1759. Their father, Israel Dayton [1715-1756], was killed in the war three years earlier. This Dayton family is descended through Isaac Dayton from Samuel Dayton [1624-1690] and his father, Ralph Dayton an original founder of East Hampton, L.I.
Thus, Augustus came from a long line of important men associated in military, governmental and political service. The memory of whom are reflected in his father's choice for his son's name. Augustus, like many of the name, was more often referred to as "Gus" by family and friends. In military records and items of an official nature his full first name is written out but in all personal accounts I find he is called Gus. An example of which is written on the back of a photograph of him in uniform; "Brother Gus, Adj of 51st Reg. NY. of Col. Feraro Company." written in his sister, Eveleen Trowbridge (Dayton) Kane's hand. I imagine she is not the only one to have misspelled Ferrero over the years.
One of the earliest references to Gus I note, other than his recorded birth in the family bible, is in a letter written Monday January 18th 1830 by his father John to his grandfather Jehiel; "the little grandson speaks a great many words plain, he walks quite smart, and plays peakaboo- makes faces tell mother as well as his father ever could- in fact if you have a boy in Granville as strong and smart as him you may bragg in earnest- ..." In another letter to his uncle Robert Gaius Dayton [1816-1895] of November 4th, 1849 Gus is mentioned when his boat won the silver cup, and again in his sister Josephine Adelia (Dayton) Titus' letter to their cousin Evie Vulte' and also in her small hand diary both of 1853. The name Vulte' is often written Vultee and they are related through the Trowbridge side.
At age 32 Gus enlisted on the 23rd of April 1861 in Co. B, 13th Regt., NYSM under Capt. Sprague and was discharged at Brooklyn the 6th of August 1861 after a 3 month term in service. [In July of 1861 his infant daughter, Lela Vulte' Dayton, died and was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery Lot 8159 sec. 52]. Ten days after his discharge, on August 16th 1861 at Brooklyn he enrolled again signing second on the enlistment sheet just below his friend and comrade Samuel H. Sims. His address is noted as "301 Adelphia Street" and he had been employed as a clerk and storekeeper. Mustered into the 51st Regiment NYSV Infantry as 1st Lieut. and Adjutant on October 2nd 1861 he was discharged there from on May 16th 1862 "on tender of resignation cause my health no longer permitting me to remain in service." Gus subsequently served in the 159th NY Inf. enrolling Aug. 28th 1862 at Albany for a term of 3 years. He was mustered in as 1st Lieut. Sept. 2, 1862, serving as adjutant from Sept. 2nd through the 24th. Then commissioned Captain Nov. 10, 1862 with rank from Sept 24th of Co. B 159th NY Inf. and discharged Feb.28th 1863 "on tender of resignation… no cause assigned." Gus' brother, George Duffield Dayton, also served in the 159th NY Infantry. Another brother, Sidney Smith Dayton [1846-1910] served in Co. I, 73rd NYV, Co. E, 120th and the 71st NYV as a musician.
In letter of July 15th 1863 from Capt. Sims to fiancée Caroline Eliza Dayton, Gus' sister, Sims writes; "It is news indeed to hear that Gus has reached home. I trust he is well and that his wife has improved." It should be mentioned in October of 1864 another daughter, Josephine Titus Dayton, died. She was under the age of ten years. The loss of this child [and of Lela previously,] let alone Gus' absence at home due to his service in the war, may have been contributing factors in the divorce of Gus and his first wife. Or perhaps his role in the Callicott whiskey revenue fraud court case of 1867 added reason to their parting. It was quite a scandal and widely publicized topic in the news at the time. Although it seems Gus was innocent of any wrong doing the strain the case must have placed on their daily lives may have been too great. He was among those that had been arrested and his bail was set at $20,000. Upon giving testimony in May of 1868 he exhibited vouchers of earnest solicitations from many of "our first citizens" which aided in his appointment to office. It was further stated "from them we are glad to know that Mr. Captain Dayton was a pure patriot of the good old stamp, and served his country like a little man." In May of 1867, when the incidents concerning the removal of the whiskey from the warehouse took place Gus was residing on DeKalb Avenue.
Gus was twice married. He married his first wife, Harriette Louisa Colfax of Brooklyn, the mother of their six children about 1851. After they divorced she married Henry T. Coates of NYC. Then, on April 30, 1872 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Gus married Isabelle C. Brown. She had previously been married to Edward W. Brown who died Aug. 19, 1864 at 97 W 10th Street, NYC. Gus himself died October 29th 1897 the cause noted as progressive anemia, at which time he resided at 421 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY. He was interred Nov. 2nd 1897 in lot # 15483 sec. 159 of the Green-Wood Cemetery. Isabelle was interred there on Oct. 14th 1900. The day following his death there appeared a notice in The Brooklyn Eagle and again for the next two days the last being the day of the occasion of his funeral, Monday, Nov. 1st, held at his late residence. In the notice it specifically invites members of U. S. Grant Post No. 327, G.A.R., "Officers only in uniform," Society of Old Brooklynites and Volunteer Fireman's association, of which Gus was an active member for many years.
Nine days prior to his death on Oct. 20, 1897 Gus applied for Invalid Pension being disabled due to "catarrh of stomach and intestines" which was filed by his attorney and received at the pension office on Oct. 23rd. After his death his widow, Isabelle applied for pension Nov. 5th, submitted affidavits from two of Gus' brothers; Geo. D. Dayton [1841-1900] and Fredrick Louis Dayton [1843-1914] stating they're familiarity of the case and of Isabelle which were rec'd Dec. 9th. She later supplied transcripts of death certificates for both husbands, but by March of 1898 was still unsuccessful in her endeavor to be granted said pension. At present we are still uncertain as to the final outcome.
In later years an article appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle of Sept. 16, 1894 entitled "Some Crack Fisherman, Brooklynites who have become expert with hook and line," in which Mr. Hugh "Boss" McLaughlin states, "If you want a good fish story go over to the municipal building and see Gus Dayton, who, I hear, caught a thirty pound bass the other day." The story continues; "Mr. Augustus Dayton of the bureau of streets of the department of city works has been an enthusiastic angler for between fifty and sixty years and in the youth of his old age looks capable of doubling his record. He has fished from Barnegat to Block Island and has hooked so many different varieties of the finny tribes that he had not time enough at his disposal to enumerate them. He makes all his own tackle and rods and is continually inventing some new device to snare the unwary. The event that added the latest luster to his laurels came off at about 11:30 o'clock on the night of July 18 last, when off the old iron pier at Coney Island he landed a striped bass that when weighed brought the finger of the scale opposite to 22 pounds. His only regret in the matter is that he waited till morning to do the weighing, feeling sure that had it been done at once he would have been credited with a 25 pound catch . He was trolling along the pier with rod and spoon, without a sinker using a killie for bait. A moment after his cast he had a strike and for fully a half hour thereafter he had one of the gamiest fights of his many years experience. But finally with the aid of a lobster net he landed his catch and was heralded as the champion in due form."
written by S J MacPherson,
copyrights reserved.
Thus, Augustus came from a long line of important men associated in military, governmental and political service. The memory of whom are reflected in his father's choice for his son's name. Augustus, like many of the name, was more often referred to as "Gus" by family and friends. In military records and items of an official nature his full first name is written out but in all personal accounts I find he is called Gus. An example of which is written on the back of a photograph of him in uniform; "Brother Gus, Adj of 51st Reg. NY. of Col. Feraro Company." written in his sister, Eveleen Trowbridge (Dayton) Kane's hand. I imagine she is not the only one to have misspelled Ferrero over the years.
One of the earliest references to Gus I note, other than his recorded birth in the family bible, is in a letter written Monday January 18th 1830 by his father John to his grandfather Jehiel; "the little grandson speaks a great many words plain, he walks quite smart, and plays peakaboo- makes faces tell mother as well as his father ever could- in fact if you have a boy in Granville as strong and smart as him you may bragg in earnest- ..." In another letter to his uncle Robert Gaius Dayton [1816-1895] of November 4th, 1849 Gus is mentioned when his boat won the silver cup, and again in his sister Josephine Adelia (Dayton) Titus' letter to their cousin Evie Vulte' and also in her small hand diary both of 1853. The name Vulte' is often written Vultee and they are related through the Trowbridge side.
At age 32 Gus enlisted on the 23rd of April 1861 in Co. B, 13th Regt., NYSM under Capt. Sprague and was discharged at Brooklyn the 6th of August 1861 after a 3 month term in service. [In July of 1861 his infant daughter, Lela Vulte' Dayton, died and was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery Lot 8159 sec. 52]. Ten days after his discharge, on August 16th 1861 at Brooklyn he enrolled again signing second on the enlistment sheet just below his friend and comrade Samuel H. Sims. His address is noted as "301 Adelphia Street" and he had been employed as a clerk and storekeeper. Mustered into the 51st Regiment NYSV Infantry as 1st Lieut. and Adjutant on October 2nd 1861 he was discharged there from on May 16th 1862 "on tender of resignation cause my health no longer permitting me to remain in service." Gus subsequently served in the 159th NY Inf. enrolling Aug. 28th 1862 at Albany for a term of 3 years. He was mustered in as 1st Lieut. Sept. 2, 1862, serving as adjutant from Sept. 2nd through the 24th. Then commissioned Captain Nov. 10, 1862 with rank from Sept 24th of Co. B 159th NY Inf. and discharged Feb.28th 1863 "on tender of resignation… no cause assigned." Gus' brother, George Duffield Dayton, also served in the 159th NY Infantry. Another brother, Sidney Smith Dayton [1846-1910] served in Co. I, 73rd NYV, Co. E, 120th and the 71st NYV as a musician.
In letter of July 15th 1863 from Capt. Sims to fiancée Caroline Eliza Dayton, Gus' sister, Sims writes; "It is news indeed to hear that Gus has reached home. I trust he is well and that his wife has improved." It should be mentioned in October of 1864 another daughter, Josephine Titus Dayton, died. She was under the age of ten years. The loss of this child [and of Lela previously,] let alone Gus' absence at home due to his service in the war, may have been contributing factors in the divorce of Gus and his first wife. Or perhaps his role in the Callicott whiskey revenue fraud court case of 1867 added reason to their parting. It was quite a scandal and widely publicized topic in the news at the time. Although it seems Gus was innocent of any wrong doing the strain the case must have placed on their daily lives may have been too great. He was among those that had been arrested and his bail was set at $20,000. Upon giving testimony in May of 1868 he exhibited vouchers of earnest solicitations from many of "our first citizens" which aided in his appointment to office. It was further stated "from them we are glad to know that Mr. Captain Dayton was a pure patriot of the good old stamp, and served his country like a little man." In May of 1867, when the incidents concerning the removal of the whiskey from the warehouse took place Gus was residing on DeKalb Avenue.
Gus was twice married. He married his first wife, Harriette Louisa Colfax of Brooklyn, the mother of their six children about 1851. After they divorced she married Henry T. Coates of NYC. Then, on April 30, 1872 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Gus married Isabelle C. Brown. She had previously been married to Edward W. Brown who died Aug. 19, 1864 at 97 W 10th Street, NYC. Gus himself died October 29th 1897 the cause noted as progressive anemia, at which time he resided at 421 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY. He was interred Nov. 2nd 1897 in lot # 15483 sec. 159 of the Green-Wood Cemetery. Isabelle was interred there on Oct. 14th 1900. The day following his death there appeared a notice in The Brooklyn Eagle and again for the next two days the last being the day of the occasion of his funeral, Monday, Nov. 1st, held at his late residence. In the notice it specifically invites members of U. S. Grant Post No. 327, G.A.R., "Officers only in uniform," Society of Old Brooklynites and Volunteer Fireman's association, of which Gus was an active member for many years.
Nine days prior to his death on Oct. 20, 1897 Gus applied for Invalid Pension being disabled due to "catarrh of stomach and intestines" which was filed by his attorney and received at the pension office on Oct. 23rd. After his death his widow, Isabelle applied for pension Nov. 5th, submitted affidavits from two of Gus' brothers; Geo. D. Dayton [1841-1900] and Fredrick Louis Dayton [1843-1914] stating they're familiarity of the case and of Isabelle which were rec'd Dec. 9th. She later supplied transcripts of death certificates for both husbands, but by March of 1898 was still unsuccessful in her endeavor to be granted said pension. At present we are still uncertain as to the final outcome.
In later years an article appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle of Sept. 16, 1894 entitled "Some Crack Fisherman, Brooklynites who have become expert with hook and line," in which Mr. Hugh "Boss" McLaughlin states, "If you want a good fish story go over to the municipal building and see Gus Dayton, who, I hear, caught a thirty pound bass the other day." The story continues; "Mr. Augustus Dayton of the bureau of streets of the department of city works has been an enthusiastic angler for between fifty and sixty years and in the youth of his old age looks capable of doubling his record. He has fished from Barnegat to Block Island and has hooked so many different varieties of the finny tribes that he had not time enough at his disposal to enumerate them. He makes all his own tackle and rods and is continually inventing some new device to snare the unwary. The event that added the latest luster to his laurels came off at about 11:30 o'clock on the night of July 18 last, when off the old iron pier at Coney Island he landed a striped bass that when weighed brought the finger of the scale opposite to 22 pounds. His only regret in the matter is that he waited till morning to do the weighing, feeling sure that had it been done at once he would have been credited with a 25 pound catch . He was trolling along the pier with rod and spoon, without a sinker using a killie for bait. A moment after his cast he had a strike and for fully a half hour thereafter he had one of the gamiest fights of his many years experience. But finally with the aid of a lobster net he landed his catch and was heralded as the champion in due form."
written by S J MacPherson,
copyrights reserved.
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