Private Lewis Massuere (1842-1923)

Lewis Massuere, 2nd great-granduncle of brother Louis Mosier, was was born in Natick, Massachussetts to David P. Massuere and Susan Hill (Corliss) Massuere.

Lewis Massuere enlisted as a Private in the Third Independent Battery, Wisconsin Volunteer Light Artillery on January 1, 1862 at age 19. This unit served in the Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater of the Civil War and saw service in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Pvt Massuere was with his battery in the advance on Corinth, Mississippi; Buell's operations toward Chattanooga, Tennessee; the Kentucky Campaign (present but not engaged in the Battle of Perryville); the Battle of Stones River, Tennessee; the Tullahoma Campaign, Tennessee; and the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia. The battery was armed with two 12 pound howitzers and four 10 pount Parrott rifled guns. He served as a driver; i.e. he rode and guided one of the pairs of horses that pulled the guns (six horses per gun).

On September 20, 1863 at Chickamauga, the 3rd Wisconsin Battery was in the path of Longstreet's assault, losing 5 guns and sustaining 26 casualties. Pvt Massuere helped save the life of Corporal Ira Smith, who was shot through the lungs, by carrying him off the battlefield during the retreat. The survivors retired with the rest of the Army of the Cumberland into Chattanooga. Having sustained such damage, the 3rd Wisconsin Battery was never reorganized as a full battery but was subsequently used for garrison duties and detached services, including duties at Fort Negley in Chattanooga and Lunette Palmer of Fortress Rosecrans in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

In January 1864, Pvt Massuere reenlisted for three more years of service. He was transferred in January 1865 to the 8th Wisconsin Battery and then, in June 1865, to the 6th Wisconsin Battery. He mustered out of the army on July 3, 1865.

Lewis died in 1923 at age 80.