MICHAEL SENEY -- 176th INFANTRYSUPPORTED HIS FAMILY AS A SHOEMAKER - In the late summer of 1863,Mitchell or Michel or Michael Seney, a shoemaker, was drafted and wasone of 5 men who enlisted in Plattsburgh in the 176th Infantry. He wasthe 3rd child and second son of Pierre Sené and Sophia Joubert who camefrom St. Athanase, Quebec, to live in Redford.By November 1st he was promoted to corporal in Louisiana. The 176th wasmustered in as the Ironsides regiment in on January 10, 1863 and wentstraight to Louisiana to be with the Department of the Gulf. In lateJune, the regiment met with a serious disaster -- 406 men were capturedby the enemy and various other casualties. It is said that no one was incommand and that "everyone was captured except the enemy."The 176th was not in the field again until Bank's Red River Campaignstarting in March 1864. In July they returned to Virginia and took partin Sheridan's campaign in the Shenandoah Valley against General Early.Battles included Berryville, Opequan, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek,where they sustained over 100 more casualties. In the assault atFisher's Hill they captured 4 guns from the enemy. They stayed in theShenandoah until January 1865 when they were ordered to Savannah, GA.They started North with the Campaign of the Carolinas and after theSecond Surrender, returned to Savannah where they were mustered out onApril 27, 1866.AfterMitchell returned to Redford, he married Julia Martell in 1866. By 1870they moved to Massachusetts for work, Eventually, they divorced, andJulia remarried.Mitchell died of chronic nephritis on January 28, 1912, in the NationalHome for Volunteer Soldiers in Togas, ME, and his body was sent toLynne, MA, for burial. At the time of his death he had \$3.06 cents inhis possession and his clothes and personal effects were valued at\$4.08. The personal effects were sent by American Express on February10th and the cash was sent on February 20th to Lewis M. Seney, his son,who lived at 47 Eustace Avenue in East Lynne, MA. Mitchell had been amember of the General Frederick Lander Post #5 of the G. A. R. in Lynnefor many years and so was buried in the G. A. R. Lot in the LynneCemetery.
