Remembering A Grand Rapids Civil War Hero Who Was A Enlistment Recruiter in Kalamazoo

Even though it had only officially been a state for only 24 years, Michigan not only sacrificed but put so much effort into preserving the United States of America during the Civil War. There are many West Michigan heroes who lost their lives across many battles, most notably in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. There is also the story of the African American Civil War soldier from Allegan, who sadly passed away from illness. But there was another Civil War hero we've never touched on before, and his name was Peter. A. Weber.

Weber was actually a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan and at 20 years old in 1860, he had initially only applied for a three-month enlistment in the Union Army, and even served as a recruiter in Kalamazoo for some time. That would not end up being the case, and on July 14th, 1863, still in Army and at Falling Waters, Major Weber was given an order to advance two companies of the 6th Michigan Cavalry and attack the Confederacy, which, according to Third Michigan, proved to be fatal:

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Emerging from the trees, they crossed the muddy field at a trot, then charged uphill. Fortune rode with them for a few minutes as the Southerners mistook them for their own cavalry. Weber’s men plunged into the earth-works, sabers slashing and pistols firing. Outnumbering the Union attackers by the hundreds, the Confederates quickly recovered and blasted the horsemen at point-blank range. Weber pitched from the saddle, shot dead by a bullet to his head.

If you ever want to visit his grave, he was buried in the historic Fulton Cemetery in Grand Rapids.