William Z. Spencer Sr. (1823-1899) - A Veteran of Two Wars & Four Regiments

~ Mexican-American War Veteran ~

• Private, Company E, 10th U.S. Infantry

29 April 1847 to 22 August 1848

~ Union Veteran of the Civil War ~

• Private, Company K, 27th New Jersey Infantry

3 September 1862 to 2 July 1863

• Private, Company H, 15th New Jersey Infantry

10 July 1864 to 17 June 1865

• Private, Company H, 2nd New Veteran Infantry

18 June 1865 to 11 July 1865

~ Member of the Grand Army of the Republic [G.A.R.] ~

• Member of James McDavit Post 54, Department of New Jersey, Grand Army of the Republic

9 June 1889 to 7 May 1899

- Early Life -

William Z. Spencer Sr. was born on 16 September 1823 in Lake Hopatcong, Sussex County, New Jersey, presumably within the area that comprises the modern Borough of Hopatcong. William was the first of eight children born to James Spencer (1800-1872) and Johannah "Hannah" Hayward (1804-1860). William's brothers were John Spencer Sr.(1832-1885), Charles P. Spencer (1841-1915), and George Spencer Sr. (1845-1886). His sisters were Elizabeth [née Spencer] McElroy (1826-1884), Mary R. Spencer (1830-?), Sarah [née Spencer] Taylor (1836-?), 1870], and Caroline [née Spencer] Valentine (1838-1913).

It appears William and his family were living in Warren Co., NJ, in 1832, and by 1841, they were living in Columbia Forge, Byram Township, Sussex Co., NJ. During William's early life, the Spencer family may have also lived in Morris Co., NJ.

- Service in the Mexican-American War -

After the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, William enlisted at the age of 23 as a Private in Company E, 10th United States Infantry Regiment on 29 April 1847 in Newton, Sussex Co., NJ. Enlistment rosters show his occupation as "laborer" and describe him as 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with blue eyes, light hair, and a light complexion. Company E's officers consisted of Captain Samuel Dickinson (1806-1852), 1st Lieutenant William C. M. Lewis (1826-1847), who was present when William enlisted in Newton, and 2nd Lieutenants John S. Nevins (1813-1889) and Gershom Mott (1822-1884). The 10th U.S. Inf. was commanded by Colonel Robert Emmet Temple (1804-1854).

William soon made his way to Trenton, Mercer Co., NJ, where on 12 May 1847, at around 10:30 A.M., he and the rest of Co. E marched to "the railroad station on East State Street and the Canal," where a "large crowd [had] assembled… to take final leave" of the company from Trenton and "extra cars on the 'Pilot Line' were provided for their transportation." William and other soldiers "hurried aboard and the train [which] moved slowly from the station amid farewells of relatives and the cheers of friends and assembled citizens." From Trenton, Co. E proceeded to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York, and departed from there on 17 May 1847 with 83 men in total. William's company arrived at Brazo Santiago Pass in the evening on 7 Jun 1847, and "proceeded that night to the mouth of the Rio Grande and encamped there on the morning of the 8th [Jun 1847]." They then marched to Matamoros, Mexico on 13 Jun 1847 and remained there throughout July 1847. In Aug 1847, Company E was encamped near Mier, Mexico, before marching back to Matamoros the next month, where it was stationed until Jan 1848. On 21 Jan 1848, Company E marched from Matamoros to Reynosa, Mexico, arriving there on 24 Jan 1848. William's company stayed at Reynosa until late Jun 1848, when it returned to Matamoros.

In short, much of William's time with Co. E, 10th U.S. Inf. was largely one of "inactivity, with the exception of garrison, convoy," and guard duty, as the regiment was stationed at Matamoros for most of its service and was never involved in any direct combat. More of the regiment's soldiers died from yellow fever, dysentery, or drowning in the Rio Grande River than from combat, with 1st Lt. Lewis of Co. E dying of yellow fever on 19 November 1847.

It is known that William sent several letters home to his family during his service with Co. E, 10th U.S. Inf., with this later being recalled by Charles McPeak, who was boarding with the Spencer family in Newton at the time, and Henry Case, a boyhood friend of William's. However, the content of these letters remains unknown.

On 10 July 1848, Companies E, G, and H of the 10th U.S. Inf. departed Matamoros aboard "on the ship 'Pharsalia' and the barque 'General Taylor' and arrived at Fort Hamilton on August 4, 1848." William Spencer was honorably mustered out on 22 August 1848 at Fort Hamilton.

Overall, 11 soldiers of Co. E died during its service in the Mexican War. In addition to 1st Lieutenant Lewis, "one corporal and one private were drowned; one private was shot and killed by a sentry at Matamoros; one murdered, and six others, privates, died from yellow fever, dysentery, etc." A short time after their return, Spencer and other local soldiers "were tendered a reception at Camp Washington, Jackson's Woods." It is unknown if William attended. However, it is known that upon returning home, William met with his friend, Henry Case, at the residence of Case's father.

- Return to Civilian Life & Marriage -

On 1 March 1849, William Z. Spencer Sr. married Susan E. Case in Bartley [also known as Bartleyville], Mt. Olive, Morris Co., NJ. They would have nine children; George John Spencer (1850-1875), James Force Spencer (1852-1941), Albert Spencer (1854-1854), Mary Emily [née Spencer] Lish (1855-1948), John R. Spencer (1856-1873), George Spencer (1858-?), William Z. Spencer Jr. (1859-1859), Urvin B. Spencer (1859-1859), and Arminda Spencer (1862-1863).

The 1850 U.S. Census shows William, aged 27, was living in Newton, Sussex Co., NJ, with his wife, Susan, son, George, and mother-in-law, Elizabeth Case (1785-1865). William's occupation is listed as "laborer." In 1852, William and his family lived in Frankford, Sussex Co., NJ, and by 1859, relocated to Flanders, Morris Co., NJ. Sometime in the 1850s, William worked in the woods, likely as a lumberman or wood chopper, with his boyhood friend, John Parliament (1825-1896), who later described him as "a sound and rugged man." Around the same time, William worked as a laborer alongside another good friend, Ezekiel Ayres Rarick (1830-1907), who also described him as a "sound" man. William also worked for Thomas L. King (1809-1882) in the 1850s.

According to the 1860 U.S. Census, William, his wife, Susan, his children, George J., James F., Mary E., and John R., and his mother-in-law, Elizabeth, were living in Roxbury Township, Morris Co., NJ. It also shows that William, aged 35, was working as a "farm laborer" and that his personal estate was worth $50.00. The census also indicates that George J, James F., and Mary E. Spencer were enrolled in school at the time.

- Service in the Union Army during the Civil War -

After the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, William Z. Spencer Sr. and his younger brothers, Charles P. and John Spencer, enlisted in the 27th New Jersey Infantry Regiment. William enlisted as a Private in Co. K, 27th N.J. Inf. on 3 September 1862 in Newark, Essex Co., New Jersey. At the time of his enlistment, William was living in Stanhope, Sussex Co., NJ. Before he was officially mustered in, William underwent and passed a medical and physical examination conducted in Newton, Sussex Co., NJ. On 19 September 1862, at Camp Frelinghuysen in Newark, William was mustered in as a Private in Co. K, 27th N.J. Inf. for a nine-month-long term of military service. William's brothers, Charles and John, were mustered into Co. C of the same regiment. The officers of William's Co. K consisted of Captains Henry A. Franks (?-?) and James Kearny Smith (1839-1897), 1st Lieutenants Sidney Smith (1818-1889) and Robert W. Simpson (?-?), and 2nd Lieutenants Jacob McConnell (?-1907) and Emmet Louis Ellithorp (1840-1906). The 27th N.J. Inf. was commanded by Colonel George Washington Mindil (1843-1907).

On 9 October 1862, the 27th N.J. Inf. departed New Jersey by train for Washington, D.C., passing through Elizabeth, Rahway, New Brunswick, Trenton, and Camden, NJ, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Wilmington and Newark, Delaware, and Harve de Grace and Baltimore, Maryland, before finally arriving in the nation's capital. After arriving in Washington, D.C., on either 10 or 11 October 1862, the regiment was stationed at East Capitol Hill, and attached to the 1st Brigade, Casey's Provisional Division, Defenses of Washington, D.C. On 28 October 1862, while the remainder of his regiment was encamped at Camp Kearny, William was admitted to Emory U.S. General Hospital in Washington, D.C., suffering from "catarrh." The next day, while William remained at Emory Hospital, the 27th N.J. Inf. was attached to the 2nd Brigade, Casey's Provisional Division, Defenses of Washington, D.C., and marched to Alexandria, Virginia. William Spencer did not rejoin Co. K, 27th N.J. Inf. until 3 December 1862, by which point the regiment had marched through Uniontown, VA, and Port Tobacco, MD, to Acquia Creek, VA, where it was stationed until 7 December 1862. On 10 December 1862, the 27th N.J. Inf. joined the 9th Corps of the Army of the Potomac near Falmouth, VA, and was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac. On 12 December 1862, the 27th N.J. Inf. crossed the Rappahannock River into Fredericksburg, VA.

From 13 to 14 December 1862, the 27th N.J. Inf. participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg. On 13 December 1862, the regiment was deployed along the "line of battle between Deep and Hazel Runs in support of [General William] Franklin's [Left Grand] Division." It was later recalled that "although the regiment was not brought into close and actual conflict during its term of service, it was sufficiently exposed at the Battle of Fredericksburg to test the bravery and trustworthiness of the officers and men, and the rapidity with which they advanced when ordered forward to the assistance of their comrades showed the mettle of which they were made." However, Co. K an exception. On 13 December 1862, the third day of the Battle of Fredericksburg, Captain James K. Smith of Co. K, 27th N.J. Inf. was wounded in the chest and leg while "leading his company of men in an uphill charge" on Marye's Heights. Considering that Captain Smith was William's company commander, it is likely that William, along with the rest of Co. K, 27th N.J. Inf., participated in this charge on Maryre's Heights. Additionally, while encamped near Fredericksburg, William began to suffer from rheumatism, a disease that would afflict him for the remainder of his life. On 14 December 1862, the 27th N.J. Inf. "re-crossed Deep Run and formed on Hazel Run," which concluded its involvement in the Battle of Fredericksburg.

From 20 to 24 January 1863, the 27th N.J. Inf. participated in General Ambrose Burnside's "Mud March," and from 24 January 1863 to 11 February 1863, the regiment was "in position at Franklin's Crossing supporting Battery B, 1st New York Light Artillery." On 11 February 1863, the 27th N.J. Inf. was moved to Newport News, Virginia, where it was encamped at Camp Burnside "to meet a threatened movement of the enemy" until 13 February 1862. On 18 March 1863, the regiment was at Suffolk, VA, and on 25 March 1863, it was moved to Baltimore, MD. On 28 March 1863, the 27th N.J. Inf., now attached to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Department of the Ohio, arrived in Kentucky, where it was stationed near Lexington and Nicholasville and participated in "operations against [Confederate General John] Pegram's forces." That same day, the regiment "relieved [a] cavalry [detachment] at Hickman Bridge and marched in support [of the cavalry detachment] to Camp Dick Robinson near Danville, KY. The 27th N.J. Inf. was then placed on "picket duty on Lancaster Road and advance guard on Danville Road until" 11 April 1863. Then, the regiment was on duty at Stanford, KY, until 26 April 1863.

From 25 April to 12 May 1863, the 27th N.J. Inf. participated in the Expedition to Monticello, KY. Between 26 and 29 April 1863, the regiment was "marched to Mill Springs and counter-marched to Somerset" before crossing the Cumberland River on 30 April 1863, after which it was "moved to the support of cavalry at Monticello, Kentucky" from 1 to 2 May 1863. On 6 May 1863, around 3:00 P.M., the regiment re-crossed the Cumberland River, being ferried across on thirty-foot-long coal barges. Tragically, one of the boats began to sink, and as the swift current overtook it, 33 soldiers of the 27th N.J. Inf. drowned. The regiment remained along the banks of the Cumberland River to recover any bodies on 7 Mat 1863, but only 7 of 33 were found. The next day, it returned to Somerset, Kentucky.

On 28 May 1863, William Z. Spencer Sr. was admitted to the U.S. Post Hospital Convalescent Camp in Lexington, KY, the reason for which is not specified. William rejoined the 27th N.J. Inf. on 31 May 1863. On 3 June 1863, the regiment moved to Somerset, KY. While encamped at Somerset, John, William's younger brother in Co. C, who had fallen ill, came to his older brother's tent. William later recalled that he "brought him some milk and made him some tea" to help relieve his symptoms. On 4 June 1863, the 27th N.J. Inf. "marched with the troops moving on the Vicksburg Campaign." The regiment then moved to Camp Nelson in Nicholasville, KY, before being "halted at Hickman Bridge by order of General Burnside and [placed on] duty there" until 15 June 1863, at which point the 27th N.J. was transported to Cincinnati, Ohio. The regiment's "withdrawal from the front" was later "complimented by [General] Burnside] in General Orders No. 102."

On 17 June 1863, despite the expiration of the regiment's nine-month-long term of service, the men of the 27th N.J. Inf. volunteered for one more month of enlistment when it became known that Pennsylvania was threatened by Confederate General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North. After accepting the regiment's offer, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton ordered it to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On 18 June 1863, the 27th N.J. Inf. was attached to the Department of the Monongahela and was placed on "duty at Bridgeport opposite Wheeling, West Virginia" from 18 to 20 June 1863. Between 21 to 24 June 1863, the 27th N.J. Inf. "moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and [was placed on] picket duty at Uniontown, Monroe, and Chestnut Bridge Gap." After "a march at Turtle Creek" on 24 and 25 June 1863, the 27th N.J. Inf. was moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where it guarded "a railroad bridge between Camp Hill and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania from 26 to 27 June 1863. The regiment was then sent back to Newark, NJ, on either 28 or 29 June 1863, where it was mustered out on 2 July 1863.

After being mustered out, William returned to his home in Stanhope, Sussex Co., NJ. His neighbor, Stephen McCopson, described him as "a stout and healthy man able to do many kinds of manual labor" upon his return. By June 1864, William Z. Spencer Sr. and his family lived in Lockwood, Byram Township, Sussex Co., NJ, just over a mile north of Stanhope.

On 2 June 1864, at Morristown, Morris Co., NJ, William was drafted into Company H, 15th New Jersey Infantry Regiment as a Private. Although he had already served in the Civil War with the 27th N.J. Inf., "prior service of less than two years in the war was not considered sufficient to exempt one from the draft." At 40 years of age, he was the oldest draftee in the 15th N.J. Inf. He was "enrolled" into the regiment on 10 July 1864. On 25 July 1864, William was present at Camp Perrine in Trenton, NJ, with records describing him as 5 feet, 6 ½ inches tall, with blue eyes, light hair, and a light complexion. His occupation was listed as "laborer," and it was noted that he was entitled to $13.00 in advance pay since he had been drafted.

On 23 August 1864, William joined the 15th N.J. Inf. in Halltown, WV. William's friend, Ezekiel A. Rarick, who had also served in the 27th N.J. Inf. but in Co. C with William's younger brothers, was serving as a Private in Co. F, 15th N.J. Inf. and "tried to get… Spencer in his Company F but did not succeed in doing so as F was full." On 28 August 1864, the 15th N.J. Inf. arrived in Charleston, West Virginia, and on 31 August 1864, the regiment was "on the move again toward Halltown, where they would be in a position to threaten Winchester [Virginia]." The officers of Co. H, 15th N.J. Inf. were Captain William T. Cornish (1837-1885), 1st Lieutenants [later Captain] Dayton E. Flint (1841-1926), James E. Cole (?-?), and George A. Byram (?-?), and 2nd Lieutenants James Victor Bentley (1836-1881) and Manuel K Kline Sr. (1841-1921). At the time, the regiment was attached to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. On or around 16 September 1864, while on picket duty, William began suffering from varicose veins in his right leg.

On 19 September 1864, the 15th N.J. Inf. fought in the Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon. Around noon on 19 September 1864, the 15th N.J. Inf. "was marched from Berryville, VA to Winchester, VA" to engage Confederate forces concealed within a cornfield. After William Spencer's Co. H arrived, "he was placed on the skirmish line [along the edge of the cornfield, and] while on that line deployment had a fall on a log." Shortly after rising and regaining his footing, Co. H and the rest of the 15th N.J. Inf. were fired upon by Confederates in the cornfield. Around this time, William Spencer was severely wounded, sustaining a gunshot wound from a minié ball to the middle of his left thigh. The bullet entered through the back of William's thigh, grazed the femur, "laid bare" the femoral artery, and likely damaged his sciatic nerve before emerging through "the middle third" of the front of his thigh. The entrance wound was approximately the "size of a nickel," whereas the exit wound was around the size of "a quarter dollar." After being wounded, William was transported to the Sixth Corps field hospital and, on the following day, possibly met Union General Philip Sheridan as he visited the wounded.

William Spencer was soon transported from Winchester to the U.S. Field Hospital in Sandy Hook, MD, where he was admitted on 25 September 1864. On 26 September 1864, he was transferred to the General Hospital on Camden Street in Baltimore, MD. On 23 October 1863, he was admitted to the Satterlee U.S.A. General Hospital in West Philadelphia, PA, before being sent to Ward U.S.A. General Hospital in Newark, NJ, on 29 October 1864, being admitted there on 31 October 1864. During this time, it appears Union Army surgeons operated on William to remove bone fragments, but they could not extract all of them. William was possibly sent to recuperate at Ward Hospital so he could vote in the 1864 United States presidential election, as New Jersey did not allow absentee voting at the time. Still, it is unknown if William did indeed vote.

On 5 November 1864, William was granted a furlough, during which he went home to Stanhope, NJ, and returned to Ward Hospital on 12 November 1864. On 14 December 1864, William was listed as having deserted, but this charge was withdrawn the next day. On 21 December 1864, William was sent to the U.S.A. Convalescent Barracks at Fort Wood on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor. On 8 January 1865, William rejoined the 15th N.J. Inf. near Petersburg, VA. Around this time, William "had a severe attack of rheumatism" and was treated by Assistant Surgeon Charles E. Hall of the 15th N.J. Inf. Despite suffering from rheumatism and still recovering from his wound, William fought in the Battle of Hatcher's Run from 5 to 7 February 1865.

Sometime in February 1865, William Spencer was reunited with his friends, Ezekial Rarick and John Parliament, who were serving in Co. F, 15th N.J. Inf. but had been attached to the division's wagon train. Parliament, who was working as a teamster, later recounted that William was walking with a cane at this time. Ezekial Rarick stated that at this time, William told him "there was something the matter with his legs, and [he] then showed Rarick his right leg, and Rarick saw on Spencer's right leg large veins blackish and bluish in colors or changeable colors. Rarick called it blood rupture. The vein was as thick as Rarick's finger in places, uneven, knotty… There were a few bunches on the leg just above the knee about as large as a man's thumb." Parliament recalled something similar, stating that when William came down to the wagon train to meet with him, he told him of the issues he was having with his legs and "sat down on a bag of oats by the front wheel of the wagon and pulled up his pants and Parliament felt with his hands that the vein[s] [in his right leg were]… very much enlarged and in bunches as large or larger than Parliament's finger and felt hard in spots and soft in others." Parliament also noticed that the "wound on Spencer's left thigh was nearly healed over but was discharging." The next day, Parliament went to see how William was feeling and found him off-duty, lying down in his tent.

On 8 March 1865, while near Petersburgh, William Spencer was attached to the supply train of the 1st Division, 6th Corps, Army of the Shenandoah. Muster rolls indicate he was placed on "daily duty" with the Quartermaster's Department. On 2 April 1865, William was present at the Capture of Petersburgh and later witnessed the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on 9 April 1865 at Appomattox, VA. William later stated that he considered these two events to be the "greatest... in… [his] service." On 11 April 1865, the regiment was sent back towards Petersburgh, on 23 April 1865, to Danville, VA, on 5 May 1865 to Charlotte Court House, VA, then to Sutherland Station, VA, on 8 May 1865. On 18 May 1865, the regiment was encamped in Richmond, VA, before being moved to Hall's Hill, VA, on 30 May 1865, then to Washington, D.C., on 8 June 1865.

According to William, "On the 17th June, 1865, when the [supply] train was near Georgetown, Va., I left the train and went to Stanhope, NJ, where my family lives… I thought the war was over, and I might as well go home." On 21 June 1865, William was meant to be transferred to Co. H, 2nd New Jersey Veteran Infantry Regiment, and serve with this regiment until 11 July 1865. However, since he had left for Stanhope, NJ, he was found absent without leave and listed as a deserter. However, on 7 January 1867, this charge was revoked and changed to an honorable discharge by the Adjutant General's Office of the U.S. War Department on the condition that William would forfeit "all pay and allowances" due to him by the Union Army from 18 June to 11 July 1865. It was also determined that William would receive a pension of $4.00 per month after being mustered out since he had been wounded.

- Post-War Life -

Upon returning to Stanhope, NJ, it was clear to many of William Spencer's friends and neighbors that he had not fully recovered from his wound, rheumatism, and other complications of his military service. William Hager Rarick, who served in Co. F, 15th N.J. Inf., stated that "immediately following his discharge from the Army, he heard Spencer complain of rheumatism," as well as "lameness and pain." Watson Wintermute, who had been in Co. D, 15th N.J. Inf., noticed that "[William] Spencer came home in a disabled condition suffering from wounds and varicose veins," Similarly, Stephen McCopson, who employed William's wife while he had been serving with the 15th N.J. Inf., stated that William "was very much broken up and not able to work for quite some time" after returning home. William was also treated by Dr. John Riches of Succasunna, Morris Co., NJ, shortly after his return in 1865, who "found him suffering severely from rheumatism disabling him from labor." Overall, due to his debilitated condition, William struggled to do any labor-intensive work. Wintermute later stated that he considered William "wholly unfit for any service in manual labor."

From 1865 to 1868, William Spencer and his family lived in Stanhope, NJ. Around this time, William's son, John Force Spencer, fell ill several times, during which Methodist Pastor Charles E. Walton made "several calls to their home." William was baptized at the Flanders Methodist Church on 21 February 1869.

By the time the 1870 U.S. Census was taken, William and his family had once again relocated to Roxbury Township, NJ. According to the census, William, aged 46, was living with his wife, Susan, and his children, George John, James Force, Mary Emily, and George Spencer. William's occupation was shown as "works on [a] farm," and his personal estate was valued at $100.00. At the same time, William's younger brother, John Spencer, lived just one house away with his wife and two children. In 1870, William Z. Spencer Sr. built a house at the modern address of 7 Canal Street in Ledgewood [also known as Drakesville], Morris Co., NJ, alongside the Morris Canal, where he would reside for the rest of his life. Around this time, it is believed that William Spencer began working on the Morris Canal as the locktender of Lock 1 East in Drakesville (Ledgewood), a short distance from his home.

On 1 July 1879, William applied for a Civil War Invalid Pension due to the debility he suffered from wounds and illnesses resulting from his military service. The 1880 U.S. Census showed that William, aged 56, his wife, Susan, and daughter, Mary Emily Spencer, were still living in Roxbury Township, albeit technically Ledgewood [Drakesville]. His occupation was listed as "laborer," but it was also indicated that he was "disabled." This information remained unchanged in the 1885 New Jersey State Census.

A notice published in the 4 February 1880 issue of the 'New York Evening Express' stated, "William Spencer, of Drakesville [Ledgewood], is entitled to arrears of pension to the amount of $2,882, and will shortly receive the same. He served under General Winfield Scott and General Zach. [Zachary] Taylor in the Mexican war, and in the late war, he served five years, when he was wounded in the thigh."

On 22 January 1886, William's pension was increased to $6.00 per month, and on 20 March 1886, Dr. Riches gave an affidavit for William Spencer's Civil War Pension. Riches stated that between 1884 and 1885, he removed two bone fragments that had "broke out and discharged" from the thigh wound William had received at the Third Battle of Winchester. Dr. Riches also indicated that William's wound had "rendered… [him] unfit for manual labor," that he was "confined to his bed for many days at a time," and that the varicose veins in his right leg "extend[ed] along the back of the thigh, the popliteal [artery] space," as well as near the femoral artery, and that William was "incapable of movement [of his right leg] without severe pain." On 19 May 1886, in a medical report, William was described as 5 feet, 6 ½ inches tall and weighing 140 pounds. It was also noted that he suffered from "occasional lameness" due to his wound and varicose veins.

On 29 January 1887, William was granted a pension of $8.00 per month for his service in the Mexican American War. On 2 February 1887, another medical examination of William Spencer was conducted to determine whether an increase in his Civil War Pension was warranted. He was described as 5 feet, 6 ¾ inches tall and weighing 136 pounds. The condition of his wound and varicose veins were described as follows: "Gunshot wound of left thigh: cicatrix of entrance on middle posterior part, size of nickel, not tender. Exit anterior middle third of same thigh. Cicatrix size of ¼ dollar. Also two on posterior upper thigh size of dimes… Varicosed condition of popliteal vein of right leg the size of large quills."

On 9 June 1889, William Z. Spencer Sr. joined James McDavit Post 54, Department of New Jersey, Grand Army of the Republic [G.A.R.], which met on Blackwell Street in Dover, Morris Co., NJ. Upon joining, he listed William Hager Rarick [who was a member of the same G.A.R. post], Ezekial Ayres Rarick, John Parliament, and Watson Wintermute as some of his "most intimate comrades" during and after his service in the Civil War. The 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census listed William as living in "Drakesville, Morris Co., NJ," and stated that he "claims gunshot wound in left thigh, [and] varicose veins in right thigh." The 1890 Veterans Schedule also listed his service with Co. K, 27th N.J. Inf. and Co. H, 15th N.J. Inf., and erroneously recorded his time in the Union Army as totaling 2 years and 11 months. In actuality, William served in the Union Army for approximately 1 year, 11 months, and 1 week. On 30 January 1891, William Spencer's pension was increased to $8.00 per month, and on 24 May 1893, to $12.00 per month.

On 24 May 1893, William underwent another medical examination for his pension and was described as 5 feet, 6 ¾ inches tall, and weighing 132 pounds. During this examination, it was found that in addition to being debilitated by his thigh wound and varicose veins, he was also suffering from hydrocele and that his rheumatism affected "both shoulders… and back… especially in the cervical and lumbar region… right wrist… and right hand." Overall, it was determined that William's disabled state at this point was "to a degree equivalent to the loss of a hand or foot for the purpose of manual labor." On 8 June 1894, William H. Rarick stated "that for the past three years, there is much of the time that… [William] Spencer is disabled from doing manual labor on account of rheumatism," with Allen Roberts, William's neighbor, also stating that "for the past two years [William] has been unable to perform manual labor for much of the time and at the present date is almost totally unable to do any labor… [and that] said disabilities are not due to vicious habits." On 3 October 1894, William's Civil War pension was decreased to $10.00 per month.

- Death, Burial, & Legacy -

On 7 May 1899, in Ledgewood [Drakesville], William Z. Spencer Sr. died at the age of 75. On his death certificate from the State of New Jersey, William's age was listed as "75 years, 7 months, [and] 21 days" and his occupation was listed as "farmer." William's death certificate also recorded his cause of death as "intussusception of bowels complicated by injuries [may also say 'wounds'] received in war" and that he had suffered from this "sickness" for 7 days before dying. Dr. H. C. Upchurch was listed as the attending physician. On 10 May 1899, William was buried in First Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Succasunna, Morris Co., NJ.

William Spencer's obituary, published in the Friday, May 12, 1899, issue of "The Iron Era," [the Dover, Morris Co., N.J. newspapers] read as follows:

"Died. Spencer – In Ledgewood, May 7, 1899, William Z. Spencer, aged 76 [75] years. Internment in Succasunna cemetery… SPENCER, - William Spencer died at his home in Ledge wood on Sunday morning in the seventy-sixth year of his age, Mr. Spencer was born in Sussex County in 1823, On March 1, 1849, he married Susan E. Case, who, with a son, J. F. Spencer, of Ledgewood, and a daughter, Mrs. Henry Lisch, of Kenvil, survive him. Mr. Spencer was a veteran of both the Mexican and the Civil wars. In April 1847, he enlisted in the Tenth U.S, Inf. and served throughout the Mexican War. After the outbreak of the Civil war, in 1862, he enlisted in Company K, Twenty-seventh New Jersey Volunteers. His enlistment was for nine months, and he was discharged at the expiration of that time. On June 12, 1864, he again enlisted, this time in the Fifteenth New Jersey Volunteers, and served throughout the war. For nearly thirty years, Mr. Spencer had made his home in Ledgewood. The funeral services were held in the Succasunna M. E. Church on Wednesday afternoon. The Rev, J. E. Hancock, assisted by the Rev. Dr. David Spencer, officiated. A delegation from McDavit Post, G, A. R. attended the funeral. Interment was made in Succasunna cemetery."

Unfortunately, William's tombstone does not list all the regiments he served with in the Civil War, and the oxidized, green metal G.A.R. marker placed at William's grave incorrectly lists the regiments her served with in the Civil War. Although William served in Co. H, 15th N.J. Inf., his tombstone erroneously states that he served in Co. E, and the green G.A.R. marker alongside his grave incorrectly lists him as having served in Co. K, 10th U.S. Inf. in the Civil War. No mention of his service in the 27th N.J. Inf. is present, nor an accurate description of his service in the Mexican American War. In an attempt to remedy this issue, William's 2nd-great-grandnephew, Robert Mayer III, placed modern Mexican American War veteran and Civil War veteran/G.A.R. grave markers/flag holders at his grave on 20 June 2022 with the correct details of William's service in the Mexican and Civil War written on the back of them. William's gravestone was also cleaned with D2 Biological Solution on 15 July 2022.

***This biography of William Z. Spencer Sr. was completed by his 2nd-great-grandnephew, Robert Mayer III, a member of the Descendants of Mexican War Veterans and Camp Commander of Legion of the West Camp 7, Department of Colorado/Wyoming, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.