Elizabeth Ann Olmstead Marchant Upright was born in 1806 in Connecticut and died August 7, 1890 in Rockford, Floyd County, Iowa. She married Arlo James Marchant in 1824 and he died in 1855 in Winnebago County, Illinois. (I do not know where he is buried, but intend to add him to FAG anyway.) In 1861 she married Morris J. Upright who made her a Civil War widow. She was the mother of 17 children (13 sons and 4 daughters)and 10 of her sons volunteered in the Civil War and her youngest son served in the regular army from 1873 until the Secretary of War allowed his discharge in 1879 after a petition by his aging mother and other citizens.
The Burlington Hawk-Eye
Burlington, Iowa
Sunday Morning, June 5, 1932
Page 1, Column 6

ASK MONUMENT TO MOTHER OF TEN SOLDIERS

Recognition Of Woman By Congress In Sight After 44 Years

Special To The Hawk-Eye.

Rockford, Ia, June 4.--Hope that Memorial day of 1933 will see in the little Rockford cemetery the only congressional monument to motherhood which this country has authorized is expressed by persons in this section who are carrying on a campaign for recognition of Mrs. Elizabeth Marchant Upright, who had 10 sons in the union army and an eleventh in his country's service in the years following the Civil war. The first steps in this campaign were taken in 1888 and it has been resumed intermittently since.

Mrs. Marchant's grave is unmarked, except for a Women's Relief corps emblem. She is, backers for the movement for a congressional monument to her memory say, the only woman on record who had 11 sons in service in this country and they want that fact recognized by the country which to date has ignored her family's unprecedented sacrifices to patriotism.

Private Gifts Possible

If it is impossible to gain a congressional appropriation -- the only way in which the government could be brought to recognize her claim to distinction--the sponsors of the movement suggest raising a fund by private subscription.

When the 44-year-old campaign was inaugurated, it was by Editor Joe Trigg, a Civil war veteran, in his paper, the Rockford Register. He called attention to the fact the 82-year-old widow was receiving but $8 monthly from the government which took her 11 sons from her. Today that editor's son, carrying on the same paper, is vigorously leading the drive for a congressional monument.

Besides being the mother of 11 mean who volunteered for service, she was the widow of a Civil war veteran, her second husband having served in the army during the conflict.

Three Died In Service

Three sons died in service, one of them in action at Atlanta. Her $8 pension was based on the service record of the one who died in battle, DeWitt. After the campaign of the senior Trigg was undertaken, she received an increase to $30 in pension, based on the record of Norman M. Marchant, the eleventh son, who served in Co. B, United States cavalry.

The American Legion is leading the present drive. Its officers have procured pledges of assistance from senators and congressmen from Iowa.

Elizabeth Ann Olmstead Marchant Upright was born in 1806 in New York State. Her marriage to Orlo Marchant took place in that state and they made their home at Cathrene, N. Y. There in the same house 13 sons and four daughters were born to her. She moved to Winnebago, Ill., after Mr. Marchant's death and while the family lived there her 10 sons enlisted in the union army.

List of Sons In Service

The sons and their service connections were:

George W. Marchant--Co. C, Seventy-Fourth Illinois infantry.
Abel C. Marchant--Co. C, Fifteenth Illinois infantry. (Died in service).
DeWitt C. Marchant--Co. C,, Illinois infantry. (Died in service).
Enoch Marchant--Co. F, One Hundred Fifty-Sixth Illinois infantry.
David O. Marchant--Co. C, Forty-Seventh Illinois infantry.
Silas B. Marchant--Co. G, Forty-Fourth Illinois infantry.
Lewis H. Marchant--Co. G, Forty-Fifth Illinois infantry.
Aaron Marchant--Co. G, Fifteenth Wisconsin Infantry. (Died in service).
James P. Marchant--Quartermaster corps.
Arlo J. Marchant--Co. G. Forty-Fourth Illinois infantry.

Married Former Soldier

After the war, Mrs. Marchant was married to M. J. Upright, a veteran of the union army, who also had a son in service, and in 1875 they moved to Butler county, Iowa. They came to Rockford in 1880 and she resided here until her death in 1890 at the age of 83 years. Her former residence is still standing here. It is owned by Mrs. Vada Pecht, and is known as the Milton place.

Two sons, Norman and Arlo Mervill made Rockford their home and a son of Arlo, William C. Marchant, is a resident here at this time.