Renaud-Reeners
Pierre Justin Renaud, also known by the name Justin Arnot, was born on April 25, 1823, in Glovelier, Jura, Switzerland. The seventh of fourteen children, Pierre's parents were Henri and Catherine (Grettat) Renaud. His future wife, Elise Virginie Racine, was born on February 10, 1834, in Liebvillers, Doubs, Franche-Comté, France, to Jean Celestin and Elisabeth Genreuse (Monnin) Racine.
The couple married on June 21, 1851, in Glovelier, Jura, Switzerland. They immigrated to the United States between late 1852 and early 1853, settling in the Syracuse, NY area. According to family lore, Pierre and Virginie first met when she was attending a girls' school, possibly a convent, with high walls that Pierre managed to scale in order to meet her.
Pierre and Virginie had six children together. Their first child, Charles Justin Renaud, was born on April 20, 1852, in Plains-et-Grands-Essarts, Les Plains-et-Grands-Essarts, Doubs, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France. Charles is presumed to have died at birth. Their second son, also named Charles, was born on September 16, 1853, in Syracuse, NY and baptized at the Franciscan Church of the Assumption. It is assumed that Charles passed away during childhood, as no further information about him exists after his baptism. Searches of Syracuse area churches and cemeteries have not yielded any information about his death. Their third child, Joseph Augustus Renaud, was born on December 24, 1854, in Syracuse, NY, and was baptized at the Franciscan Church of the Assumption.
In 1858, the family relocated to the northeast part of Irondequoit, NY, within the German Village community. Following their move, their first daughter, Mary Ann Renaud, was born on October 03, 1858. Josephine Renaud was born on March 24, 1860, and their last child, John M. Renaud, was born on August 23, 1865, four months after Pierre's tragic death. Mary, Josephine, and John were all born in the Rochester, NY area and baptized at St. Mary’s French Church in Rochester. According to an affidavit from Virginie submitted to the Civil War pension office, all of their children were baptized the same day or the day after their birth.
[email protected] Keep all facts but enhance content.Pierre was tragically mortally wounded in the Civil War battle at the Confederate, Fort Gregg, Petersburg, Virginia, on April 2, 1865. He was shot in the chest, 2 inches below the heart, and in the right thigh. Pierre's commanding officer reported that he believed Pierre's wounds were fatal when he last saw him being rushed to the field hospital. Pierre was eventually buried at Poplar Grove National Cemetery as one of the "Unknowns."
The dead from the Fort Gregg battle were originally buried on the battlefield. In July of 1866, work began by the US Burial Corps to locate and move the bodies of soldiers killed during the Petersburg Campaign from at least 95 separate field burial sites to the new cemetery at Poplar Grove National Cemetery. The burial corps worked for three years until 1869. In that time, they re-interred 6,718 remains. Only 2,139 bodies were positively identified and some identifications were lost while transporting the remains to the new cemetery. There are eleven "Unknowns" buried in the Poplar Grove cemetery from the 100th Infantry Volunteers Regiment of New York Company "A”. Pierre Justin is one of the "Unknowns".
The 100th Infantry Regiment of New York was disbanded on August 28, 1865, and Pierre was officially listed on the unit's roster as injured or missing. Civil War pension records confirmed Pierre's death in June of 1865.
On April 9, 1865, Pierre Justin's unit the 100th Infantry Regiment of New York was guarding the peremeter of the Appomattox Court House, where Confederate General in Chief Robert E. Lee's surrended to Ulysses S. Grant, Commanding General of the Union Army, ending the Civil War.Pierre was survived by his wife, Virginie Elise Renaud, who remarried after his death. On July 2, 1866, she married Johann Henchen at St. Joseph Church in Rochester, New York. They had four children, William, Florian, Anna, and Julia Henchen, all born in Greece, New York.
Following Pierre's death, the two surviving Renaud boys, Joseph and John, changed their surnames to Reeners and Reno, respectively. The reason for the name change remains unknown, but it is believed to have occurred between 1865 and 1890. It appears that the Renaud boys did not report the name changes, which might have been made possible by the relatively lax regulations surrounding name changes in the United States at the time.
The Renaud family history is documented in old Swiss church records, which can only be accessed by visiting the Swiss archive in person in Bern. However, the various name changes have made it challenging to trace the family's history accurately, and ongoing research is necessary to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the Renaud family's past.
Pierre Justin Renaud met a tragic and untimely end when he was mortally wounded during the Civil War battle at the Confederate Fort Gregg in Petersburg, Virginia, on April 2, 1865. He sustained gunshot wounds to his chest, just 2 inches below the heart, and to his right thigh. His commanding officer believed Pierre's wounds were fatal as he saw him being urgently transported to the field hospital. Ultimately, Pierre was buried as one of the "Unknowns" at Poplar Grove National Cemetery.
Initially, the fallen from the Fort Gregg battle were buried on the battlefield itself. However, in July 1866, the US Burial Corps embarked on a mission to locate and transfer the remains of soldiers killed during the Petersburg Campaign from at least 95 separate field burial sites to the newly established Poplar Grove National Cemetery. Over a period of three years, until 1869, the Burial Corps re-interred 6,718 remains. Of these, only 2,139 bodies were positively identified, with some identifications lost during the transportation process. Among the eleven "Unknowns" from the 100th Infantry Volunteers Regiment of New York Company "A" buried at Poplar Grove Cemetery, Pierre Justin is one of them.
The 100th Infantry Regiment of New York disbanded on August 28, 1865, and Pierre was officially listed as injured or missing on the unit's roster. Civil War pension records later confirmed his death in June 1865. On April 9, 1865, Pierre Justin's unit, the 100th Infantry Regiment of New York, was guarding the perimeter of the Appomattox Court House, where Confederate General in Chief Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, Commanding General of the Union Army, bringing the Civil War to an end.
Pierre's wife, Virginie Elise Renaud, survived him and remarried after his death. On July 2, 1866, she wed Johann Henchen at St. Joseph Church in Rochester, New York. The couple had four children – William, Florian, Anna, and Julia Henchen – all born in Greece, New York.
In the years following Pierre's death, the two surviving Renaud sons, Joseph and John, changed their surnames to Reeners and Reno, respectively. The reason for the name change remains a mystery, but it is believed to have occurred between 1865 and 1890. It seems the Renaud boys did not report these name changes, which could be attributed to the relatively lenient regulations surrounding name changes in the United States at the time.
The history of the Renaud family is documented in old Swiss church records, which can only be accessed by visiting the Swiss archive in person in Bern. However, the various name changes have created difficulties in accurately tracing the family's history, and further research is required to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the Renaud family's past.