Civil War Union Army Officer. He studied law in the office of his brother Jacob Weart in Jersey City. When the Civil War broke out the President's call for seventy-five thousand troops was issued on April 15, 1861. He was the first volunteer in the state of New Jersey to sign the rolls of volunteers at Hudson House, Grand Street, Jersey City on April 26, 1861. His older brother George W. Weart also volunteered and they were both corporals in Company C, 2nd New Jersey Militia. He was also the correspondent of the Courier and Advertiser while at the front. He was mustered out on July 31, 1861. He was admitted to the bar and opened a office in Hoboken. He then helped raise the 21st New Jersey Volunteers of nine months men and went to the front as 2nd Lieutenant of Company H, on September 2, 1862 and fought at the Battle of Fredericksburg. He served until his regiment was mustered out on June 19, 1863. He then located at Independence, Iowa and was the city clerk. He also held the city criminal court and secretary of the Iowa senate and clerk of the house. He also has the honor of a G.A.R. Post, number 108 Hopewell, New Jersey named after the first volunteer. He was married to Jane Maria Taylor at Philadelphia and had five children. He died from a accidental gunshot wound while gunning and after his death the family moved back to Philadelphia. JAMES MANNERS WEART* was born in 1838, at Hopewell, Mercer Co., N.J., being the seventh son of Spencer S. Weart and Sarah Garrison, his wife. He was educated at the common schools of his neighborhood, and took up the study of the law with his brother, Jacob Weart, in Jersey City, and had not completed his course of reading when Fort Sumter was fired upon, in April, 1861. The President’s proclamation was issued for seventy-five thousand volunteers to suppress the Rebellion on Monday, April 15, 1861. A call was issued on the afternoon of that day for a meeting at the Hudson House for Tuesday evening, April 16, 1861. This meeting was organized by electing Hon. Isaac W. Scudder chairman, and Thomas Potter, Esq., offered a resolution that a roll be opened for volunteers. Upon this resolution being passed, James M. Weart came forward as the first man to put down his name, and some thirty others followed immediately afterwards, amidst great enthusiast, and the meeting gave such an impetus to the movement that the whole Second Regiment volunteered in a body a few days afterwards, and the companies were filled by volunteers who had never before belonged to any military organization.
Mr. Weart was the first man to volunteer from Hudson County, and this meeting is believed to have been the first organized meeting in the State, and if so, he was the first volunteer in the State. His brother, George W. Weart, was in business in New York City, and he volunteered also, and they both joined Company C, commanded by Capt. Frederick Grain, Jr. While in the field Mr. Weart was the war correspondent of the Courier and Advertiser of Jersey City, and wrote many letters which were published in that paper. On his return he again resumed the study of law, was licensed at November term, 1861, and opened an office at Hoboken, where he continued to practice until September, 1862, when he was commissioned by Governor Olden as second lieutenant in Company H, commanded by Capt. Foster W. Van Kirk, in the Twenty-first Regiment, of nine months’ volunteers, commanded by Col. Gilliam Van Houten.** Soon after the regiment reached the field Mr. Weart was transferred to the general’s staff, and placed in command of an Ambulance Corps, which position he held until the regiment returned and was mustered out of service. In the fall of 1863, Mr. Weart removed to Independence, Iowa, and opened an office there for the practice of his profession. When the town was incorporated he was elected the first city clerk, and held the office until his death. He was appointed assistant secretary of the Iowa Senate, and afterwards elected secretary of the Senate. After serving his term out he was elected clerk of the Iowa House of Assembly, which office he held at the time of his death. He accidentally shot himself while out gunning for prairie chickens, and died in 1872, in the thirty-fourth year of his age.
Mr. Weart was the first man to volunteer from Hudson County, and this meeting is believed to have been the first organized meeting in the State, and if so, he was the first volunteer in the State. His brother, George W. Weart, was in business in New York City, and he volunteered also, and they both joined Company C, commanded by Capt. Frederick Grain, Jr. While in the field Mr. Weart was the war correspondent of the Courier and Advertiser of Jersey City, and wrote many letters which were published in that paper. On his return he again resumed the study of law, was licensed at November term, 1861, and opened an office at Hoboken, where he continued to practice until September, 1862, when he was commissioned by Governor Olden as second lieutenant in Company H, commanded by Capt. Foster W. Van Kirk, in the Twenty-first Regiment, of nine months’ volunteers, commanded by Col. Gilliam Van Houten.** Soon after the regiment reached the field Mr. Weart was transferred to the general’s staff, and placed in command of an Ambulance Corps, which position he held until the regiment returned and was mustered out of service. In the fall of 1863, Mr. Weart removed to Independence, Iowa, and opened an office there for the practice of his profession. When the town was incorporated he was elected the first city clerk, and held the office until his death. He was appointed assistant secretary of the Iowa Senate, and afterwards elected secretary of the Senate. After serving his term out he was elected clerk of the Iowa House of Assembly, which office he held at the time of his death. He accidentally shot himself while out gunning for prairie chickens, and died in 1872, in the thirty-fourth year of his age.
Civil War Union Army Officer. He studied law in the office of his brother Jacob Weart in Jersey City. When the Civil War broke out the President's call for seventy-five thousand troops was issued on April 15, 1861. He was the first volunteer in the state of New Jersey to sign the rolls of volunteers at Hudson House, Grand Street, Jersey City on April 26, 1861. His older brother George W. Weart also volunteered and they were both corporals in Company C, 2nd New Jersey Militia. He was also the correspondent of the Courier and Advertiser while at the front. He was mustered out on July 31, 1861. He was admitted to the bar and opened a office in Hoboken. He then helped raise the 21st New Jersey Volunteers of nine months men and went to the front as 2nd Lieutenant of Company H, on September 2, 1862 and fought at the Battle of Fredericksburg. He served until his regiment was mustered out on June 19, 1863. He then located at Independence, Iowa and was the city clerk. He also held the city criminal court and secretary of the Iowa senate and clerk of the house. He also has the honor of a G.A.R. Post, number 108 Hopewell, New Jersey named after the first volunteer. He was married to Jane Maria Taylor at Philadelphia and had five children. He died from a accidental gunshot wound while gunning and after his death the family moved back to Philadelphia. JAMES MANNERS WEART* was born in 1838, at Hopewell, Mercer Co., N.J., being the seventh son of Spencer S. Weart and Sarah Garrison, his wife. He was educated at the common schools of his neighborhood, and took up the study of the law with his brother, Jacob Weart, in Jersey City, and had not completed his course of reading when Fort Sumter was fired upon, in April, 1861. The President’s proclamation was issued for seventy-five thousand volunteers to suppress the Rebellion on Monday, April 15, 1861. A call was issued on the afternoon of that day for a meeting at the Hudson House for Tuesday evening, April 16, 1861. This meeting was organized by electing Hon. Isaac W. Scudder chairman, and Thomas Potter, Esq., offered a resolution that a roll be opened for volunteers. Upon this resolution being passed, James M. Weart came forward as the first man to put down his name, and some thirty others followed immediately afterwards, amidst great enthusiast, and the meeting gave such an impetus to the movement that the whole Second Regiment volunteered in a body a few days afterwards, and the companies were filled by volunteers who had never before belonged to any military organization.
Mr. Weart was the first man to volunteer from Hudson County, and this meeting is believed to have been the first organized meeting in the State, and if so, he was the first volunteer in the State. His brother, George W. Weart, was in business in New York City, and he volunteered also, and they both joined Company C, commanded by Capt. Frederick Grain, Jr. While in the field Mr. Weart was the war correspondent of the Courier and Advertiser of Jersey City, and wrote many letters which were published in that paper. On his return he again resumed the study of law, was licensed at November term, 1861, and opened an office at Hoboken, where he continued to practice until September, 1862, when he was commissioned by Governor Olden as second lieutenant in Company H, commanded by Capt. Foster W. Van Kirk, in the Twenty-first Regiment, of nine months’ volunteers, commanded by Col. Gilliam Van Houten.** Soon after the regiment reached the field Mr. Weart was transferred to the general’s staff, and placed in command of an Ambulance Corps, which position he held until the regiment returned and was mustered out of service. In the fall of 1863, Mr. Weart removed to Independence, Iowa, and opened an office there for the practice of his profession. When the town was incorporated he was elected the first city clerk, and held the office until his death. He was appointed assistant secretary of the Iowa Senate, and afterwards elected secretary of the Senate. After serving his term out he was elected clerk of the Iowa House of Assembly, which office he held at the time of his death. He accidentally shot himself while out gunning for prairie chickens, and died in 1872, in the thirty-fourth year of his age.
Mr. Weart was the first man to volunteer from Hudson County, and this meeting is believed to have been the first organized meeting in the State, and if so, he was the first volunteer in the State. His brother, George W. Weart, was in business in New York City, and he volunteered also, and they both joined Company C, commanded by Capt. Frederick Grain, Jr. While in the field Mr. Weart was the war correspondent of the Courier and Advertiser of Jersey City, and wrote many letters which were published in that paper. On his return he again resumed the study of law, was licensed at November term, 1861, and opened an office at Hoboken, where he continued to practice until September, 1862, when he was commissioned by Governor Olden as second lieutenant in Company H, commanded by Capt. Foster W. Van Kirk, in the Twenty-first Regiment, of nine months’ volunteers, commanded by Col. Gilliam Van Houten.** Soon after the regiment reached the field Mr. Weart was transferred to the general’s staff, and placed in command of an Ambulance Corps, which position he held until the regiment returned and was mustered out of service. In the fall of 1863, Mr. Weart removed to Independence, Iowa, and opened an office there for the practice of his profession. When the town was incorporated he was elected the first city clerk, and held the office until his death. He was appointed assistant secretary of the Iowa Senate, and afterwards elected secretary of the Senate. After serving his term out he was elected clerk of the Iowa House of Assembly, which office he held at the time of his death. He accidentally shot himself while out gunning for prairie chickens, and died in 1872, in the thirty-fourth year of his age.
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