Remembering Michigan’s Lighthouse Keepers Who Began their Service in the Civil War

November 10, 2025 Dianna Stampfler

It was fairly common for veterans of the Civil War to be appointed lighthouse keeper, in Michigan and beyond. Even those who suffered major injuries during battle — including the loss of limbs – were entrusted with the care of our historic beacons.

Peter C. Bird

Born in Romulus in 1841 and marched off to fight in the Civil War in 1862.
During the Battle of Gettysburg, he was wounded in the thigh and, according to family lore, lay on the battlefield for four days before he was discovered and carried off under cover of darkness by his brother Robert. This heroic actis depicted in the e painting at the Gettysburg Cyclorama, where Robert, with his arm in a sling, is seen helping Peter, whose right leg is bandaged just above the knee (above).
After recovering from his battle wound, Peter married Mary Jane Morris.
Peter was hired as the keeper of the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse on Lake Superior in 1865 and six years later witnessed the construction of the new lighthouse. Three of the Bird children at Eagle Harbor, before Peter returned to Romulus and took up farming.

Stephen Cocking

Born in Cornwall, England in 1836 and came to American when he was 11.
At the age of 16, he moved to Eagle River and worked in the South Cliff Mine and then with the Copper Fall Mining Company.
He enlisted in the 23rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment in August 1862.
After the Civil War, he returned to Keweenaw Peninsula and served eight years at Gull Rock Lighthouse before being transferred to Eagle Harbor in 1877.
Cocking passed away at the lighthouse of Bright’s Disease in 1889 and is buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Eagle Harbor.

James S. Donahue

Born to Irish immigrants Manday and Nellie (Loan) Donahue on March 18, 1840, in Addison County, Vermont, James one of seven children.
At the age of 12, he took a job on a whaling ship, sailing around the Pacific and Arctic oceans for nearly four years before returning to the New England area.
He landed in Detroit shortly thereafter and enlisted in June 1861 as a private of Company A, Eighth Michigan infantry fighting in the Civil War.
Donahue was active in several battles, taking a hit to his shoulder during an engagement on James Island. He was laid up for several weeks but returned to the front line and saw action at Cumberland Gap, Antietam and Strawberry Plains, among other battles. On May 6, 1864, his left leg was struck by a conical-shaped Minié ball resulting in an amputation at the thigh. Discharged four months later, he returned to Detroit before moving to Gratiot County (in the center of the Lower Peninsula) where he married Sophia Oberlin on June 17, 1872.
In March 1874, a one-legged Donahue accepted the position of acting lighthouse keeper—the second of only six men to officially tend the light.
He and Sophia moved to the shoreline community where March 1875, they welcomed their only son but sadly Sophia passed away just four months later. Donahue married his second wife, Anna Kyme. Over time they expanded their family with five sons and a daughter.
Despite his disability, Donahue served for 35 years and is credited with saving more than a dozen lives.
He also held several other jobs in town including operating a boat livery with his brother, was the first pump house operator, which began in 1892 in the city’s waterworks building. He also dabbled in real estate and was believed to have served at one point as postmaster.

Barney Evers

Born in Rome, New York in April 1845.
Enlisted on January 4, 1864 in Washtenaw, County, mustering in just seven days later. He Served in the 16 Regiment, Michigan Infantry – Company C and was wounded in action during the Battle of North Anna, Virginia, on May 23, 1864. He mustered out, with disabilities, on June 19, 1865 from Harper Hospital in Detroit. From there, he was sent to the Northwestern Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Milwaukee but eventually made his way back to Michigan.
In 1885, he was hired as the keeper of the Pentwater South Pierhead Lighthouse, serving for 26 years. Barney date of death is unknown, but he is buried in the G.A.R. section of the Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit.

Barney Litogot

Barney was the third of four siblings born in the Dearborn area in the 1830s or early 1840s. Their mother died when they were young and the father raised the boys but adopted out his sister who later married William Ford (parents to Henry Ford).
In May of 1861, Barney married Caroline Amelia Taylor.
In 1862, he and his brother, John, enlisted in the Michigan 24th Infantry (Company K) to fight in the Civil War, mustering out of Detroit on August 15, 1862. John died in the very first battle they fought together at Fredericksburg, VA, in mid-December 1862. Barney continued his service, fighting in major battles including Wilderness, Spotsville, Cold Harbor and Gettysburg (where he lost a couple fingers on his right hand).
Barney mustered out of the Civil War in June 1865 as a sergeant and returned to Michigan as a farmer, husband and father.
On March 18, 1873, Barney was hired as keeper of the Mamajuda Lighthouse (no longer standing) but died 9 months later – just two days before Christmas and Caroline was named keeper, until 1884.

Lemuel Mattison Marvin

Born June 24, 1846 in New Hudson (Oakland County), Michigan.
He enlisted on August 25, 1862 and served in the 1^st Michigan Sharpshooters and was discharged just over two years later.
In February 1866 he married Catherine “Kate” Elizabeth Winterhalter.
Lemuel began his lighthouse career in 1895 as a first assistant at the Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse and was promoted in 1897 to serve as the head keeper of the Squaw Point Lighthouse in northern Lake Michigan. He served just six months there before he died and his Kate took over the duties (serving until 1904).

Aaron Sheridan

Came to northern Michigan from upstate New York around 1860 but was soon called into service as part of Company E, Thirteenth Illinois Infantry during the Civil War.
In late November of 1863, he was seriously wounded during the Battle of Ringgold Gap in northwest Georgia. The bones of his lower left arm were shattered, leaving the entire appendage useless. While hospitalized in the Chicago area recovering from his injuries, Aaron met Julia F. Moore, who became his wife in 1865.
Despite having no previous lighthouse experience, Aaron’s courageous war record and reputable character earned him the position of the keeper on South Manitou Island, where he had family—including his father, James, who homesteaded an 80-acre farm on the upper west side of Florence Lake.
Five years after Aaron’s appointment, the lighthouse service erected a new 100-foot tower to house a Third Order Fresnel Lens, as well as an adjacent fog signal building. This would have created a greater challenge for Aaron in his daily duties, given the cast iron pail full of whale oil or lard would have been quite a load to haul up the tower steps, with one arm and all.
With more responsibility, Julia became an official assistant keeper of record effective September 30, 1872. She is noted as one of nearly three dozen women to hold such ranks in Michigan.
Aaron, Julia and their 9-month-old son, Robert, died in a tragic shipwreck in 1878 while rowing back home to the lighthouse.

Nelson Truckey

Born March 12, 1824 in River Rouge, Michigan. On February 27, 1843, he married Anastasia (also known as Eliza) Murcure.
In 1861, he was hired as keeper of the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse.
He enlisted on August 3, 1862 in the 27th Michigan Infantry Company B and was soon promoted to First Lieutenant (October 10, 1862) and then to Captain (April 1, 1864). He was wounded in action, getting hit in the right leg, on June 17, 1864 in Petersburg, Virginia. He mustered out July 26, 1865.
While he was serving in the Civil War, Eliza served as acting keeper. After he left the service, they both left the lighthouse industry.
Nelson died on November 8, 1886 and Eliza died two years later; they’re both buried in the Saint Patrick’s Cemetery in Bay City.