Submitted by: Tom Bauerle
Notes on Peter Bruso, 11th NY Cavalry, CO M
Peter Bruso is first mentioned in the City Directory of Buffalo
in 1853 (page. 143).
In 1853, around 21 years old, Peter is listed as a sawyer at
Townsend's Steam Saw Mill on Tonawanda Street in Black Rock.
According to Cheryl Haas, Peter and Almira married in 1854. For
a two year period from 1854-1856 he lived on Forest Avenue, near
Niagara Street. The following year Peter apparently moved down
the street, and is listed as living on Forest near Dewitt. By
1858, Peter worked at the Buffalo Iron and Nail Works, and moved
to North Washington (now West Avenue) near DeWitt Street.
In 1859, Peter was joined by Antoine (listed in City Directory
as "Anthony"), Frederick, and Lewis Bruso. Anthony and Frederick
found work at the Buffalo Iron and Nail Works, and Peter is also
listed as a "nailer". While not included in the 1860 City
Directory, Peter Bruso was noted in the Federal Census. Peter
was then listed as being 27 years old, with a wife Amelia
(Almira) and two children: three year old Harriet and 1 1/2 year
old Adelaide (Addie).
From a letter provided by Cheryl Haas of Oregon (Peter's wife,
Almira Clark, was a sister of Cheryl's ancestor Celestia
Arabella Clark), was written by Celestia's son, Frank Rarick:
"Frank H. Rarick was born April 29, 1854 at Dover Center, Ohio,
and lived for about 7 years nine miles west of Cleveland, OH,
near what was called Rocky River. Of my earliest recollections
was the unveiling of Perry's Monument at Cleveland and the sham
battle on Lake Eary (sic) September 10, 1860. I was at that time
a little over 6 years old, but I can remember seeing many boats
on the Lake and also the great crowd in Cleveland. They were on
the housetops and everywhere. We left Ohio in the summer of 1861
in a covered wagon with about 10 aboard. Father and mother,
Mary, Edwin, Frank, Charles and William. Also UNCLE PETER and
AUNT ALMIRA with cousins ADDA and CHICK. We had two horses, one
black named Barney and one bay named Nell. We came through the
Maume Swamp in the evening and had a little rain. Two men in a
buggy tried to find out how many there were of us, but when we
all talked, they turned out and went by. When we stopped at a
hotel a little later, they told us there had been a number of
hold ups in that place. We landed in Charlotte, Michigan, and
father bought 40 acres of land about 6 miles west of Charlotte
in Concord Township. We lived there only a few years."
Having returned to Buffalo, Peter enlisted in the Union Army the
following summer on August 28, 1862, and was inducted as a
private in Company M of the 11th NY Cavalry, "Scott's 900" the
next day. The Common Council granted Mrs. Peter Bruso some kind
of tax break at a meeting on or around December 10, 1862, and
this was reported on the front page of the Buffalo Morning
Express on this date. Less than five months later, Peter was
discharged at Camp Relief, Washington, due to disability. In
1863 he was back in the city's Iron industry, working as a
"nailer" and living on Forest near Dewitt. The following year he
continued as an iron worker at Pratt's Iron Works, living on
Pooley Place near Dewitt.
There is a two year gap, from 1865 to 1866, but it seems logical
that Peter continued as an iron worker at Pratt's, as he is
listed as a "nailer" in 1867 and 1868, and thereafter in 1872,
1874, 1875, 1876, and 1877. In the 1870 Federal Census, Peter
was listed as a 35 year old nailer, living with 34 year old
Almira (keeping house), 11 year old daughter Addie; 8 year old
daughter Almira; and 1 year old daughter Emma. The family was
not listed in the 1880 Federal Census, and may have moved to
Canada in the period 1877-1881.
By 1881, Peter had apparently had enough of industry, and became
a farmer across the Niagara River from Buffalo in Ft. Erie,
Ontario. In the 1881 Ontario Census, Peter is listed as a 49
year old man, living with his 45 year old wife Almira. This
record states that Almira was born in the US, of Scotch
ancestry. Research in April 1998 has identified Almira's family
as a "Mayflower Family", and Cheryl Haas has traced this line
back to Charlemagne. The couple lived with or next door to 50
year old Antoine Bruso and his 45 year old wife Mary; and 40
year old Frederick Bruso and his 38 year old wife Emma, lending
some support to the notion that the families were somehow
related.
In October, 1886 Peter died at Fort Erie of Bright's Disease,
and was taken across the border one last time for burial in
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, NY.
His widow Almira moved back to Buffalo and is listed as living
on Pennsylvania ST in Buffalo in 1899, 1900, and 1901. She
apparently died in Ft. Erie on January 27, 1905 and was buried
at Forest Lawn in section 9, Lot 281.
It is unclear whether Peter Bruso was in fact a brother to my
great-great grandfather, OCTAVE BRUSO. Our family history lore
holds this to be the case, but I have not been able to confirm
this.
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