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Writer's pictureGordon Thorsby

Where Duffield Road Originated?

Updated: Oct 18, 2021

by Gordon Thorsby


Street and Road names often originate from earlier settlers. They may be named for men that were respected by people in the area like Lincoln. Many names from the Chesaning area of Michigan appear to be named for Civil War veterans who were property owners, contributed to the area, or where their descendants who made the contributions. There are names in the Chesaning, Michigan area like Volkmer, Stuart, Amman, Andress, Niver, and others. In the case of Duffield Road, it would be for William Duffield or his brother Henry.



William raised the 4th Michigan Regiment and was its colonel at the start of the Civil War. He resigned from 4th only to raise the 9th Michigan Volunteers and become the Colonel. More than seven men from the area around Chesaning with the fourth and more than twenty-five from the ninth served in the 9th Michigan. William was wounded twice and captured at First Murfreesboro in July, 1862 and upon recovery, left the military from his injuries. (Two Chesaning men Lysander Evarts was wounded and with Nathan Jersey, they also were captured. His other accomplishments included Military Governor of Kentucky, House Representative to the State of Michigan, Superintendent of the Coast Guard, and others. He is buried at Arlington.



Brother Henry was a busy man too. When Henry’s brother William was getting wounded, Henry was serving on the Staff for the Army of the Cumberland as a Lieutenant at 20. Wounded at Chickamauga, with the 9th Michigan, he recovered and was given approval of General George Thomas for the establishment, in 1863, of a Chattanooga National Cemetery as a place for Union soldiers to be buried. The Cemetery of Chattanooga is recognized as the beginning of the national cemetery system. He went on to serve as the Provost Marshall through the Atlanta Campaign until his termination of enlistment from the army. He reached the rank of Brigadier General. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit.


So who is Duffield Road named after? I suppose one of them.


Note: Evarts and Jersey are both in Wildwood in the old portion of the cemetery

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