At the age of 31, Mathew Westcott was mustered as 2nd Lieutenant of Company
A at Syracuse, New York, on September 18, 1862 under a commission dated
October 4, 1862, rank August 30, 1862.
He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant under a commission dated March 4, 1863,
rank February 8, 1863.
He was severely wounded in the face at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 3,
1863 and was discharged Feburary 5, 1864 at Washington, D.C. by reason of
wounds. He subsequently died at Syracuse, N.Y., indirectly from his
injury received in service.
He was Brevetted Captain.
Captain Collins writes in the
regimental history that "Lieutenant Westcott was a gallant officer,
generally respected, and his loss was a grievous one, both to the company and
the regiment."
