Augustus Meyers

Augustus Meyers was an American soldier during the Civil War, best known for writing Ten Years in the Ranks, U.S. Army, an account of his life in the military. The book is an important historical document, containing many unique descriptions of practices that would otherwise be unknown. Meyers was the first to write about the training he received at the School of Practice on Governor's Island, New York, where Army musicians were trained.

After joining the Army at the age of twelve in 1854, Meyers served in the color guard for the 2nd Infantry Regiment, and then became the youngest sergeant in his company at age twenty-one. He was detailed as brigade commissary sergeant. Later in the war, during the battle for Petersburg, Meyers was appointed acting ordnance sergeant.

At the end of the war, with the support of Col William F. Drum, Augustus was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the Fifth New York volunteers, Duryea's Zouaves. Although so commissioned, he was not officially mustered in, choosing to return to civilian life instead. Nevertheless, he was permitted to participate in the group's activities as a veteran. In 1888, he served as a Vice Chairman of the dedication committee for the unveiling of the bronze statue of G. K. Warren at Little Round Top, Gettysburg. The statue by Karl Gerhardt rests on the exact spot where Gen. Warren stood when looking over the field on July 2, 1863.

Ten Years in the Ranks, U.S. Army was originally published by Stirling Press in 1914 and that edition was reprinted by Arno Press in 1979.

Augustus Meyers was born on June 20, 1841 in the community of Morschwyl, a part of the Borough of Rorschach, in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. He was baptised Johann Baptist August Maier. As was customary, upon arrival in the US, the family adopted a more American spelling for their name. Along with his widowed mother, Franziska (Benz) Maier, later known as Francis, he reached the United States in 1852. A half- brother, Joseph Peter Maier, remained behind. The family lost contact with Joseph and after the Civil War spent many years trying to locate him without success. They settled in New York City, but after a short time, having few options, Augustus joined the army. It was a testament to his self- determination that he eventually educated himself to be an effective author in English despite growing up speaking German and having had almost no formal education. After the war, he married Elizabeth Cozzens from Albany and was financially successful in the bluestone business.

Later in his career, he developed several large warehouse buildings along the Hudson River which still stand today. 547-553 W. 27th / 548-552 W. 28th is located just east of 11th Avenue spanning the block between 27th and 28th street. It was his first large project and measures just over 100,000 square feet. It was prior to the commencement of construction leased to the firm of Berlin & Jones and is now included in the Chelsea historic district. It has subsequently evolved from its original industrial purpose to be the workspace for multiple eclectic creative commercial tenants including over 2 dozen art galleries. The largest of these is the non-profit Aperture Foundation. The building is now a NYC Landmark and is known as the "Landmark Arts Building". Another building at 547 West 20th Street, aka 120 11th Avenue, had housed several art galleries as well. It remained in the Meyers family until 2000. Now it has been converted to high end residential lofts. They were marketed as the "Lifesaver Lofts". It is claimed that Mint Products Company manufactured Life Saver mints from there 1913 to 1916.

Augustus traveled widely and circled the world several times. He had six children and died in NYC in 1919.