"One after another the links which have bound the North and the South together, have been severed..." A quote by a Mississippi Newspaper editor.
In the early morning hours of April 12, 1861, at an American fort called, Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, Confederate soldiers attacked. This started what is considered "the bloodiest war in America's history," The American Civil War.
The Civil War was a life-changing event. No sphere of life was untouched. Few Americans understood what they were getting into when the war began. The onset of hostilities sparked patriotic sentiments, optimistic speeches and joyous ceremonies in both North and South. On July 21, 1861, at the first battle of the Civil War at Bull Run, Americans learned that "Fighting Means Killing!"
The Soldier's War
Military service entirely changed the lives of ordinary soldiers. Enlistment took young men from their homes and submerged them in a large organization whose military discipline disregarded their individuality. Army life meant tiresome, physical hardship, and separation from loved ones. Soldiers in battle confronted fear and danger, and the risk of death from wounds or disease was very high. Many soldiers formed, in the midst of war, a bond with their fellow soldiers, and a connection to a noble purpose that they cherished for years afterward.
Soldiers had to endure many hardships. From low supplies of blankets and clothing to vermin and lice, and unsafe water supplies that cause, among other diseases, dysentery. Few had seen violent death before, but war soon exposed them to the blasted bodies of their friends and enemies. Many men died gallantly; there were innumerable striking displays of courage. But far more often soldiers gave up their lives in the mass, as part of a commonplace sacrifice.
It is to the Soldier that I dedicate this page to. I have a great-great Grandfather who served in the Michigan volunteers, a great-great-great Grandfather who served with the New York volunteers, a great-great-great Grandfather who served with the Nevada Cavalry and my husband had two great-great-great Grandfather's who served in the Michigan volunteers. You can read all about them in the following descriptions.
The information is in this order, and if I have a webpage for them there is a link in their name
Other Links (At the bottem of this page)
George W. ALDRICH was born March 08, 1847 in Washtenaw County, MI, and died February 08, 1908 in Brant, Saginaw County, MI.SERVICE RECORD: Private. Enlisted in company F, Twenty-Ninth Infantry, August 31, 1864, at St. Charles, Michigan, for 3 years, age 18. Mustered September 3, 1864. Corporal. Mustered out at Murfreesboro, Tenn., September 6, 1865. (1, 2)
He was a member of the G.A.R. Post No. 398 located at Brant, Saginaw County, MI. (3)OCCUPATION: Farmer in Brant, Saginaw County, MI
BURIAL: Civilian Stone: Brant Cemetery, Brant, MI (Section #3, Row #20) Military Stone: Brant Cemetery, Brant, MI (Section #3, Row #21) says "Geo. Aldrich Co. F. 29th Mich. Inf." just behind Civilian Stone. (4)
- Turner, George H., Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers of the Civil War (1861-1865), (Lansing, Mich. : Michigan Adjutant-General's Dept., 1905, (Kalamazoo, Mich. : Ihling Bros. & Everard)), Twenty-Ninth Infantry, Page 1.
- Descriptive Roll of Company F, Twenty-Ninth Regiment, Michigan Infantry Volunteers, 1861-1866. Vols. 28.
- Grand Army of the Republic, Muster Roll of Members of George Ward Post 398, Brant, Saginaw County, MI. 30 Sept. 1889.
- Stone Photo and Cemetery Index.
Pvt. Charles M. Garner
Charles M. Garner, son of Jeremiah Garner and Clarinda Wood, was born on 15 May 1836 in Cayuga County, NY and died on 24 Dec 1864 in Salisbury Prison Hospital, Salisbury, Rowan County, NC.
The cause of his death was Malnutrition; Offically he died of Diarrhrea.
According to the list on NY Military Museum's list of New Yorkers who died at Salisbury Prison, NC (http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/prisoners/Salisbury.htm#G), they have Charles as Pvt. Charles Grayner.
* Enlistment (US Civil War): Drafted 97th NY Infantry Co I; (Pvt) ; 3 year term, 23 Jul 1863, Auburn, Cayuga County, NY. Remarks: No 10, 24 NY
Company Descriptive Book.
Age: 26 years
Height: 5 feet 5 1/2 inches
Where Born: Cayuga County, NY
* Fowarded after Muster (US Civil War): Muster & Descriptive Roll of a Detachment of Drafted Men & Substitutes forwarded..., 29 Sep 1863, Elmira, Cayuga County, NY.
* Joined Regt. (US Civil War): Bristoe Campaign, 3 Oct 1863, Prince William County, VA. (According to card abstracts taken from muster rolls).
* Captured (US Civil War): Weldon Railroad, 19 Aug 1864, Petersburg, Fauquier County, VA. "...confined at Richmond, Va., Aug. 20, 1864. Sent to Salisbury, NC Oct. 9, 1864."
* Prisoner of War (US Civil War): 9 Oct 1863, Salisbury Prison, Salisbury, Rowan County, NC. Admitted to Salisbury Hospital on Nov. 16, 1864 Diarrhea #565; Retd. to duty Dec. 2, 1864; Admttd. Dec. 22, 1864 Diarrhea #691. Died Dec. 24, 1864 Diarrhrea
Occupation: Farmer; Cayuga County, NY
Burial: He died during a very hard period at the Prison so he did not receive an individual grave or ceremony but was taken to the old corn field and buried in a mass grave, which is the Salisbury National Cemetery. It is believed that most of the records that were kept were lost when Gen. George Stoneman's men burned the almost empty Prison in April 1865.
Pvt. James C. Neff
Samuel MARTIN was born January 4, 1839 in Pennsylvania, and died March 17, 1918 in Warren, Macomb County, MI.SERVICE RECORD: Enlisted in company D, Twenty-second Infantry, Aug. 11, 1862, at Pontiac, for 3 years, age 22. Mustered Aug. 14, 1862. Brigade Mail Carrier July, 1864. Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., June 26, 1865. Was involved in the Battle of Chickamanga. (1, 2)
OCCUPATION: Farmer in Troy, Oakland County, MI for most of his life.
I do not have a civil war photo of him, but I do have a civilian photo of him, Unknown date.
- Turner, George H., Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers of the Civil War (1861-1865), (Lansing, Mich. : Michigan Adjutant-General's Dept., 1905, (Kalamazoo, Mich. : Ihling Bros. & Everard)), Twenty-second Infantry, Page 99.
- Eleventh Census of the US, 1890. Veterans Census. Oakland County, MI
Peter Dibean, born circa. 1817 in Canada. Died January 14, 1865 in Pontiac, Michigan.
In 1861 (Photo most likely taken then), along with his son Alexander, Peter Dibean enlisted as Peter Dibeau in the Michigan 5th Infantry in Company "D" Fort Wayne, Detroit from Oakland County August 23, 1861 for three years at age 44, mustered August 28, 1861. He was part of the force that was guarding Washington DC as well as carrying out missions in the State of Virginia. September 24, 1862 Peter was discharged for medical reasons at Fort Ward, Virginia and returned to Michigan.
After returning to Michigan Peter enlisted as Peter Dabian in Michigan 8th Cavalry in November of 1862. Served in both Company "C" and Company "D." He served with the 8th Cavalry in campaigns throughout the southern states until being captured while in battle in the State of Georgia.
Taken prisoner on August 3, 1864 at Clinton, Georgia on the Stoneman Raid and imprisoned in Andersonville Prison, Andersonville, Georgia. Peter remained in prison until December 1864 was placed in a military hospital in Virginia. Just before Christmas he was "given a furlough" and returned home to Pontiac, MI. He died two weeks after being released, on January 14, 1865. At time of release from prison he weighed 68 pounds and wasn't able to walk, all a result of disease & being starved while in prison at Andersonville Prison, Andersonville, Georgia.
Source: Jack & Marianne Dibean firstname.lastname@example.org.
The Civil War website: http://www.civilwar.com/
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Systems http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/
Michigan in the Civil War 1861-1866 http://users.aol.com/dlharvey/cwmireg.htm (Music starts upon uploading)
Andersonville National Historic Park http://www.nps.gov/ande
Cyndi's List - US Civil War http://www.cyndislist.com/cw.htm
NY State Military Museum (Civil War Research) http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/research/civilResearch.htm
Salisbury Confederate Prison Association http://www.salisburyprison.org/
This site was last updated on: Sunday, June 8, 2008
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