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Civil War

Source 160 – Website File of Civil War Enlistees, Lansing MI

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Record – First Michigan Engineers & Mechanics (1861-1865)
URL: http://www.migenweb.org/michiganinthewar/engineers/1engi.htm
Thomas, George S. (p. 201)
Enlisted – Company I, Engineers & Mechanics, 15 August 1864, at Grand Rapids, Kent Co., MI., for 1 year, age 36.
Mustered – 15 August 1864. Joined regiment at Atlanta, GA, 02 Sept 1864.
Position – Artificer
Discharged – Washington D.C., 07 June 1865.
Buried – North Star

Note: Sidney S. Thomas and William W. Thomas enlisted on same day at Grand Rapids.

URL: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015015346847;view=1up;seq=223
Book: Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War, 1861-1865
Page 201 – Engineers & Mechanics
Thomas, George S., North Star. Enlisted in Company I, Engineers and Mechanics, August 15, 1864, at Grand Rapids, for 1 year, age 36. Mustered August 15, 1864. Joined regiment at Atlanta, GA, September 2, 1864. Artificer. Discharged at Washington, D.C., June 7, 1863.

Record – First and Second U.S. Sharpshooters, Company D, Western Sharpshooters (1861-1865)
Nelson, Marcus S. (p. 175)
Enlisted – Company D, Western Sharpshooters, 10 March 1862, at Dowagiac, MI
Mustered – 12 March 1862
Killed in Action – 04 October 1862, Corinth, MS
Buried – Arlington

Draper, Willard E. (p. 171) (see Source 10)
Enlisted – Company D, Western Sharpshooters, 11 March 1862, at Dowagiac, MI
Mustered – 26 March 1862
Discharged – at expiration of term of service at Goldsboro, NC, 04 April 1865
Died – 14 February 1903, at Detroit, MI
Buried –

Branch, Elam (Vol. 45, p. 116)
Enlisted – Company C, 70th New York Infantry, 30 April 1861, at Paw Paw for 3 years
Mustered – 21 June 1861
Promoted Corporal
Discharged – 24 July 1862, at Detroit, MI, on account of wounds received in action
Buried – Lawrence

Branch, Elijah C. (Vol 42, p. 132)
Enlisted – Battlion G, 1st Lt. Artillery
Mustered –
Discharged –
Died –
Buried –

Source 188 – Department of Interior Pension Letter to George S. Thomas

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Author: H.L. Rorthe, Special Examiner, Department of the Interior
Title: Letter to George S. Thomas
Date: 16 Feb 1891
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:

Department of the Interior
Office of Special Examiner U.S. Bureau of Pensions at Grand Rapids, MI
16 Feb 1891

Sir:
You are hereby informed that, in pursuance of authority vested in me, and instructions from the Commissioner of Pensions, I will be at North Dorr, Allegan Co., MI, on or about the Feb. 19, 1891, to specially inquire into the merits of your claim for pension, No. 104064, and to advise you more specifically as to the exact time and place of entering upon said inquiry.

You are also informed that it will be your right and privilege and you will be afforded ample opportunity to be present during the examination, either in person or by attorney, or both, and confront and cross-examine the witnesses, and introduce evidence of witnesses in your own behalf should you so elect.

Should you, however, decline or for any reason be unable to attend or employ an attorney in your behalf, your interests will be guarded and protected in all respects as though you were present. You will not be obliged or compelled to be present at the investigation, and if you desire to stay away, the examination will be openly and fairly conducted in your absence, and the evidence thus taken will, if practicable and you are accessible, be read to you by me before returning the papers to the Bureau of Pensions for final action.

Very Respectfully,
H.L. Rorthe, Special Examiner

Source 190 – Pension Letter from Representative Julius Houseman to George S. Thomas

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Author: Julius Houseman, U.S. House of Representatives, of Washington D.C.
Title: Letter to George S. Thomas of Dorr, MI
Date: 19 Dec 1884
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:

George S. Thomas Esquire, Dorr, MI

My Dear Sir!
Has anything occurred to you by which I can get your Pension claim reinstated if there is anything I can do before the expiration of my term, I will cheerfully do it. Very Respectfully,
Julius Houseman

I an introduce a bill for your relief but there is but little prospect owning to the short time allowed to get any of the present sessions bills to any issue.

Source 191 – Pension Certificate for George S. Thomas

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Department of the Interior, Pension Office
15 June 1866

Sir:
Mr. George S. Thomas whose application for an invalid pension, No. 104.064, under the act of July 14, 1862, is pending in this office, must report himself for examination to Dr. E.R. Ellis of Grand Rapids, MI.

Respectfully yours,
Joseph H. Barrett, Commissioner

P.R.L. Pierce, Grand Rapids

Source 101 – Military Discharge Paper for Elam Branch Sr

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Name: Elam Branch, Sr.
Date: 24 July 1862
Rank: Private, Captain Hugo’s Company C, first Regiment of Excelsior Brigade
[See: Elam Branch Discharge.jpg]

“To all whom it may concern:
Know ye, that Elam Branch, private of Captain Hugo’s Company C, first Regiment of Excelsior Brigade, N.Y. volunteers who was enrolled on the 23rd day of May one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one to serve three years, is hereby Discharged from the service of the United States, this 24th day of July, 1862, at Detroit, Mich. by reason of a wound in the leg. Said Elam Branch was born in Lawrence in the State of Michigan, is twenty years of age, five feet seven inches high, light complexion, gray eyes, light hair, and by occupation, when enrolled, a farmer. Given at Detroit this 24th day of July, 1862. JR(?) Smith, Lt. Col. USA, Military Commander.

$100 Bounty Paid – March 23, 1866(?), by Maj. W.H. Jameson, Paymaster, USA.
$100 Bounty Paid Washington – May 21, 1868, A.d. Robinson, Paymaster USA, Act July 28, 1866.

Military photo of Elam Branch
http://haldigitalcollections.cdmhost.com/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/p4006coll3&CISOPTR=455&CISOBOX=1&REC=13

Source 084 – Poem: Pittsburg Landing by Marcus S. Nelson

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Author: Marcus S. Nelson
Title: Pittsburg Landing [Battle of Shiloh]
Date: 1862
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note: hand-written poem of the Civil War battle at Pittsburg Landing, shortly before Marcus was killed in action

Copied by Francis M Jones a few days before the author’s death from the original manuscript; who belonged to the same mess with young Nelson.

Oh ‘tis beautiful, ‘tis beautiful
The noble Tennessee
Where it winds among the woodlands
And along the flowing lea;
But the blood of martyred patriots
Has dyed its waters red
Where it sweeps by bloody Pittsburgh
Dark Pittsburgh where they bled.

Twas a fearful scene of carnage
Where the opposing armies stood
Each resolved to win the victory
Or to drench the field with blood
And they fought with desperate valor
Those union soldiers brave
And full many fell at Pittsburgh
At Pittsburgh found a grave.

Where they rest in peaceful slumber
Beneath the traitors soil
Their battles all forgotten
Secure from care and toil.
But full many hearts are mourning
In their distant northern homes
For those who died at Pittsburgh
But bravely met their doom.

In full splendor broke the sunrise
On the fatal Sabbath morn
But its light was soon extinguished
By the rising battle storm.
Then the cannon loudly thundered
And bullets whistled past
And the ground red at Pittsburgh
With the life tide flowing fast.

Bravely fought our patriot soldiers
Firm they met the rebel hosts
But their forces was far outnumbered
And alas the day was lost
Stretched upon that field at sunset
Thousands slept in calm repose
Slept in peace at bloody Pittsburgh
Undistinguished – friends and foes.

That night on the field of battle
Those hostile forces lay
Prepared to renew the contest
By the mornings earliest ray;
Then again the smoke of conflict
Rolled fiercely over the field
And before our fire at Pittsburgh
The traitors ? phalanx reeled.

Awhile the rebels columns
Unbroken – firmly stood
Till their ranks were thinned with carnage
And the soil was red with blood
Then they willingly retreated
From the fray themselves had sought
And we conquered there at Pittsburgh
Though twas victory dearly bought.