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Irwin

Source 254 – News Article: Regarding David Irwin in Boston Herald

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Title: The Oldest Democrat, Mr. David Irwin
Book/Periodical: Boston Herald
Locality: Boston, MA
Date: 08 September 1900
Page:
Curator: Christine Fisher
Detail: 

The Oldest Democrat – The oldest living Democrat is thought to be Mr. David Irwin of Byron Centre, Michigan. He is 102 years of age, was in the Mexican war, and the civil war of this country, and he attended the G.A.R. reunion at Chicago last week. He is described as being vigorous, not very gray headed, and as walking with elastic step. Of course, he reads without the aid of glasses; he always does. We are not told as to whether he has abstained from the use of liquor; perhaps his politics is considered to be sufficient certificate that he has not. The old gentleman is a lawyer, and continues in the practice of that profession. He is able to recognize his party, notwithstanding the changes that it has undergone during the period that he has belonged to it.

Source 165 – Website File for 1883 Pension David Irwin

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1883 Pensioners on the Roll: David Irwin

Defunct URL: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mikent/pensioners1883/b-towns.html

Belmont, Bowen Station, Bowne, Byron Center – Kent County, Michigan
No. of Certificate: 76150
Last Name of Pensioner: Irwin
First Name of Pensioner: David
Post Office Address: Byron Centre
Cause for which Pensioned: loss r. thumb
Monthly Rate: 4.00
Date of Original Allowance: —

Source 161 – Website File of Civil War Regarding George S Thomas

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George S. Thomas
Regiment: 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics
Side: Union
Company: I
Rank In: Private
Rank Out: Arificer
Film Number: M545, roll 42

Battle Unit Details

Union Michigan Volunteers

1st Regiment, Engineers and Mechanics, Michigan
Organized at Marshall, Mich., September 12, 1861, and mustered in to date October 29, 1861. Left State for Louisville, Ky., December 17, 1861. Assigned to duty by Detachments as follows: Companies “D,” “F” and “G” with Thomas’ 1st Division, Army of the Ohio; Companies “B,” “E” and “I” with McCook’s 2nd Division, Army of the Ohio; Companies “C” and “H” with Mitchell’s 3rd Division, Army of the Ohio, and Companies “A” and “K” with Nelson’s 4th Division, Army of the Ohio, to June, 1862, Unattached, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. Unattached, Dept. of the Cumberland, to muster out.

SERVlCE.-Companies “D,” “F” and “G” with Thomas at Camp Dick Robinson and Somerset, Ky., constructing roads to Mill Springs. Action at Mill Springs January 19, 1862. Other Companies on Green River, Ky., building storehouses, fortifications, etc., till February, 1862. Advance on Bowling Green, Ky., February 14-15. Occupation of Bowling Green February 15 (Cos. “C” and “H”). Advance on Nashville, Tenn., February 14-28. Engaged in building railroad bridges at Franklin, Columbia, Murfreesboro, etc., till April. 8 Companies moved to Shiloh, Tenn., April 3-15, building bridges and repairing roads. 2 Companies remained with Mitchell and engaged in running trains, etc., on Memphis & Charleston Railroad and Nashville & Decatur Railroad during May. Regiment engaged in advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Skirmish near Corinth May 9. Buell’s Campaign on line of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad in Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee June to August, building bridges, repairing railroad, etc. At Huntsville, Ala., and building bridges, repairing track and running trains on the Tennessee & Alabama Railroad and the Memphis & Charleston Railroad till August. Companies “C,” “F,” “I” and “K” at Stevenson, Ala., till August; rejoining Regiment near Gallatin till September. Companies “A,” “B,” “D,” “G” and “H” moved to Nashville, Tenn., August 20-22, and building bridges on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad till September 16. March in advance of the Army to Louisville, Ky., September 16-26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-22. Battle of Perryville October 8 (Cos. “A,” “C” and “H”). March to Nashville, Tenn., October 22-November 7, and to Mill Creek, near Nashville, November 22. Duty there till December 31. Battle of Stone River December 31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Lavergne January 1, 1863. Repulse of Forest’s attack. Duty at Lavergne, Murfreesboro, etc., till June 29 building bridges, magazines, repairing railroad and other engineering work. Repairing line of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad from Murfreesboro to Bridgeport, Ala., till September. Engineering duty at Chattanooga, Bridgeport, Stevenson and on line of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, Nashville & Northwestern Railroad, Tennessee & Alabama Railroad and Memphis & Charleston Railroad building block houses, etc., till May, 1864. Chattanooga October 6, 1863. Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29, 1863.Brown’s Ferry October 27, 1863. 1 Battalion at Chattanooga May, 1864. 1 Battalion on Memphis & Charleston Railroad building block houses from Decatur to Stevenson, Ala., till June. Companies “L” and “M” at Stevenson, Ala., till November 28, 1864. Regiment on duty on the Atlantic & Western Railroad building block houses, etc., till September. Ordered to Atlanta, Ga., September 25. Old members mustered out October 31, 1864. Duty at Atlanta September 28 to November 15. March to the sea destroying railroad track, bridges and repairing and making roads November 15-December 10. Siege of Savannah December 10-21. Carolina Campaign January to April, 1865. South Edisto River, S. C., February 9. North Edisto River February 12-13. Columbia February 16-17. Fayetteville, N. C., March 11. Averysboro March 16. Battle of Bentonville March 19-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. (Cos. “L” and “M” detached at Stevenson, Ala., working on fortifications there and on Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad building block houses, etc., till December, 1864; then at Nashville, Tenn., till March, 1865. Participated in siege of Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 5-12, 1864. Near Murfreesboro December 15. Co. “L” captured. Rejoined Regiment at Goldsboro, N. C., March 25, 1865.) Advance on Raleigh April 10-14. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett’s House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 20. Grand Review May 24. Ordered to Louisville, Ky., June 6; thence to Nashville, Tenn. Duty at Nashville July 1 to September 22. Mustered out September 22, and discharged at Jackson, Mich., October 1, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 1 Officer and 12 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 351 Enlisted men by disease. Total 364.

Source 220 – 1880 US Census of David Irwin of MI

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Extract: 1880 United States Census
Census Place: Byron, Kent, Michigan
Source: FHL Film 1254587; National Archives Film T9-0587; Page 148D

Household: Rel Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace
David IRWIN Self Male M W 70 NY Occ: Farms Fa: NY Mo: NY
Mary IRWIN Wife Female M W 49 SCOT Occ: Keep House Fa: SCOT Mo: SCOT
David IRWIN Son Male S W 29 MI Occ: Wk-Farm Fa: NY Mo: SCOT
Duke IRWIN Son Male S W 18 MI Fa: NY Mo: SCOT
Jefferson IRWIN Son Male S W 16 MI Occ: Wk-Farm Fa: NY Mo: SCOT
Maggie IRWIN Dau Female S W 14 MI Occ: Home Fa: NY Mo: SCOT
Charlotte IRWIN Dau Female S W 12 MI Occ: Home Fa: NY Mo: SCOT

Source 061 – Personal Letter by Mary Jane Thomas

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[update Tags for this source]
Author: “Sister” Mary Jane [Jane Thomas]
Title: Letter to George S. Thomas and Sister Julia
Date: 02 May 1878
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:

May the 2, 1878
Dear brother George S. Thomas and Sister Julia:
i sit my self down to write you a few lines to let you know we have not quite forgotten yo we are as well as common and hope this letter will find yo the same. Brother George we did have such a good visit when yo was out here that we will never for get. we think of yo and talk of yo often time went off so fast and after yo was gone i could think of lots of things i wanted to say i wish i could see yo often yo are gone and all the rest of the boys and no one for me to see of my folks i have not even Laura since yo went away but i no i have been good to them and i do not care. They say Laura has traded for that house and 5 acres of land on the hill where Irwin was plastering when yo was out and the people says she has been cheated ? gave or is to give $9 hundred dollars to boot. Irwin has gone to work by the month for Leroy Smith the last i heard Laura was sick with hart complain. If she has not written to yo about there trade yo say nothing that I have written for it is nothing to me I do not want any thing to say about her business, but she has got a very large house and i want yo to no all that is a going on in and about town. Well George i will say we are not a keeping a dairy. Ashur has sold and traded all the cows but three to old ones and one 4 year old that i claim. Asher has got 10 yearlings and they are very nice yo saw some of them. he has got in all 14 head and 4 young calves and one ? cow that i did not count. We have had a very nice winter. Not but very little snow and spring has come of very fine the farmers are a doing spring work and are one month ahead of other springs we have a great deal rain so far it is a warm growing time things looks as forward now as in some seasons in time i do not no what to think Old Thomas Parker is married he is 74 years old what do yo think of that Brother George. I have not heard any news worth mention. Very lately only Mary Bell has had a shock of palsy we are going down to see what the mater is and what was the cause as we have not heard the particulars i hope Julia is better. Nellie wrote she was complaining this spring we have not heard from the boys down to the Gildom [?] in some time.

Well Julia yo must come and see me some time. It will do yo good in August i am going down to see Ham and James Edwin if nothing happens i do want to see Ham so bad and all the rest. Tell Nellie i received her very kind letter and will answer the same some day. She must not wait for me. George send me your receipt for that liniment and don’t fail it may be good for my head i can hardly write there is such a noise in my head and i am quite deaf. George your specks I can see very well but yo must excuse this letter but i must write to yo as i can give my best respects to Mrs. Bender and her family and all my uncles and aunts and cousin. Well i must close good by George and Julia. My love to all the children give my respects to Scott if at home. Charles and all the little ones did my baby like the quilt i sent it. Kiss the babe Nellie for Jane and Frankee. Asher B sends his respects to Julia and yourself George. says he had such a good visit with yo. from sister Mary Jane. Write soon. Good by..