A Civil War Soldier: 1st Lt. Wallace William DICKINSON (c. 1831 - 1897)

Source: Dickinson, Wallace William. Photograph. C. 1863. Digital image found at Newaygans in the Civil War [http://ncha.ncats.net/data/Civil_War_Veterans/]. Whereabouts of original photo unknown. 2008.

How Related: Brother of my 3rd-great-grandmother, Lucy May DICKINSON

Born: c. 1831 in Johnston Twp., Trumbull Co., Ohio

Parents: Ezra DICKINSON (1800 - 1886) and Cynthia PHILLIPS (1802 - 1852)

Siblings: Wallace was one of 12 children:

• Elizabeth (b. c. 1822)
• John F. (b. c. 1825)
• Philip Reuben (1827 - 1912)
• son (b. c. 1828 - 1830)
• son (c. 1833 - c. 1848)
• Sherman S. (b. c. 1836)
• Mary E. (1838 - 1924)
• Harriet Anna (1840 - 1918)
• Lucy May (c. 1842 - 1872) - my ancestor
• Sarah Ann "Sally" (1846 - bef. 1900)
• child (dates unknown)

Married: Elizabeth GARRISON (c. 1845 - 1940) on 8 January 1870 in Eastmanville, Ottawa Co., Michigan

Children: William (b. bef. 1897) and a daughter DICKINSON (d. bef. 1897)

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Source: Sergeants of the 3rd Michigan Infantry. Photograph. C. 1861. Original photograph in the possession of Archives of Michigan Digital Collection [http://haldigitalcollections.cdmhost.com/]. 2008.
Sgt. Dickinson is believed to be the man squatting on the left.

Enlisted in: 13 May 1861 in Co. K, 3rd Michigan Infantry at Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan; sergeant. Enlisted 25 July 1863 in Co. A, 10th Michigan Cavalry at Newaygo, Newaygo Co., Michigan; 2nd lieutenant. Enlisted 18 October 1863 in Co. A, 10th Michigan Cavalry at Newaygo, Newaygo Co., Michigan; 1st lieutenant.

Source: Officers of the 10th Michigan Cavalry. Photograph. C. 1863. Original photograph in the possession of Archives of Michigan Digital Collection [http://haldigitalcollections.cdmhost.com/]. 2008.
Lt. Dickinson is in the middle of the three men sitting on the ground.

Side Served: Union

History of Units: 3rd Michigan Infantry (here and here) and 10th Michigan Cavalry

Discharged: 24 January 1863 in Washington, D.C. due to disability; re-enlisted (see above)

Mustered Out: 11 November 1865 at Memphis, Tennessee

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Biography or Information of Interest: (from his obituary) "Lt. Wallace W. Dickinson, a former resident of this county, and for 4 years county treasurer, died at his home in Grand Rapids on Thursday morning, June 10. Nearly the last request made by Mr. Dickinson was that his remains should be laid in the Newaygo Cemetery and the brethren of Newaygo Masonic Lodge of which he had long been a member should have charge of the services. When Mr. Dickinson was in Newaygo last fall attending the reunion, his friends felt that he had not long to stay and his old comrade, Lucius Gates, requested of Mrs. Dickinson to let him know of the death in order that the G.A.R. might attend his funeral in a body. Mr. Dickinson also requested that notice of his death be sent to John H. Simmons of this village who was county clerk at the time. Mr. Dickinson was county treasurer, a brother Mason and a life long friend Mr. Simmons, was notified of the requests and under his direction arrangements were made for the funeral and the family of the deceased are profoundly grateful to him and the citizens of Newaygo, the Masons and the G.A.R. for the tributes of respect and esteem paid his remains by his old friends, his brethren and comrades.

"Lt. Dickinson was born in Trumbull County, Ohio in 1831. A portion of his childhood days were spent in Indiana. He was educated in Hiram, Ohio and was a classmate of James A. Garfield. He came to this county in 1855 and settled near Croton. He was a pronounced anti-slavery man and at the first call to arms after the breaking out of the rebellion he enlisted in the Third Michigan Infantry, being, if we are correctly informed, the first man in the county to enter the service. After the expiration of his term of service he returned to Newaygo County and engaged actively in recruiting for the 10th Michigan Cavalry, being afterwards appointed to a Lieutenancy in the regiment. Judge Woodward, Lucius Gates and others who still reside here were members of this company. At the close of the war, he again returned to Newaygo and in 1868 was elected county treasurer which office he held for 4 years. At the expiration of his term of office, he engaged in lumbering and removed to Ludington to be nearer the scene of operations. After closing out his lumbering interests he removed to Grand Rapids which was his home until his death. About 1870 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Garrison of Eastmanville who survives him. Two children, a son and daughter came to them, the son is still living, the daughter having passed over a few years ago.

"For nearly 29 years, the writer enjoyed the friendship of Wallace W. Dickinson and his pure-hearted, unselfish and noble character impressed itself upon him at the beginning of that acquaintance. Guileless himself, he believed all men the same and on that account, he was sometimes imposed upon, but a man never lived that knew of a wrong thing intentionally done by him. Single-hearted and true to those he believed to be his friends, loyal to his country and his family, he leaves behind him that of which any man might be proud, the record of a pure and blameless life."

For further information, see Newaygo in the Civil War by John A. Braden and my cousin Terry Wantz. Use the Find feature of your browser and look for Dickinson in the text. More on the Dickinson brothers can be found in the Portrait and Biographical Album of Newaygo Co., Michigan. Chicago, Illinois: Chapman Brothers, 1884.

Died: 10 June 1897 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan

Buried: Newaygo Cemetery, Newaygo, Newaygo Co., Michigan