Monday, May 26, 2008

A Civil War Soldier: Pvt. George W. VREELAND (c. 1841 - 1923)

How Related: Brother of my 3rd-great-grandmother, Elenor "Nellie" L. VREELAND

Born: c. 1841 in New Jersey, possibly in Montvale, Bergen County

Parents: John P. VREELAND (1799 - 1870) and Mary KANOUSE (c. 1804 - aft. 1870)

Siblings: John H. (b. c. 1830); Elizabeth (b. c. 1832); Sarah (b. c. 1834), Elenor "Nellie" L. (1835 - 1912) - my ancestor; Hartman (b. c. 1836); Mary E. (b. c. 1843); and Martha A. VREELAND (b. c. 1847)

Married: probably never married

Children: probably no children
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Source: Civil War Pension Index Card of George W. Vreeland. Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. National Archives and Records Administration. Publication T289. Digital image purchased at Footnote [http://www.footnote.com/]

Enlisted: 7 August 1862 at Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co., Michigan; private. Enlisted in Co. H, 20th Michigan Infantry on 19 August 1862.

Side Served: Union

Mustered Out: 30 May 1865 at Delaney House, Washington, D.C.

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Source: Michigan Soldiers Home, Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. Postcard. 1915. Digital image accessed at Kent Co., Michigan GenWeb site [http://kent.migenweb.net/veterans/index.html] 26 May 2008.

Biography or Information of Interest: It's taken me a while to post this sketch, because I'm just not sure about the details of George's life. There are an amazing number of George W. Vreelands of the same age that lived in Michigan (even in Washtenaw County!) at the same time as "my" George. Sorting them out has been a challenge. I've used census records that lead me to believe George never married or had children (but I'm not 100% confident of this theory!). He lives as a single man at his parents', and later his married sister's, homes until 1910, when it appears he lived in the Veterans (Soldiers) Home in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. He seems to have lived in the Veterans Home in Los Angeles Co., California after 1920.



Source: National (Sawtelle) Soldiers Home, Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co., California. Postcard. Date unknown. Digital image accessed at Los Angeles Co., California GenWeb site [http://www.cagenweb.com/re/losangeles/photos.htm] 26 May 2008.

Died: 3 April 1923, Sawtelle Soldiers Home, Los Angeles Co., California

Buried: Los Angeles (
Sawtelle) National Cemetery, Los Angeles Co., California

1 comment:

Cousin Russ said...

Miriam,

After you comment to my Headstone message, I thought I would check your blog for the Vreeland Connection. Montvale is about 1 hour from where the Vreelands are that I found. I found them in two cemeteries. Hackettstown and Great Meadows, NJ. These two towns are about 5 miles apart. As I recall, there were a number of Vreelands in both. I was asked for the John H, Susan M Vreeland in the Union Cemetery in Hackettstown and when I saw the Vreeland in Pequest, I just had to take a couple of extra pictures.

The time period is very close to yours.

My Find-A-Grave assignment was to look for Capt Henry Vreeland, Civil War Union Army Officer, Captain of Company F, 2nd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. However, I was NOT able to find him in Hackettstown, but did check the two listed above.

Any connection, please let me know.

Thank you,