William Furgeson

William Furgeson, also known as “Ferguson,” was born 1828 in Pennsylvania.

William left Pennsylvania and moved west, eventually settling in Muskegon, Muskegon County, Michigan, where by 1860 he was working as a day laborer and living at the Pratt boarding house.

William was 33 years old and probably still living in Muskegon when he enlisted in Company H on May 13, 1861. (Company H, formerly the “Muskegon Rangers,” was made up largely of men from the vicinity of Muskegon and Newaygo counties.) He was shot in the leg at Second Bull Run, on August 29, 1862, and subsequently sent to Judiciary Square hospital in Washington, DC, where he died of his wounds on September 19, 1862. William was buried the same day in the Military Asylum cemetery (Soldier's Home National cemetery), Washington.

No pension seems to be available.

James Furgeson

James Furgeson, also known as “Ferguson,” was born around 1842.

James was reportedly 19 years old (and probably younger) and residing in Ionia County when he enlisted with the consent of the Justice of the Peace in Company E on May 13, 1861. (Company E was composed in large part by men from Eaton, Clinton and Ingham counties, as well as parts of Ionia County.) He was discharged on September 1, 1861, on account of being a minor.

As far as is presently known, James was the only soldier of the Third Michigan infantry to be discharged because he was underage, that is under the age of 18 – and as a consequence of a writ being presented to the army, presumably by a parent or guardian who did not give his or her permission for him to enlist.

Furthermore, it does not appear that James reentered or tried to reenter the military, at least from the state of Michigan, although this cannot be confirmed at present. Nor is he found in any of the census records for Michigan for 1860 (under either Ferguson or Furgeson).

No pension seems to be available.