John Donovan was born in 1839 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
John left Pennsylvania and moved west, settling in Michigan sometime before 1864.
He reportedly enlisted in the 14th U.S. infantry. There is no further record.
John stood 5’10” with blue eyes, brown hair and a florid complexion, and was a 25-year-old lumberman living in Manistee, Manistee County when he enlisted in Company I on February 6, 1864, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, crediting Manistee, and was mustered the same day. He joined the Regiment on February 17 at Camp Bullock, Virginia, and was wounded in the right shoulder and cheek in early May. He was subsequently hospitalized and was still absent sick when he was transferred to Company I, 5th Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the 3rd and 5th Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864.
John remained absent sick through February of 1865, although he may have in fact been taken prisoner, possibly during the Wilderness campaign, and eventually paroled and sent to a hospital in Baltimore and from there to the hospital at Camp Parole in Maryland where he was admitted on June 23, 1864. He may have run afoul of the authorities while in the hospital and was possibly confined in the guardhouse for five days from October 11-17, 1864.
He was mustered out of service on July 5, 1865 at Jeffersonville, Indiana.
John also served in the 45th Veterans Reserve Corps and was discharged at the end of his term of service in July of 1870.
It is not known if John returned to Michigan after the war.
In August of 1865 he applied for and received a pension (no. 338473) for service in the 5th and 14th U.S. infantry regiments (no mention of the VRC regiment). He was a Catholic and worked primarily as a laborer.
John was possibly living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when he was admitted as a single man to the Northwestern Branch National Military Home (NMH) in Milwaukee on October 19, 1990. He listed his nearest relative as a nephew George Febry, living in Milwaukee. John went AWOL from the Home on June 29, 1894 and was readmitted on August 10, 1896.
Donavan was killed when railroad cars at the Grand Avenue viaduct struck him on October 2, 1902. He was buried in Wood National Cemetery: block 15, grave 259.
Showing posts with label Milwaukee Natl Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milwaukee Natl Home. Show all posts
Monday, July 14, 2008
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Hugh Boyd Jr.
Hugh Boyd Jr. was born February 23, 1840, in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, the son of Hugh Sr. (b. 1808) Ellen (b. 1810).
Hugh’s parents were probably married in Ireland. In any case sometime before 1840 they left Ireland and immigrated to America. By 1840 Hugh Sr. may have been living in Vermont. Hugh Sr. eventually took his family to Michigan and by 1850 they were living in the vicinity of Muskegon, near Lake Michigan, where Hugh Sr. worked as a laborer and Hugh Jr. attended school along with his siblings. By 1860 Hugh Jr. was working as a day laborer, probably with his brothers John and Alexander, and living with his mother in Muskegon, Muskegon County.
Hugh stood 5’6” with blue eyes, sandy hair and a light complexion and was 21 years old and probably still living in Muskegon when he joined the Muskegon Rangers in April as Third Corporal. The “Rangers” were a local militia company formed in Muskegon soon after the fall of Fort Sumter in April of 1861, and were reorganized into Company H of the Third Michigan infantry then forming at Cantonment Anderson in Grand Rapids. Hugh consequently enlisted as Third Corporal of Company H on May 13, 1861. He was reported as a deserter on November 26, 1861, along with George A. and George W. Bennett, also of Company H. Like the Bennetts, Hugh eventually returned to the regiment under the President’s proclamation of amnesty on April 7, 1863, at Camp Sickles, Maryland. He was mustered out on June 20, 1864, at Detroit.
After his discharge from the army Hugh returned to Muskegon and worked for many years as an engineer. On October 28, 1865, he married Victoria Campau (1844-1873) at the Congregational Church in Grand Haven, Ottawa County. (She was probably the sister of Adolph Campau who had served in Company B.) Victoria died in childbirth on February 28 or March 1, 1873; the child, a son Hugh, died three months later.
Hugh was admitted as a single man to the Michigan Soldiers’ Home on September 7, 1889 (no. 1085), and discharged at his own request on July 7, 1890.
Hugh was a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association and in 1889 he applied for and received pension (no. 509,617), drawing $50 per month by 1922.
Hugh was admitted to the Northwestern Branch National Military Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: the first time on January 17, 1891, some six months after his discharge from the Michigan Home, and then discharged on August 2, 1899, or just 12 days before his readmission to the Michigan Home on August 14, 1899. He was again discharged at his request on June 12, 1900. It is possible that one of Hugh’s brothers was residing in Wisconsin and that Hugh had gone to stay with him. It is also possible that Hugh found the National Military Home more attractive than the state-run Michigan Soldiers’ Home.
In any event, Hugh apparently returned to Wisconsin following his discharge from the Michigan Home in 1900 since he was reported to be living at 745 47th Avenue in West Allis, Wisconsin from around 1900 to 1904, and by 1911 he was supposedly living in the Milwaukee National Home. In 1920 he was boarding with the Virginia Roepke family in Milwaukee.
In fact, it is quite likely that he remained in Wisconsin until he died a widower of apoplexy and myocarditis at the Milwaukee National Home on June 11, 1922. He was buried in Wood National Cemetery, Milwaukee: section 24, grave no. 3.
Hugh’s parents were probably married in Ireland. In any case sometime before 1840 they left Ireland and immigrated to America. By 1840 Hugh Sr. may have been living in Vermont. Hugh Sr. eventually took his family to Michigan and by 1850 they were living in the vicinity of Muskegon, near Lake Michigan, where Hugh Sr. worked as a laborer and Hugh Jr. attended school along with his siblings. By 1860 Hugh Jr. was working as a day laborer, probably with his brothers John and Alexander, and living with his mother in Muskegon, Muskegon County.
Hugh stood 5’6” with blue eyes, sandy hair and a light complexion and was 21 years old and probably still living in Muskegon when he joined the Muskegon Rangers in April as Third Corporal. The “Rangers” were a local militia company formed in Muskegon soon after the fall of Fort Sumter in April of 1861, and were reorganized into Company H of the Third Michigan infantry then forming at Cantonment Anderson in Grand Rapids. Hugh consequently enlisted as Third Corporal of Company H on May 13, 1861. He was reported as a deserter on November 26, 1861, along with George A. and George W. Bennett, also of Company H. Like the Bennetts, Hugh eventually returned to the regiment under the President’s proclamation of amnesty on April 7, 1863, at Camp Sickles, Maryland. He was mustered out on June 20, 1864, at Detroit.
After his discharge from the army Hugh returned to Muskegon and worked for many years as an engineer. On October 28, 1865, he married Victoria Campau (1844-1873) at the Congregational Church in Grand Haven, Ottawa County. (She was probably the sister of Adolph Campau who had served in Company B.) Victoria died in childbirth on February 28 or March 1, 1873; the child, a son Hugh, died three months later.
Hugh was admitted as a single man to the Michigan Soldiers’ Home on September 7, 1889 (no. 1085), and discharged at his own request on July 7, 1890.
Hugh was a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association and in 1889 he applied for and received pension (no. 509,617), drawing $50 per month by 1922.
Hugh was admitted to the Northwestern Branch National Military Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: the first time on January 17, 1891, some six months after his discharge from the Michigan Home, and then discharged on August 2, 1899, or just 12 days before his readmission to the Michigan Home on August 14, 1899. He was again discharged at his request on June 12, 1900. It is possible that one of Hugh’s brothers was residing in Wisconsin and that Hugh had gone to stay with him. It is also possible that Hugh found the National Military Home more attractive than the state-run Michigan Soldiers’ Home.
In any event, Hugh apparently returned to Wisconsin following his discharge from the Michigan Home in 1900 since he was reported to be living at 745 47th Avenue in West Allis, Wisconsin from around 1900 to 1904, and by 1911 he was supposedly living in the Milwaukee National Home. In 1920 he was boarding with the Virginia Roepke family in Milwaukee.
In fact, it is quite likely that he remained in Wisconsin until he died a widower of apoplexy and myocarditis at the Milwaukee National Home on June 11, 1922. He was buried in Wood National Cemetery, Milwaukee: section 24, grave no. 3.
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