James Eaton Van Deusen - update 8/21/2016

James Eaton Van Deusen was born on February 6, 1829, in Oneida, Madison County, New York.

In 1850 James was working as a laborer and living with the Woolcott family in Copcake, Columbia County, New York. By 1860 he was a railroad laborer living with and/or working for James House in Algoma, Kent County.

James was 31 years old and probably living in Kent County when he enlisted in Company F on May 13, 1861. James was promoted to Corporal and was probably a Sergeant when he was wounded on August 29, 1862, at Second Bull Run. He was subsequently hospitalized probably until May of 1863, and was awarded the Kearny Cross for his participation in the battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, on May 3, 1863. He was a witness for the prosecution in the court martial of Elijah Warner who was absent without leave from the regiment during the battle of Chancellorsville.

James was probably admitted to Emory hospital in Washington, DC, on January 25, 1864, and transferred to Satterlee hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was mustered out in June on June 20, 1864, probably as First Sergeant.

It is not known if James ever returned to Michigan.

James was probably living in Illinois when he married New York native Mary F. or Mary Theresa Stewart (1839-1924), on November 27, 1866, in Cook County, Illinois, and they had three children: James (1867-1884), Lois and Walter.

James died on November 28, 1871, in Rock Falls, Illinois, and was buried in IOOF (Freemasons) cemetery section 15, in Rock Falls, Whiteside County, Illinois. (Also buried in sec. 15 is James S. Van Deusen, 1867-1884.)

In May of 1890 his widow was living in Illinois when she applied for a pension (no. 422170. In 1884 his widow was living in Illinois, and, through Grand Army of the Republic Harvey Post No. 274, Department of Illinois, in Harvey, Cook County, Illinois, was seeking to obtain a widow’s pension. Her petition was eventually granted (no. 348849).

Philip Van Deusen

Philip Van Deusen was born in 1841 in Michigan, the son of William (b. 1810) and Mary Ann (b. 1803).

New York native William married Canadian Mary Ann sometime before 1833 when their son James was born in New York. William moved his family moved from New York to Michigan sometime between 1833 and 1836, By 1850 Phillip was attending school with his siblings and living with his family in Lowell, Kent County, where his father worked as a farmer. Phillip’s parents were still living in Lowell in 1860.

Philip was 20 years old and probably living in Lowell when he enlisted as a Corporal in Company D on May 13, 1861. (Company D was composed in large part of men who came from western Ionia County and Eaton County.)

Philip was killed in action on August 29, 1862, at Second Bull Run. He was presumably among the unknown soldiers whose remains were reinterred in Arlington National Cemetery.

His parents were still living in the Lowell area in 1870. In 1880 his father applied for a dependent father’s pension (no. 265979), but the certificate was never granted.

Chauncey B. Van Deusen

Chauncey B. Van Deusen was born on April 17, 1838, in Horseheads, Chemung County, New York, the son of Walter (b. 1799) and Julia (Kent, b. 1800).

New York native Walter married Julia in October of 1829, probably in New York. Chauncey’s family left New York and came to Kent County, Michigan with his parents in 1848, and by 1850 Chauncey was living with his family in Vergennes, Kent County where his father, who was blind, was working as a musician. By 1860 Chauncey was a farm laborer living with his family in Vergennes where his father owned a substantial farm.

He stood 5’7” with hazel eyes, light hair and a light complexion and was a 23-year-old farm laborer probably living in Vergennes, Kent County when he enlisted in Company F on April 17, 1861. Chauncey was eventually promoted to Sergeant and wounded in one of his ankles during the battle at Second Bull Run, on August 29, 1862. “Sergeant Van Dusen,” wrote Dan Crotty of Company F after the war, “commences to hop on one leg, and says something that sounds like swearing, for he is shot in the ankle.”

He was subsequently hospitalized until he was discharged on November 1, 1862, at Hammond hospital in Point Lookout, Maryland, for chronic rheumatism and deafness. The discharging physician wrote that “The rheumatism severely affecting the spine, and causing lameness of the lower limbs, caused by cold taken on duty.”

Following his discharge he returned to Vergennes where he married Canadian native Jeanette McPherson (d. 1842-1925) on May 3, 1863, and they had at least five children: one who died in infancy, Clarence (b. 1864), Lillian (b. 1867, Mrs. Brown), Elizabeth (b. 1873, probably Mrs. Charles P. Beckwith) and William P. (b. 1876).

Chauncey reentered the service in Company G, Sixth Michigan cavalry on January 4, 1864, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, crediting Vergennes, and was mustered on January 11. He was on detached service in March, and taken prisoner in November. He was imprisoned in Libby prison at Richmond, Virginia, and spent eleven months in Andersonville. He was honorably discharged on June 14, 1865, at Camp Chase, Ohio.

After his discharge from the army Chauncey returned to his home in Michigan. He may have been the same Chauncey "Van Dusen" who, in August of 1866 bought out Lyman B. Lull’s interest in a tool factory in Lowell. In any case, by 1870 he was working as a farmer and living with his wife and two children in Austerlitz, Plainfield Township, Kent County. By 1880 he was still living with his wife and children in Plainfield and working as a farmer. By 1889 he was living in Rockford, Kent County and in Ionia County in 1890.

He became a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association in December of 1891, and was also a member of the Congregational church, presumably in Rockford. In 1880 he applied for and received a pension (no. 401533).

Chauncey died of “fatty degeneration of the heart” on March 7, 1911, at his home in Plainfield Township, Kent County, and the funeral was held at the Congregational church on Thursday. He was buried in Rockford cemetery.

In May of 1911 his widow applied for and received a pension (no. 725194).