Saturday, July 05, 2008

Edward Henry Dickerman

Edward Henry Dickerman was born 1840 in New Hampshire, probably in Nashua, the son of Samuel (1802-1850) and Mary (Russell, 1806-1865).

Edward’s father was reportedly born in Vermont and his mother in Massachusetts. Shortly after Samuel died in 1850 his widow Mary took her children and left New Hampshire. She eventually settled in Michigan about 1851, and by 1860 Edward was a laborer working for and/or living with one Albert Russell, a farmer in Lebanon, Clinton County; or he may have been living in Ionia County and working in Clinton County.

In any case, Edward stood 5’9” with black eyes and black hair and dark complexion, and was about 20 years old and residing in Ionia County when he enlisted in Company D -- made up of predominantly Ionia County men -- on May 13, 1861. Edward was absent sick in the hospital from July of 1862 through November, and discharged for chronic diarrhea on October 14, 1862, at a hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

After his discharge Edward eventually returned to Michigan and settled in Tyrone Township (possibly in Kent County), and later in Fenton, Genesee County.

He was married to Elivira E. Colwell (1836-1909), and they had at least five children: Mary Russell (1864-1936; Mrs. Peter Moore), John G. (1867-1868), Ada A. (b. 1869; Mrs. Jay Barbour), Christopher Columbus (1870-1881) and Samuel James (1877-1957).

By 1880 Edward had settled in Tyrone, Livingston County where he worked as a farmer and lived with his wife and children. Edward was living in Fenton, Genesee County in 1883 drawing $8.00 per month (pension no. 155,878, dated October of 1878), in 1890, and in 1894 when he was suffering from “complicated dizziness”. Indeed, he probably lived most of his life in the Fenton area.

He was a member of the GAR Fenton Post No. 24 in Fenton.

Edward was a widower when he died on August 21, 1913, in Fenton. He was buried in the Grand Army of the Republic section (and/or perhaps block C, section no. 1) of Oakwood cemetery.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Steve,

My cousin, Susan (Dickerman) Smith, has in her possession three diaries from the Civil War for our GG-Grandfather, Edward Henry Dickerman. Edward's diaries show the movements of the 3rd Michigan Infantry from enlistment in April 1861 through his discharge on October 14, 1862.

Jeff Dickerman
Lowell, Michigan.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Steve Soper said...

I'd love to get copies to crosscheck and confirm the regiments movements and of course to flesh out Edward's bio.

Anonymous said...

Steve, I've just updated the pages for the Diaries of Edward Henry Dickerman. Please visit http://dickerman.org/wp/2013/11/22/civil-war-diaries-of-e-h-dickerman/
for the original full scans and transcription by Susan (Dickerman) Smith.

Keep up the great work!

Jeff Dickerman.