Thursday, August 28, 2008

Joseph C. Feheley

Joseph C. Feheley, also known as “Fisherley,” was born January 12, 1830, probably in Ontario County, New York.

Joseph’s family eventually left New York and probably settled in Michigan sometime before 1840. By 1850 Joseph and his younger sister (?) Michigan native Sarah (b. 1838) were living with the Thomas and Ann Coleman family in division 10, Berrien County. Sometime before 1862 Joseph left New York and moved west, eventually settling in Ionia County, Michigan.

He stood 5’4” with blue eyes, light hair and a light complexion, and was a 34-year-old farmer living in Campbell, Ionia County when he enlisted in Company C on either January 10 or February 10, 1862, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, crediting Campbell, and was mustered the same day. (According to his military service record, he was the same man as “Joseph Fisherley” who enlisted in Unassigned at the age of 32 on February 10, 1862 at Saranac, Ionia County for 3 years.) He was serving as a pioneer, probably detached to the Brigade, from July of 1862 through October of 1862, and he reenlisted on February 29, 1864, at Camp Bullock, Virginia. He was subsequently furloughed for 30 days, probably during the month of March, and possibly returned to Michigan during that time. In any case, he returned to duty around the first of April and was at Brigade headquarters, probably as a pioneer, from April of 1864 through May.

Joseph was probably still on detached service when he was transferred to Company I, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864, and was reported detached from July through September. In October he was employed as a nurse at the hospital in City Point, Virginia, and in December of 1864 and January of 1865 he was working in the Quartermaster department, probably still detached as a nurse. In February he was reported absent sick, and on March 11, 1865, he was admitted to a hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, suffering from dropsy. He remained hospitalized until being mustered out on July 5, 1865 at Jeffersonville, Indiana.

After the war Joseph returned to Michigan where he worked most of his life as a farmer.

He married Ohio native Julia E. (1836-1901) and they had at least one child, a son Archibald (b. 1866)

By 1870 Joseph was working as a farmer and living with his wife and son in Campbell, Ionia County. And by 1880 Joseph was still working as a farmer and living with his wife and son in Campbell; also living with them were a nephew and niece. He eventually settled in Freeport, Barry County, where he was living in 1882 and 1885, and in Carlton Township, Barry County in 1890. In fact Joseph probably lived the remainder of his life in the Freeport-Carlton area.

He was a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association, and in 1885 became a charter member of Grand Army of the Republic Joel Woolcott Post No. 334 in Freeport.
In 1887 he applied for and received a pension (no. 381788).

Joseph died September 14, 1884, presumably in Freeport or Carlton and was buried in Freeport cemetery.

His widow applied for and received a pension (no. 428090).

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