Allen Fiske

Allen Fiske, no known date or place of birth.

Allen is listed only in the Regimental descriptive rolls (on microfilm in the Michigan State Archives in Lansing), and even that information is sketchy.

In fact, there is no further information other than the notation that “Per G.O. no. 116, War Department, he was transferred to the VRC on March 31, 1864.” The VRC was made up of men who while ambulatory were generally incapable of performing regular military tasks due to having suffered debilitating wounds and/or diseases and were assigned to garrison the many supply depots, draft rendezvous, camps, forts, prisons, etc. scattered throughout the northern cities, thus freeing able-bodied men for regular military duty.

In fact there was one Allen Fiske, who was 20 years old when he enlisted on June 4, 1861, in Company B, Third Maine infantry and who was subsequently transferred to the VRC. He survived the war and received a pension for his service in the Third Maine infantry.