George B. Kibbee

George B. Kibbee was born on January 3, 1840, in Pulaski, Oswego County, New York.

George left New York and came to Michigan sometime before the war broke out.

He stood 5’6” with blue eyes, light hair and a light complexion and was a 21-year-old blacksmith and boatman possibly living in Montcalm County when he enlisted in Company B on May 13, 1861. He was wounded in the left arm on May 31, 1862, at Fair Oaks, Virginia, resulting in the amputation of the limb, and by mid-July he was a patient at Stewart’s Mansion hospital in Baltimore, reported to be “nearly well.” On July 15, 1862, he was discharged at Baltimore for “amputation of left arm near the shoulder having had it shattered in the battle of Fair Oaks.”

After his discharged George eventually returned to Michigan where he reentered the service in the Veterans’ Reserve Corps on July 11, 1863, at Detroit for 3 years. He served in the Seventy-third Company, Second Battalion, VRC, and was present with the VRC, probably in Detroit, through the end of April of 1864. Although he reportedly deserted on June on June 9, 1864, from Washington Park hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was also reported as int he hospital receiving a “false arm” on June 30, 1864reportedly deserted on June 6, 1864.

George eventually returned to western Michigan, married Ada V. Dunbar (d. 1913), on June 4, 1867, at Millbrook, Mecosta County, and they had at least three children: Nelson (b. 1868), Charles (b. 1870) and Emily (b. 1875). George and Ada were divorced in 1901 and remarried on August 10, 1905 in Boyne City, Charlevoix County.

For many years George worked as a blacksmith (although he only had one arm). He resided in Lakeview, Montcalm County in 1883 when he was drawing $24.00 per month for loss of his arm (pension no. 10,411, dated probably 1863), and $55 per month by 1909.

He was still living in Lakeview in December of 1888 when he became a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association. By 1889 George had moved to Sylvester, Mecosta County, and in 1890 he was residing in Altona, Mecosta County and in 1894 in Hinton, Mecosta County. He also resided for a time in Howard City, Mecosta County.

George was possibly living in Boyne City, Charlevoix County where he died on January 21, 1909, and was buried in Riverside cemetery, Mt. Pleasant, Isabella County: lot 1, block 132, grave no. 3. Charlevoix County paid for the casket and hearse; but it is unclear if they also paid for transportation to Isabella County for burial.

Ada was living in Boyne City, Charlevoix County, in February of 1909 when she applied for a pension (no. 914112); it was rejected and subsequently abandoned and no certificate was ever issued. She remained in Boyne City where she worked as a housekeeper until she died in 1913; the County paid for her funeral expenses as well.