Moses Bolio alias Mosher - updated 12/25/2016

Moses Bolio, also known as “Moses Mosher,” was born August 9, 1825, in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan.

In 1850 Moses was probably living with the Couger family in Harrison, Macomb County. Moses stood 5’6” with hazel eyes, black hair and a dark complexion and was a 37-year-old carpenter living in Mecosta County when he enlisted as “Moses Mosher” in Company K on February 5, 1862, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, and was mustered the same day. (In 1888 Moses Bolio reported to the Pension Bureau that when he enlisted in the 3rd Michigan his name was “given by mistake or misunderstanding by the mustering officer.”) He was present on duty in July of 1862, and admitted to Twelfth and Buttonwood Streets hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 13, 1862, suffering from hemoptyses (coughing up blood) a consequence of a “mechanical injury.” He was discharged on February 6, 1863, at Philadelphia.

He reentered the service in Company H, 8th Michigan Cavalry from Mt. Clemens, Macomb County and was reportedly shot in the ankle and foot.

Moses eventually returned to Michigan.

Moses was living in East Tawas, Iosco County in 1888 and in 1890 (only his 3rd Michigan service was listed in the census 1890). By 1894 he was living in Port Huron, St. Clair County. He was judged incompetent sometime around 1902.

While the evidence remains a bit vague at present, it appears that Moses married at least three and perhaps as many as five times.

Moses was married the first time in 1846 and had at least one child. He was quite probably the same Moses Bolio who married Canada native Monnique Furton (1833-1873) on October 29, 1865, in Macomb County. Monnique died of consumption on March 30, 1873, in Mt. Clemens, Macomb County. On September 2, 1875 he married his third (?) wife, Mrs. Mary Ann LaForge White in Chesterfield, Macomb County. In October 21, 1879 he probably married Angeline Forbs Perry in Macomb County. Moses eventually married a woman named Ellen and they were living in Port Huron in 1902.

He was living in Michigan in 1887 when he applied for and received a pension (no. 603143) for service in Michigan cavalry.

Moses Bolio died of anasarca on July 30 or 31, 1904, in Fort Gratiot, St. Clair County, and was buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Port Huron.