Leonard Parrish

Leonard Parrish was born in 1838 in Wayne County, Michigan.

By 1860 Leonard was working as a fisherman and living with a shingle-maker by the name of John Olim in Solon, Kent County.

Leonard stood 5’11” with blue eyes, light hair and a light complexion and was 23 years old possibly from Jackson County when he enlisted in Company C on May 13, 1861. Leonard was wounded on May 31, 1862, at Fair Oaks, Virginia. According to a friend, Chauncey Smith of Company F, “Len Parish was very slightly [wounded] in the leg. He took the ball out himself.” He was reported absent sick in the hospital at Clarysville, Maryland (near Cumberland) from August 11 through December, sick in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in January of 1863, and dropped from the company rolls on February 14, 1863 at Camp Pitcher. He was discharged for general debility on March 4, 1863, at Cumberland, Maryland

After he was discharged from the army Leonard returned to Michigan where he reentered the service in Company A, Fourth Reorganized Michigan infantry on September 15, 1864, at Hillsdale for 3 years, crediting Somerset, Hillsdale County, and was mustered on September 17 at Adrian, Lenawee County. The regiment was in fact organized at Adrian and Hudson, and mustered into service on October 14, 1864. It left Michigan for Nashville, Tennessee, on October 22 and then on to Decatur, Alabama on October 26 where it remained on duty until the end of November. The Fourth (reorganized) participated in numerous operations in Tennessee and Alabama through late spring of 1865. It was moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 16 and then to Indianaola, Texas on July 6, eventually marching to Green Lake where it remained until September 12 when it was sent to San Antonio where it remained on provost duty until May of 1866. Leonard was reported a Corporal on May 18, 1865, a Sergeant on March 1, 1866, and was mustered out with the regiment on May 26, 1866, at Houston, Texas. Tne regiment then returned to Detroit where it was discharged on June 10.

Leonard eventually returned to western Michigan and was probably working as a farm laborer and living with the Jacob Ipe family in Algoma, Kent County in 1870.

He was married on August 19, 1871, to Olevia Amelia Ipe (d. 1906), and they had at least three children: Orrin (b. 1872), Minnie (b. 1875) and Charles (b. 1878); she was probably the sister Andrew Ipe, formerly of Company D.

By 1880 Leonard was working as a farmer and living with his wife and children in Algoma, Kent County.

In 1879 Leonard applied for and received a pension (no. 657402).

He died on May 20, 1881, and was reportedly buried in Algoma cemetery: section 2 lot 28.

His widow applied for and received a pension (no. 304210), and subsequently a pension was filed and granted on behalf of at least one minor child (no. 304211).