Chauncey Rice

Chauncey Rice was born in 1832 in Cattaraugus County, New York, possibly the son of Daniel (b. 1815) and stepson of Mary (b. 1823).

New York-born Daniel married Chauncey’s mother and settled in New York. He remarried to Mary, probably in New York, and between 1843 and 1848 the family moved to Michigan. By 1850 Chauncey was working as a laborer and living with his family in Gaines, Kent County. By 1860 Daniel had moved his family to Leighton, Allegan County.

Chauncey reportedly married a woman named Mary and they had at least one child, a son Lyman (b. 1859).

In 1860 Chauncey was also living in Leighton, working as a farmer and living with his son and a woman named Mary who was reportedly 72 years old (and no place of birth listed in the census).

Chauncey stood 5’10” with blue eyes, dark hair and a dark complexion, and was a 32-year-old farmer living with his wife in Grand Rapids, when he enlisted in Company K on January 20, 1864, for 3 years, crediting Gaines, Kent County or Leighton, Allegan County and was mustered the same day. (His wife was living in Mayfield, Grand Traverse County in 1864.) He joined the Regiment on February 17 at Camp Bullock, Virginia.

In May of 1864 Chauncey was suffering from typhoid fever when he was transferred from the Regimental hospital to Armory Square hospital in Washington, DC, where he died on May 14, 1864, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, section 27, grave no. 30.

In July of 1864 his widow applied for and received a pension (no. 37739). She remarried and in 1867 (?) an application was made on behalf of at least one minor child (no. 94121).