Friday, December 24, 2010

John Taylor

John Taylor was born in 1824 in Quebec, Canada.

John left Canada and came to Michigan sometime before the war broke out. (He may have been living in Lyon, Oakland County in1860.)

He stood 5’11” with brown eyes and hair and a dark complexion and was a 37-year-old shoemaker possibly living in Kent County or in Allendale, Ottawa County when he enlisted in Company C on May 13, 1861 (he may have been related to the Taylor brothers from Allendale). John allegedly deserted on July 29, 1861, at Arlington, Virginia, but in fact had probably been hospitalized and was discharged for right-side inguinal hernia on September 14, 1861, at Hunter's Farm, Virginia.

After his discharge John eventually returned to Michigan and settled in Grand Rapids where he worked as a farmer for many years.

In 1883 he applied for and received pension no. 518221, drawing $16.00 per month in 1896 (?).

John was a widower with no family when he was admitted to the Michigan Soldiers’ Home (no. 441) for the first time on November 18, 1886, and discharged on July 30, 1887; he was in and out of the home several times before being admitted to the Home for the last time on March 31, 1897.

John died of senile debility and cystitis at the Home on April 6, 1897, and was buried in the Home cemetery: section 1 row 2 grave no. 33.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

[Sorry to do this through comments, but can't find your email info on your blog home page]

I have the family bible of George S. Wixson. That name is listed in the 3rd Michigan roster. According to the genealogy in the bible, his wife Sarah remarried in December 1864. Can you help me find out if George S. Wixson (alt. Wixon) survived the war?

I've been looking for years. Want to give the bible to his descendants.

Please email bmeyer1@comcast.net

Steve Soper said...

Sorry, but George Wixon served in the reorganized 3rd Michigan -- not the original Old 3rd.