William Waldie

William Waldie was born in 1836 in Scotland or Canada, the son of James (b. 1814) and Isabelle (b. 1817).

Scottish-born James married English-born Isabelle sometime before the late 1830s when they were living in Canada where they resided for many years. They were probably living in Canada in 1848 when their son Adam was born and in 1856 when their son george was born. The family reportedly came to Michigan, settling first at Otter Lake near Flint in Genesee County, before moving on to the western side of the state. Nevertheless, it does appear that they did not settle in Michigan until asometime after 1860.

William stood 5’10” with blue eyes, light hair and a light complexion and was a 25-year-old farmer probably living in Allendale, Ottawa County when he enlisted in Company I on May 13, 1861. (Company I was made up largely of men from Ottawa County, particularly from the eastern side of the County.) He allegedly deserted on August 29, 1862, at Second Bull Run, although in early September he was reported to be a patient in Cliffburne Hospital, Washington, DC. indeed, he had apparently been hospitalized and was subsequently detached to the ambulance corps. He was serving with the ambulance train in September and October of 1862 through July of 1863.

William apparently recovered and was returned to duty by the time he reenlisted on December 24, 1863, at Brandy Station, Virginia, crediting Sparta, Kent County. He was presumably absent on veteran’s furlough, probably in Michigan, in January of 1864 and probably returned to the Regiment on or about the first of February. William was transferred to Company I, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864, and taken prisoner on October 27, 1864, at the Weldon Railroad, Virginia, near Petersburg, Virginia. He was confined on October 28 at Richmond, Virginia, and then sent to Salisbury, North Carolina on November 4, 1864. William was returned to Richmond on February 26, 1865, where he was paroled on March 10, reported in the hospital Division no. 10 on March 11 at Baltimore, Maryland, subsequently transferred to West’s building hospital in Baltimore on March 23. He was mustered out on July 13, 1865, at Detroit.

After the war William returned to Ottawa County and was living in Allendale in 1869 when he married Scottish-born Ann C. Rose (b. 1849) on January 1, 1869, and they had at least eight children: William (b. 1869), Frederick (b. 1872), Harriet (b. 1874), Edward (b. 1878), Andrew, Charlie, Eliza and Frances (b. 1879).

By 1870 William was working as a farmer and still living in Allendale with his wife and son; that same year his brother (?) Adam was working as a farm labvorer in Allendale. His parents doe not appear to be living in Michigan in 1870. (In 1870 there was also one William Waldie, age 42 and born in Scotland, living with his wife Mary and their children in Marathon, Lapeer County. This seems to have relevance regarding the Old Third William’s second marriage; see below.) By 1880 William was working as a farmer and living with his wife and children in Blendon, Ottawa County; near by lived his parents James and Isabelle as well as his brother (?) Adam and his family.

William was living in Eastmanville, Ottawa County in 1883 when he was drawing $4.00 per month for chronic diarrhea (pension no. 153,074, dated May of 1878), and back in Allendale in 1888 and 1890. He was a member of Grand Army of the Republic Thirkittle Post No. 388 in Allendale.

He reportedly left his wife sometime around 1891 in Ottawa County and moved to the eastern side of the state, settling in Arenac County.

He was married in 1897 to his second wife, Helen Cogsdill, at Marathon, Lapeer County.

William died of heart disease and lip cancer on January 8, 1911, in Mason, Arenac County and was buried in Mason Township cemetery.

In February of 1911 Helen was living in Michigan when she applied for and received a pension (no. 740820).