Daniel C. Wilson

Daniel C. Wilson was born in 1844 in Fairfield, Herkimer County, New York, the son of Eliza.

Daniel and his mother eventually left New York and came to western Michigan sometime before 1862.

Daniel stood 5’8’ with gray eyes, dark hair and a dark complexion and was an 18-year-old farmer probably living in Saranac, Ionia County or Lowell, Kent County when he enlisted with his mother’s consent in Company C on February 22, 1862, at Saranac for 3 years, crediting Lowell, and was mustered the same day. He was reported as a company cook in September of 1862, and transferred to Company F on February 3, 1864, at Camp Bullock, Virginia.

He reenlisted on February 26, 1864, near Culpeper, Virginia, was mustered February 29 and presumably absent on veteran’s furlough in March and probably returned to the Regiment on or about the first of April.

He was taken prisoner on May 6 at the Wilderness, Virginia, confined at Andersonville, Georgia, and was transferred as a prisoner-of-war to Company F, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864. He was reported to be “doing well” but still a prisoner at Blackshire, Georgia in late 1864.

Daniel was paroled on April 28, 1865, at Jacksonville, Florida, sent to Camp Parole, Maryland on May 11, and to Camp Chase, Ohio on May 18 where he arrived on May 19 and where he was mustered out on June 19, 1865.

After the war Daniel returned to Michigan.

He was married to Canadian native Jane.

By 1870 he was working as a farmer (he owned $4000 worth of real estate) and living with his wife in Ronald, Ionia County. He was living in the Maple Rapids, Clinton County area around 1900. By 1907 he was residing at the Bridge Street House in Grand Rapids, and the following year was apparently back in Maple Rapids. In 1910-11 he was living in Belding, Ionia County.

He was a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association. In 1880 he applied for and received a pension (no. 263235).

Daniel died on June 26, 1913, probably at his home in Belding and was reportedly buried in Oak Hill cemetery, Ionia County.

In July of 1913 his widow was still living in Michigan when she applied for and received a pension (no. 767752).