By 1850 Oscar was living with the Ezra Spencer family in Otisco, Ionia County. In 1860 there was one Oscar Woodman working as a farm laborer and living with the family in Berlin (Saranac), Ionia County. Oscar may have been related to one Miles Woodmansee (b. 1821) who probably lived in Barry County and who was buried in Riverside cemetery, Hastings, Barry County (see photo G-774).
Oscar stood 5’6” with gray eyes, dark hair and a light complexion, and was a 23-year-old farmer probably living in Ionia County when he enlisted in Company D on May 13, 1861. (Company D was composed in large part of men who came from western Ionia County and Eaton County.) Oscar was a Sergeant and absent sick in August of 1862, but but soon afterwards he was reduced to the ranks and in September was reported a Private serving in the ambulance corps through July of 1863. However, he was a Sergeant again by December 24, 1863, when he reenlisted at Brandy Station, Virginia, crediting Boston, Ionia County, and was presumably absent on veteran’s furlough, probably in Ionia County, in January of 1864.
Oscar probably returned to the Regiment on or about the first of February when he was listed as absent sick and he was serving with the ambulance train in March and April. He was still on “detached service,” probably with the ambulance corps, when he was transferred as a Sergeant to Company E, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864. He remained on detached service through October, and indeed probably until he was discharged for chronic diarrhea on January 15, 1865, at Petersburg, Virginia.
Dr. Henry Lyster, Surgeon for the Fifth Michigan infantry wrote that Woodmancy was suffering from “a generally debilitated and emaciated condition in consequence of chronic diarrhea. This soldier has suffered from this disease to a greater or lesser extent for two years though he has not been constantly disabled until within the last six months. His duties have latterly been very light but his disease has not yielded either to diet or medicine. In my opinion he is in danger of death by remaining in the service.”
Oscar returned to Michigan after his discharge from the army; he listed Ionia, Ionia County as his mailing address on his discharge paper.
He married Michigan native Lillian Randall (1850-1930) and they had at least one child: Fred (1867-1930).
By 1870 he was working as a farmer and living with his wife and son in Berlin (now Saranac), Ionia County. By 1871, however he had moved west to Colorado County, Texas. In 1874 he was living in Colorado County, Texas when he was arrested for “playng cards in public” and was still living in Columbus, Colorado County, Texas in 1877. Oscar lived variously in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma territory.
In 1880 Lillian was working as a seamstress and she and her son Frederick were living with the J. Bracey family in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.
In 1907 Oscar was reportedly living in Washunga, Kay County, Oklahoma territory.
By 1910 Oscar was working as a laborer and living with his wife in Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas.
In 1865 Oscar applied for and received a pension (no. 143801).
Oscar died on May 22, 1922, May 22, 1918 or May 24, 1919, in Flatonia, Fayette County, Texas, and was buried in Oakhill Cemetery, Flatonia. (His son Fred died in San Antonio in 1930 and his widow died in 1930 in Texas; both are reportedly buried in Flatonia, Texas.)
His wife Lillie received a widow’s pension (no. 607672).
No comments:
Post a Comment