Addison H. Smith was born in 1838 in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, the son of Albert A. (d. 1849) and Rachel H. (b. 1802)
Albert married New York native Rachel and they settled in Michigan sometime before 1832. By 1840 Albert was listed as living in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, and died in 1849 during the Mexican War, possibly while serving in the Michigan militia regiment. By 1850 Addison was living with his mother in Kalamazoo village, and by 1860 he was still living with his mother in Kalamazoo; also living with them were two of his siblings: his older brother William who would also join the Third Michigan and his older sister Louisa, a schoolteacher who would marry Emery Bryant, the future captain of Company H.
Addison stood 5’11” with gray eyes, brown hair and a dark complexion and was a 23-year-old clerk working for Lewis Remington in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County when he enlisted on May 6, 1861, along with his older brother William W., as First Corporal in Company H (which was commanded by his brother-in-law Captain Emery Bryant). Addison was a Sergeant and sick in the hospital in October of 1862 through January of 1863, and was discharged on February 2, 1863, at Central Park hospital in New York City for “chronic diarrhea of 6 months’ duration, chronic rheumatism of 3 months’ duration, accompanied by emaciation, irritability and debility.”
After his discharge from the army Addison returned to his mother’s home in Kalamazoo where in March of 1863 he applied for a pension (no. 16295).
Addison died of chronic diarrhea on August 3, 1863, and was presumably buried in Kalamazoo.
Addison’s mother was living in Kalamazoo village in 1870. She received a dependent mother’s pension (no. 59086), dated August of 1863, drawing $8.00 per month.
William W. Smith was born in 1832 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, the son of Albert A. (d. 1849) and Rachel H. (b. 1802)
Albert married New York native Rachel and they settled in Michigan sometime before 1832. By 1840 Albert was listed as living in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, and died in 1849 during the Mexican War, possibly while serving in the Michigan militia regiment. By 1850 Rachel was still living in Kalamazoo village; also living with her was her youngest son Addison, who would also join Company H in 1861.
William was possibly married in 1858. In any case, by 1860 he may have been working as a shoemaker living in Muskegon, Muskegon County, at the same residence as George Bernier (who would also enlist in Company H). He was also probably living at his mother’s house in Kalamazoo, sometime in 1860. Also living there were two of his siblings: his younger brother Addison and his older sister Louisa, a schoolteacher who would marry Emery Bryant, the future captain of Company H.
In any case, stood 5’11” with blue eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion and was 29 years old and probably still living in Muskegon in April of 1861 when he was elected Third Sergeant of the “Muskegon Rangers,” the local militia company which would serve as the nucleus for Company H, Third Michigan infantry. In fact, William enlisted as Fourth Sergeant in Company H (commanded by his brother-in-law Captain Emery Bryant) on May 6, 1861, along with his younger brother Addison (who was from Kalamazoo). William was discharged on April 4, 1862, at Camp Michigan, Virginia, for “ill health, caused by fatigue and exposure; [also] pain in backbone.”
No pension seems to be available.
William eventually returned to his mother’s home in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County. By 1870 he was listed as an invalid living with his mother in Kalamazoo village. His sister Louisa Bryant (widow of Captain Emery Bryant, formerly of Company H) was teaching school in Kalamazoo and living with her mother as well as her 7-year-old son Emery.
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