George Moorman
1845-1932
George Moorman was born near Ypsilanti, Michigan, March 17th, 1845. He was one of eight children. His parents moved to this part of Michigan when he was about 4 years old. (They) built a log house near the creek. He did not have a chance to go to school as the children do today. It was all woods and his father blazed a trail for them.
George was enrolled (in the Civil War) in 1864 at the age of 19 in the 1st Michigan Engineers Company H at Grand Rapids and entered active service at the battle of Lookout Mountain. Later he was with General Sherman on the march to the sea.
He told of many things that took place and the hardships they had. He did not have any training (before) he was put into active service. Did not have a gun for more than a month.
His mother taught him to write not so long before he enlisted. Mother has some of the letters he wrote to his parents. One letter wrote … "that they left Atlanta November 16th and had marched 5400 miles and carried his knapsack".. On this march he had seen the time that he was glad to go where they had fed the horses and pick up the corn that they did not eat. They would parch it by holding it over the fire in their skillet if they had time. If not, they ate it raw and (were) glad to get it.
When they were marching, their supplies couldn’t keep up with them so they had to forage food to live, go to the farms and take hogs or anything they could find. In March 1865 he had been bare foot for 2 weeks, hoped he could get some boots soon.
There were a lot of people that followed the northern army. One of the army rations they had was called hardtack and it was hard. It looked like a soda cracker. They would have to crush them with their heels. Others they had would get wormie. They would soak them in their coffee and skim the worms off.
His work was to help with the building of the pontoon bridges. They were first temporary and taken up as soon as the army had passed. They had to tear up the railroads also. He told of the burning of Columbia, South Carolina, of seeing the women and children sitting out on the hills with just a little clothing that they could carry. He often wondered how they lived.
The men thought everything of General Sherman and didn’t like to have him go to the front. At last he was mustered out June 6, 1865, at Washington, D. C. and took part in the Grand Review*."
(Taken from a letter written by Mildred Richardson on file at the Byron Center Historical Society, no date)
George Moorman, the last remaining Civil War veteran of Byron Township, passed away at his home one half mile west of Byron Center. Aside from a few years spent in Jamestown, he had always lived here. He enjoyed good health up to a few years ago when the infirmities of old age were apparent. The funeral services were under the auspices of the Women’s Relief Corps. The one at the Methodist Church occurred December 3, preceded by a short service at the home. Rev. George Wallace officiated and the pall bearers were all World War veterans.
(Taken from the South Kent News, 1932)
He was 87 when he died. His first wife, Julia (Landis), was 38. His second wife, Minnie (McDuffee), was 93. Julia’s stone looks very antique while Minnie’s is more modern to match George’s. George is placed between the two wives.
Transcriber: Evelyn Sawyer
Created: 26 December 2002
URL: http://kent.migenweb.net/townships/byron/pioneers/moormang.html