Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Alexander Allen

24^th WISCONSIN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Summer, 1862 Camp Siegel Milwaukee, WI
Mustered In: 8/15 - 8/21/1862 Camp Siegel Milwaukee, WI
Mustered Out: 6/10/1865 Nashville, TN

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: 

The 24^th Wisconsin, also known as the "Milwaukee Regiment" was a three year infantry organization. It fought in the western theater of the American Civil War (ACW).
 

Leaving the state on 9/5/1862 the 24^th travelled into Kentucky. There, the unit saw its first action at Perryville (10/7/1862). During that conflict it "behaved with coolness and deliberation" and fought "with the steadiness of veterans."
 

Next engaged at Stone's River, TN (12/31/1862 - 1/2/1863) the 24^th suffered heavily. Lost were one hundred seventy five killed, wounded and captured.
 

At Chickamauga, GA (9/18 - 20/1863) another one hundred five men were killed, wounded or missing.  At Chattanooga, TN (11/23 - 25/1863 it took part in the storming of Missionary Ridge. After aiding in lifting the siege of Knoxville, TN it remained on guard at that place until January, 1864.
 

In May, 1864 the 24^th joined the Union forces under Gen. W.T. Sherman as they marched toward Atlanta, GA. During that campaign the unit fought the enemy at Dallas (5/26 - 6/1/1864), Kennesaw Mountain (6/27/1864) and Peachtree Creek (7/20/1864).
 

Ordered back to Tennessee, Next came the battle of Franklin, TN (11/30/1864   ) The 24^th s combat  career was concluded at Nashville, TN (12/15 - 16/1864 ).
 

The 24^th spent the winter of 1864/'65 at Huntsville, AL. It then returned to Nashville, TN for its 6/10/1865 final muster.

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 8; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 3; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 103*; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 87.

*The 24^th was one of a scant few Federal infantry regiments that lost more enlisted men and officers in combat than it did to disease, accidents, etc.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Milwaukee, WI   Age:
Enlisted/Enrolled: 8/15/1862   Rank: Cprl.
Mustered In: 8/125/1862
Deserted: 11/6/1862
Highest Rank: Cpl. 
Rank At Desertion: Cprl.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:
 

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Alexander Allen was created in October, 2021 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
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Alexander Allen was born Alexander MacGeachie/McGeachie on 5/2/1842. The location of his birth was Dundonald, Ayr, Scotland.
 

Parenting Alexander were James Alexander MacGeachie/McGeachie (b. 1816 Scotland - d. 1845 Scotland) and Margaret Dosh (nee Doak b. 1821 Scotland - d. 2/23/1900 Scotland) MacGeachie/McGeachie. James' occupation is unknown.
 

As best as can be determined Alexander was the second of three sons born to James and Margaret. Older than he was Marion (b. 1841 Scotland). Younger than he was James (b. 1845).
 

In 1847/'48, two or three years (or less) after the death of his father, Alexander accompanied his aunt Mary (nee MacGeachie/McGeachie) Allen and her husband, Robert Allen when they immigrated to America. In this country he adopted the Allen surname as his own. **
 

By 1862 Alexander was residing in Milwaukee, WI. On 8/15 of that year he enlisted in and was mustered into the 24^th Wisconsin Infantry.  The following day, 8/16/1862, also in Milwaukee, he married.
 

Alexander's bride was Mary Maria Hak. Mary had been born 1/1840 in Dalem Holland Netherlands.
 

During their years together Alexander and Mary produced seven children: Mary Elizabeth Allen (b. 10/1863 Ontario, Canada), Anabell Mary Allen (b. 10/2/1865 Port Delhousie Ontario, Canada), James Alexander (12/4/1867 Milwaukee Milwaukee County, WI), Alexander John Allen (b. 3/19/1869 Milwaukee, WI), Janet A. "Jennie" Allen (b. 3/15/1872 Milwaukee, WI), Robert Allen (b. 12/7/1873 WI) and Alice Allen (9/16/1877 Port Madison, Washington Terr. (WT) ).

For whatever reason, military life, war or both did not set well with Corporal Allen. Perhaps, though, he missed his new wife. His enlistment was to have been for three years, but Corporal Allen did not even serve for three months. He deserted from the 24^th Wisconsin on 11/6/1862.
 

Looking at the birth locations of the Allen children, at some point - perhaps immediately after his desertion - Alexander and Mary left the U.S. and moved into Canada. It was there that their first two children were birthed. The War was over, by 1867 when James was born, the family had returned to the Milwaukee area.
 

The Allens then remained in Milwaukee through the births of Alexander John (1869), Jennie (1872) and Robert (12/1873). Then, at some point in time prior to the birth of Alice (9/1877) they quitted Wisconsin and moved westward to the Puget Sound region of Washington Territory (WT).
 

What had drawn the Allens to the Pacific Northwest is not known for certain, but it may have been the timber industry. It appears, once here they may have first settled in Kitsap County's Port Madison, a mill town on Bainbridge Island. That was where Alice was born.
 

Having moved again between 9/1877 and the U.S. Census of 1880, that population tally found the Allen family residing in Seattle King County, WT. At that time Alexander claimed his occupation was "ship builder" and, a year later, "ship carpenter."
 

On 7/26/1892, while in Washington State, Alexander applied for a U.S. Government disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. Likely because of his "deserter" status the request was not granted.
 

Alexander Allen lived out his years in Seattle. The last of those years appear to have been in a home located at 4311 Phinney Avenue. According to the U.S. Census of 1920, residing in the same house with Alexander and Mary was married daughter Jennie, her husband Harry Johnson/Johnston and son Frederick. Interestingly, Mary is not noted.
 

Retired shipbuilder and Civil War cavalry trooper Alexander Allen died at the Phinney address on 1/7/1924. Cause of the old soldier's passing was "carcinoma of Maxilla" with bronchial pneumonia contributing. He was/is buried in Seattle's Lake View Cemetery located near the north end of that city's Capitol Hill.
 

Mary died in Seattle on 1/13/1926. Details of the 85 - 86 year old's passing are not known. She was/is buried at Lake View with Alexander. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
** On an as yet undocumented date Alexander became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Buried at Lake View Cemetery Seattle