Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Henry Galligan

Henry Galligan

Representing: Union


G.A.R Post

  • John Buford Post #89 Everett, Snohomish Co. WA

Unit History

  • 14th Wisconsin Infantry H

See full unit history

Henry Galligan
Full Unit History

14th WISCONSIN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: November, 1861 Camp Wood, Fond du Lac, WI
Mustered In: 1/30/62
Mustered Out: 10/9/65 Mobile, AL

Regimental History

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:

  The 14th, a three year "western theater" regiment departed Wisconsin on 3/8/62 and went into barracks at St. Louis, MO until ordered to Savannah, TN later that month. From there the unit moved to Pittsburg Landing/Shiloh, TN where it saw action that included charging a Confederate battery and driving the enemy from their guns.  Forced to fall back, the 14th repeated this attack three more times before holding the guns. For this type of bravery during their baptism of fire the regiment received the moniker "Wisconsin Regulars".

  The unit was next assigned to provost (military police) duty at Pittsburg Landing during the siege of Corinth, MS, but was ordered to reinforce Union Gen. Rosecrans during his advance on Iuka.  When within two miles of that city it was ordered back to Corinth which was being threatened by enemy forces. During the subsequent battle of that place it held the advance position, the place of honor, in the Union battle line.

  1862 found the 14th active in Union Gen. U.S. Grant's movement upon Vicksburg, MS. During actions leading up to the siege of that river citadel the regiment was at Champion's Hill, Big Black River and took a conspicuous part in one of the early Union assaults on the city during which it lost 107 killed, wounded or missing out of 256 men that went into action. It then remained in the front lines until Vicksburg's surrender at mid-year and was given the place of honor when their brigade marched into the fallen city.

  In December, 1863 two thirds of the regiment re-enlisted and joined in the disastrous Union "Red River" expedition.  Actions for the 14th during this movement included Pleasant Hill, Cloutierville, Marksville and Yellow Bayou.

  The 14th next saw action at Tupelo, MS; assisted in driving the forces of Confed. Gen. Price out of Missouri; helped to defeat the enemy's Gen. Hood in December, 1864; assisted in dislodging the enemy at Corinth in January, 1862 and was a part of the force that reduced the forts holding the key to Mobile, Alabama. Final muster was at that location in October, 1865. 

Soldier History

SOLDIER:
Residence: Osceola, WI Age: 18.0 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 1/29/62 Fond du Lac, WI Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 1/29/62
Mustered Out: 1/29/65
Discharged: 1/30/65
Highest Rank: Pvt.

Family History

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

  Henry Galligan's origins are somewhat shrouded in the mists of time.  No birthdate has been discovered through available documents or contacts with his genealogical family. Also, only one notation of a birth month has been found. That is the 1900 U.S. Census which indicates he was born in January. Finally, birth years tend to span the years 1843 through 1845. For our purposes we will adopt the January, 1844 birth information from the 1900 census. Likely his birthplace was Albany, New York.

  Henry's parents were Edward (no birth inf.) and Elizabeth (no nee b. ca. 1818 NY) Galligan. Although Edward and Elizabeth are not identified in any U.S. Census during the 1800s, birthplace locations for their children place the Galligan’s in New York until 1850 and, by 1853, Wisconsin. Interestingly, Henry alone shows up in an 1855 census for Osceola, Fond du Lac County, WI.  According to family lore, Edward died in 1856.

   As far as Edward and Elizabeth's known offspring they were as follows: Seymour C. (b.1835), Edward W. (no birth infor), Henry (b.1844 NY), Ezra W. (b. 1846 NY), Elizabeth (b. 1846 NY), Mary J. (b.1850 NY), Eugene (b. 1853 WI) and Andrew Jackson (b. 1855 WI).

  During the American Civil War the four oldest known Galligan brothers - Seymour, Edward, Henry and Ezra would serve in the same regiment and company. All would survive the conflict.

  In January, 1862 eighteen year old Henry left the family/his mother's farm to follow in the footsteps of older brother Seymour by enlisting in company "H" of the 14th regiment U.S. volunteer infantry. At enlistment his vital statistics were thus noted: 5'8" tall; light complexion; blue eyes; light hair. Private Henry Galligan would serve his three year term of enlistment and return to civilian life, but his military service would not prove to be a benign experience.

  As early as mid-February, ’62, while still in camp at Fond du Lac, Henry was taken with the measles for which he was treated in the regimental hospital. That being said, while in partial recovery he was stricken with the mumps for which he remained hospitalized until March 7th.  Then, although not well, he rejoined his company as it moved south. While passing though Chicago, IL the troops had to march two miles in the rain to get from one railroad depot to another. This got Henry very warm (in his wool uniform, etc.) after which he was put into a cold (railroad) car. Almost immediately thereafter he was again under a doctor's care, likely at hospitals near Vicksburg, MS and Hatcher, MS because of suffering great pain in the head as a result of the cold contracted in Chicago.

  Early April 6th and 7th, 1862 found the 14th at Pittsburg Landing/Shiloh, TN participating in the bloody battle of that place. During the night of 4/6 the regiment stood in line of battle during a heavy rainstorm. On the 7th it rained the fore part of the night after which the weather turned cold and it froze "quite hard." This lead to Henry contracting another severe head cold which resulted in his having "discharge" from both ears for most of the following summer.

  Mid-September, 1862 in Mississippi, likely before or during the battle of Luka (9/19), while working on a wall and shoveling dirt Henry was sunstroke or so affected by the heat that he was carried to his tent insensible and remained so for several hours. Thereafter, on October 3rd, while in action as a skirmisher at Corinth, MS he was wounded in the right arm near the shoulder. 'Although existing records are somewhat unclear on the matter, it appears the wounding resulted in his being relieved from duty for one month.

  1863. Looking strictly at military service records, this appears to have been a more benign year for Henry than was 1862. Company muster rolls reported him present most of the time, even during the forty seven day siege of Vicksburg, Ms which ended on 7/3/63. The only exception was a thirty day plus period during October and early November.

  Deciphering Henry’s service record during  1864 is somewhat more difficult, but, in all it appears that in March, he once again contracted a severe head cold for which he was sent to a convalescent camp at or near Vicksburg, MS from which, according to later pension testimony "he ran away because of ill treatment and joined his company." He was then present  the remainder of the year during which he was with Union Gen. W.T. Sherman's forces moving upon Atlanta, GA. This campaign stretched from May 1st through November 22nd. He concluded the 1864 combat year by participating in the December 15-16th battle of Nashville, TN.

  January, 1865. At the end of the month Private Henry Galligan was honorably discharged by reason of expiration of his term of service. 

  Military service behind him, Henry returned to the family/his mother's farm in Osceola, WI.  He was still in Osceola on 9/14/67 when he married Adeline Orinda Crittenden (b. 7/20/51 Fond du Lac, WI). The young couple would produce eleven children, the names of only eight of whom are documented: Nancy Ellen (b. 9/20/68 WI), George Irwin (b.12/12/76 WI), Addison Henry (b. 8/20/79), Francis Herman (b.7/22/82 SD), Albert Manwarren (b. 8/14/87 SD), Olive Vernel (b. 3/18/91 WA) and Addie Bertha (b. 10/30/95 WA).

  In March, 1878 son George was born in Wisconsin. Not long after that blessed event, circa August, 1878 Henry settled himself, wife and three children on land near Tyndall in the Dakota Territory on which in November of that year he applied for a 160 acre homestead based upon his years of Civil War service. The family's initial dwelling was a 20' x 30' sod house. Soon after however, he constructed a 14' x 20' two story wood frame dwelling. Other amenities added to the site were a well and two stables. Thirty acres were subsequently tilled and planted with crops. It was there, on 8/20/79 that son Addison Henry came into the world. The homesteaded land became officially Henry’s in April, 1883. 

  It was  in 1881 in the Dakota Territory that Henry  began the paperwork process to receive a U.S. Government disability pension based on ailments he traced back to his years of Civil War soldiering. Focus of the disability pension request was his shoulder wound and head problems stemming both from his severe colds and sunstroke.

  One deposition taken in 1888 was from a relative. He wrote, in part: "I saw Henry first after he was discharged at his mother's house. I was visiting there. His trouble has been in his head. I have frequently seen him put his hands to his head and in agony exclaim "oh my head." This was in the years 1865 to 1873. I would say he was 1/3 disabled from labor at the time. I saw him in Dakota near Tyndall where he reside(d) in 1883. He seemed much worse than I had seen him in 1873. I saw him from one to three times each during spring, summer and autumn of '83 and judged him 3/4 disabled from manual labor.  It was a disease of his head caused by overheat and sunstroke if my memory serves me rightly...."

  Another deposition from '88 read as follows: "I have known Henry from the time I was seven years old which was the year 1855. We lived only one mile apart until some years after the war.....He has been failing ever since (he) returned from the army.  About four years ago I left there for northern Michigan and on my return last spring was astonished at the change in his condition.  He is much worse than when I left. No sports or games. Always tired....complained of dizziness and pain in his head....he is despairing of aid."

  A final testimonial, also from 1888 was by another relative, his brother Edward, who had served with Henry in the 14th Wisconsin: "(Henry is) not as bright and keen as before (he) enlisted. In case of any sudden noise or excitement it makes him act wild and nervous.  He does not do but little business of any amount and if (he) has any writing to do or figuring he gets someone else to do it for him. And he doesn't go to church very often and when he does (he) generally sits near the door or stays outside.  Ask him why he don't go inside and he says it is too warm or it is too noisy and it makes his head ache.  Ask him a question on any subject and he will stop and begin to rest hishead and stand and think and after a little while he will answer or say I don't know or I don't recollect.  He has never played at any kind of game since he came home from the army such as wrestling, running, jumping or playing at ball or anything of the kind.....Before he went into the army he was always ready for the different kind of sports....He was sound and healthy then. He does not go to any public doings when it is in a building. His memory appears to be short. I have asked him questions when he would stop and remain silent and quiet.  Often he would say there is something pressing in my head…or) wait a moment and I will tell you.  He seldom goes away from home, only when obliged to do so.  He does not drink any intoxicating liquors....He does not talk much and when it gets warm he rises very early in the morning and goes to work, but just as soon as it get warm then he has got to stop and wait until it gets cool in the evening and then he has to work very slow to keep his blood from heating.  He has a very hard time to get along.  His wife is obliged to take in washing to support themselves and (their) children. And I will further say that he was a good and true soldier and was never known to shirk his duty and never showed the white feather in time of danger..... (He was) always ready and at his post. Now he need help and ought to have it right."

  That Private Henry Galligan did receive a disability stipend is evidenced by the packet of pension papers existing today.  However, the documents provide no information pertaining to that pension's starting date or its monthly amount from inception to Henry's death.

  For whatever reason, in 1889, the year after the above affidavits were written, Henry and family pulled up stakes from their Dakota homesteaded land and moved westward to Washington Territory/State. It was there an 1890 U.S. Veteran census found the Galligans residing in the western Washington Kitsap County community of Gig Harbor. Why they had travelled to that community and what, if any kind of employment he had, is not known. 

  The Galligans reportedly remained in Kitsap County until 1895 when they moved northward to the Snohomish County Washington city of Everett. That is where the census the census of 1900 found them. At that time Henry was employed as a night watchman. Making up the household were Henry, Adeline and children George, Frank (Francis Herman), Albert, Olive and Bertha. Two years later, in 1902, they resettled north of Everett in an area near the Snohomish County community of Marysville known as Sunnyside.

  Henry died at home on 10/15/09.  Besides his wife and adult children, he left behind daughter Bertha who was then still under sixteen years of age. Burial was in the nearby community of Marysville’s Community cemetery.

  Following Henry's passing Adeline applied for and was likely granted a portion of her late husband's disability stipend. Again, no dollar amount is available.

  After Henry's death Adeline remained in the Marysville area until her death at her Sunnyside home on May 8, 1920. Her earthly remains were laid to rest in Marysville beside Henrys.

Cemetery

Buried at Marysville Cemetery
Row: B4
Site: 79


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