Nathaniel VanDusen - G.A.R., Bishop Post

When the G.A.R., Bishop Post, published their resolution of respect to mark the passing of Nathaniel VanDusen, it was mentioned that he served his country twice.  

 













Born circa 1826, he would have been about 15 years old when he enlisted on May 6, 1840 to serve in the Mexican War, according to the History of Defiance County, 1883.  It is more likely that that is a typo and that he enlisted in 1846, when the war actually began,. and he was 20 years old. Assigned to Company B, 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, he served until his discharge on July 1, 1847.  Whether the unit ever saw any active duty or not is unknown, but as soon as the law allowed, in 1887, he applied for his Mexican War pension.

When Nathaniel returned from his service during the Mexican War, he married Elizabeth Relue in 1848 in Coshocton County, Ohio.

Marriage Record from Coschocton County, Ohio

In 1850, the couple was enumerated in Flatrock Township, Henry County, Ohio, with their toddler daughter, Hester, 1.  Nathaniel was a shoemaker, an occupation he would have for over twenty more years.   

By 1860, he had moved to Richland Township, Defiance County, and the couple had added more children to the clan.  He still worked as a shoemaker and had no property.  When the Civil War broke out, Nathaniel enlisted into Company E, 111th O.V.I. on August 11, 1862 on the day it was organized.  Leaving wife and children, Nathaniel and the 111th served through Kentucky, Tennessee and in some of the biggest battles on the way to Atlanta. According to Civil War records, he was promoted almost immediately to full Corporal on August 26, 1862, perhaps due to his previous military experience.  He was also promoted to full 1st Sergeant before the end of the war. Nathaniel was not discharged until June 27, 1865, in Salisbury, NC.  It might be a guess that Nathaniel's mother or Elizabeth's family helped support his wife and children while he was gone, as he was the primary means of support.

Back home for the 1870 census, he then had property worth $600.  Also in 1870, his widowed mother, Matilda (Callender) VanDusen, 74, born in Vermont, lived with them.  His father, Isaac, died many years previous in Independence, Defiance County. Son, Elmer, who was born in 1861 before Nathaniel left, finally had a brother, Frank, born in 1871.

By 1880, when Nathaniel was 54 and Elizabeth, 52, he was listed as a farmer in the census; however, he did not own a farm, but rather worked a farm on shares with the owner.  This census revealed his father's birthplace as Holland.  Daughter, Roditha, 22, worked as a teacher and son, Elmer (Elmore), 18, worked on the farm. In this year, also, Nathaniel applied for his Civil War pension.

 Nathaniel VanDusen died on September 21, 1895, at the relatively young age of 68.  He was buried in the Independence Cemetery with full military honors.

www.findagrave.com

(This is part of a series on Civil War veterans of Defiance County who were part of the G.A.R., Bishop Post, that headquartered in the city.  Formed in 1879, the post was named after a local man, Captain William Bishop, Company D, 100th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Army who died as a result of wounds received in battle.  The veterans' photos are part of a composite photo of members that has survived.  If you have other information or corrections to add to the soldiers' stories, please add to the comments!)