Andrew J. Minsel - G.A.R., Bishop Post

Andrew J. (Andy) Minsel spent most of his life in Richland Township, Defiance County.  As an eight year old, he was enumerated there on the 1850 census with his parents, John and Caroline Minsel.  

By the 1860 census, he was 19 years old and working on the farm with his father.  But adventure and patriotism, perhaps, called.  On September 1, 1862, Andrew enlisted, with many other Defiance men, into Company D, 100th Ohio Infantry.  As previous posts have indicated, the 100th was involved in many important battles throughout Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as the Siege of Atlanta.

Andrew mustered out with the rest of his company on June 20, 1865, in Greensboro, North Carolina.

For the next five or six years, he remained on the farm of his parents, working as a farm laborer.  John Minsel reported in 1870 that his property was worth $10,000 - quite an amount for the time - and his personal worth was $1000.
Andrew was enumerated with his parents and siblings, George, Nancy, John, Caroline, Frank and Wesley in 1870.

In 1871, he married a girl from the Independence area - Hester VanDusen, daughter of Nathaniel, another veteran.  They settled on their property near the Maumee River, not too far from Andrew's parents.

The 1880 census found the couple with children Berty (Bertram) - 9, Ella - 7, Clarence - 4, and Earl - 2.  The agricultural census of the year noted that Andrew had 50 tilled acres, 3 acres of pasture and 33 acres of wood.  He had quite a few livestock, including 3 horses, 7 milk cows and 26 other cattle, 43 sheep, 50 swine, and 100 poultry.  On his farm, he grew Indian corn, oats and wheat, while also maintaining 3 acres of apple orchard with 50 trees and 2 acres of potatoes.  That year, he cut 122 cords of wood! 

In the 1900 census, he was on the same farm, but in 1905, Andrew passed away, suffering from heart disease.  His obituary appeared in the Crescent-News on June 20, 1905.

Andrew was buried in Independence Cemetery.






















 Hester remarried Henry (Bid) Miller in 1909, a second marriage for both, according to the 1910 census.  Henry worked as a steam engineer in the machine works, and was still working there in the 1920 census at the age of 73.

 Thanks to son, Bertram's, obituary, more was learned of the family. He died at the Toledo State Hospital, but his body was returned to Defiance for burial.

Almost a year later, Andrew's wife also passed away.  Her obituary appeared in the Crescent-News on August 26, 1926.

(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!)

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!)