Genealogy of the Olmsted family in America : embracing the ...

268 Olmsted Family Genealogy
ment. The case was first brought to the notice of Congress in February, 1879,
by the following letter from the Hon. George W. McCrary, then Secretary
of War:
War Department, Washington, Feb. 11, 1879.'
To Hon. N. C. Deering, House of Rept.
Sir: I have considered the petition of Mrs. Eliza Upright, of Butler County,
Iowa, praying for the discharge from military service of her son, Norman M.
Merchant, Battery B., 4th artillery, which petition was presented by you,
and is concurred in by numerous citizens. The discharge of this soldier is
asked by the petitioner, who says that she is seventy-four years old, on the
ground that she had ten sons in the, Union army during the Civil War, and the
one above named, her eleventh and youngest son, has served for over five
years in the regular army. She furnishes the names of her sons and a statement
of the organizations in which they served:
6133, Enoch; b. Feb. 24, 1826; was Corporal Co. F., 156th 111. Vols., and
honorably discharged Sept. 20, 1865; d. in Sycamore, 111., Jan. 19, 1892.
6134, Aaron; b. Feb. 19, 1829; was private in Co. G., 15th Wis. Vols., and
was killed at Island No. 10, Dec. 26, 1862, by the accidental discharge of a
cannon. 6135, George W.; b. July 17, 1830; was a private in Co. C, 74th
111. Vols., afterwards a Lieutenant and was honorably discharged Sept. 26,
1865. He lives in South Dakota. 6136, DeWitt C; b. July 4, 1832; was a
private in Co. C, 15th 111. Vols., and was killed in action July 22, 1864, at
Atlanta. 6137, Silas B.; b. Mar. 26, 1836; was a private in Co. G., 44th
111. Vols. ; was promoted to First Lieutenant, and resigned Sept. 25, 1864.
He lives in Manchester, Boone County, 111. 6138, Abel L. ; b. Dec. 28, 1838
was a private in Co. C, 15th 111. Vols. ; came home on a furlough and died
in Winnebago, 111., Nov. 16, 1864. 6139, Lewis H.; b. June 1, 1840; was a
private in Co. G., 45th 111. Vols., and was honorably discharged Sept. 26, 1864.
He lives in Kansas. 6140, David O.; b. Sept. 11, 1841; was a private in
Co. C, 74th 111. Vols., and honorably discharged June 10, 1865. He lives
in Le Mars, Iowa. 6141, Arlo J. ; b. Feb. 14, 1843; was a private in Co. G.,
44th 111. Vols., and was honorably discharged Sept. 25, 1865. He lives in
Rockford, Iowa. 6142, James P.; b. Mar. 5, 1846; was a Teamster in the
employ of the quartermaster's department. He lives in Lanark, 111. 6143,
Norman Mills; b. Jan. 30, 1850; enlisted Mar. 3, 1873, as a private in Co.
B., United States cavalry, and was discharged Mar. 11, 1878, by reason of
expiration of term of service. He again enlisted May 4, 1878, and was
assigned to Battery B., 4th artillery, and was discharged in accordance
with his mother's request. Besides these sons, Mrs. Upright had sons and
daughters as follows: 6144, Gordon; b. Nov. 13, 1827. 6145, Oliver; b.
Oct. 11, 1833. 6146, Rebecca Ann; b. Jan. 15, 1835; d. Apr. 29, 1889.
6147, Selina; b. Sept. 10, 1837. 6148, Millie E.; b. Oct. 11, 1844.
6149, Anna P.; b. July 15, 1847; d. July 1, 1849.
(4830) NATHAN T. OLMSTED, b. Sept. 16, 1809; d. May 7, 1889; m.
July 29, 1829, Julia Ann Knapp; b. Nov. 27, 1806; dau. of Ezra and Mary
(Crofoot) Knapp, of Fairfield County, Conn. He moved to Chemung County,
N. Y., thence to De Kalb County, 111., and settled in Holland, Butler County,
Iowa; was a Farmer and a Minister. He served in Co. E.,32d Regt., Iowa
Vols, for 11 months, in the Civil War. He died in New Hampshire, Iowa.
6150, Louisa M.; b. Mar. 2, 1831; m. Mar. 2, 1856, Henry Thomas. 6151,
;