Culver Historical Society

The following list of Union Township Civil War Veterans is compiled from Edwin R. Corwin’s One Township’s Yesterdays, as well as other sources such as the Daniel McDonald histories of Marshall County and local family histories. If you have a relative you would like added to this list, please send a note to us in the comment section, or email historyofculver@gmail.com and we will add your information to the list.

Let us mention them by name. Let us call the roll of honor of those veterans who have resided in Union Township or found eternal rest in the cemeteries of the township. Some of them lived here when they went off to war; others came here after the war. Incomplete as this roll may be, still it may serve a bit to bring back memories of those who were valiant in serving a cause, for which they would lay down their lives.

MICHAEL BAKER—(Member of Speyer Post). From Tiffin, Ohio, he enlisted August 16, 1861, in Company F, 49th Ohio, Volunteer Infantry; in 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, Gen.  John A. Logan, corps commander. He was in a long list of engagements, was a prisoner of war at Stone River for two months and received a slight wound at the siege of Atlanta, Comrade Baker was in service for four years and over. He was mustered out, November 13, 1865, and died in Culver,  May 8, 1914, aged 72 years,  10 months,  3 days.  Burial was in Burr Oak Cemetery.

JAMES T. BARTLETT–Comrade Bartlett died at Maxinkuckee, January 26,  1900, aged 57 years, 5 months, 10 days, and was buried in Washington Cemetery.

MAT M. BINGER–Comrade Binger died in Rutland, February 9, 1900, aged 51 years, 7 months, 9 days, and was buried at Burr Oak.

THOMAS BICKEL–Thomas was a descendent of one of Union Township’s first settlers, Jacob Bickel. He fought in the 100th Volunteer Indiana. He served during General Sherman’s March to the Sea and at Missionary Ridge in Tennessee.

EZRA BLANCHARD– Blanchard served in Company E, 118th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Born in 1845 in Jennings County, Indiana. He married Sarah Anna, of the Hawk family.  He died in Culver, December 22, 1926, aged 82 years, 7 months, 18 days, and was buried in Culver Cemetery.

JOHN BUSWELL–(Member of Speyer Post). Comrade Buswell served in Company D, 178th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He died November 20, 1873, aged 41 years, 9 months, and was buried in Cul­ver cemetery.

SOLOMON CAVENDER-(Member of Speyer Post, Culver) Cavender was born in Ohio, and enlisted at 15, as a private in Company A, 19th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After the war he moved to Indiana where he taught school, and eventually married a girl from Rutland (Emma Estelle Hartman), and had seven children, one of whom died in infancy. The other six were: Claude C. (Plymouth), Henry W. (Mishawaka), Arthur R. (Chi­cago), Russell (Milroy, Ind.), Esther M. and Mary L. (both of Knightstown). When Solomon died, he was in the Soldiers’ Home at Marion. The funeral and burial were at Poplar Grove.

ALBERT COLLIER–(Member of the Post in Knox, Indiana). Comrade Collier enlisted from Xenia, Ohio, May 2, 1864, in Company F, 144th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was honorably discharged on September 1, 1864. Comrade Collier is now deceased.

WILLIAM F. COOK–Comrade Cook died in Culver, December 24, 1932, aged 89 years and one day, and was buried at Richland Center, Fulton County.

HENRY CROMLEY–Comrade Cromley, who was called Jake, lived in the Kaley/Zion district. He enlisted from Union Township, and died at the age of 46. Burial was in the Cromley Cemetery.

JOHN F. CROMLEY–Known as “Neighbor Cromley,” John was  born on December 17, 1845, and was one of a handful of remaining Culver veterans in 1934. He lived on Lake View Street in Culver.

NATHANIEL GANDY– Nathaniel Gandy was born January 2, 1846, in Jay County, and was one year old when his family relocated to Culver, in one of the first waves of settlement. He was one of 13 children, and his family owned 86 acres of land northeast of the lake near Bucklew Cemetary. He enlisted in the 33rd Indiana Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, Company F., served through the end of the war, and returned home to farm and conduct a livery business.  He died in Culver, December 8, 1914, aged 68 years, and was buried in Culver Cemetery.

ADAM P. GANDY–Comrade Gandy served in Company H (or “K”), 46th Indiana Infantry. He died May 26, 1891, aged 50 years, 5 mouths, 10 days, and was buried in Culver Cemetery.

ELIJAH WALTER GEISELMAN– Comrade Geiselman died in Culver, April 4, 1903, aged 73 years, 9 months, and, was buried in North Union Cemetery.

JAMES S. GRAY– This veteran died April 20, 1880, aged 70 years, 2 months, 11 days, and was buried in Zion Cemetery.

GEORGE W. GROVE– Comrade Grove died in Culver, June 2, 1913, aged 85 years, 10 months, 24 days, and was buried in Burr Oak Cemetery.

EDWIN GRUBB–(Member of Speyer Post). Comrade Grubb served in Company I, 116th Regiment, and Company G, 135th Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He died in South Culver, April 24, 1897, aged 49 years, 5 months, 8 days, and was buried in Culver Cemetery.

DAVID HEMINGER–Comrade Heminger enlisted in Company D, 23rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry. His death occurred September 24, 1916. His age was 76 years, 5 months, 4 days. Burial was in North Union Cemetery.

M. H. HEMINGER–Comrade Heminger enlisted for the war and served in Company D, 54th Indiana Infantry. He died at an early date and was buried in Culver Cemetery.

A. K. HOOTON–This veteran died in Union Township, toward Rutland, May 22, 1925, aged 82 years, 7 months, 5 days, and was buried in Plymouth Cemetery.

AARON JONES–Comrade Jones was a member of Company H, 155th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was born in 1844 and died in Culver, April 23, 1923, aged 79 years, 5 months, 22 days. Burial was in Culver Cemetery.

JACOB KOONTZ–(Member of Speyer Post). This veteran was enlisted in the 15th Indiana Battery, Light Artillery. A marker in Culver Cemetery states that Jacob Kuntz died March 15, 1899, aged 74 years, 3 months, 5 days.

ANDREW H. KORP–(Member of Speyer Post). Comrade Korp served in Company K, 29th Indiana Volunteer Infantry.

JAMES L. MOSHER–(For many years a member of Tibbets Post, Plymouth). He was born on Febraury 18, 1842 and enlisted in 21st Battery, Indiana Light Artillery, and was part of the Army of the Cumberland, under the general command of Gen. George H. Thomas, 14th Army Corps, 3d Brigade. The 21st Battery was in the hotly contested field of Chickamauga. Served in the battles of Hoover’s Gap and Nashville. Comrade Mosher died on his farm near Hibbard May 16, 1926, aged 84 years, 2 months, 28 days, and was buried in Bucklew Cemetery.

JACOB E. MYERS–(Member of Speyer Post)  Jacob E. Myers enlisted in February 1864 in the 48th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Company D, and saw active service in some of the most strenuous, campaigns of the war, taking part in Sherman’s march from Atlanta to the sea, and northward through the Carolinas to join the massed forces of Grant pressing down front Virginia. He was born in Germany in 1846, and moved to America with his parents as a young boy. His father died at sea, and he settled in Ohio with his mother. At the age of fourteen, Mr. Myers came to Marshall County and as an orphan worked for fifty cents a day or the equivalent in grain, as few farmers in those days had any ready cash. He helped clear the timber from what was later the Busart farm. He was married October 28, 1866, to Sarah A. Kaley, daughter of a pioneer, Reuben Kaley. In  1876 he purchased his 146-acre farm, and spent seven years clearing the land and operating a saw mill. Mr. Myers was one of the most prominent breeders of pure bred polled shorthorn cattle in the State. At his farm home northeast of Lake Maxinkuckee, Jacob E. Myers passed away, August 21, 1931, at the age of eighty-five.  Surviving him were the widow and four children, Five other children had gone on before him. Those who remained were William H. Myers of Plymouth, Mrs. Clara Swanson of South Bend, Mrs. Pearl Custer of Mishawaka, and Mrs. Mary Mikesell of Culver; also a brother, Gottlieb Myers, of Michigan; twelve grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. He was laid to rest in Poplar Grove Cemetery.

SAMUEL OSBORN–Comrade Osborn, one of the last of the veterans in Union Township, was born in Ohio, January  18, 1840, and died in Culver October 29, 1932, aged 92 years, 9 months, 11 days. He was buried in North Union Cemetery. During the war he was enlisted in Company H, 48th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. After the war, he lived in a log cabin on a small farm in Starke County, with wife Herietta Rice, and four children. In 1900, he moved to Culver where he retired.

FRANKLIN OVERMYER. Franklin was one of five children. He was born September 21, 1835, near Lindsey, Ohio; grew to, manhood on his father’s farm. He married Susannah Burkett in June, 1858. Having lost both his parents in his early twenties, he moved to Indiana, to Burr Oak. In 1865, Franklin Overmyer enlisted in Company H, 55th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, at Michigan City, going first to Indianapolis, thence to Alexandria, Virginia, and from there to Dover, Delaware, where he remained until August, 1865, when he was mustered out.

In former years he followed the carpenter’s trade, often walking a distance as far as Kewanna on Monday morning and back again at the close of the week’s work, at a time when railroads were not as numerous as now and automobiles were unknown. In the building of the Nickel Plate Railroad he helped as one of the foremen with the construction of the roadbed. After the completion of the road he again entered the grain business, in which he continued until about 1920, as long as his health would permit. Comrade Overmyer died at Burr Oak, March 18, 1922, aged 86 years, 5 months, 27 days, and was buried in Burr Oak Cemetery.

FRANCIS L. PARKER–War records of the State of Indiana give the name of Francis L. Parker as serving in the 20th Regi­ment, Company C, and the name of Francis M. Parker, 9th Indiana Regiment, Company D.

A. PAYNE–This veteran was enlisted in Company K, 108th Illinois Infantry, and was buried in Zion Cemetery.

DANIEL PEEPLES–With his brother, Daniel Peeples served in Company D, 9th Indiana Regi­ment.

GEORGE PEEPLE–Comrade Peeples served in Company D, 9th Indiana Regiment. George Peeples owned considerable lakefront property on Maxinkuckee. His land was in the northeastern corner of the lake. A portion of it was eventually sold to the Academy. He died on the east side of Lake Maxinkuckee, January 16, 1918, aged 80 years, 2 months, 22 days, and was buried in Washington Cemetery.

WILLIAM PIKE–Comrade Pike died at Donaldson, September 7, 1920, aged 78 years. 8 months, 7 days, and was buried in Burr Oak Cemetery.

DR. O. A. REA–(Member of Speyer Post. Surgeon, Culver Military Academy and Culver Naval School). Oliver A. Rea enlisted from Columbus, Ohio, August 6, 1862, in the 82d Regiment. Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private, then became corporal, and finally acting sergeant. This was one of the 300 fighting regiments of the war. Rea, with his regiment, was part of the Army of Northern Virginia, 1862, Army of the Potomac, 1863, 11th Army Corps, 1863, 20th Army Corps, 1863; the Army of the Cumberland and the Army of Georgia, 1863-5. He was taken prisoner on the first day of Gettysburg and escaped at Staun­ton, Virginia, across the moun­tains to Beverly, August 21st. He received a slight wound in the hip at Peach Tree Creek and was sick at times with pneumonia. and camp dysentery. He served Speyer Post as surgeon and post commander. Comrade Rea died in Rochester, Indiana, January 11, 1911, and was buried in the cemetery at, Rochester.

LEWIS C. RECTOR– Lewis C. Rector, father  of Nathan W., of Rector’s pharmacy, served three years and became a corporal in Company C, 48th Regiment. He enlisted on November 8, 1861, to serve three years. He was mustered in at Goshen, Indiana, December 24, 1861. He became a Corporal in Company C, 48th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, in which many Marshall County boys were enlisted. He was promoted to First Sergeant and to Second Lieutenant, but was never mustered in the higher grade. He was in the thick of the fray, and was wounded three times, by gunshot, in leg and lung at Mission Ridge. These wounds were the cause of his death, eventually; lung trouble set in and he never regained his old-time strength. He saw service at the Siege of Vicksburg. He was in attendance at Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, and stood behind Grant on that occasion. After being veteranized home, he organized a company at Warsaw, reenlisting as a veteran. January 1, 1864. He was finally discharged at Louisville,  Kentucky, July 15. 1865, as First Sergeant. His death occurred at Maxinkuckee, December 10, 1884, at the age of 48 years, 10 months and 20 days, and he was laid to rest in Washington Cemetery, alongside 3 of his brothers.

NATHAN RECTOR–Nathan Rector died in the service, blown up by a powder magazine at Memphis. He was buried at Chattanooga, though there is a marker for him alongside that of his brothers at Washington Cemetery. Records also indicate that he was a corporal in the 21st Battery, Light Infantry. Nathan was buried at Chattanooga. His brother William was with him in the same company and regiment, as were also boys from his home neighborhood, among them Francis M. Parker, and George and Daniel Peebles.

SILAS RECTOR–  Silas Rector served in Company C, 48th Regiment. William and Peter Spangler were among the neighbor boys who were his comrades in that com­pany. We find Nathan Rector serving as a Corporal in the 21st Battery, Light Infantry. James L. Mosher was a Private in the same outfit. He was buried in Washington Cemetary.

WESLEY RECTOR– War record unavailable.

WILLIAM RECTOR — William Rector served in Company D, 9th Indiana, Regiment, alongside his brother Nathan.

WILLIAM D. SCATES–Comrade Scates died February 24, 1880, aged 42 years, 8 months, 11 days, and was buried in Culver Cemetery.

JOHN P. SHAMBAUGH–(Member of Speyer Post, and at one time junior vice commander). Comrade Shambaugh enlisted in Company E, 126th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 7th Army Corps, and saw most of his campaign­ing in the, Southwest, chiefly under the commands of Generals Steel and Grant. He was in service three years, and took part in many: skirmishes and battles, some of lesser note and some of the big ones, the siege of Vicksburg and the battle of Little Rock, Arkan­sas, included. He was wounded in the right knee.

JACOB SNYDER–Having served in Company G, 59th Indiana Infantry, Jacob Snyder was buried in Culver Cemetery upon his death at an early date.

PETER SPANGLER–(Member of Speyer Post). Peter was born in the Spangler family log cabin, located along the Tippecanoe just east of Monterey. He enlisted in January, 1864, in Company C, 48th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, 15th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, under the general commands of Generals Logan, Thomas and Grant. He was in the siege of Atlanta, and with the victorious army of Sherman that cut a swath sixty miles through the Confederacy, “from Atlanta to the sea.” He was also in the battle of Raleigh, N: C., and when “Johnny came marching home” was in the grand review at Washington. After the war, he moved to Maxinkuckee Village, located just east of the lake. He lived in the Alleghany House for from the late sixties through Comrade Spangler died at Rochester, Indiana, August 17, 1933, aged 90 years, 11 months, 15 days, and was buried in Poplar Grove Cemetery.

DAVID SMITH–Enlisting from Union Township, David Smith served in Company B, 23rd Indiana. He died in April, 1865, one of the heroes of the war, and was buried in Section C, Row 7, No. 3170 in Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky.

WILLIAM C. SMITH–Comrade Smith, who was a resident of the east side of Lake Maxinkuckee on enlistment, died in the service. He was a member of Company C, 48th Regiment. Like the majority of the people in the region just east of the lake, the Smiths were staunch in their support of the Union cause during the Civil War and were represented in that struggle by William C. Smith, who died in the Service.

WILLIAM SPANGLER–Enlisted in Company C, 48th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He served as captain of a colored regiment during the war. The brother of Peter Spangler, William Spangler was born in Union County, Pennsylvania, April 16, 1831, and was married in ’65 to Mary Phipps. William practiced law in Missouri, at Plymouth and Monterey. He moved to Winamac in 1868. He was the first judge of this 44th judicial circuit in Indiana, having been appointed in March, 1883, by Governor Albert G. Porter and served until November 12, 1884. He practiced law in Winamac until his death in that community, January 18, 1908. His son John, an only child, also practiced law there.

HENRY SPEYER -It was from Captain Speyer that the Post in Culver was named. He first enlisted in the Twenty-third Indiana Vol­unteer Infantry for three months, and later reenlisted for three years, but was honorably discharged before the expiration of his term of service on account of sickness. He entered the service as a private soldier, but for gallant and meritorious conduct was promoted to Captain of his company. He later worked as a merchant became a local politician of considerable note, and at one time was the Republican candidate for the office of Clerk of the Circuit Court. His death occurred at Marmont in August, 1886, when lie was around the age of 55 years. Burial was in Oak Park Cemetery at Plymouth. In 1901 when his wife Margaret died, she was buried alongside him.

JOHN C. TASHER–Comrade Tasher, a resident of Burr Oak, saw nearly four years of service in the 48th Indiana Volunteer Infan­try. He died in Burr Oak, January 8, 1916, aged 74, and was buried at Sumption Prairie, near South Bend.

REV. WILLIAM A. WALKER –Comrade Walker served in Com­pany K, 34th Indiana (Merton Rides), enlisting from Shelbyville, Indiana. He died in Culver, January 13, 1917, aged 74 years, 2 months, 21 days, and was buried at Amboy, Indiana.

ELI WELLS–Comrade Wells, father of “Dell” Wells of Culver, enlisted from New Jersey. He died in Culver and was buried at Leiters Ford.

LEONARD, WILSON– Leonard Wilson was born in Shelby County, Ohio, April 9, 1841. In 1862 he entered the army as private in Company B, 87th Indiana Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war. “While in the service,” says Thompson, “he participated in a number of bloody battles, including Spring Hill, Perryville, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, and numerous others, in one of which he received a painful wound.  At the expiration of his term of service he returned to Indiana, and in 1865 became a resident of Marshall county, settling in Union township, where he engaged in the vocation of farming, in which he met with well deserved success. Mr. Wilson was an active member of the Patrons of Husbandry fraternity, in which he filled nearly every office, and belonged to Tibbett’s Post, No. 260, G. A. R., of Plymouth. The death of Leonard Wilson occurred at Culver, April 2, 1919. He lacked only seven days of being seventy-eight. Burial was in Poplar Grove Cemetery. Just east of old Maxinkuckee village, along the highway, in early times were located the lands of Leonard Wilson and his father, Abijah.

WILLIAM WRIGHT–This veteran was born February 18, 1822, and died October 3, 1901, aged 79 years, 7 months, 19 days. Burial was in Zion Cemetery.

WILLIAM ZECHIEL–(Member of Speyer Post). Comrade Zechiel died in Marion, I6e45ljjlkjlndiana, September 4, 1902, aged 80 years, 8 months, and was buried in Culver Cemetery.