G.W. Van Vlack

Federal (USV)

Private

George Washington Van Vlack

(1839 - 1917)

Home State: New York

Branch of Service: Infantry

Unit: 64th New York Infantry

Before Antietam

Age 22, he enlisted on 5 October 1861 in Versailles and mustered as Private, Company A, 64th New York Infantry on 9 October.

On the Campaign

He was in action with his Company at Antietam on 17 September 1862. His brother Henry was killed there and George buried his body on the battlefield.

The rest of the War

He was promoted to Corporal, Sergeant, and First Sergeant, dates not given. He was credited with capturing Confederate Generals George H. Steuart and Edward A. Johnson on 12 May 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House, but was himself captured at Reams' Station, VA on 25 August 1864. He was paroled and mustered out 16 December 1864 at Elmira, NY.

After the War

In 1866 he was honored by the Governor with a brevet to 2nd Lieutenant of Volunteers for his service. He was a farmer, probably of fruit, at Perrysburg, Cattaraugus County for the rest of his life.

References & notes

Service information from the State of New York1. His brevet from Phisterer.2 Details from family genealogists, source also of his picture from a photograph contributed by Leigh Ann Smith. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Mariette Amelia Merrill (1847-1920) in 1865 and they had 6 children.

Birth

05/02/1839; Versailles, NY

Death

02/21/1917; Perrysburg, NY; burial in Rathburn Cemetery, Hanover Center, NY

Notes

1 State of New York, Adjutant-General, Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York [year]: Registers of the [units], 43 Volumes, Albany: James B. Lyon, State Printer, 1893-1905, For the Year 1900, Ser. No. 27, pg. 403 [AotW citation 22596]

2 Phisterer, Frederick, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 6 volumes, Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1909-12, Vol. 3, pg. 2614 [AotW citation 22597]

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