William Elmer Thorp

In 1860 he was a 19 year old student living on his parent's farm at Mina, Chautauqua County, NY. He enlisted in Buffalo on 9 May 1861 to serve two years, and mustered in on 20 May as a Private in Company D, 21st New York Infantry.

He was wounded in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862.

He mustered out with his Company on 18 May 1863 in Buffalo. He enlisted again as a Landsman, US Navy on 30 August 1864 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, for one year, and had service aboard USS North Carolina and USS Princeton.

In 1865 he was unemployed and back with his parents in Sherman, Chautauqua County and by 1875 he was farming with his father-in-law at Ripley in Chautauqua. In 1880 he was a merchant in Hart, MI and in 1910 had retired to North Bend, Coos County, OR.

His service from the NY Adjutant General,1 his veteran's pension cards, and USN Enlistments,2 online from FamilySearch (free login required). Personal details from family genealogists, the US Census of 1860, 1880 and 1910, and the New York Census of 1865 and 1875. His gravesite is on Findagrave; which says he died in Michigan. His photograph is from the New York State Military Museum, online from New York Heritage.

He married Helen M. Sheldon (1842-1894) in January 1868. He married again, Matilda L "Mattie" Dodge (1841-) in September 1902.

01/14/1841; Mina, NY

09/09/1912; North Bend, OR; burial in Hart Cemetery, Hart, MI