George was born 29 November 1838 at Decatur Co., IN to Thomas and Hester (Critser) Wiley. When he was 22 years old, he moved to Clark Co., IL with his parents and made a living as a farmer.
He served as a Private in Co. B, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery "Madison Battery" from 26 August 1861 until 31 August 1864. According to the "History of Crawford and Clark Counties" published in 1883, he "participated in the battles of Pittsburgh Landing and Corinth, and came out unscathed". George returned to Clark County where he married Susan Mumford on 14 January 1865. She was the daughter of Levi and Mary (Funk) Mumford and was born 4 April 1844 at Martinsville, Clark, IL.
George and Susan had ten children:
1. John Thomas Wiley born 18 October 1865
2. Mary "Mollie" Wiley born 4 September 1867
3. Thomas J. Wiley born 16 May 1869
4. Arthur Wiley born 4 December 1871
5. Hester Wiley born 11 December 1873
6. Nancy Jane Wiley born 5 August 1875
7. George Wiley, Jr. born 31 January 1877
8. Robert Wiley born 9 January 1880
9. Susan Wiley born 25 September 1882
10. Frances M. Wiley born 12 August 1887
George is described as having light hair, blue eyes and standing 5 foot 9 inches tall. He was a democrat and served as County Supervisor in 1882. He was a member of AF&AM Casey Lodge #442.
Apparently, as George grew older, he realized that he was not as "unscathed" as the County history claimed. He applied for a military pension for reasons of: chronic cough, piles, rectal prolapse, injury to "lower bowels and testacles by lifting heavy timbers...resulted in complete loss of right testicle"...causing "privates to swell and turn black" (NARA pension files). In a letter written to his granddaughter Ethel Wiley Troughton dated 12 September 1919 he tells her that he sustained "3 bullet holds in my close 2 just grasing the hide".
In 1904-05, George and Susan moved to Pomona, CA. He joined the masonic lodge there. They lived at 925 N. Garey St.
No comments:
Post a Comment