So this week I was working on our family history and found some interesting information. This week I was tracing my grandmother’s (Hazel Irene Kimble) family, and was thrilled with what I had learned.
I had known for a while that Hazel’s maternal grandfather, Oliver Brown had served in Company D of the 15th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He entered as a Private and was mustered out as a Corporal. This week I learned that Hazel’s paternal grandfather was also a Civil War Veteran. Nicholas Kimble served in Company C of the 101st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Nicholas was mustered in on August 6, 1862. According to Volume VII of the Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Nicholas was wounded and captured on September 19, 1863 in the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia. He was apparently later returned to Union forces and on April 10, 1864 he was transferred into the Veteran Reserve Corps by order of the War Department. This corps was created for men who had been injured and were not fit for duty on the front, but still wanted to serve their country. These soldiers performed light duty tasks which freed up able body soldiers for the more laborious tasks. The records do not indicate the nature of Nicholas’ wounds, but he and his family received the maximum pension ($16/month) and other assistance for the remainder of their lives.
My discovery did not stop with Nicholas this week! Prior to the war, Nicholas had married a Sarah J. Billing. According to the 1850 census, Sarah’s father was Solomon Billing and he was born in Virginia. Solomon was born in Virginia in 1803 to a Newman and Jane (Roberts) Billing. I have also found the marriage record for Newman and Jane who were married in Berkley County, Virginia…which is now part of West Virginia. According to pension records, Newman fought in the War of 1812 and settled with his family in Mansfield, Ohio! It seems that the land that they eventually settled on was part of the Bounty to pay Newman for his service to his country.
My discovery of the week is that our family, at least a branch of it, had established roots in Mansfield shortly after the War of 1812! Mansfield really is home!
