Arnel Family History & Genealogy

Portrait of Private George W Arnel

Name: George W Arnel

Born: 18 May 1839 Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky

Died: 24 Feb 1902 Brule County, South Dakota

Allegiance: Union

Occupation: gun smith, brick and stone mason

Residence: Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota

Parent’s Names: unknown at this time

Civil War Service: Company “D” Missouri 44th Regiment Infantry Volunteers

Rank: Private

Enlistment Date: August 9, 1864 at Princeton, Missouri
Mustered In: September 2, 1864 at St. Joseph, Missouri
Discharged: August 15, 1865 at St. Louis, Missouri

Buried: Riverside Cemetery, Chamberlain, Brule County, South Dakota

Other Notes:
TIME LINE: for George W. Arnel (taken from his pension file)
Before Aug 1863 - lived in Harrison & Pottawamie Co, (near Magnolia & Council Bluffs) Iowa
About Aug 1863 - Aug 1864 - Lived near Princeton, Mercer Co, MO (l year prior to enlistment)
Aug 9, 1864 - Enlistment at Princeton, Mercer Co, MO (Capt W. B. Rogers)
..went to Chillicothe then St. Louis (MO)
Sept & Oct 1864 - on rolls as present.


DESERTER:
Muster roll of Co. for Nov & Dec 1864 reports him deserted Nov. 5, 1864.
Nov. 5, 1864 /Fall 1864 - captured near encampment at Rolla, MO (3 wks/3 months or more)
Reported absent without leave until Dec 31, 1864.
The Explanation by George W Arnel: (taken from his pension)

Q. When, where and under what circumstances were you captured?
A. I can't give you the date but it was along later in the fall of 1864 and while we were encamped at Rolla, MO and were at the time building winter quarters. I was then wagon master and I had charge of the wagon train, hauling logs to build our quarters for the winter and was under order of the Quarter Master of the Regiment, whose name I cannot recall..and when at camp I reported to the Q.M. I had seen two mules off from our road to the woods about two or three hundred yards and he told me I had better pick them up as I went back and when I got back on the road to where I saw the mules, I left the .... and rode off on my mule to get the stray ones. I had caught the mules, had stopped them together and was about to get on my mule to start back when someone spoke up and said "you are my prisoner" and when I looked around saw I was about surrounded by a lot of guerrillas, under command of Dick Todd. They ordered me to mount a horse they had with them and they took me with them, leaving all the mules behind.
Q. Was you alone?
A. No there was a man with me and captured with me but I can't give you his name, he was a stranger and I had never seen him until a day or two before that.
.......I was held a prisoner and kept right along with the guerrilas for 3 ? weeks, perhaps longer. I can't say, its too long ago and my memory is very poor....making for Price County in Arkansas and when were were in MO they...and struck the MO river a little above Jefferson City, MO , where we had to swim... Todd, the Chief of the band of Guerillas set on his horse and wrote a paper which he called aposole, and said I could go home and stay. The took the horse form me and .....told me I would strike a town about 30 miles away...I slept out doors every night but two,...I had no blanket...and was exposed to very cold freezing weather.


The Explanation given by a comrade:

Deposition A, No. 385,080, 13th of Dec 1889, Powersville, Putnam Co, MO; William Brewer; not acquainted with Geo. W. Arnel until our enlistment...He stayed with the company until the last of Oct or first of Nov. 1864; when he left the company and was reported as a deserter. I know nothing about his deserting only what he told me after he came back to the regiment. That he had got a letter from his wife, stating that his family was in a destitute condition and one of the children was sick and that he would have to do something; he said he had not been paid off and could not send his wife any money. So he concluded to go home and help his family all he could, that is the only explanation he ever gave me of his desertion and I believed him then and I believe it now

Feb 1865 – Myrtle Prison and transfer to Schofield Barracks.


Stayed with the company until the last of Oct or first of Nov 1864
Started for St Joe, MO - stopped at home (2-3 wks) to see my folks...
Dropped from roll Jan & Febr 1865.

Returned to the Co. by military authority March 16, 1865.
March & April 1865 present with remarks "joined from desertion Mar 10, 1865.
Deposition indicates Arnel returned to the regiment at (Fort Garries) Dauphines Island, in Lake Ponchartrain, Louisiana (Gulf of Mexico near Mobile, Ala) About March 1865.
Seige of Spanish Fort near Mobile , Alabama from March 27 to April 9, 1865.
Tuskega, Ala (McIntosh/smallpox) (May or June 1865)
Marched from Tuskega, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama and from Montgomery to Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Aug 9, 1865 - discharge at Benton Barrack, St. Louis, MO
Mustered out Aug 15, 1865 at Benton Barracks,MO


May 1865 - Proceedings of a General Court Martial.
Headquarters 3rd Division 16th AL, Montgomery, Ala, May 25th, 1865. General Order No. 13
Before a General Court Martial which convened at Headquarters 3rd Divsion 16th Army Corps, May 15th, 1865 in pursuance of General Orders No. 10 Headquarters 3rd Division 11th Army Corps and of which Lieut. Col. William Avery 95th ILLs Vols Infty was president were arraigned and tried:
George W. Arnel "D" Co., 44th MO Vol Infty. Charge: Desertion. Finding: Not guilty. And the Court does therefore acquit him Private George W. Arnel "D" Co. 40th MO Vol. Infty.

"Charges of absence without leave on Co. Descriptive Book and of desertion of Nov. 5, 1864 are removed",


After discharge went to Victor, Iowa where wife was.
About1877 went from Iowa to Nebraska (Niobrara, Knox Co)
1882 - from Nebraska to Dakota Territory

G.A.R. - “Chamberlain Register” Wed. morning, June 7, 1893, SD State Archives Film #594
Gathering In - Tenth Annual Encampment Opening Most Auspirciously - Grand Army Veterans are Gathering Again Around the Familiar Camp-Fire.
The following is a full roster of G.A. R. veterans who had registered at hotel quarters up to 10 o'clock last night: (listed among them is) G.W. Arnold, 44 Mo.