Born in Pleasant Township, Knox County, Ohio the day after the marriage of John Jacob Albert and Kizziah Wilson, George grew up in that small farming community until his late teens. About 1848, he, his parents and family moved to the newly available farmlands of northern Indiana, settling in Noble County for several years. There, in 1857, he married his wife Mary Ann Norris, who was also born in Knox County, Ohio, and whose family had also left for the new Indiana opportunities. Immediately after marrying, they left for Iowa, settling in Center Grove, with Mary's father nearby.
George farmed for a bit, and joined the Federal cause when war broke out. He enlisted in the 21st Iowa Infantry aged 32, mustered for recruit training in August, 1862 and was almost immediately taken sick. He was sent to the regimental hospital at Benton Barracks, near St. Louis to recover. While there, in February, 1863 he was recruited into the newly formed Mississippi Marine Brigade, an Army unit designed to be a floating fast attack group to maintain control of the Mississippi River and perform short inland intrusions to repel Confederates harassing Federal river traffic. The unit had a bad reputation as its members, recruited from the sick, lame and lazy of the hospital, were not particularly motivated as soldiers. They garnered the scowls of many local Federal commanders, as the unit did not directly report nor respond to them and operated independently (and often in a manner designed to thwart command by local commanders). George served as Private, Company B (initially Co. I), 1st Mounted Infantry Volunteers, Mississippi Marine Brigade, US, which (in Aug 1864) evolved into the Marine Regiment, US Volunteers. The unit's members came to be known as chicken thieves and raiders of farms. George was not of that ilk, and weathered his commitment of time in service without incident until being mustered out at Vicksburg, Mississippi in January, 1865. Afterwards, he was a member of the local GAR, but not highly active, and only touted his association with the 21st Iowa Infantry.
His daughter Kathryn, however, was very active in historical societies and causes. He returned to Center Grove and farmed, became a postmaster (1890-91), school teacher and a valued member of the community.
George farmed for a bit, and joined the Federal cause when war broke out. He enlisted in the 21st Iowa Infantry aged 32, mustered for recruit training in August, 1862 and was almost immediately taken sick. He was sent to the regimental hospital at Benton Barracks, near St. Louis to recover. While there, in February, 1863 he was recruited into the newly formed Mississippi Marine Brigade, an Army unit designed to be a floating fast attack group to maintain control of the Mississippi River and perform short inland intrusions to repel Confederates harassing Federal river traffic. The unit had a bad reputation as its members, recruited from the sick, lame and lazy of the hospital, were not particularly motivated as soldiers. They garnered the scowls of many local Federal commanders, as the unit did not directly report nor respond to them and operated independently (and often in a manner designed to thwart command by local commanders). George served as Private, Company B (initially Co. I), 1st Mounted Infantry Volunteers, Mississippi Marine Brigade, US, which (in Aug 1864) evolved into the Marine Regiment, US Volunteers. The unit's members came to be known as chicken thieves and raiders of farms. George was not of that ilk, and weathered his commitment of time in service without incident until being mustered out at Vicksburg, Mississippi in January, 1865. Afterwards, he was a member of the local GAR, but not highly active, and only touted his association with the 21st Iowa Infantry.
His daughter Kathryn, however, was very active in historical societies and causes. He returned to Center Grove and farmed, became a postmaster (1890-91), school teacher and a valued member of the community.
Born in Pleasant Township, Knox County, Ohio the day after the marriage of John Jacob Albert and Kizziah Wilson, George grew up in that small farming community until his late teens. About 1848, he, his parents and family moved to the newly available farmlands of northern Indiana, settling in Noble County for several years. There, in 1857, he married his wife Mary Ann Norris, who was also born in Knox County, Ohio, and whose family had also left for the new Indiana opportunities. Immediately after marrying, they left for Iowa, settling in Center Grove, with Mary's father nearby.
George farmed for a bit, and joined the Federal cause when war broke out. He enlisted in the 21st Iowa Infantry aged 32, mustered for recruit training in August, 1862 and was almost immediately taken sick. He was sent to the regimental hospital at Benton Barracks, near St. Louis to recover. While there, in February, 1863 he was recruited into the newly formed Mississippi Marine Brigade, an Army unit designed to be a floating fast attack group to maintain control of the Mississippi River and perform short inland intrusions to repel Confederates harassing Federal river traffic. The unit had a bad reputation as its members, recruited from the sick, lame and lazy of the hospital, were not particularly motivated as soldiers. They garnered the scowls of many local Federal commanders, as the unit did not directly report nor respond to them and operated independently (and often in a manner designed to thwart command by local commanders). George served as Private, Company B (initially Co. I), 1st Mounted Infantry Volunteers, Mississippi Marine Brigade, US, which (in Aug 1864) evolved into the Marine Regiment, US Volunteers. The unit's members came to be known as chicken thieves and raiders of farms. George was not of that ilk, and weathered his commitment of time in service without incident until being mustered out at Vicksburg, Mississippi in January, 1865. Afterwards, he was a member of the local GAR, but not highly active, and only touted his association with the 21st Iowa Infantry.
His daughter Kathryn, however, was very active in historical societies and causes. He returned to Center Grove and farmed, became a postmaster (1890-91), school teacher and a valued member of the community.
George farmed for a bit, and joined the Federal cause when war broke out. He enlisted in the 21st Iowa Infantry aged 32, mustered for recruit training in August, 1862 and was almost immediately taken sick. He was sent to the regimental hospital at Benton Barracks, near St. Louis to recover. While there, in February, 1863 he was recruited into the newly formed Mississippi Marine Brigade, an Army unit designed to be a floating fast attack group to maintain control of the Mississippi River and perform short inland intrusions to repel Confederates harassing Federal river traffic. The unit had a bad reputation as its members, recruited from the sick, lame and lazy of the hospital, were not particularly motivated as soldiers. They garnered the scowls of many local Federal commanders, as the unit did not directly report nor respond to them and operated independently (and often in a manner designed to thwart command by local commanders). George served as Private, Company B (initially Co. I), 1st Mounted Infantry Volunteers, Mississippi Marine Brigade, US, which (in Aug 1864) evolved into the Marine Regiment, US Volunteers. The unit's members came to be known as chicken thieves and raiders of farms. George was not of that ilk, and weathered his commitment of time in service without incident until being mustered out at Vicksburg, Mississippi in January, 1865. Afterwards, he was a member of the local GAR, but not highly active, and only touted his association with the 21st Iowa Infantry.
His daughter Kathryn, however, was very active in historical societies and causes. He returned to Center Grove and farmed, became a postmaster (1890-91), school teacher and a valued member of the community.
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