William E. Geer's parents are a mystery. His mother's first name was Celia, but her maiden name is unknown, and her husband's name is unknown. William had a younger brother named Thomas. William married Margaret Ann Moore, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Johnson) Moore in 1855 in Washington County, Virginia. They had one child born on Jan. 4, 1860, whom they named Sarah Ann. Margaret died of "child bed fever" eight days later. According to the 1860 census, William was a wagoner, or teamster, by occupation.
In July 1861, William along with Margaret's two brothers Theophilus and Benjamin and joined the 48th Virginia Infantry and went off the fight the Union invaders. William became a wagoner for his regiment, and on July 5, 1863, during the retreat from the battle at Gettysburg when he was driving a team of horses (or mules) and a wagon containing wounded soldiers, William was captured on South Mountain at Watterloo, PA. He was transported first to Ft. McHenry in Baltimore and then to Ft. Delaware which had been turned into a prison for Confederates.
On Oct. 1, 1863, William signed an oath of allegiance to the Union and joined the 1st Conn. Cavalry, company G, which consisted of other Confederates who had signed the oath. They were called Galvanized Yankess. His unit spent several months in Baltimore guarding buildings. Then they were sent to Minnesota to Ft. Snelling to guard the fort so its usual staff could fight Indians. At the end of the war when William was mustered out, he received a letter from his mother that it would be unsafe for him to return home to Virginia, so he stayed in Minnesota. Eventually, he moved to Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, and there in 1869 he met and married Julia Trumbull, the foster daughter of Maiden Rock's founding family. At the time of their marriage, Julia was 18 and William was 38. No children were born to this union.
In Maiden Rock, William owned a saloon for a time and then he sold it and became a mail carrier. He and Julia lived in a little house on the main highway through Maiden Rock gifted to Julia by the Trumbulls. From all indications they had a happy life together. Along with several other Civil War veterans, William founded a GAR post which became a VFW post and was named for him. According to newspaper clippings saved by Julia, he organized 4th of July celebrations. As of a 1995 visit to Maiden Rock by William's great-granddaughter and two great-great-granddaughters, the VFW post still had the name William E. Geer over the entrance.
In 1905, William's daughter Sarah wrote him a letter and sent him a Christmas box, re-establishing contact with her father. She continued corresponding with Julia and William until her death in 1928. Julia called her "Dear Daughter" in her letters, and signed them "Mother." William had one grandson, J. Martie McIntyre. William died at home of old age complications in Feb of 1913.
In July 1861, William along with Margaret's two brothers Theophilus and Benjamin and joined the 48th Virginia Infantry and went off the fight the Union invaders. William became a wagoner for his regiment, and on July 5, 1863, during the retreat from the battle at Gettysburg when he was driving a team of horses (or mules) and a wagon containing wounded soldiers, William was captured on South Mountain at Watterloo, PA. He was transported first to Ft. McHenry in Baltimore and then to Ft. Delaware which had been turned into a prison for Confederates.
On Oct. 1, 1863, William signed an oath of allegiance to the Union and joined the 1st Conn. Cavalry, company G, which consisted of other Confederates who had signed the oath. They were called Galvanized Yankess. His unit spent several months in Baltimore guarding buildings. Then they were sent to Minnesota to Ft. Snelling to guard the fort so its usual staff could fight Indians. At the end of the war when William was mustered out, he received a letter from his mother that it would be unsafe for him to return home to Virginia, so he stayed in Minnesota. Eventually, he moved to Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, and there in 1869 he met and married Julia Trumbull, the foster daughter of Maiden Rock's founding family. At the time of their marriage, Julia was 18 and William was 38. No children were born to this union.
In Maiden Rock, William owned a saloon for a time and then he sold it and became a mail carrier. He and Julia lived in a little house on the main highway through Maiden Rock gifted to Julia by the Trumbulls. From all indications they had a happy life together. Along with several other Civil War veterans, William founded a GAR post which became a VFW post and was named for him. According to newspaper clippings saved by Julia, he organized 4th of July celebrations. As of a 1995 visit to Maiden Rock by William's great-granddaughter and two great-great-granddaughters, the VFW post still had the name William E. Geer over the entrance.
In 1905, William's daughter Sarah wrote him a letter and sent him a Christmas box, re-establishing contact with her father. She continued corresponding with Julia and William until her death in 1928. Julia called her "Dear Daughter" in her letters, and signed them "Mother." William had one grandson, J. Martie McIntyre. William died at home of old age complications in Feb of 1913.
William E. Geer's parents are a mystery. His mother's first name was Celia, but her maiden name is unknown, and her husband's name is unknown. William had a younger brother named Thomas. William married Margaret Ann Moore, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Johnson) Moore in 1855 in Washington County, Virginia. They had one child born on Jan. 4, 1860, whom they named Sarah Ann. Margaret died of "child bed fever" eight days later. According to the 1860 census, William was a wagoner, or teamster, by occupation.
In July 1861, William along with Margaret's two brothers Theophilus and Benjamin and joined the 48th Virginia Infantry and went off the fight the Union invaders. William became a wagoner for his regiment, and on July 5, 1863, during the retreat from the battle at Gettysburg when he was driving a team of horses (or mules) and a wagon containing wounded soldiers, William was captured on South Mountain at Watterloo, PA. He was transported first to Ft. McHenry in Baltimore and then to Ft. Delaware which had been turned into a prison for Confederates.
On Oct. 1, 1863, William signed an oath of allegiance to the Union and joined the 1st Conn. Cavalry, company G, which consisted of other Confederates who had signed the oath. They were called Galvanized Yankess. His unit spent several months in Baltimore guarding buildings. Then they were sent to Minnesota to Ft. Snelling to guard the fort so its usual staff could fight Indians. At the end of the war when William was mustered out, he received a letter from his mother that it would be unsafe for him to return home to Virginia, so he stayed in Minnesota. Eventually, he moved to Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, and there in 1869 he met and married Julia Trumbull, the foster daughter of Maiden Rock's founding family. At the time of their marriage, Julia was 18 and William was 38. No children were born to this union.
In Maiden Rock, William owned a saloon for a time and then he sold it and became a mail carrier. He and Julia lived in a little house on the main highway through Maiden Rock gifted to Julia by the Trumbulls. From all indications they had a happy life together. Along with several other Civil War veterans, William founded a GAR post which became a VFW post and was named for him. According to newspaper clippings saved by Julia, he organized 4th of July celebrations. As of a 1995 visit to Maiden Rock by William's great-granddaughter and two great-great-granddaughters, the VFW post still had the name William E. Geer over the entrance.
In 1905, William's daughter Sarah wrote him a letter and sent him a Christmas box, re-establishing contact with her father. She continued corresponding with Julia and William until her death in 1928. Julia called her "Dear Daughter" in her letters, and signed them "Mother." William had one grandson, J. Martie McIntyre. William died at home of old age complications in Feb of 1913.
In July 1861, William along with Margaret's two brothers Theophilus and Benjamin and joined the 48th Virginia Infantry and went off the fight the Union invaders. William became a wagoner for his regiment, and on July 5, 1863, during the retreat from the battle at Gettysburg when he was driving a team of horses (or mules) and a wagon containing wounded soldiers, William was captured on South Mountain at Watterloo, PA. He was transported first to Ft. McHenry in Baltimore and then to Ft. Delaware which had been turned into a prison for Confederates.
On Oct. 1, 1863, William signed an oath of allegiance to the Union and joined the 1st Conn. Cavalry, company G, which consisted of other Confederates who had signed the oath. They were called Galvanized Yankess. His unit spent several months in Baltimore guarding buildings. Then they were sent to Minnesota to Ft. Snelling to guard the fort so its usual staff could fight Indians. At the end of the war when William was mustered out, he received a letter from his mother that it would be unsafe for him to return home to Virginia, so he stayed in Minnesota. Eventually, he moved to Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, and there in 1869 he met and married Julia Trumbull, the foster daughter of Maiden Rock's founding family. At the time of their marriage, Julia was 18 and William was 38. No children were born to this union.
In Maiden Rock, William owned a saloon for a time and then he sold it and became a mail carrier. He and Julia lived in a little house on the main highway through Maiden Rock gifted to Julia by the Trumbulls. From all indications they had a happy life together. Along with several other Civil War veterans, William founded a GAR post which became a VFW post and was named for him. According to newspaper clippings saved by Julia, he organized 4th of July celebrations. As of a 1995 visit to Maiden Rock by William's great-granddaughter and two great-great-granddaughters, the VFW post still had the name William E. Geer over the entrance.
In 1905, William's daughter Sarah wrote him a letter and sent him a Christmas box, re-establishing contact with her father. She continued corresponding with Julia and William until her death in 1928. Julia called her "Dear Daughter" in her letters, and signed them "Mother." William had one grandson, J. Martie McIntyre. William died at home of old age complications in Feb of 1913.
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