Marsh Family papers

Collection — Box: 57

Identifier: MS-SC1000

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Letters of Rev. George Marsh, 1820-1859, include mainly letters from New York giving news of the family and church activities. Several letters of reference from ministers. Letters from his brother in St. Joseph, Missouri in 1850 discuss his time in California and the general immorality there. He returned to California. Letters from George, Jr. to his brother during his war service, discuss family, his experiences and news of others in the regiment. Letters from Washington, D.C. discuss his life there with his wife Lucy. 1861 diary of John J. discusses the farm and social activities in LaSalle County. Numerous newspaper clippings with family news, Civil War news and reminiscences and GAR news.

Dates

Created: 1820 - 1915

Creator

Marsh, George, Reverend, 1796-1877 (Person)

Biographical Sketch

George Marsh, an ordained Congregational minister settled in Brookfield, Illinois in 1835, coming from New York where he had taught school and married Jane Requa. In LaSalle County he taught school, became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and preached around the county and took up farming. During the Civil War his son George joined the 104th Illinois, and fought at Missionary Ridge and Chickamauga. At Resaca he was wounded in the elbow and his arm was left permanently disabled. He received the Medal of Honor for heroic conduct at Elk River, Tenn. After the war he remained with the army and received an appointment in the Quartermaster's Office in Washington, D.C. where he remained for forty years. John J. Marsh, George's second son, remained in LaSalle County teaching for a while and then farming, building a farm of over 600 acres.