George C. Champlin was born in Gennessee County New York on December 18th 1837 and his proud parents were John and Lydia Champlin. George had five brothers and he was the youngest of them all.

Year of birth received was 1836. I tend to believe the date was actually the one showed above. His record also indicates he was 23 at enlistment.

In May of 1861 at 24 years old his country called for his service and he gave it. On May 25th 1861 at Fort Wayne in Detroit Michigan George enlisted as a Private in Captain J.V. Ruckles Company K of the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry. George was then sent to Washington D.C. with his regiment.

Enlisted on the 10th of May 1861 in Kalamazooand. Mustered into Federal Service on the 25th

George and the 2nd Michigan Infantry Regiment went into winter quarters at a place they called �Camp Michigan� for the winter months of 1861 and 1862. George was also engaged in the skirmishes around the Washington D.C. area along with his regiment during those winter months.

In the spring of 1862 as the 2nd Michigan made there way south into southern Virginia during the Peninsular Campaign with General McClellan leading them. During the Siege of Yorktown Virginia in 1862 George became ill with dysentery and the fever. George reported to the hospital and was kept there for eight days and then released back to his regiment.

On May 5th 1862 the 2nd Michigan fell under command of General Phillip Kearny�s 3rd Division. During the Battle of Williamsburg Virginia on May 5th 1862 General Kearny was ordered late in the day to push forward to General Hookers position and continue the push towards Williamsburg. During the pouring down rain Kearny arrived on the field and met with Hooker. Colonel Poe of the 2nd Michigan Infantry was ordered to send a company forward as skirmishers and he chose Company K.

George and his company formed a skirmish line and then pushed forward. As they moved through a forest they became engaged in a hot skirmish with the Confederates opposing them. Soon after being engaged a shot rang out and George was hit by a mini ball in the face. The mini ball struck the surface of his right eye and the bridge of his nose. George was knocked unconscious by the mini ball and fell into a pile of lumber. As George fell a protruding stick entered his lower abdomen area and made an incision about eight inches long showing his intestines.

As the men of the 2nd Michigan moved past George they assumed he would die with the severity of his wounds so they continued forward. So George was left there to die.

On the morning of May 6th when the battle had ended and George regained consciousness he realized that the only men around him were either dead or severely wounded. George realized he only had one good eye to see out of and collected himself and stood up trying to find someone to help him with his wounds. George walked awhile and found a surgeon assisting other men with their wounds. The surgeon looked at George�s wounds and told him he had to stay in the field with the other wounded but George could walk three fourths of a mile to a yellow barn that was made into a field hospital to get better medical treatment.

George made it to the yellow barn and was immediately put on a stretcher. The surgeons looked at George, cleaned up his wounds and sowed his abdomen up seeing that there was no major damage done to his internal organs. When the surgeons sowed George up they did not repair his muscles that had been torn by the stick but only the surface of his body. This created a hernia, which George lived with the rest of his life.

George was then moved with other wounded men to Yorktown Virginia. George was put on a steamer and shipped north to a Military Hospital in Portsmouth Grove Rhode Island to recover. George�s right eye, which was hit by the mini ball, remained crossed as it began to heel and it never returned to its original position. George had limited vision in his right eye for the rest of his life.

Once George was able to get around he became employed by the military hospital as a medical assistant. George spent the rest of his time in the Union Army working at this military hospital.

In September 1862 when George�s body heeled as much as it was going to George requested to be placed back with his regiment in the field. L.A. Edwards who was a Military Medical Surgeon gave George a physical and explained to George that he would not be returned to his regiment due to his wounds. Edwards explained that George�s loss of site and his hernia would keep him out of the field. After their conversation Edwards stated that he would be willing to sign George�s Disability Discharge papers and he would be able to go home.

He received his Disability Discharged on the 23rd of September 1862 in Providence RI.

George received a pension for the rest of his life from the Federal Government. George also wore a girdle for the rest of his life to keep his organs inside of his body. George married a woman named Sarah and they had my Great, Great Grandfather Seymour.

In George�s later life he suffered from disabilities from his wounds.

George died in Montcalm County Michigan on January 12th 1910 and is buried in Crystal Cemetery, Crystal Twn, Montcalm Co. Mich.

Some information indicates he passed away in 1909

Sincerely George Champlin�s Great, Great, Great Grandson,
Jeffrey D. Finn

Smaller writing were added by me. Pvt Church.