By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Ortonville — They died while imprisoned at Richmond, Va., they died of disease at Hickman Bridge, Ky., one was killed during an exchange near Petersburg, Va.  Just a few examples of the fate of the Civil War Union soldiers from Brandon and Groveland townships that never made it home from their service.
A local group is spearheading an effort to recognize about 27 men who enlisted in the Union Army and fought in the Civil War who died far from home. Many were buried near battle sites, Confederate prisons or in cemeteries across the country.
“These are the sons of Brandon and Groveland that went to war and died,” said  Alan Allgaier, Ortonville Community Historical Society, who along with Carol Bacak-Egbo, chief archivist and historian at Oakland County Parks and Recreation and Tina Allgaier, a member of the OCHS have researched the soldiers.
“They enlisted and did not come home,” he said. “Some are in mass graves, others we know exactly where they are buried. They are buried all over.”
The population of Groveland and Brandon township was about 2,000 residents in 1860, he said.
“If half that population were men, about 3% died in the Civil War. So, if you lived in the 1860s and from this area, there’s a good chance you knew someone who died in the Civil War.”
About 90,000 men from Michigan enlisted in the Civil War.
“The young boys were probably bored back home farming,” said Allgaier. “They were sick of milking cows and wanted an adventure. When it started a four year conflict was not the plan. Rather, there’s some little rebellion down there. So Michigan spun up a 90 day company that all was needed.”
The group will continue the research and a plan someday to have the names enshrined in a permanent monument.
Some of the local Civil War casualties researched:
Levi Coons enlisted Aug. 22, 1862. He was captured at Trevillian Station, Va. imprisoned at Andersonville and was part of a prisoner exchange. He died in Florida May 6, 1865.
Hiram Howland, enlisted Feb. 27, 1862 and was killed Nov. 12, 1863 at Smith’s Ferry, Ga.
John Moore, enlisted Oct. 4, 1862 and died while a imprisoned at Richmond, Va.
Thomas Bird, enlisted Feb. 12, 1864 imprisoned at Andersonville and died on his way home.