HENRY JOHNSEN NORTHRUP -- 118th INFANTRYMOVED TO MICHIGAN AFTER THE WAR - HenryJohnsen Northrup was 25 when he enlisted in the 118th Infantry inKeeseville on August 12, 1862. He was willing to serve for 3 years whenhe was mustered in to Company K on August 19th. Before the end of themonth, he was promoted to quartermaster-sergeant. He was promoted againto 2nd lieutenant on February 25, 1864, and then to 1st lieutenant andquartermaster on August 19 of the same year. He took over the positionfrom P. K. Delaney as quartermaster, then was brevetted captain andbecame the assistant quartermaster of volunteers. As quartermaster,Henry never saw action, but saw to it that supplies were available forthe regiment.Henry was born in Shoreham, VT, in 1837, to Lucius Northrup and ElizaJohnsen. Henry's Northrup ancestors came to Boston in 1837. Soon afterthe Civil War, Henry went to Michigan. He married Julia Brewer Mattochsfrom Keeseville on May 12, 1868, in Saginaw, MI. and they had 3 childrentogether. After Julia's death in 1888, he married Catherine Burns onAugust 21, 1889, and they had one son together.Henry became a successful lumberman and prominent Democrat and alsopostmaster in Saginaw, MI, from 1880 to 1888 when he resigned underPresident Cleveland's administration. He was a ruling elder and trusteeof the First Presbyterian Church in Saginaw, MI, for over 20 years andearned the description of being "offensively Presbyterian\" by theDemocratic Party.In 1867, he and several partners purchased a tract of 30,000 acres ofpine lands in Roscommon, Gladwin and Clare Counties, established anextensive lumbering plant, and built a logging railroad 32 miles inlength, well equipped with roll-ing stock and motive power. Inconnection with this operation they cleared, improved and cultivated afarm of 1,000 acres in Gladwin County.\There's an article about the 118th after they were mustered out on June13, 1865, in the Plattsburgh Republican of June 24, 1865, which you canread at:http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031979/1865-06-24/ed-1/seq-2/Although the article states that no men deserted from the regiment, inreality, over 40 men left the regiment without permission, most of themin 1862 and 1863.The picture shown is from the personal photograph album of the 118thchaplain, Charles Luther Hagar, which is in the Clinton CountyHistorical Association's collection.
