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C.W. Soldiers

Belgian Civil War soldiers in maine


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U.S./C.S.
Jacob VERSTRAPPEN
Biography
Maine
Co D, 11 Maine  Infantry
Sources

 

Enlisted

enlisted as a Private, December 29, 1864, substitute

Discharged

discharged for wounds on 2 Jul. 1865 ( A second entry says: 1st Maine Veteran Volunteers; Co. H; enlisted as a Private, Dec. 29, 1864; age 30; substitute; discharged 26 Sept. 1865 ).

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Parents  

Born

age 30

Married

 

Death

May 1, 1925

Biography :

Jacob Verstrappen residence Boothbay (?) He  was wounded in July 1865 at Pittsburg Landing. He filed an application for pension on  December 20, 1865. A plasterer in Portland, Maine about 1890. When entering the Soldier�s Home in 1897 he stated as his nearest relative William J Verstrappen, Belgium. In the 1900 census he state being a US pensioner, born France May 1848 from French parents. Divorced. Living in Alfred with his step-son George Bracey and his daughter Lizzie. In September 21, 1906 he was naturalized. His death occurred on May 1, 1925 after 15 years as inmate of the Home.  He is buried in the Togus National Cemetery Section L Site 4037.

Jacob Verstrappen was born Antwerp on March 10, 1845. He came in the States about December 15, 1864 , on ship David arriving to Portland, Maine with other Belgians on board.  Twenty of the passengers, in a group, are referenced as �artizan� from �Germany�. They surely were all bound to enlist in the Northern Army as I was able to connect some of them, eight of them precisely, with the 11th Maine and 19th Massachusetts Infantry. No trace of the other twelve men.

Here the ship manifest and corresponding enlistments, as far as I�m able to decipher the names and as far I was able to find information for them:

11th Maine Infantry:

Joseph Domes
Co. K, from �Belgium�, enlisted 22 December 1864, mustered out (deserted at Richmond?) August 4, 1865, settled in Argo, Missouri, after the War
Joseph Vandenbosch
Co. D, enlisted 29 December 1864, mustered out 2 February 1866
Jacob Verstallen/Verstrappen
Co. D, enlisted 29 December 1864, discharged for wounds, 2 July 1865
Leopold Augustin/Augustine Leopold
  Co. B from �Boothbay�, enlisted 22 December, 1864. His pension file says it was an alias. True name Joseph L. Hanefstengels. He asked for a pension on April 9, 1912, the file was filled in Belgium.
Martin Cobe
Co. K, , from �Belgium�(or Boothbay, Maine), enlisted 22 December 1864,  died of disease on April 7, 1865 on Steamer Thos. Powell
John Baptiste Laroche
Co. A, enlisted 26 December 1864, deserted (or mustered out?)  June 18, 1865.

19th Massachusetts Infantry:

Leopold Jackman
Co. B,  from �Belgium�,  enlisted 27 December 1864, mustered out 21 July 1865
Henri Mealmans
Co. B,  from �Holland� enlisted 27 December 1864, mustered out 30 June 1865

Sources :

soldier's home register
tombstone:
Courtesy Tim & Grace at Find a Grave