Oren Delos White
Born May 25, 1844 -
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Died November 8, 1924 - Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Life Member Spring Lake Masonic Lodge - 1875 - 1915
Oren married Delaphine Ralph (b. October 28, 1850 - d. 1930), on July 30, 1867 in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Children from their marriage:
When Oren enlisted in the Civil War in August, 1862 (Union Army - Michigan 25th Infantry, Company 'E') the recruiting officer "dotted" the "e" in Oren's name, thereafter most of his military information spelled his name as "Orin".
Oren's mother, Rhoda, died when he was only 7 years old (on her 30th birthday!). His father remarried, and Oren didn't get along with his stepmother and ran away and join the Civil War when he was only 18 years old. He was 18 in May of 1862 and enlisted in the Michigan 25th infantry in August of that same year. The following year, July 4th, 1863, Oren and his company of 350 soldiers were in a battle at Green River, Kentucky. This small company of men held back over 3,000 of Morgan's confederate troops in their attempt to cross the Green River in order to get to Lexington where they were planning on pillaging the stored Union Army supplies. Oren was shot in the upper right arm above the elbow. According to military records, the projectile smashed into his gun stock and into his arm, fracturing the bone and imbedding wood slivers into his arm. He received a small pension for his wounds.
In August 1996, Jan White (ggrandson) and family traveled to the battle site at Green River and saw the old log cabin where the wounded Union troops were cared for. We also found the area (now a cow pasture) where the men camped as well as Soldier's Spring (named after the encampment) where many of them got their water for drinking and cooking. The area was much like it was then, wooded and quite rural.
Scanned from the "Record - Twenty-Fifth Michigan Infantry - Civil War 1861-1865"
A Civil War reunion (June 22, 23 and 24th, 1887) ribbon worn by Oren D. White
Michigan 25th Infantry Regimental Flag
Oren D. White's Funeral Card
Revised March 20th, 1999