John D Olney  born on August 7, 1799 in Connecticut                               died March 11, 1881 in Detroit, Michigan Married Roxanna Poole on March 18, 1821 in Jefferson County, New York Sanford Poole Olney  born June 8, 1823

Roxanna Poole born January 23, 1803. Died May 12, 1879 in Detroit, Michigan

This is the John D. Olney who is in the 1840 Census in Gouveneur, St. Lawrence County, NY and in the 1850 Census in Decatur, Van Buren County, MI.  In the 1860 Census, Dowagiac, Cass County , MI. 1870 Census in Oswegatchie, St. Lawrence County, NY under the household of Solomon Holbrook with many different surnames also living there. All of these, his wife Roxy is with him. In the 1880 Census, John Dixon Olney, widowed, is living with his daughter and son-in-law, Samuel and Emeline Smith in Detroit , Wayne County, MI. 

John D Olney’s parents and lineage look like this: Joseph & Nancy Dixon Olney; Hezekiah b. 1742 & Orpha Hawkins Olney; Jeremiah b. 1708 & Susanna Brown Olney; John & Rachel Coggeshall Olney; Epenetus & Mary Whipple; Thomas & Mary Ashton Olney. 

The dates above are gathered from obituaries, grave stones, military records, marriage notices and concur with information in the Olney Genealogy Book. 

As far as census information goes, we are more easily able to trace John Dixon and Roxanna Poole Olney and family.  They were married on 18 Mar 1821 likely in Jefferson County , NY .  The 1840 census has them in Gouverneur, St. Lawrence County, NY.  This is a bit North and East of where Darwin was born in 1825.  This census has John as head of household with 1 male and 1 female aged 5-10, 2 males and 1 female aged 10-15, 1 male and 1 female aged 20-30, 1 female aged 40-50 and 1 male aged 50-60.  It seems they didn’t stay there long either as in the 1850 census, they show up in a Decatur , Michigan in Van Buren County.  The information from that census is John is head of household at age 51, is a laborer and born in CT.  Roxa is his wife at age 47, no occupation, born in NY.  Caroline, a daughter, aged 23 lives with them, as does a son, George, aged 17.  Another son, John Poole is living with them, aged 20 and is a laborer. In 1860, census information reveals that they are in Dowagiac, Cass County , Michigan , the same town that Darwin and Almira are living in in 1860. Both John and Roxanna died in Wayne County, Michigan and are buried in Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit , 9400 West Fort Street .   

Darwin Olney, Civil War P.O.W. Darwin Olney Co M 1 Reg Cav of Mich Died in Salibury Prison N.C. Almira Yeomans his wife 1826-1916 Lewis D, Their son 1855-1935 Darwin Olney,    born September 25, 1825 died in the Salisbury Prison Camp during the Civil War on February 15, 1865

Letter from Darwin Olney to his daughter Ella from Civil War:   Dec. 6th, 1862 My Dear girl, Ella!  Pa, has not forgot, how you used to love me & kiss & hug me; do you remember I used to rock you in the large rocking chair, your ma says it has been fixed up & painted new. Since I came away; Pa, hopes to get home some time & see his little Ella to Rock her again.  I know you would like to see your pa, your ma says you like to look at my Picture & that you kiss it you are a good girl & when I go home I must fetch you & little Mary something pretty for a present.  I guess the war will be over before long, & then your Pa will go home, & see ma, & all my good little children.  I hope Ella will always be a good girl, & mind ma, love Lewis & Emeline & your poor little Sister Mary  you may kiss Mary for Pa; you must not be naug-hty, or say bad words, help your ma, all you can; for She loves you & does all She can for you.  I got the little letter you wrote to me, you may write me another if you can.  I have got the Picture of Ella & Mary, which ma Sent me last Summer  it is very nice & I love to look at it; if Pa was at home he would get you all Some good apples; where is your little kitty, ma, said you had one last winter; now Ella, this letter is for you.  keep it clean & show it to your grand pa & grand ma.            There is no signature.

Darwin Olney was born in Antwerp , NY on 25 Sept 1825 in Jefferson County , the North West country up near the St. Lawrence River .  This was wide open wilderness at the time.  We have quite a bit of information about his ancestry. Darwin ’s father, John Dixon Olney was born somewhere in Connecticut .  We have been unable to confirm exactly where in Connecticut , but it definitely says birthplace, Connecticut , on several censuses. John Dixon Olney’s birth date is 7 August 1799 and he died in Detroit , Michigan 11 Mar 1881.  I believe we cannot find documentation of his birth because his parents were on the move at the time.  His parents, Joseph Olney and Nancy Dixon show up in an 1800 census in Palatine , NY , Herkimer County , in the Mohawk River valley area, pioneering from the area of Windham County , Connecticut , the far Eastern part of the state not far from the Rhode Island border.  This is a distance of approximately 203 miles through forests and small mountains, and over a couple of major rivers, the Connecticut River and the Hudson River depending upon their chosen path. There were Indian problems too. Joseph and Nancy Olney would end up in Lewis County, NY for the rest of there lives, just a bit South and East of Antwerp. Joseph is head of household in the 1810 census for that county. We do not know where these folks are buried.  Curtis Dixon, Nancy ’s father, shows up in the 1810 census there too, as do her brothers Robert and Jeremiah Dixon. 

Darwin Olney was amongst the first volunteers for service in the Civil War.  He would become part of the First Michigan Cavalry in August 1861, taking his own horse and equipment with him. Archive Service records indicate that he was mustered out in December 1863 and signed back in the same day, mustered in at Stevensburg , VA , continuing his service with the First Michigan and was assigned to the commissary department. Originally, the cavalry’s service was mostly with the supply line, but this did not mean they did not see battle.   

After the furlough, early in 1864, Darwin would be assigned to the Shenandoah Campaign, lead by General Sheridan, as described in the movement of the First Michigan Cavalry. Their mission, and following General Grant’s orders, was to choke off the supplies of the already weaken Confederate Army.  At a place likely close to Berryville , Virginia , where the First Michigan was known to be, Darwin was captured by the well known “Mosby’s Raiders.” The Archive papers say “captured at Bipen , Virginia .”  One other family member and myself have endlessly looked for Bipen , Va and I even had e-mial exchanges with a Civil War historian of the area.  We could not find any other document noting a place called Bipen.  It was perhaps the name of a military depot at the time.   

Often, soldiers were moved around from prison to prison as they ran out of room and food.  This was probably true of Darwin .  Some notes say he was at Libby Prison in Richmond , VA , probably true, at least for a short time.  The records from the Archives, notes of Roll Call, say he is missing, captured by Mosby and died at Andersonville .  We have been unable to confirm him dying at Andersonville as he does not turn up on any of those prison lists.  Interestingly, Darwin does not show up in the Salisbury Prison lists or dead and buried either.  We think that he may have been an unknown enlisted soldier at this point, (he was a private) withered and very ill, dying with several other men that day.  What choice was there for the armies at this point but to quickly bury the dead in mass graves?  Is Darwin in one of them? We obtained widow’s pension requests and affidavits where Almira Yeomans Olney, Darwin ’s wife, is the applicant, first in Cass County , Michigan and second in Oneida County , NY .  The notes on these documents say that he died at Salisbury . 

I have had written exchanges with the Salisbury Prison Association whose goal is to keep these soldiers memorialized.  They had no information on Darwin , thus, I have been sharing what information we have.  Attempting to sort out exactly what happened to Darwin has been an arduous task and I am not sure we will ever know the true story.  I had an e-mail exchange with the Cass County historian in Michigan , March 2006.  Here is what they had: In "History of Cass County, Michigan" (Matthews, 1882), it lists Darwin Olney enlisting in company M of the 1st Michigan Cavalry. “Was killed in battle at Gettysburg , Pennsylvania on 3 July 1863.” 

We know that that information is more than likely incorrect because there is another child born after the dates of that battle, July 1-3 1863.  We also believe that Almira probably knew the most information and the memorial stone in Beechwood Cemetery , Forestport , NY is more than likely closest to the actual event. She also noted that Darwin died of starvation at Salisbury on her pension request papers. A recent conversation that I had with a Gettysburg Battlefield historian/librarian confirmed this thought, May 2006.  His input was that probably Darwin ’s wife had the most information, “and remember that a couple official army representatives would have shown up at her door to give the news.” During this time, we also talked about the wounded at Gettysburg .  By this time during the war, care of the wounded was pretty organized. A wounded soldier would be taken to his own regimental treatment place, then on to a hospital and sent home.