Israel Shreve 1815-1862 (Low Cemetery)

Israel Shreve

Israel Shreve was born in 1 Apr 1815 in Fayette Cnty, PA. In 1833, in Holmes County, Ohio he married Eliza Hough, moving in 1837 to Porter Cnty, IN and then in 1847 to a farm in Coolspring Twp, La Porte County. He died here in 1865 and is buried in Low Cemetery.

Of their 12 children, it seems fitting to focus on one, Francis, who, although not buried here, was one of La Porte County’s Civil War Veterans. For this information I am grateful to the wife, Liz, of one of his descendants, Duane Shreve of Boise, Idaho. Liz writes that Francis was barely 20 years old when he enlisted on the 6th of August of 1862 in Company K 73rd Indiana Volunteers. He had been married just 5 months. (His wife was newly pregnant.) He trained at Camp Rose, IN. Joined the service with his friend, James Hammond, who later wrote of him:…”that Francis died the 9th of December 1862 in the hospital at Nashville (TN) of lung disease and says he was present at the time of his death, and that he was well acquainted with (Francis)…that they had lived in the same neighborhood for 12 years, that Shreve was taken sick between the Cumberland River and Clear Springs, Tenn. And was sick for about one month and that
he aided in nursing him”.

From the Adjutant General's Office in Washington, D.C., Aug. 14th, 1863: " It appears from the rolls on file in this office that Franklin M. Shreve was enrolled on 6th Aug. 1862... to serve 3 years (months?) and mustered into service as a Private on the 16th of Aug. 1862 at Camp Rose, Ind. in Co. K.... he is reported died in the hospital at Nashville, Tenn Dec 9, 1862. Cause of death not stated. "

His commanding officer, Capt. I. D. Phelps, wrote that Francis…”was a private in said Company and died in the service of the United States and in the line of his duty at Nashville, Tenn…when he entered the service he was a healthy man and that his death was caused by disease induced by exposure and marching while performing his duty as a soldier…”

Francis, as a veteran of the Civil War, is buried at the Nashville National Cemetery in Davidson County, TN, six miles north of Nashville.

Liz Shreve wrote, “I went and visited his grave near Nashville on Wed. July 26 2000. It was sad to see him buried there all alone with no relatives there to mourn him or rest beside him.”

Francis was the husband of Catherine Gardner. The baby she carried when her new husband left for the War was William Shreve. After Francis’ death, Catherine married Ziba Palmer. William Shreve was raised in the Palmer household.

Researched and presented by Dorothy Germain Palmer, 6/11/2013