My Great-Great Grandfather, George N. Bishir was born Jan, 1835 in Ohio, died 9 Apr 1906 in Lynchburg, Ohio, and was buried in Masonic Cem., Lynchburg, Ohio. He was a Cooper by trade.

George was described as being 5 feet 8 and three quarters inches tall with fair complexion, dark hair, and blue eyes. He served as a Private and later as Corporal and then Sergeant in Co. "B", 48th Regt., Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. He enlisted in Ohio in October, 1861, as one of the first sixty volunteers in the 48th OVI and his unit served as a part of U.S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee in the fourth brigade of the fifth divsion under General William T. Sherman.

His regiment's baptism of fire occurred early on the morning of April 6, 1862 when it was attacked in its camp at Shiloh, Tennessee. The 48th fought bravely, losing 20 killed, 92 wounded and two taken prisoner.

Following Shiloh, the 48th drove the Confederates west to the siege and capture of Corinth, Mississippi in late May.

After the abortive overland move south toward Vicksburg, the 48th was present when Gen. Sherman unsuccessfully attacked Chickasaw Bluffs in December, 1862 and had a part in the capture of Arkansas Post under Gen. McClernand in January, 1863. These were just the first of several battles that lead up to the seige and capture of Vicksburg in July of 1863. After the fall of Vicksburg, George's unit became part of General Banks' campaign up the Red River in western Louisiana.

On April 8, 1864 after a desperate action near Sabine Crossroads, LA in which all of their ammunition was expended, his entire regiment was surrounded and captured. (This battle was also known as the battle of Mansfield.) The Confederates took him to a prison "pen" in Tyler Texas (known as Camp Ford), where he remained for six months awaiting exchange. He was parolled at Red River Landing, LA in October, 1864 and reported for duty a few days later in New Orleans. His unit was exchanged shortly thereafter and he was granted his "veteran" furlough in January of the following year.

(In February, 1864, George and most of the rest of his regiment had reenlisted for another three years at which time they had been promised a 30 day furlough - it had been postponed due to their immediate departure for the Red River.)

In 1865 he fought in the siege of Fort Blackly, Alabama. The victory there gave the Union army posession of Mobile and cut the Confederacy in two.

At the conclusion of the war, the regiment numbered just 165 (over 900 had been part of the 48th when it was formed.) George was sent with his unit to Texas after the war and was discharged in Galveston in May of 1866.

According to his pension application, during his stay in prison he contracted through exposure "ague and fever. Also he was attacked with chronic diarrhea and Scurvy while in prison which he believes is chargable to the use of unwholesome food." Later, while stationed in Galveston, Texas after the war he contracted "sore eyes" due to the "sand which was flying in the air" resulting in partial loss of his eyesight. He further contended that these disabilities resulted in general disability - "disease of the Kidneys and Liver, pain in the back, heart disease, and loss of teeth." Based on these contentions, he was granted a pension in 1890 of $14 per month.

Shortly after the war, George married Delilah Morsman at the home of Jonathan Reuse, just outside the corporate limits of Lynchburg, Ohio. (Jonathan later married Delilah's sister.) George and Delilah lived in Lynchburg and had five children - four were living in 1900.