Program

NYS Historic

Subject

People

Location

3 Edgewood Ave, Nesconset, NY 11767, USA

Lat/Long

40.83993097908, -73.128615729714

Grant Recipient

W.S. Commerdinger, Jr. County Park Preservation Society

George W. McCormick was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on May 19th, 1838. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, he decided to join the Union cause. McCormick enlisted in the Union Army on October 28th, 1862, as a Private in Company D of the Seventh Michigan Volunteer Cavalry.

McCormick’s intelligence and dedication led him to quickly advance through the ranks: he was promoted to Quartermaster-Sergeant, then became a Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, and finally attained the rank of Captain in May 1865. His regiment saw some of its first action at the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1st–3rd, 1863), where they served under the command of General George A. Custer and Colonel Mann. It was here, during a pivotal moment of the battle, that Custer ordered a charge. In his official report, Custer praised the actions of his troops: “I at once ordered the Seventh Michigan Calvary to charge the advancing column of the enemy… despite all obstacles, the regiment boldly advanced to the assault” (An Historical Sketch, 1893). McCormick later recalled fighting closely alongside the 1st Cavalry during this crucial engagement. Months later, McCormick was taken prisoner at Buckland Mills, though he was eventually released. In November 1863, he suffered a wound when he was shot in the neck near the Rapidan River.

After the Civil War concluded, McCormick, having transferred to E Company, was sent West to engage in conflicts against Native Americans. He was mustered out at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in December 1865, and was honorably discharged in Washington, D.C., in November 1869. He began receiving military pension in 1870.

McCormick maintained a strong connection to his wartime service and his fellow servicemen, becoming a member of the Seventh Michigan Cavalry Association. He married and had three children: William and George, and a daughter Isabel. In 1901, he and his wife, Nellie, moved to a home in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, where he lived out his remaining years, passing away on May 17th, 1909.

Sources:

An historical sketch of the Seventh Regiment Michigan Volunteer Cavalry from its organization, in 1862, to its            muster out, in 1865. (1893). Internet Archive.         https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00isha/page/n61/mode/2up