Oliver - William L. - Mex War - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

The following from the Tacoma, Wash., Ledger concerns an old resident of Ladoga: “Captain William L. Oliver, of Buena, a prominent citizen, died at his home Monday morning of congestive apoplexy, aged 74 years. His remains will be brought to this city this morning and buried at 2 o’clock from Hoska’s undertaking parlors. William L. Oliver was born in Henry County, Kentucky, Feb. 4, 1822. He was a grandson of Capt. Wm Oliver of a Virginia troop in the Revolutionary War, serving under General Washington from Boston to Yorktown. He removed with his parents to Montgomery County, Indiana, in 1836, and located near Indianapolis. He was a non commissioned officer in Company H, First Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, in the war with Mexico, in Gen. Taylor’s army and in the same regiment with the late Henry S. Lane, ex-Governor of Indiana, and with General Lew Wallace.  After his return from the war, he was married to Miss Mary A. Smith, who died in 1861, leaving two children, Mary A. Dixon, of Wana, Snohomish County, Wis., and Dr. W. F. Oliver, of Buena, King County, Wis. In 1861 he went into the war of the rebellion as captain of Company E, thirty fifth Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, serving at first in Missouri with Fremont, Siegel and Curtis. He was in the expedition for the relief of Springfield after the defeat and death of General Lyon at Wilson Creek, and participated in the Pea Ridge campaign. He was among the troops that reached Pittsburg Landing after the battle, but received injuries that caused his transfer to the less ardent duties as commander of a company of the prison garrison at Rock Island, Illinois, where he served until the end of the war. He came to this state thirteen years ago, living in Tacoma and Snohomish and King Counties. Captain Oliver was a dental surgeon by profession, a member of the Baptist Church for fifty years, a Mason, an Odd Fellow and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.