Submitted by Maxine Purdy
July 27 190l
Mr. George H. Purdy, left at 11:25 this morning for Danville, Ill. where he will enter the National Soldiers’ Home.His wife will soon close up the house at 2015 North Tenth Street and will also go to Danville to live with her daughter, Mrs. M. B. Faris, who is in the grocery business there.Another daughter, Mrs. M. Stapleton is the wife of a prominent wholesale grocer at Rockford, IL. Mrs. Stapleton was for some years a year a schoolteacher in this city.
Major Purdy has been a resident of Terre Haute since 1848, except during the period he served in the Civil War.For almost twenty-five years he has been employed by Crawford Fairbanks, first with the distillery on South First Street, and of recent years at the brewery serving as a carpenter, joiner and millwright.He first took employment at the distillery, August 3, 1878.
Major Purdy was born December 2, 1822, at Worthington, Hampshire county, Mass.When he came to Terre Haute in 1848 it was to work at bridge and aqueduct building on the old Wabash and Erie Canal.On August 9, 1962, he was mustered into company H, Fourth Indiana cavalry, being promoted to be Major September 18, 1863.On March 13, 1865 he received a lieutenant colonel’s commission, but not enough men could be mustered in and he never served in that capacity. He was mustered out July 3, 1865 at Edgefield, Tenn., across from Nashville.Major Purdy was wounded twice at Paint Rock, Ala, June 1, 1863 and at Pulaski, Tenn. Sept 24, 1864.
Major Purdy served as deputy sheriff of this county under Jim Nelson, Sam Couner. L. A.
Burnett and W. H. Stewart.He is quite bent in frame, but his eyesight is still very good,
although he is compelled to use glasses when he reads. Major Purdy is an intense Democrat,
but he said as he took the train: “I don’t like Parker and I don’t like
Roosevelt.I guess I’ll have to winter my vote.”
Ex-City Clerk George W. Davis, of Terre Haute is adjutant at the Soldiers’ Home at Danville and Major Purdy knows him well.