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Civil War Soldiers - Van Derveer
| Van Derveer, Ferdinand,
brigadier-general, U.S. Army, was born in Butler county, Ohio, in
1823. He grew to manhood there, studied law, and had entered upon the
practice of his profession when the Mexican war claimed his attention.
On May 31, 1846, he was mustered in as first sergeant in the 1st Ohio
infantry and served until mustered out on June 12, 1847, being
promoted to first lieutenant Sept. 2, 1846, and to captain Oct. 5 of
the same year. After the close of that war he returned home and
continued to practice his profession until the breaking out of the
Civil war. On Sept. 24, 1861, he was commissioned colonel of the 35th
Ohio infantry, which was organized at Hamilton, Ohio, to serve three
years. Two days later the regiment moved to Covington, Ky., and on the
same night took a train on the Kentucky Central railroad. Col. Van
Derveer then placed parties at all the bridges along the road and made
his headquarters at Cynthiana. With his regiment he participated in
some of the skirmishes during the siege of Corinth and was among the
first to enter the works at that place. In the movement against Bragg,
the fight at Perryville and the pursuit to Crab Orchard, he bore an
honorable part. All through the ensuing campaign, which began at
Murfreesboro and ended at Chattanooga, with his regiment he was in the
front of the marching and fighting. On the first day of the fight at
Chickamauga, the 35th and the other regiments composing the brigade
were stationed on the extreme left of the Federal line, where they
engaged and, after several hours of a fair, stand-up fight, repulsed
and beat back three several attacks of the elite of the Confederate
army. On the next day Col. Van Derveer again brought his regiment
early into action, and it fought all day, firing the last shots that
were fired by friend or foe on the battle-field of Chickamauga. The
regiment with its gallant colonel in the lead was on the front line at
Missionary ridge, and was among the first to reach the enemy's works
on the crest, from which it drove the Confederate force and captured
three pieces of artillery. Col. Van Derveer was engaged at the first
battle at Buzzard's Roost, after which his regiment was stationed at
Ringgold until the beginning of the Atlanta campaign. He was engaged
at Dalton, Resaca, Pine mountain, Kennesaw mountain, Peachtree creek,
and several other fights in that bloody contest for the possession of
Atlanta, and was mustered out of the service with his regiment Aug.
26, 1864. He was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers Oct. 4,
1864, and served in that capacity until June 15, 1865, when he
resigned. Gen. Van Derveer then returned to his home at Hamilton,
Ohio, and continued to reside there until his death, Nov. 5, 1892.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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