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Cleveland, Alva, b.1805

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: b.1805

Biographical Note

Alva Cleveland was born in Cherry Valley, New York, to Philo and Hannah (Miller) Cleveland, March 13, 1805. On January 24, 1831, he married Maria (Mary) Austin (b. 1809), in Skaneateles, New York. They had eight children: Elvira (Alvira) (b.1832), Edwin (1834-1835), Elvin (Alvin) (1836-1854), Mary (b. 1839), Henry Harrison (b. 1842), Emma (1844-1846), Sarah Maria (b. 1846), and George Washington (1849-1885). Between 1836 and 1840, the family moved to Cook County, Illinois. By 1849, they relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cleveland appears to have worked for the United States Postal Service in Wisconsin.



Cleveland and his two sons enlisted for Union service in the first years of the war. Cleveland, at the age of 56, enlisted with Company E, 1st Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, on October 23, 1861. He served as an orderly. George Washington Cleveland, who figures prominently in his father's diary, enlisted as a drummer with the same company at the age of 12. Alva Cleveland and his younger son were both discharged on November 8, 1862, due to an unspecified disability. Henry Harrison Cleveland mustered in with the 10th Independent Battery, Wisconsin Light Infantry, August 19, 1862. He mustered out on June 7, 1865. Following his discharge, Alva Cleveland returned home to Wisconsin. He died between 1880 and 1885.



For further diaries of the Cleveland family and information on Wisconsin and the Civil War, see the Wisconsin Historical Society Library and Archives. Wisconsin Historical has transcriptions of diaries belonging to Alva and Henry Harrison Cleveland.

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

Alva Cleveland Diary

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-2009-113
Abstract

The collection contains the diary of Alva Cleveland, a 57-year-old soldier who served as an orderly with the 1st Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry. The diary covers March to July 1862 while Cleveland's regiment was stationed around Nashville, Tennessee, and in northern Alabama.

Dates: 1862

Diary, Alva Cleveland, 1862 (Ms2009-113)

 Digital Record
Identifier: Ms2009-113_ClevelandAlva_Diary_1862
Dates: 1862-03-01/1862-07-31