George B. Fitzgerald: Chronology

George's age is shown after the each year, and all family relationships are from George's viewpoint. Data is based on census records, military records, wills, newspapers, city directories, and some secondary sources.


1811
Father Edward entered the Navy from Pennsylvania.

1812
Father Edward commissioned a purser in the navy.

1814
Older brother Edward Henry was born in Pennsylvania.

1815
Father Edward served with Admiral Perry on the frigate Java in the Mediterranean.

1819
Older sister Mary was born in Virginia.

1822
Older brother William B. was born in the District of Columbia.

1828 (born)
Mother Mary gave birth to George B. in Virginia. She was 34 and his father was 43. Though the family continued to live in Norfolk, Virginia, the father owned property in the District of Columbia all his life.

1832 (age 4)
Younger brother Francis I. was born.

1838 (age 10)
Younger brother Thomas was born. Older brother William entered the Navy. Father continued to spend about half his time at sea, the rest with his family in Norfolk.

1839 (age 11)
Older brother Edward was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Sixth Infantry from Virginia, without attending West Point.

1844 (age 16)
The family was involved in a court case over slavery. The father took his slave Robert Lucas with him on the ship United States as a landsman, collecting Lucas's $9-a-month pay himself. When the ship arrived in Boston, a trial ensued, and Lucas was found to be a free man as soon as he left Virginia. The case was a victory celebrated by abolitionists, and Herman Melville, who was on board, included a slave-owning Virginia purser in his book White Jacket. Critics believe it's a fictionalized version of George's father.

Around this time, sister Mary married John E. Doyle, a wealthy Norfolk merchant and Irish immigrant.

1845 (age 17)
Brother Edward was promoted from second lieutenant to first lieutenant and served at Fort Gibson (Oklahoma).

1846 (age 18)
Brother William sailed from Norfolk March 14 on the frigate Potomoc as a passed midshipman. Brother Edward continued to be stationed at Fort Gibson.

1847 (age 19)
On April 9, George was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 11th U.S. Infantry.

Brother Edward of the Sixth Regiment served as regimental quartermaster from March 27 to August 5. He was transferred to the Ninth Infantry August 26. His record is unclear, but he apparently served as an assistant quartermaster with the rank of captain, and was breveted a major on Sept. 13 for "gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Chapultepec, Mexico." Edward also served as an aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Franklin Pierce, the future president. Pierce helped found the Aztec Club for Mexican War officers in October in Mexico City, and Edward was one of the original 160 members, but George was not.

Brother William served on the sloop John Adams as a passed midshipman.

1848 (age 20)
In June, George was promoted to first lieutenant, and was honorably mustered out August 14, when the Eleventh Regiment was disbanded.

1849 (age 21)
Brother Edward was transferred to the First Dragoons, August 23.

1850 (age 22)
Though not listed as a member of the regular army, George nonetheless was working as a quartermaster agent in San Diego, according to the 1850 census, living in army quarters with his brother, who was still a breveted major with the First U.S. Dragoons. George had no property, but his brother had accumulated $5,000, probably consisting of six hundred acres in Texas and a lot in San Diego.

In Norfolk, "a splendid sword was tendered by the citizens" to brother Edward, "in testimony of their approbation of his gallantry and noble conduct in several engagement with the enemy on the ensanguined fields of Mexico." The presentation was probably during a visit home from San Diego by one or both brothers.

The family remaining in Norfolk were their parents Mary (56) and Edward Sr. (65, still a purser with the navy, worth $8,000), brothers William (28, a midshipman with the navy who was often at sea), Francis I. (18, a student), Thomas (12, a student), a relative, Emily Fitzgerald (22), and Ann Maria Fitzgerald (60, probably an aunt), plus two female slaves, age 70 and 20.

George's future wife, Virginia A. Bowden (14), was living in Norfolk with her parents, Robert W. Bowden (42) and Ann (35, an Irish immigrant), and her sister Margaret H. (11). She and her father and sister were all Virginia natives.

In October, his future wife may have been sent to Baltimore to be educated at the Baltimore Academy of The Visitation.

1851 (age 23)
Nov. 24, George formed "Fitzgerald's Volunteers," a group of 40 local men and soldiers in San Diego, in response to fears of Indian uprising. He assumed the rank of Major (or Captain in some sources).

The volunteers burned a deserted Indian village, captured two men and saw them hung, and by December, the area was more peaceful again.

1852 (age 24)
In January, George was present at the trial of captured renegade Antonio Garra, who was charged with treason, murder and robbery, in the same general era of Indian threats. Garra was found guilty of murder and George saw him executed by a firing squad formed from Fitzgerald's Volunteers.

In November, brother William was commissioned a lieutenant in the Navy, promoted from midshipman.

Father Edward was listed in the Norfolk directory as a U.S. Navy purser, living at 131 E. Main St.

John E. Doyle, husband of George's sister, was associated with Doyle & Irwin, ship-chandlers, 20 W. Widewater, Norfolk. They resided at 2 S. Granby, corner Freemason, Norfolk.

1855 (age 27)
A devastating epidemic of yellow fever hit Norfolk. Father Edward and family fled to Baltimore, but by Sept. 4, the father was lying ill and died Sept. 11, according to a newspaper report. (However, the April 1857 Monthly Nautical Magazine report he died Feb. 27, 1857). Also reported dead in September 1855 were his wife and one son, and after 1855, all the younger children disappeared from the records as well, presumably dead in the same epidemic. George's only immediately family members left alive were his brother Edward in California, William in the Navy, and his older sister Mary. Father Edward willed his property in the District of Columbia to his oldest son Edward Jr.

During the epidemic, Robert W. Bowden, father of George's (future?) wife Virginia A. Bowden, served as treasurer of the Howard Association, for the relief of yellow fever victims. Robert Bowden was a long-time resident of Norfolk and a cashier at the Bank of Virginia.

Brother Edward participated in the Rogue River war and led the dragoons in an engagement that killed 30 Indians and lost 10 soldiers, in the area of Siskiyou County, California.

At some point between 1852 and probably 1857, or at least by 1860, George returned to Virginia from California and married Virginia A. Bowen. It might have been in the wake of the yellow fever epidemic.

1857 (age 29)
George was apparently living in Norfolk. "G. B. Fitzgerald" and other citizens presented a memorial to local Congressman Millson requesting "a law tending to prevent accidents occurring on railroads and steamboats" which was referred to a committee Jan. 9, 1857.

1859 (age 31)
George and his wife were living in Dinwiddie County Virginia near Petersburg. Robert W. Bowden, his father-in-law, was still a cashier at the Bank of Virginia, living at 14 W. Main, Norfolk. George's sister Mary and her husband John E. Doyle were living at 2 S. Granby, corner of Freemason, in Norfolk. John E. Doyle was associated with Plum (or Plume) & Co., "steam patent cordage and oakum factory" at 20 Widewater, Norfolk.

Less than two weeks before his death, brother Edward made out his will on Dec. 27 in California. He divided his considerable property among his sister Mary, his brother William, and George's wife Virginia, leaving George himself out of the will.

1860 (age 32)
On January 9, brother Edward died at age 46. He never married. George's wife inherited George's share of Edward's 600 acres in Texas, a lot in San Diego, and the District of Columbia property that had been inherited from Edward Sr. in 1855.

According to the 1860 census, George and his wife were living with no listed property in Dinwiddie Co., Virginia. Residing with them were his mother-in-law (his father-in-law apparently recently dead, having disappeared from the records after 1859), and three members of the Hart family (no information available on their connection). I can find no obvious reason for the move to the Petersburg area.

Appearing directly above George on the census was William F. Doyle who lived on the plantation Weiland. Doyle, from a long Virginia line of Doyles, doesn't appear to be any relation to George's Irish brother-in-law. However, Weiland and many surrounding plantations were built or owned by the Pegram family (see map) , and naval hero Robert Baker Pegram, who would be put in charge of the Norfolk naval yard during the war, may have been a friend of George's father.

1861 (age 33)
April 18, brother William resigned from the US Navy as a lieutenant and became a lieutenant in the Confederate Navy.

June 26, George enlisted from Petersburg for one year as a private with the 41st Virginia Infantry, 2nd Co. G., the Ragland Guard, formed in Petersburg. The regiment drilled in Norfolk, but less than four months later, on Oct. 15, before he saw any action, he was discharged for being a "chronic alcoholic." This fits with George's later claim that he "joined army in 1861. Says he left the Confederate Service…"

1862 (age 34)
August 15, brother William died as a lieutenant in the CS Navy at Charlotte, North Carolina. He never married.

George later claimed he "left the Confederate Service, went to Norfolk, reported to General Nagle. Says he took the oath but has no papers showing to be the case." If that happened, it would have occurred between November of 1862 and July of 1863, when General Nagle's regiment was stationed in Norfolk.

1863 (age 35)
George was captured in the summer. At this time, his name sometimes appears in records as J.B. rather than G.B. However, I've not found any evidence he was using an alternate first name beginning with J. Rather than a deliberate deception, I suspect it may be a mis-hearing of him speaking the initials "G.B." or a misreading of the kind of script capitol G that has an upper loop and descender like a J. By fellow prisoners he was called "Fitz," a nickname his father also had during the War of 1812.

Sept. 7, George arrived at Fort McHenry.

According to Joslyn's Biographical Roster, "desires to take the oath at Ft. McHenry, 2 Dec. 63, 'a Virginian by birth and residence, joined army in 1861. Says he left the Confederate Service, went to Norfolk, reported to Gen. Nagle. Says he took the oath but has no papers showing to be the case.' "

1864 (age 36)
June 15 or 19, George was transferred from Ft. McHenry to Ft. Delaware.

August 20, George was put on the steamer Crescent in a group of 600 prisoners to be transferred from Ft. Delaware toward South Carolina.

August 28 or 30, George was sent from the Crescent to the U.S. Hospital at Beaufort SC in a group of 40 prisoners who were sick or amputees. His condition was listed as a mental disorder or "disease of the mind." The group travelled by boat to the public wharf, then by ambulances to the hospital. Around this time, their baggage was rifled, trunks pillaged, and blankets taken.

Sept. 7, the 560 remaining prisoners on the Crescent arrived at Morris Island. The other prisoners in the Beaufort hospital would remain there until most were exchanged in December.

Sept. 23, Major General H. W. Halleck wrote Maj. Gen. Foster, "The Secretary of War authorizes you to release and send North the five rebel officers mentioned in your letter of the 19th instant, they taking the required oath of allegiance. If, however, Capt. J. B. Fitzgerald was in our army after the rebellion commenced, he will not be released."

Oct. 25, apparently well enough to join the regular prison population and disqualified from being exchanged, George was transferred to Ft. Pulaski, GA

Nov. 11, George was taken to the post hospital at Ft. Pulaski. Capt. Henry Dickinson described it in his diary: "Nov 13, 1864 Two days ago, Lt. George B. Fitzgerald (called by us simply Fitz and believed by us to be simply a citizen or at most a private) was taken to the hospital, and this morning announcement was made that 'Fitz is dead.' He was a confirmed opium eater; a poor, miserable wreck--ragged, filthy, lousy, loathed by all, and pitied by many, who reported sick that they might get opium for him. He has had no blanket, no socks, hardly clothes to cover him; none of us could supply him, and he slept alone, covering himself with an old piece of tent fly. It was known that he was threatened with pneumonia, but the doctor didn't want him at the hospital and wouldn't take him till Lieutenant Findley, myself and others repeatedly insisted. Upon inquiring I find that he was found dead in his bed this morning."

Nov. 13, 1864, George died of "chronic diarrhea" at post hospital, Ft. Pulaski, Georgia. He was buried in Confederate Graveyard, Ft. Pulaski, Grave No. 5.

Capt. Henry Dickinson  wrote: "Today Lieutenant-colonel Christian, Lieutenant Finley, myself and two other officers attended his remains to the grave, because he was a Southern man, for we knew him only as 'Fitz' and he had no friends. The Yanks gave us a military escort and buried him decently."

The entry in Second Lieutenant David Gordon's diary implies George did not receive military honors at his burial: "There have been two deaths at this prison since our arrival. Lt Fitzgerald of Virginia and a Lieutenant from Georgia. The latter was buried with military honors, a thing quite unusual."

His wife "was notified by fellow prisoners, through sympathizers in Maryland," according to Joslyn.

Confederate Military Service after 1861

So what was George B. Fitzgerald's military service after 1861?

The only detailed record of his capture says it occurred August 20 at Turin, Virginia (a place I haven't been able to identify). J. Ogden Murray states he was captured at Gettysburg.

The first record of him by the Union Army is his registration as "G.R. Fitzgerald" at Fort McHenry on Sept. 7, 1863. I believe that's him, because only three records of Fitzgeralds exist there, and only that Fitzgerald is correctly listed as being transferred to Fort Delaware.

There are many conflicting records concerning what regiment he was serving in at the time of his capture. H. G. Hendrick, post surgeon at Ft. Pulaski, wrote:  "The rank and regiment of Fitzgerald is in doubt, being unknown by his associate prisoners and he demented by the habitual use of opium. Has reported himself, at times as First Lieutenant, Co. A, 12th VA Cav., at others as Captain, Co. E, 15th Va. Cav and has been so recorded in some of the reports. The rank given in this report seems the more probable."

However, here is a list of the various regiments associated with him.

First Virginia Cavalry. His registration at Ft. McHenry lists him as a member of that regiment. The NPS Soldiers and Sailors database shows a G.B. alias J.B. Fitzgerald as a lieutenant in the First Virginia Cavalry, but the Virginia regimental history series shows no records about him.

"8th Va. mil." A list of prisoners transferred from Hilton Head to Beaufort, SC, includes Capt. J.B. Fitzgerald, "disease of mind," with that regimental affiliation. However, his name is listed directly below Capt. E. Carter, also of the 8th Virginia, and Carter really was a member of that regiment, so it's possibly a clerical error. Or if the names are written in the order that the men identified themselves, George may have simply repeated what the man in front of him said.

Fifteenth Virginia Cavalry, Co. E. The Ft. Pulaski surgeon said George sometimes reported himself as a captain in that company. There is no record of him in the regimental history.

Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, Co. A. The Ft. Pulaski surgeon said George sometimes reported himself a first lieutenant in that company. The regimental history has this listing: "FITZGERALD, J.B.: Only record is POW statement which shows him in Co. A as a 1st Lt. POW at Turin, Va., 8/20/63"

(no regiment) The list of prisoners in the back of J. Ogden Murray's book says, concerning him, " J. B. Fitzgerald Capt. B.W.R. [breveted with rank] captured Gettysburg, Pa. 1863, mental, died Ft. Pulaski, 1864." Regiments are listed for others, but not him.

C.S. Navy. In the narrative of Murray's book, p. 70, he says, " We had one or two opium eaters in our party… One of the poor fellows died and was buried --- Lieutenant Fitzgerald, C.S.N."

None of the regiments above have any record of his service before he became a prisoner, and they were not raised in the Norfolk-Petersburg area, though he may have gone elsewhere to enlist. No other Fitzgeralds in the NPS Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System seem an obvious fit, except the one who served briefly in the 41st Virginia and was discharged for alcoholism.

One possibility is G.G. Fitzgerald, Capt Pegram's Company Virginia Light Artillery, who rose from a private to quartermaster sergeant, and also went by the name John G. Fitzgerald. So many things fit--the quartermaster specialty, the J.G./G.G. alias, the fact that the regiment was recruited in Petersburg. But regimental records show this man served throughout the war and lived long afterward in Texas.

Another possibility is G.B. Fitzgerald who served in the 157th Virginia Militia as a second lieutenant. However, the 157th served briefly in the spring of 1862 and was not still in service in the summer of 1863, as far as I can tell. They were raised in the Roanoke County area, not near where George lived, and in fact there was a 31-year-old Green Fitzgerald living in Roanoke County in the 1860 census, who was probably that G. B. Fitzgerald.