George W. Velie

George W. Velie enlisted in Company C at Plymouth on January 4, 1864. He agreed to serve for three years. It seems likely that he was related to Abraham Velie, also of Plymouth who had enlisted back in August, 1862. George W. Velie was was 27 years old at the time of his enlistment.

He was one of a number of recruits that winter. The 24th had taken horrendous casualties at Gettysburg in July, and even 6 months later the regiment was severely under strength. Colonel Morrow sent a number of soldiers back to Michigan on recruiting duty. .

George joined the regiment at Culpepper, Virginia on February 17, 1864. Poor George Velie was not with the regiment long. He fought with the regiment that the Wilderness, Laurel Hill, and then later at the Salient at Spottsylvania. He died on July 20, 1864 at the Armory Hospital, Washington, D. C., of wounds that he had received at Cold Harbor on June 3, 1864.

From a medical standpoint, his case was noteworthy, and was included in The Medical and Surgical History of the war of the Rebellion:

Case 843.—Private G. W. Velie, co. C, 24th Michigan, aged 28 years, was wounded at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864. He entered the field hospital of the 4th division, Fifth Corps, where Surgeon C. N. Chamberlain, U. S. V., recorded: “Severe shell wound of ankle joint; excision of lower end of fibula.” Ten days after the date of the injury the wounded man was transferred to Armory Square Hospital, Washington, where Surgeon D. W. Bliss, U. S. V., subsequently amputated the limb and recorded the result of the case as follows: “The injury was a lacerated wound of the right ankle, the outer malleolus being shattered and the joint opened. On June 28th the leg was amputated at the middle third. The circular flap operation was performed, the patient being under the influence of chloroform. On July 3rd there was sloughing and sanious discharge from the stump. By July 12th there was hospital gangrene, which rapidly extended to the knee and was treated with nitric acid and yeast poultices. The patient died July 18, 1864.”