Oscar Cicero Bates
Mustered into service as a Corporal on July 29th, 1861
Born 19 May 1841
Died 25 January 1900
Buried Ithaca Cemetery, Gratiot County Michigan
Photos courtesy of Terry Hartner great, great grandson of Oscar Bates.
Corporal Bates rose rapidly in the ranks obtaining the rank of Captain when he mustered out in July of 1865. He was captured at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1st, 1863 but would escape and rejoin the regiment one month later. He was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5th, 1864. In the fall of that year the 19th Indiana was folded into the 20th Indiana Infantry regiment and Oscar was made the Captain of Company C where he remained until the end of the war.
He filed for a pension in February of 1870.
In the fall of 1866 he married Sylvia Altenburg the sister of Private Henry Altenburg also of Company G, 19th Indiana.