George W. Healey

{{Infobox military person

|name= George W. Healey

|birth_date= {{Birth date|1842|02|22}}

|death_date= {{Death date and age|1913|05|09|1842|02|22}}

|birth_place= Dubuque, Iowa

|death_place= Dubuque, Iowa

|placeofburial= Linwood Cemetery

|placeofburial_label= Place of burial

|image=George W. Healey publicdomain.jpg

|caption=

|nickname=

|allegiance= {{flag|United States of America|1867}}

|branch={{army|USA}}

|serviceyears=1861 - 1865

|rank= Corporal

|commands=

|unit= {{flagicon|Iowa}} 5th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Regiment

|battles= Civil War

|awards=

30px Medal of Honor

|laterwork=

||spouse = May A. Moser (1868-1908)
{{nowrap|Susie M. Burr (1908-1913)}}

}}

File:Healey, George Washington c1865 MoH public domain image.jpg

George W. Healey (22 February 1842 - 9 May 1913) was a veteran of the American Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Biography

Healy was born in 1842 in Dubuque, Iowa. During his early life, he primarily worked on his family's farm and at local hardware dealership.{{cite web|title=Corporal George W. Healey (Healy) |url=http://www.iowahistory.org/museum/exhibits/medal-of-honor/healey-george_cw/index.htm |publisher=State Historical Society of Iowa |access-date=30 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220152247/http://www.iowahistory.org/museum/exhibits/medal-of-honor/healey-george_cw/index.htm |archive-date=20 December 2015 }} In 1861, upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Healely joined the army for reasons of patriotism. He claimed that anyone who did not take up arms against the South was a rebel.{{cite book|last=Johnson|first=Russell|title=Warriors Into Workers: The Civil War and the Formation of Urban-industrial Society in a Northern City|url=https://archive.org/details/warriorsintowork00john|url-access=limited|date=2003|publisher=Fordham University Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/warriorsintowork00john/page/n117 105]}} In 1863, Healey was wounded in the head by a ball during a skirmish with Confederate forces in Tennessee. He survived the injury, but permanently lost his vision in his left eye.

Battle of Brown's Mill

In July 1864, Healey, under the command of General Edward M. McCook, was led into Georgia in an attempt to disrupt rail supplies and traffic. On July 29, was separated from his unit during an encounter with Confederate forces. Healey discovered a lone Confederate soldier and succeeded in capturing him and his firearm. Healey, joined by Private Martin, another displaced Union soldier, captured four more Confederates who had been trailing them.

McCook's invasion of Georgia was ultimately a failure, and many of his soldiers, including Healey, were captured. Healey was ultimately sent to Andersonville Prison.

Citation

{{quote|1=When nearly surrounded by the enemy, captured a Confederate soldier, and with the aid of a comrade who joined him later, captured 4 other Confederate soldiers, disarmed the 5 prisoners, and brought them all into the Union lines.{{cite web|title=Healey, George W.|url=http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/599/healey-george-w.php|publisher=Congressional Medal of Honor Society|access-date=30 May 2014}}}}

Later life

Healely survived his capture and stay at Andersonville. In 1868, he married May Moser. He also worked at the Doolittle & Chamberlain business as a bookkeeper and salesmen. He later became a partner in the business and expanded it greatly. Healey died in 1913.

Notes

==References==

{{cite book| last = Dyer| first = Frederick H| title = A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion| publisher = Dyer Pub. Co.| place = Des Moines, IA| year = 1908| asin = B01BUFJ76Q| url = https://archive.org/details/08697590.3359.emory.edu}}
{{ cite book | last = War Department | first = U.S. | title = The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies| publisher = U.S. Government Printing Office| place = Washington, DC| year = 1880| oclc = 857196196| url = http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.monographs/waro.html}}