Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Pickel, George 1839 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 5, 2007, 3:37 pm

Author: Portraits & Bio Sketches, 1890

GEORGE PICKEL is numbered among the industrious, thrifty members of the 
farming community of Plainfield Township, where he has an excellent farm, that 
is under good tillage, is provided with comfortable buildings, and yields a 
good income. Our subject is a veteran of the late war, in which he suffered 
all the hardships and privations of a soldier's life for the sake of his 
country. He is a native of New York, born near the town of Albion, Orleans 
County, July 3, 1839, a son of John Pickel. He was but four years old when he 
was deprived of the care of his father by his premature death. The mother of 
our subject married a second time, becoming the wife of William McQuenn, who 
was a veteran of the War of 1812, and took part in the battle of Plattsburg. 
In 1848, the family came to Will County, and here our subject was reared amid 
the pioneer influences that obtained here thus early in the settlement of this 
section of the State. Joliet was then but a village and the surrounding 
country was but sparsely settled, giving but little indication of its present 
prosperous condition. Our subject attended the public schools and obtained a 
fair education, and when very young entered upon his career as a farmer, 
gaining a good practical knowledge of agriculture, and he continued to pursue 
that calling till he entered the army. He had been watching the course of the 
war with patriotic interest, and August 8, 1862, in the very prime and vigor 
of a stalwart man-hood, he being then but twenty-three years of age, he 
proffered his services in the defence of the Stars and Stripes, and was 
enrolled as a member of Company E, One Hundredth Illinois Infantry, and served 
faithfully from that time until his honorable discharge in June, 1865, with 
the exception of the time when he was languishing in rebel prisons. At the 
battle of Penysville the regiment was held in reserve, but it took an active 
and gallant part in the battles of Stone River and Chickamauga. In the latter 
engagement Mr. Pickel and his comrades were captured, and for more than a year 
suffered the horrors of life in rebel prisons. After two days in Libby Prison, 
Richmond, they were taken from there, and were then transferred to Pemberton 
Prison, where they remained until December, and were then taken to Danville. 
In the month of April, they were dispatched to Andersonville, were confined 
there seven months and after that taken to Florence, S. C., and from there to 
Goldsborough, N. C., thence to Wilmington, and were there paroled after being 
in the hands of the enemy seventeen long and weary months, when they must have 
often despaired of ever seeing home and friends again. Mr. Pickel, though 
naturally of a vigorous constitution, suffered extremely and became so 
emaciated that whereas he had weighed two hundred and five pounds just after 
the battle of Stone River, when he was released from captivity he only weighed 
one hundred and sixteen pounds. After our subject and his comrades were 
paroled they were ordered to St. Louis, and thence went to Camp Butler, 
Springfield, and were mustered out of the service. After his terrible 
experience in prison, on the march and on the battlefield, Mr. Pickel returned 
to Will County, and as soon as able resumed his farming operations, that had 
been interrupted when he laid aside the harvesting instrument to take up sword 
and rifle. He followed agriculture in Jackson Township until 1878, and then 
bought his present farm, which he is managing with good financial success, and 
he is a shrewd, skillful farmer. His land is well tilled, his buildings are 
suitable and convenient, and he has good machinery to work his farm, and does 
what he can to promote the highest interests of his adopted township, and as a 
practical farmer is contributing to its material prosperity.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890 
 


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