Bio of Dwelle, G. Merrill (b.1835) Wabasha Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm ========================================================================= This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1920. Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab3.htm There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some of the bios on her pages. Dwelle, G. Merrill (page 598), Civil War veteran, Indian fighter and merchant, was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., March 13, 1835, son of Abner and Electa C. (Lawrence) Dwelle, who brought him to Kalamazoo County, Mich., in 1837 and with whom he came to Lake City, this county, in 1854. He devoted his time to agricultural pursuits. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted December 17, 1861, in the 2nd U. S. Sharpshooters, attached to the 1st Minn. Vol. Inf. as Co. L. He went south with his company, and served through the Peninsula campaign under General Geo. B. McClellan. At the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, he was wounded and taken prisoner, was later paroled, and sent to a hospital. February 4, 1863, while still in the hospital he was commissioned second lieutenant, and assigned to the 3rd Battery, Minn. Light Artillery, then stationed at Ft. Snelling, Minn. The surgeon, however, would not at that time allow him to make the trip, so it was not u til March 15, 1863, that he reached his new command. For a time he was detailed with a detachment of infantry to act as guard on the steamers carrying supplies to Camp Pope, on the upper Minnesota. In June, 1863, his battery was ordered to Camp Pope, and from there joined the expedition of General H. H. Sibley against the hostile Indians, pursuing across the Minnesota and Dakota prairies. In October of that year Lieutenant Dwelle was detailed to accompany Gov. Alexander Ramsey as commissioner to negotiate with the Chippewas for the cession of certain lands in Northern Minnesota. In the summer of 1864 he joined Gen. Alfred Sully's expedition against the hostile Indians, pursuing them across the Missouri River into the "Bad Lands" of Montana. In 1865 he engaged in Devil's Lake expedition under Col. Minor T. Thomas. He spent the winter of 1865-66 at Fort Wadsworth, and in February, 1865, was mustered out, having been in the service four years and three months. During the Indian campaigns he had traveled over 3,000 miles, and in addition to the actual engagements with the savages has experience many hardships with cold weather, blizzards, dampness and scanty supplies. Upon his return to Lake City, Lieut. Dwelle clerked for a while in the general store of Mr. Williamson, and for a while in the hardware and lumber establishment of W. A. Doe. Then he formed a partnership with George C. Stout, in the clothing firm of Stout & Dwelle. In the late eighties, his brother Henry Dwelle bought out Mr. Stout, and the firm became Dwelle Brothers. Henry Dwelle died in 1903, but the business continued under the same name until 1905, when the subject of this sketch closed out the establishment, and became interested with his son, Glenn M., in the telephone business. It is interesting to note that despite Mr. Dwelle's distinguished war service, he did not receive a pension until he was about 75 years old. He was then granted one, with $475 back pay, with which he and his wife enjoyed a vacation in California. Intensely interested in public affairs, Mr. Dwelle took an active part in the Republican party, and for one term served the county efficiently as register of deeds. He also did other civic service, and was highly regarded by all who knew him. After a long and useful life, he died at Melbourne Beach, Florida, April 9, 1915. Mr. Dwelle was married October 24, 1872, to Julia Patton, of Lake City, and this union has been blessed with three children, Glenn M., Florence E. and M. Grace. Glenn M. is a leading business man of Lake City. Florence E. of Lake City and M. Grace of Lake City.