Pinney, Charles H. (1842-1894)

PINNEY

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 1/13/2009 at 16:16:38

Charles H. Pinney
Aug 30, 1842 - Aug 9, 1894

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.48, Council Bluffs)
C. H. Pinney, physician and surgeon, Council Bluffs, was born in Elyria, Ohio, August 30, 1842, son of H. H. and M. Abbey Pinney, who now reside at East Saginaw, Mich. H. H. Pinny is a farmer by occupation, was born at Farmington, Conn., in 1806; his wife was born in Syracuse, N. Y., 1810. Subject received his preliminary education at Clarkson, Ohio; took an academic course and finished his professional studies at the University at Ann Arbor, Mich. At Council Bluffs, September 30, 1870, he married Ella O., daughter of W. H. M. Pusey of that city. By this union, they have been blessed with four children - William H., Hulburt H., Lucilla K. and Frank. The Doctor was elected Coroner of Douglas County, Neb., for a term of four years. During the late war, he entered Ninth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry as Surgeon, and served in that capacity for three years. He graduated from the University of Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1862, and, after the war, spent eight months in the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he also graduated. From Philadelphia, Penn., he came to Omaha, Neb., where he practiced medicine for eight years, and in 1874, moved to Council Bluffs, where he has since held the position of one of the most prominent physicians and surgeons of that city. He was examining physician for applicants for cadetships. The Doctor is a member of the Masonic fraternity in Omaha, Neb., and in politics is Republican.
Note: His father's name, H. H. Pinny is spelled exactly as in the book.

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.272)
CHARLES H. PINNEY, M.D., of Council Bluffs, first established his practice in Omaha, March 1866, and in Council Bluffs, in 1875. He was born in Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio, August 30, 1842. His father, Hurlbert PINNEY, was born near Hartford, Connecticut, January 19, 1807. Originally three brothers came from Scotland long before the Revolution, and participated in our war for independence. One of them, John PINNEY, was the great-grandfather of our subject. The Doctor's grandfather was also named John PINNEY. There are numerous descendants of this name, many of whom reside at Farmington and Windsor, Connecticut. Hurlbert H. PINNEY married Malina ABBEY, a native of Herkimer, Herkimer County, New York. In April 1832, he went to Lorain County, Ohio, when that state was still a part of the Northwest Territory, in company with his younger and only brother, Albert, their father having died from the effects of a horse falling upon him while they were small boys. Three married sisters remained in Connecticut.
Mr. H.H. PINNEY married his wife, who had moved to Lorain County, Ohio, from the State of New York, with her parents. They had six children, four sons and two daughters, all of whom are still living, namely: Carrie M., wife of Hon. R.G. HORR, prominent statesman of Michigan, was born December 7, 1834; Laura M., born September 3, 1837, is the wife of Rev. Samuel L. ALEXANDER, now of Council Bluffs; Allen W., a fruit grower near Council Bluffs, was born August 21, 1839; the next in order of birth was Charles H., whose name heads this biographical sketch, born August 30, 1842; Anson E., born November 4, 1847, is a hardware merchant in Ithaca, Michigan; John H., born January 26, 1850, now resides near Akron, Nebraska, engaged in farming and stock raising. The Doctor's parents are now living at East Saginaw, Michigan.
Dr. PINNEY was brought up on the home farm until the age of 14 when he entered the Clarkson (Michigan) Academy, and afterward entered the scientific department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, having in view ultimately a medical education at that university; and on graduating in the medical department in March 1864, and satisfying his first ambition, he entered the army as a Surgeon in the 9th Ohio Cavalry, joining his regiment at Decatur, Alabama, and serving until the close of the War. That regiment participated in the engagement at Decatur with Chalmers and Wheeler's Cavalry; then it did scouting duty until July 10, 1864; next it was transferred to the army of General ROUSSEAU and was taken on a raid through central Alabama, cutting railroads, etc., and then to Rome and Marietta, Georgia, and took part in the siege of Atlanta, and marched to the sea in Sherman's army, in the 3d Cavalry Division, 3d Brigade, under Kilpatrick. It returned with Sherman through the Carolinas, driving Wheeler and Hampton from Bentonville to Raleigh. The regiment was engaged in many hard fights, both on the march to the sea and through the Carolinas. It participated in the very last battle of the war east of the Mississippi, which was after the surrender of Joseph E. JOHNSTON and on New Hope Creek, near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In that engagement, Adjutant General JENKINS was mortally wounded. Dr. Pinney's regiment was retained in the South to aid in the reconstruction of the State and assisted the Provisional Governor of North Carolina in this work, rendezvousing at Concord. He was mustered out in September 1865 at Camp Dennison, Ohio.
After visiting his old home in Ohio and also his uncle in Michigan, with whom he had studied medicine, he went in the fall of 1865 to Philadelphia and continued his studies in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, graduating there the next spring. He then came West to locate in Omaha and "grow up with the town." In compliance with his wife's desire, he afterward transferred his residence to Council Bluffs, where he also has a fine practice. He was married September 15, 1870, to Miss Ella O. PUSEY, daughter of the Hon. William H.M. PUSEY, born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and they have had three sons and a daughter: Hurlbert H., Lucile, and Frank L. Their eldest child, William Henry, died at the age of four years.
On account of his superior qualifications, which he acquired by his surgical practice in the army, he has been very successful as a practitioner. He has been medical examiner and medical referee for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, since 1880. He is a member of the Council Bluffs Medical Society, of which he has been President, and is a member of the State Medical Society, and the Medical Society of Missouri Valley, and is the local surgeon for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company. He is one of the leading physicians and surgeons of western Iowa.