GEORGE W. ORR.
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Among the honored veterans of the Civil war now living in Louisa county is George W. Orr, who for nineteen years past has made his home upon a farm in Columbus City township. He is a descendant of good American ancestry and is a native of Des Moines county, Iowa, where he was born June 2, 1846, a son of Jefferson P. and Parthena (Trent) Orr. The father was a native of Virginia and the mother of Kentucky. They removed to Illinois in 1826 and Mr. Orr engaged in farming for ten years near Springfield. In April, 1836, he came with his family to Iowa and located in Des Moines county, where he continued until his death, which occurred in March, 1864. The mother was called away July 30, 1888. There were eleven children in their family: John William, who was born in Illinois and is now deceased; Mary, the wife of William Archer, of California; Elvira, who married Jonas Sames of Jones county, Iowa, and is now deceased; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Lewis Bishop, of Des Moines county, and is also deceased; Paulina, the widow of William Ping, of Des Moines county; Sims, deceased; Martin, who was born in Des Moines county in 1837 and now lives in Clarke county, Iowa; James and Anderson, both of whom are deceased; Thomas, who makes his home in Montana; and George W. John William, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Orr, enlisted in the Civil war as a member of the Seventh Missouri Infantry, a regiment which it is claimed never took any prisoners. He was a man of remarkable energy and ability and advanced rapidly in the army, gaining the rank of brigadier general, a position to which he was advanced during the Arkansas campaign. He is now deceased.
George W. Orr received his preliminary education in the district schools of Des Moines county and in 1864, being then about eighteen years of age, enlisted in Company F., Forty-fifth Iowa Infantry. He participated in the battle of Memphis and was taken prisoner, but he and his comrades were allowed their freedom, as their captors had no opportunity to convey them away. He was mustered out of service at Keokuk, Iowa, September 15, 1864. On account of exposure while in the army his health was seriously impaired and he . . .
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. . . never regained his early vigor. He was confined in a hospital for over a year and is now drawing a pension from the United States government. After receiving his honorable discharge from the army he returned to Des Moines county where he continued from 1869 to 1880. In 1892 he came to Louisa county and purchased one hundred and fifty-seven acres of land in Columbus City township, where he established his homestead.
On the 26th of November, 1868, Mr. Orr was married to Miss Catherine Hines and to this union two children were born. Carrie Izona, the elder of the children, became the wife of Frank Ulm, of Louisa county, and is the mother of one child, Mary Leona, who was born September 24, 1897. Lizzie Irue married J. A. Miller, of Louisa county, and they became the parents of two children: George Connell, who died at the age of twenty-two months; and Frank Darrow, who was born April 14, 1911.
Mr. Orr was called upon to mourn the loss of his beloved wife September 11, 1901. She was a woman of many noble traits of heart and mind who considered no sacrifice too great if it added to the comfort or happiness of her husband or children. Mr. Orr is an invalid and his two daughters and their families make their home with him, the sons-in-law having charge of the farm. Politically he adheres to the republican party, of which he has been a supporter ever since he cast his first ballot. In religious belief he is identified with the Baptist church. As a soldier for the Union he attempted bravely to perform his duty and in times of peace he is always to be found in the line of progress. He has passed through many vicissitudes in the course of a life that has been attended with an unusual amount of physical suffering, but his courage has never failed and he is justly entitled to the respect in which he is held by his neighbors and friends in Louisa county.
