George Birdwell Cottrell & his wife Hepzabeth {Noggle} Cottrell moved to Berrien County about 1845 from Greene County Ohio.
They lived most of the time in Buchanan Michigan up until 1869 when they moved to Cerro Gordo County Iowa,
which is where my great great grandparents Andrew Jackson Cottrell & his wife Martha Jane {Wray} Cottrell were already living.George & Hepzabeth had 8 boys & one girl. Andrew Jackson Cottrell, George Noggle Cottrell, Hiram Newton Cottrell,
Francis Marion Cottrell, John Dawson Cottrell, Perry Washington Cottrell, Benjamin Franklin Cottrell, James Madison Cottrell & Elizabeth Jane Cottrell.Andrew & four other brothers all volunteered for service in the Civil War on the Norths side even though 3 of them were married with children.
One son Perry Washington Cottrell enlisted from there in Buchanan and was shot at the Battle Of Shiloh 3 weeks after leaving home in 1862.
He died 6 weeks later in an Evansville Indiana Hospital & is buried in the Oak Hill cemetery there.Another brother Fransis Marion Cottrell contacted Tuberculosis after he enter the War & also died young at the age of 42 in Colorado Springs Colorado and
is buried in a Potters Field in the Evergreen Cemetery there. I ordered Stone for both of them from the VA after I found their grave sites.
One other brother George Noggle Cottrell & his wife Amy C {Stevens} Cottrell lived in Wesaw Township for a short period.
Submitted by: Mark Cottrell, great, great, great grandson of George Birdwell Cottrell. His email is: mountainman@wctatel.netAdditional notes for Cottrell family.
In the 1850 Federal Census for Berrien County, the George B Cottrell (misspelled at Colrill or Cotrill) are found as a family unit.
George B. 43; Andrew J. 21; George N. 19; Elizabeth J. 17; Hephyebth 43; Hiram N. 14; Francis M. 11;
John D. 9; Perry W. 6; Benjamin W. 4; and James M.1.
By 1860 Elizabeth J. Cottrell has married D S Crapper on 13 June 1852 and is living next door to her parents and siblings.
Andrew, George N, Benjamin, Perry and James are still living at their parents residence in the Village of Buchanan.Perry Cottrell enlisted into Co. C 12th Inf Reg Mich. In October of 1861 at the age of 18 (see above)
I have much info on all but Hiram Newton Cottrell who family notes have dying on 12/28/1860 but I don’t know where or how or where he is buried.
I know he married Sarah Jane Blake as I have a copy of their marriage record. I also have a copy of a Sarah Jane Cotral four years later
and two years after Hiram is supposed to have died getting married to a a Theophillus Rolph. I think this is the same woman but
I have not been able to find if Hiram & Sarah had any kids before he died.
Submitted by: Mark Cottrell, great, great, great grandson of George Birdwell Cottrell. His email is: mountainman@wctatel.netSecond oldest son George Noggle Cottrell did enlist in Wesaw Twp. 08/12/1861 with the 6th Michigan Voluntary Infantry Co. “K” & that unit
was organized in Kalamazoo on 08/20/1861. That Infantry Unit was actually soon afterward converted to a heavy artillery unit. George served
with them in the field until March of 1863 when he was made a male nurse with the 6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry.
He continued in that capacity until 08/28/1863 when he was discharged for promotion as a Hospital Steward for the 84th Michigan Colored Infantry
and later with the 12th Colored Infantry until his discharge date on 03/14/1866. George was not a black man but served with that unit.
His daughter Jennie E. Cottrell was actually born in Louisiana 09/01/1865 so his wife & son Millard Fillmore Cottrell must have been living with him down there at that time.
He returned to Buchanan Michigan after his final discharge & worked as a carpenter building the Advent Christian Church located on Oak Street during the summer of 1866.
I have found copies of some deeds that George bought lots in Buchanan , Michigan & built houses on & then sold in 1866 & 1867 until
he went to work for the Michigan Central Railroad as a carpenter foreman in 1867. He moved once to Three Rivers Michigan where his daughter Jennie E Cottrell
died of consumption at the age of 16 on 01/11/1882 & then moved to Jackson , Michigan according to his military pension file in June of 1883.
He retired as a foreman of the building Department for the Michigan Central Railroad sometime after 1901 in Jackson Michigan.
That is where he died 03/29/1910 & he is buried in Woodland Cemetery there along with his wife & 2 sons. -
Submitted by: Mark Cottrell, great, great, great grandson of George Birdwell Cottrell. His email is: mountainman@wctatel.netFrancis M. Cottrell enlisted September 25, 1863 and was discharged with a disability on January 26, 1865 per history of Berrien County.
Some of the family did remain in Berrien County through the 1870 census. But this branch of the family seems to have left Berrien by the 1880 census.