George Matts - Coal Heaver
George Matts was born circa 1844 in Scotland and re-enlisted on 30 March 1864 at the New York, NY Naval Rendezvous as a Coal Heaver for a 1 year enlistment[1].
In his own words, George Matts' Navy career [3]:
"I enlisted in the U.S. Navy at New York City March 30th 1864 as a coal heaver, went direct to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and was assigned to duty on the Monitor "Tecumseh." A short time after, the "Tecumseh" sailed for the James River and went out to "Dutch Gap." After serving there for several months, a few days before the Tecumseh sailed for Mobile, I was taken sick from the vessel, sick with Typhoid fever, to Portsmouth Hospital, where I remained for several weeks. In the mean time the Tecumseh was blown up in Mobile Bay. I was discharged from the Hospital. I was assigned to the "Onondaga" at that time on the James River at Dutch Gap. There I served until the expiration of my term (1 year) and was honorably discharged March 30th, 1865."
Matts was not aboard the Tecumseh for the Battle of Mobile Bay, having missed ships movement while hospitalized in Portsmouth. He was admitted to Portsmouth 7 June 1864 and discharged to duty 1 December 1864 [4].
Matts died 27 March 1909.
Interment
Dependents
Awards & Memorials
Alternate Spellings of Name
References and Sources
[1] Return of the United States Naval Rendezvous, New York, NY for the week ending April 16, 1864[2] NARA T1099. An index to rendezvous reports during the Civil War, 1861-1865.
[3] M1469, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Civil War and Later Navy Veterans, 1861-1910 ("Navy Survivors' Certificates"), National Archives at Washington, D.C.
[4] Hospital Tickets and Case Papers, compiled 1825-1889. ARC ID: 2694723. Department of the Navy, Records of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Record Group 52. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
