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On Sept. 1, 1855, Eli married Mary Ann Kimberlin (1837-1902), the daughter of David and Isabella Kimberlin. The ceremony was performed by Gabriel Guyre, a justice of the piece. Mary Ann was a resident of Scotch Ridge, Wood County, but was said to have been born at Juniadia (Juniata) River, PA. Eli and Mary Ann were the parents of 11 children, born over a 23 year span, between 1857 and 1880. They were John Kimberlin Van Horn, Alzona Austin Van Horn, George Clinton Gilmore Van Horn, Edward Jacob Van Horn, Austin Frederick Van Horn, Sabina Lucretia "Lou" Callan, Jay "Albert" Van Horn, Jesse Leroy Van Horn, David Samuel Van Horn, Adrin Eliot Van Horn and Effie "Maude" Harmon.
Eli and his brother Andrew were active in the development of the United Brethren Church. According to the book, Historical Record of Wood County: The United Brethren Society, the first church body in Weston or Grand Rapid township, was organized at Henry Kimberlin's house in 1832, by Henry Kimberlin, John Crom, Sr., and Jacob Crom, who were local prachers. [In] 1850 the building on the Weston and Grand Rapids road, west of Beaver Creek, was erected. The names of the members, in 1856, were ... John, Jacob, Sally and Mary Kimberlin, ... Sabina Kimberlin, ... [and] Eli and Andrew Van Horn...: In 1860, the Van Horns resided in Damascus Twp., Henry County, OH, where Eli was a farm laborer. During the Civil War, on May 2, 1864, he and his brother Isaac both joined the 144th OH Infantry (National Guard). At the time, he was age 30, and stood 5 ft., 8 in. tall, with brown eyes and dark hair. Brother in law George Kimberlin, a 2nd lieutenant in the regiment, recalled that Eli was "of good physical health and able to do heavy labor & hard day's work and ... his habits were good."
In the words of a surgeon who examined him many years later: "Ball entered 3 inches below left scopula and passed through and injured the ... muscles, and fracturing the 6th rib, and coming out as marked on diagram. Scar of entrance about 1 inch in diameter, circular in form..." A day later, on July 10, 1864, Eli was admitted to a general hospital in Frederick, MD. He did not stay for long, and shortly afterward was transferred to Baltimore on Aug. 1, where he entered McKim's Mansion General Hospital. Eli was moved again on Aug. 3 to Camp Parole Hospital in Annapolis, MD, a facility serving invalid soldiers. On Aug. 15, 1864, he returned to duty, knowing full well that his enlistment obligation of 100 days was about to expire. On Aug. 31, 1864, having been sent to Columbus, OH, Eli was mustered out of the Army. He received a large "Certificate of Honorable Service." The document, on heavy paper stock, includes the pre-printed signatures of President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. Eli must have folded it to place in a pocket or other small protective place, as it contains heavy folds and creases. Eli's original certificate today is in the National Archives in Washington, DC, with a photocopy in the Minerd- Minard- Miner- Minor Archives.
In October 1877, he was awarded a federal pension of $3 for his disability. The Van Horns left Grand Rapids and moved to Deshler, Henry County, OH in 1886. Seen at right is a rare colorized postcard showing Deshler's Main Street with buggies parked along the right hand curb.
Sadly, Mary Ann passed away two days before Christmas 1902, at the age of 65. Eli outlived her by almost exactly a dozen years. In his later life, he suffered from cystitis and an enlarged prostate. Commenting later in life, Edward's daughter Ruth wrote: "I remember the telegram coming re: this tho' I was only 1 yr. 9 mos." The Wood County Daily Sentinel reported that Eli's brother Austin and his wife traveled from Bowling Green to attend the funeral. The Van Horns are buried in Beaver Creek Cemetery in Grand Rapids, in the general vicinity of his parents and adult brothers Isaac and Austin. Eli and his brother Isaac both are mentioned in a lavishly illustrated, 2011 book about one of their cousins who also served in the Union Army during Civil War -- entitled Well At This Time: the Civil War Diaries and Army Convalescence Saga of Farmboy Ephraim Miner. The volume, authored by the founder of this website, is seen at right. [More about the book]
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