Biography - Delso VanDeusen
Col. Delso VanDEUSEN, Litchfield, banker, was born in Jamestown, N. Y., in December, 1823, and there received a good academic education. He came West in 1846, and located in Dayton, Ohio, until 1857, being connected with the boot, shoe and leather business, and moved thence to Illinois, locating in Litchfield in July, 1858. After the war broke out, he raised a company of volunteer infantry for three years, and was elected its Captain; this company was the first raised in this section of the country for three years, as the call for three-year volunteers had but recently been made; he raised this company at that time when Missouri was in danger of being taken by the Confederate soldiers, and when even her Governor was favoring the rebellion; this made the demand for Union soldiers in Missouri greater than the supply, and our subject, with his company, through a desire to enlist their services where there was greatest need, went immediately, June 16, 1862, and joined the Sixth Missouri Infantry in defense of the United States Arsenal at St. Louis; their company, with the regiment, served as guard to Pilot Knob and Iron Mountain, and in November, went to join Fremont in the march on Springfield; returning, they went into camp at Otterville during the winter. In May, 1862, they joined Gen. Grant at Pittsburg Landing, becoming a part of the First Brigade, Second Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, under command of Gen. W. T. Sherman, and served with his army until the close of the war, participating in the siege of Vicksburg, Mission Ridge, the capture of Atlanta, the march to the sea, through Georgia and the Carolinas. Our subject commanded his company (H) in the Sixth Missouri Regiment until March, 1864, when, the regiment having re-enlisted, he succeeded to the command of the regiment, and advanced to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and commanded the Veteran Sixth Missouri Volunteer Infantry until the close of the war, being mustered out of service at St. Louis, with his regiment, in September, 1865. After his return to Litchfield, the Colonel served four years as City Magistrate, and, at the expiration of that period, became Cashier of the bank of Beach, Davis & Co., which position he still creditably fills; he is at present City Treasurer, which office he has held six years.
Extracted 19 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, pages 179-180.
