My Genealogy Hound

GRIFFEY VANDIKE, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Virginia, and was born September 12, 1842.

Mr. Vandike came to Harlan county, Nebr., in the spring of 1874, homesteaded the northwest quarter of section 14, built a sod house, and made himself and family as comfortable as possible. He came with a team, and had two cows, so he began at once to prepare the barren prairie for a crop. His first corn crop was a promising one indeed, but just before it began to mature it was destroyed by the grasshoppers. Although this discouraging thing was repeated, he never gave up in despair, but persevered on until he successfully passed through one of the most disastrous periods in the history of the state.

Mr. Vandike was married in 1866, the lady whom he selected to share life’s burdens with him being Miss Nancy A. Lovell. This union was blessed with ten children, as follows — Seney Ann, Martha L., Lizzie A., Albert E., John O. (deceased), Elmer G. (deceased), Edward S., James O. (deceased), Clarinda S. and Verley W.

Mr. Vandike has four hundred and eighty acres of good land, and is engaged quite extensively in raising hogs and cattle. He is a member of the Alliance, and in politics has always been a republican. He lost his wife in August, 1887. She was a companion whom he loved dearly, and he has found much difficulty to reconcile himself to the great loss.

When the war broke out, Mr. Vandike shouldered a musket and marched to the front in defense of his country’s flag, and in connection with his biographical sketch it would not be out of place to mention some facts concerning his military career. He enlisted on the twenty-fifth day of August, 1861, in the Twenty-third Missouri regiment of infantry. He participated in the engagement at Shiloh, and was taken prisoner April 6, 1862. He was taken to Corinth, then to Memphis and Mobile, and thence to Cohaba, Ala., and after a few days was removed to Montgomery, and thence to Macon, where he was paroled May 24, 1862. He entered the Union lines again at Belmont station, near the Tennessee river, was in the fight at Nashville, after which he obtained a furlough, and spent a short time at home. He joined his regiment again in February, 1863, and participated in the Atlanta campaign. He was mustered out at Atlanta in September, 1864.