Romeyn B. FISH

1847 - 1919  (72 years)

• Name	Romeyn B. FISH  [1]
  	Romeyn B. Fish, (b. April 18, 1847) dealer in musical instruments, Rolfe, is one of the early pioneers of Pocahontas county, having located at Old Rolfe June 7, 1866. He is a native of Rensselaerville, NY, the son of Ethridge M., and Laura Ann Fish. On April 11, 1864, at eighteen, he entered the naval services of the united States as a landsman and was assigned a position on the steamer Mendota, of the North Atlantic blockading squadron, James River division. When the army of the James advanced on Petersburg, May 5-6, 1864, the Mendota proceeded up the James river above Aiken's Landing and on May 7-16th assisted in the removal of the torpedoes in that vicinity, at Deep Bottom and Dutch Gap. On May 16-17th it was under the fire of the batteries at Chapin's Bluff and the next day it opened fire on working parties at Trout's Neck. On May 22d it opened fire on the batteries near the Howlett House. From that date until April 1, 1865, it was stationed near the barricades at Deep Bottom, and participated in the operations against the rebel gunboats, iron-clads and the Howlett home battery on June 21st; against the batteries at Four Mile creek, June 30-July 1; at Tilghman's Gate, July 16; at Deep Bottom and Strawberry Plains, July 27-29; protected working parties at Dutch Gap, Aug. 10-14, and the forces moving from Dutch Gap to Deep Bottom, Aug. 15-18. It participated in all the operations of Graham's Naval brigade in the James and Appomattox rivers during the siege that resulted in the capture of Petersburg and Richmond, April 2-8, 1865. On July 28th, Maj-Gen. Hancock complimented the men on board this vessel for their effective work that day as follows: 'The fire from the gunboat, Mendota, was very effective nearly every shell alighting in the enemy's works.' On July 16, 1864, Mr. Fish received an injury in the right eye, by the explosion of a shell from a masked battery of the enemy, while serving as a sharpshooter near Four-Mile creek, Virginia. On Dec. 20 1864, he was assigned service on a schooner that transported coal to the fleet off Fort Fisher, North Carolina. Afterward he was transferred to the steamer, Montgomery, and on Jan. 12-15, 1865, participated in the capture of Fort Fisher and the other defenses of Cape Fear river in that vicinity. He was then returned to the Mendota on the James river, and was honorably discharged at Norfolk, Va., July 18, 1865. After the war he decided to locate in the west, and traveling by rail to Boon,e thence by stage to Fort Dodge, he arrived in Des Moines township in June, 1866. he secured and improved a homestead on section 28. He has been engaged in the sale of pianos, organs and sewing machines since the year 1881. As a representative of Des Moines township he was a member of the board of county supervisors in 1872 and '73. On Dec. 39, 1866, he married Ann, daughter of David Slosson, and his family has consisted of six children, three of whom died in childhood. 1- Laura R., in 1888 married Wm. J. Fraser, lives at Mt. Vernon, Skagit county, Was., and has a family of eight children. 2- Elvira G., in 1894 married Frank Murray, who died at Rolfe may 19, 1898. She then moved to Skagit county Wash., where on Oct 18, 1899, she married Jasper parker and still lives. 3-Burt Fish (b. 1876) lives at LaConner Washington. [1]
  Birth	18 Apr 1847	Rensselaerville, Albany Co., New York   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Census	1880	Living in Des Moines, Pocahontas Co., Iowa   [2]
  Census	1900	Living in Clinton, Pocahontas Co., Iowa   [3]
  Census	1910	Living in LaConner, Skagit Co., Washington   [5]
  Fact	Son of Etheridge M. Fish and Laura Ann Stevens   [4]
  Death	5 Nov 1919	Yakima Co., Washington   [4]
  Burial	Grandview Cemetery, Grandview, Yakima Co., Washington   [4]
  Person ID	I90763	Main Tree
  Last Modified	17 Dec 2020

  
  

  Family	Ann E. SLOSSON,   b. 2 Sep 1846, Chazy, Clinton Co., New York d. 20 Nov 1918, Grandview, Yakima Co., Washington (Age 72 years)
  Children	+ 1. Laura Rachel FISH,   b. Mar 1870, Iowa d. 3 Jul 1945, Grandview, Yakima Co., Washington (Age 75 years)  [Birth] + 2. Elvira Grace FISH,   b. Jul 1872, Iowa d. 10 May 1949, Seattle, King Co., Washington (Age 76 years)  [Birth]   3. Albert M. FISH,   b. Jul 1876, Iowa d. 25 Oct 1950, Olympia, Thurston Co., Washington (Age 74 years)  [Birth]   4. Myrtle E. FISH,   b. 1877, Iowa d. 1881 (Age 4 years)  [Birth]
  Family ID	F37870	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 May 2018

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 18 Apr 1847 - Rensselaerville, Albany Co., New York Census - 1880 - Living in Des Moines, Pocahontas Co., Iowa Census - 1900 - Living in Clinton, Pocahontas Co., Iowa Census - 1910 - Living in LaConner, Skagit Co., Washington Burial - - Grandview Cemetery, Grandview, Yakima Co., Washington  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Headstones

  Romeyn B. Fish and Ann E. Slosson Headstone Romeyn B. Fish and his wife, Ann, the daughter of David Slosson and Rachel Vaughan, are buried in the Grandview Cemetery in Grandview, Yakima Co., Washington. Created by: Arthur Allen Moore III Photo added by: Arthur Allen Moore III

  
  

• Sources

  [S9534] The Pioneer History of Pocahontas County, Iowa. [S9540] 1880 Census Des Moines, Pocahontas County, Iowa. [S9568] 1900 Census Clinton, Pocahontas County, Iowa. [S02329] Find A Grave Website. [S9543] 1910 Census LaConner, Skagit County, Washington.