(Olympia) Veteran of the Civil War
John B. & Annie Seeley
John B. Seeley, a carriage and wagon maker from Brooklyn, was born on December 5, 1843, in Malaquanatch on Cape Breton Island. He spent his childhood there until the age of 12, when he moved with his parents to Canada.
When he was 15, John walked from Ontario, Canada, to Illinois. Years later, he told his son of that remarkable journey, including how he killed seven deer during the trip. When his trousers eventually wore out, an Indian he encountered gave him a pair of leather leggings to wear.
In 1861, John answered the call to serve the Union and enlisted in Company H of the 12th Illinois Infantry. During the Civil War, he participated in many of the war's major engagements, including Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Ball's Knob, Jonesboro, Bentonville, and others. He fought at both the first and second engagements at Corinth. During the second battle, he was severely wounded in the thigh. The bullet remained lodged in his body for the rest of his life.
John was honorably mustered out of military service as a sergeant at Louisville, Kentucky, on August 5, 1865.
In 1869, he married Anna Wasson of Washington County, Iowa. They raised four children: Elsie Maud, Jennie, James Austin, and Ellen.
John lived in Illinois, Iowa, and South Dakota. Around 1911, he moved to the Olympia area, where he spent the remainder of his life. He died there in 1926. His wife, Anna, survived him and passed away in 1939. Many of his descendants can be traced all over Washington State.