George C. Bolch was born about 1797 in North Carolina. He had married prior to 1830 and moved his family to Georgia.

The 1840 Census, which did not list names of family members, only the head of each household, listed James Bolch living in Murray County, Georgia. This family then was among the earliest settlers in Murray.

The 1850 Census reveals that George was a blacksmith. By then he appears to have been a widower as the oldest female in the household was Miria, age 20, a daughter. She had been born in Georgia.

That Census listed George C., age 53; Miria, age 20; Kissiah, age 18; George A., age 15 James, age 11; Jefferson F., age 9; Robert, age 6, and Elizabeth, age 3.

The 1860 Census listed Mira (spelled differently this time), as head of the household. It also listed an additional child, Ann E. Bolch, age 3.

This is one of those cases where the Census taker for one of these Census erred in recording ages–or the family member providing the information provided erroneous ages. The family names and birth order are the same in both Censuses but the ages clearly are off by a few years.

The family lived in the part of Murray that was then using a post office called Fancy Hill.

Shortly after the Civil War began, George, James and Jefferson Bolch enlisted in Co. D, 22nd Ga. Brigade (Wrights). They enlisted in August 1861. Younger brother, Robert, enlisted in Capt. Bond's Company, Cavalry, State Guards.

Their company participated in several major military engagements: Seven Pines, Va., May 31-June 1, 1862; Malvern Hill, Va., July 1, 1862; Manassas (Second Bull Run), Va., Aug. 18-30, 1862; Sharpsburg (also called Antietam), Md., Sept. 17, 1862; Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 11-15, 1862, and May 3, 1863; Chancellorsville, Va., May 1-4, 1863, then Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3, 1863.

During fighting at Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3, 1863, the younger brother, Jefferson, was wounded. Military records imply that he returned to duty. These records indicate that he died of fever at Petersburg, Va., Dec. 22, 1864.

James, according to military records, was killed July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pa.

Military records indicate that both George and Robert survived the war and returned home when it was over.

A check of all Murray County cemeteries failed to find a single marked grave bearing the family name Bolch.

 

Murray County Families