George was born on August 4, 1837 in the community of Elyria, Lorain Co., Ohio. He was the son of Orlan Abbott and Lucina T. Andrus. He was the second oldest child in a family that included eight siblings; a total of six boys and three girls. By 1844, the whole family had moved to Carthage, Hancock Co., Illinois, as that is the year and the place one of George’s sisters was born. According to the 1850 Hancock County Census, George was still at home with his parents and three siblings and was attending school. On October 15, 1856, George married Hannah Elizabeth Rand in Hancock County. Hannah was born March 3, 1835 in Adams Co., Illinois. To that marriage was born one son in 1857.
On September 2, 1861 George enlisted at Carthage, Illinois as a sergeant and was mustered into “Capt. Miller’s Co., Black Hawk Cav.” This organization subsequently became Co. F, 7th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry. George was 24 years old, but there is neither a description of him at the time nor his occupation. From a later description he provided, his eyes were brown, his hair was black and his complexion was dark. He listed himself as five feet seven inches tall. According to the records, he was present for duty in July and August of 1862. By April of 1863, he was promoted to 3rd Sergeant and seems to have continued in that rank until he mustered out. He must have been issued a government horse earlier in the war, but by October of 1863 he was being paid for the use of his own horse and equipment.
For much of 1864, George was on detached service in Little Rock, Arkansas. Sergeant Abbott was mustered out of service on November 20, 1864, having completed his three years of service; he owed the government $4.92 for clothing and was due $100.00 from the government. Sometime during 1864 George and Mary were divorced. There is no telling what the real story is, but it was said that “George was playing checkers and would not fix Hannah’s clothes line so she hit him over the head with the checker board and he divorced her”. Enough said!
On March 14, 1867, George married Mary Elizabeth Hinkle in Delphi, Carroll Co, Indiana. Mary had been born in Ohio on September 12, 1846 and had red hair. From their wedding tin type, he appears to have adored her. On February 22, 1868 their daughter, Cora, was born in Carroll Co., Indiana. A little over a year later, their first son, David, was born in Kansas City, Kansas.
George moved the family to Jefferson County, Kansas in 1869 and according to the 1870 Census for Ozawkie Township, Jefferson Co., Kansas, George, Mary, Cora and David were living next door to his father and he probably worked on his father’s farm. By 1875 the family had grown to three children and George’s brother was living with them. George listed himself as a farmer with a Personal Property Value of $200. After his mother passed away in 1875, his father moved in with the family also. By 1880, little had changed except George’s brother and father have moved out and they had added another son to the family.
After he left the farm, George owned the Abbott House, a 50 room hotel that was “centrally located” and had “charges reasonable” which was located in the town of Ozawkie (at that time spelled Osawkie). At about the same time, he was the proprietor of a meat market, which he had stocked with the “choicest of meats”, where he kept “beef, pork and game” on hand and where “No pains will be spared to please all customers”. In addition, he owned a livery establishment, was a member of the Jefferson County Bar Association, a Justice of the Peace, a Probate Judge, as well as a township trustee and the Postmaster of Ozawkie. Further, he wrote poems and verse. On August 20, 1890, George filed for a Veteran’s Pension and received Certificate no. 794431.
On February 18, 1902, Mary died and was buried in the Ozawkie Cemetery. On May 14, 1907, George married Lucinda Stargell. She was born in Kentucky on March 15, 1843 and was then a widow, having lost her husband in 1901. Lucinda’s maiden name appears to have been Roy, but it is not clear who her parents were. On August 7, 1907 George refiled or renewed his Veteran’s Pension. By 1910, George and Lucinda were living on Pine Street in Ozawkie in a home he owned free and clear, and he was back to listing himself as a farmer. On December 24, 1918, George died, the funeral services were conducted from his home, and he was laid to rest beside Mary in the Ozawkie Cemetery. Lucinda lived until February 7, 1923 and she was buried in the same cemetery as her first husband.