Virgil Deball Rose, the son of Lawrence & Thankful Rose, was born in Highland County, Ohio, on New Years Day, 1843. Virgil grew up on the Rose family farm in Brushcreek Township, Highland County, Ohio.

With the whirlwind of the Civil War, with his older brother, Daniel, "Virgil D. Rose," now just barely age 18, enlisted at Hillsboro, Highland County, Ohio. The company was organized on 14 June 1861 as Company I, 24th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Virgil served for three years as a private, and he mustered out of service with Company I on June 23, 1864. Virgil was so patriotic that even after three years of difficult war service, he reenlisted, this time joining Company H, 189th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Following his war service, Virgil Deball Rose returned to Highland County. There, he met Martha Setty. Martha was born 18 July 1848. The couple married on 12 December 1867. Virgil and Martha had 3 children:

1) Francis Marion Rose, born 1 August 1871, and died 18 January 1928.
2) Miner Rose, born circa 1874, death date unknown.
3) Albertis Rose, birth date unknown and died 5 June 1917.

Though he resided in Highland County, Ohio, for the remainder of his life, Virgil did not keep in close contact with the surviving members of the 24th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He, however, kept aware of veterans affairs, and he obtained a pension in 1880.

Virgil Rose died in Sinking Springs, Highland County, Ohio, on 1 December 1920. His widow, Martha Rose, filed for, and received, a widow's pension in 1920. Virgil was interred 3 December 1920 at Olive Branch Cemetery, Brushcreek Township, Highland County, Ohio. Martha survived Virgil less than two years, and she died on her birthday, 18 July 1922. She is interred beside her husband.

Sources:

24th O.V.I. Pension Index.
Ohio Adjutant General's Roster of Ohio Troops.
Whitelaw Reid, "Ohio in the War."

Additional biographical information provided by
Jerry Rose (Email: rosejd@email.uc.edu) and Sherry Knight (Email: sknight@fuse.net).

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