George W. Lennard Collection

George Washington Lennard was born near Licking, Ohio on March 25, 1825. He had little formal schooling in his youth but studied at the Eclectic Medical Institute of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio where he completed a Doctorate of Medicine. After graduation, Lennard settled in New Castle, Indiana where he practiced for two years before buying the New Castle Courier. He published this newspaper for a year and a half, when he went to Law School of Cincinnati. He graduated in 1855 and returned to Indiana to practice law, dealing primarily with real estate and other financial transactions. Lennard married Clarinda Woodward (1833-1879) on June 10, 1852 and the couple had three children: Henry Rudisel (1853-1926), Gertrude (Lennard) Mitchell (1855-1902), and Ashael Woodward (1859-1946).

Lennard enlisted in the 36th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on August 26, 1861. He was transferred to the 57th Indiana Volunteer Infantry later that year and was eventually promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The 57th Infantry participated in the battles of Shiloh (1862) and Missionary Ridge (1863) and Lennard served as Provost Marshal during the Union Army's occupation of Chattanooga, Tennessee (1863). Lennard died of wounds incurred at Resaca, Georgia on May 14, 1864.