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Fredrick Greener (Gruener) enlisted as a Private on September 11, 1861 and was mustered into Company B of the 5th Ohio Cavalry on October 31, 1861 at Camp Dick Corwin near Cincinnati, Ohio. He served for 3 years and 3 months and was mustered out at Columbus Ohio on November 29, 1864.

History of the 5th Ohio Cavalry, Larry Stevens

Organized in August, 1861, for three years service under Colonel William H.H. Taylor, it started for the field in February, 1862, moving by river to the vicinity of Pittsburg Landing, where it made a raid into Mississippi. On the 15th of March it encountered the enemy at Shiloh Chapel, and skirmished frequently until the great battle, when it took an active part, often charging the infantry columns of the enemy. It followed in the siege of Corinth and after the evacuation moved to Memphis. The Third Battalion was with Rosecrans at the battle of Corinth and the First and Third fought Price and Van Dorn at Davis Mill, firing 200 rounds without changing position. In 1863 the Regiment guarded the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, and raided into Mississippi, and in October joined Sherman's march to Chattanooga. It was present at the battles about Chattanooga, and went with Sherman to Knoxville, then back to Alabama and wintered at Huntsville. It joined Sherman's Atlanta Campaign, and having lost most of its horses in hard service, acted as infantry. The Regiment was attached to Kilpatrick's command and marched to the sea, fighting at Waynesboro and other points along the route. [Editor's note: Frederick Greener's enlistment ended at that point.]

County Hospital Records (September-December 1885)

Fredrick Greener, 49, a soap maker by trade, who was born in Germany was admitted to the County Hospital because of paralysis on September 25, 1885 and was discharged on December 6, 1885.

Lucinda Greener age 52, a housewife of Fredrick Greener, who was born in Vermont was admitted with her husband for the same duration.

Santa Cruz Sentinel (December 4, 1885)

At the Hospital
Results of the New Management-
Odd Characters who are the County's Guest

"Do you have any trouble with inmates?" queried the news gatherer [of the Steward].

"We had the fortune teller here, and she wanted to run everything. Why, she even wanted to put me out. She used to go around singing a song something like this:

She wasn't very popular over here. She acted as if she owned the hospital."

Santa Cruz Sentinel (December 6, 1885)

Sentinel Jottings

Mrs. Greener, the fortune teller, called at this office Friday evening to inform us that she did not try to run the hospital while a guest there. She was ill when she went to the hospital to take care of her husband, who is an invalid. Said the fortune teller:

I used to wash dishes three times a day for the steward's family, besides giving the battery in the men's room to my husband and two other gentlemen. Because I was sick and wouldn't was dishes any more the matron got mad. I didn't go to the hospital to be anybody's servant, and it wasn't expected I should work, but I did the best I could. I didn't sing any such song as they said; I'll tell you how that was. You see, when they got mad at me I went outside and sat on the porch, and only sang this:

That's all there was to it. I want them to know I'm an honest woman and I'll try to make an honest living.

Santa Cruz Surf (April 13, 1886)

A subscription was circulated today by Gus Vossberg [Cook], of the El Dorado Restaurant [across from Pacific House on Pacific Ave.] for the benefit of a poor German who came to this city about a year and a half ago. The man has been sick nearly a year, and is in very destitute circumstances. He is not expected to live more than a few days longer. Greener is married and has been living in a room over the Santa Cruz restaurant.

Santa Cruz Sentinel (April 14 1886)

Died- GREENER- In this city April 13th Frederick Greener, a native of Germany aged 49 years.

Sentinel Jottings

An aged couple named Greener, the wife being a fortuneteller, have been in destitute circumstances for some time. The husband, who was paralyzed, died on Tuesday afternoon in the room occupied by the couple on the corner of Mission and Water streets. Gus Vossberg, of the El Dorado restaurant, hearing of their destitute condition started on Tuesday and succeeded in gathering together about 10 dollars. The deceased served in the Fifth Ohio Cavalry Regiment during the Civil War. His funeral will take place at 10 A.M. today under the auspices of J. F. Reynolds Post G.A.R.

Santa Cruz Sentinel (May 30, 1886)

In Evergreen Cemetery the following graves of deceased soldiers will be decorated Monday: [...] J. Gruener

Editorial Notes from Robert L. Nelson (July 12, 2000)

Articles at the time of his death tell us that Greener was a native of Germany. Green or Greener are not typical German names. Their German equivalent, according to L& H Language Technology's Internet German Dictionary, are Gruen or Gruener. It was common in registering immigrants, for English speaking officials to misspell or apply English equivalents to foreign names. When asking the name of an individual named Gruener his name, their response would sound like "Greehner" which may have been the case here. Frederick Greener was enlisted under, and used that spelling, during his life in the United States. None of the other local cemeteries have a record of a Greener or Gruener as been buried within them. Prior to each Memorial Day, newspapers would provide a listing of veterans buried in Santa Cruz Cemeteries. Beginning in May of 1886, the month after the death of Greener, the name J. Gruener appears as having been buried in Evergreen. The first name letter "F" in old German Script appears to a non-German speaking individual as a "J", which may account for the newspaper list variance. While we can't be certain that they are the same, we are certain that a Union soldier named Greener needed to be recognized with a headstone. The Grand Army of the Republic obtained the plot in order to insure that union soldiers be appropriately memorialized and not subjected to a common grave. The Lincoln Camp #10 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War inherited the plot from the GAR in 1956. It was their determination, based on the G.A.R. burial plan, that the top row, left corner which was unmarked, would have been the most probable location of Frederick Greener's grave. A headstone was erected there in April 2000.

Date of Birth: 1837

Date of Death: 1886-04-13

County: Santa Cruz

Cemetery/City of Burial: Evergreen Cemetery

Plot: G01

Cause of Death: Strk/Related

Spouse: (Greener)_ Lucinda VT

Occupation: Soap Mkr

Local Address: Mission/Water

Last City: Santa Cruz

Native of: GE

Enlisted: 1861/09/11

Discharged: 1864/11/29

Military Unit: OH_ 5 Cav_ Co B

Rank: Pvt

Military Notes: (Gruener)R_E-N/L_ D-Clmbs

GAR#: N/R

Available records used to obtain information:
Cemetery records
Santa Cruz County death records
Military records
Santa Cruz and Monterey newspapers
Voter Records

CW Reference: SEN 1886/04/14