Born in Burns, Allegany County, New York, he moved with his family to the White Pigeon Community, St. Joseph County,Michigan in 1835. On February 13, 1850 he married Roxanna E. Brown of Elkhart County, Indiana. They were listed in the 1850 Concord Township Elkhart County, Indiana Federal Census, He was a merchant.
Roxanna died iafter childbirth in 1852 , Abbott and daughter, Harriet E. moved back to Burr Oak ,St Joseph County, Michigan. In 1855 he was appointed Postmaster in Burr Oak while running a mercantile business there. Ira was an original Trustee of the Incorporated Township of Burr Oak in 1859, also served as a Justice of the Peace . Having a young daughter he traveled to Phelps, Ontario County, New York, and married Electa Araminta Shear on May 19, 1857.
After Lincoln's call for Volunteers, he resigned as Postmaster in Burr Oak and enlisted on April 24, 1861 and was Commissioned, Captain "Co. G". The lst Infantry was the first Western regiment to arrive in Washington, DC. They fought at lst Manassas(Bull Run), and suffered great casualties. His Company lost 22 men killed, wounded or captured. Though wounded himself, he was commended for personally rescuing the Regimental colors, as they were about to fall into the enemy's hands, and carried them off the field. It was these colors around ehich the Regiment rallied near the little stone Church at Sudley's Ford.At the expiration of their 3 months' commisiion, the Regiment returned to Michigan, reorganized, and Captain Abbott was reassigned to Company "B" on August 17, 1861 for three years. The Regiment was asigned to the Army of the Potomac, arriving at Fort Monroe, Virginia on March 12, 1862. He was commissioned Major, April 28, 1862, particpating in the Peninsular Campaign of 1862 under Gen. McClellan (5th Corps, lst Brigade, lst Division...Mechanicsville, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, etc...
...then as part of Fitz John Porter's Corps at 2nd Manassas on August 19, 1862...
...and as part of Fifth Army Corps (MG Daniel Butterfield), First Brigade of the First Division (brig.-General Charles Griffin) , then at Antietam, Maryland, and as Lt.Col (promoted August 30, 1862), in the December 1862 Campaign at Fredricksburg (wounded 12/1262).
On March 18, 1863 he was promoted to Colonel, and was wounded twice May 2, 1863 at Chancellorsville, Va. Then his Regiment was at Gettysburg where he was again wounded at Little Round Top, July 2, 1863 , fighting as part of the Army of the Potomac (MG George G. Meade) with lst Infantry, Michigan Volunteers under Major General George Sykes' "Fifth Army Corps", First Brigade (Colonel William S. Tilton) of the First Division (BG James Barnes).
Ira C. Abbott served in the Civil War first as Lieutenant Colonel, then Colonel and commander of the 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry regiment. He was wounded in the face at the Battle of Fredericksburg. At the Battle of Gettysburg, his regiment was part of Colonel William S. Tilton's brigade that fought against attacking Confederates in the Stony Hill area West of the Wheatfield on July 2, 1863. Under intense fire, he kept his Michigan soldiers on the battle line until he him self was shot and seriously wounded, and had to retreat to the rear of the Union lines. He was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for "gallant and meritorious services during the war". A monument to his regiment stands in the Loop on Sickles Avenue in the Gettysburg National Military Park.
On December 22, 1864, having served with honor and distinction nearly four years,having participated in most of the truly, hard-fought Campaigns, and having been wounded several times, he found his health seriously impaired, his resignation from active service was accepted and he was discharged. Because of that service, Colonel Abbott was brevetted a Brigadier General on March 13, 1865. He returned to Michigan, where during the period 1866 through 1869 he served an appointment with the United States Revenue Service. In 1873 he moved to Evansville, Rock County, Wisconsin, where he resided until he moved to Delevan, then Elkhorn in 1880, where he was the State Sales Agent for Fairbanks Scale Manufacturing Co.(home-based in St. Johnsbury, Vermont).
He later removed to and was living in Washington, DC, where he was a member of MOLLUS, DC Commandery and in January, 1908 was President of the Michigan State Association which met there at the Arlington Hotel for their National Annual Banquet. General Abbott died later that year in October, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery..(Section 2, Grave # 876-ES)....near the Old Amphitheater & Custiss-Lee Home.
Pension # 282114
Buried:
Buried: Section 2, Grave #876-ES
Ira married Roxanna E. Brown in 1850. Roxanna was born on Yes, date unknown; died in 1852. [Group Sheet]
1852 - 
