<sod>McGinnis was born in Boston, Massachusetts.  His mother died when he was an infant and he lived with his aunt for a time.<ref name="multiple">[http://civilwarindiana.com/#/Prominent%20Personalities Indiana's Prominent Civil War Personalities]</ref>  At age 11 he and his father moved to Ohio where his father became a hatter.  It was during his time in Ohio that [[Mexican-American War|war with Mexico]] broke out and George volunteered his services. Commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry he was mustered out of the volunteers with the rank of Captain in 1847; and returned to Ohio to take up hatting.<eod>
<sod>McGinnis was born in Boston, Massachusetts.  His mother died when he was an infant and he lived with his aunt for a time.<ref name="multiple">[http://civilwarindiana.com/#/Prominent%20Personalities Indiana's Prominent Civil War Personalities]</ref>  At age 11 he and his father moved to Ohio where his father became a hatter.  It was during his time in Ohio that [[Mexican-American War|war with Mexico]] broke out and George volunteered his services. Commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry he was mustered out of the volunteers with the rank of Captain in 1847; and returned to Ohio to take up hatting.<ref>{{cite book |title=Commemorative Biographical Record of Prominent and Representative Men of Indianapolis and Vicinity |publisher=J. H. Beers & Company |date=1908 |page=439 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P1A0AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA439 }}</ref><eod>