Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Edmond Heneberry

17^th WISCONSIN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: 3/15/62 Camp Randall, Madison, WI
Mustered In: Inf. Not Avail.
Mustered Out: 7/14/65 Louisville, KY
Discharged: July, 1865 Wisconsin

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:

  *NOTE: One source spells Edmond's surname as Henneberry during his period of service.

  This three year "western theater" unit was also known as the "Irish Regiment." A few days after organization is was ordered to St. Louis, MO and on April, 10^th was sent to Pittsburg Landing, TN where it remained in camp until called upon to participate in the siege of Corinth, MS. After the evacuation of that place by the enemy the 17^th was stationed there for the summer. During the battle of Corinth that October it lost 41 killed, wounded and missing.

  After Corinth the Irish Regiment took part in the battle of Port Gibson, MS, 5/1/63, and pursued the retreating Rebels toward Vicksburg. During that period it was in the battle Port Gibson, Champion's Hill, Big Black River and the 47 day siege of Vicksburg.

  On 7/8/64 the 17^th arrived at Acworth, GA where it joined the forces under Union Gen. W.T. Sherman as they moved upon Atlanta. It participated in the June 27, 1864 battle of Kennesaw Mountain where it sustained losses of 2 killed and 11 wounded while under enemy artillery and musket fire for more than three hours.  In July it took part in the battles around Atlanta itself. After the fall of that city it saw action at Jonesboro and Lovejoy's station as it marched to the sea with Sherman's armies.

  1865. As Sherman's Federal troops tramped northward from Savannah, GA through the Carolinas the 17^th saw action at Columbia and Bentonville, NC.

  With the final surrender of Confederate forces under Confed. Gen. Joseph Jonson East on April 26, 1865 the 17^th moved to Washington City. There it took part in the Federal Grand Review. It then travelled to Louisville, KY where it was mustered out of Federal Service. Final discharge was in Wisconsin.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Neenah, WI   Age: 15.7 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 2/11/62   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 2/11/62
Mustered Out: 7/14/65 Louisville, KY
Highest Rank: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

  Edmond (or Edmund) A. Heneberry - the Edmond spelling will be used from here on - was born 7/12/46 in Ireland to parents Edmond/Edmund and Anna "Ann" (nee Mutart b. 1818 Ireland) Heneberry. At birth he had at least one older sibling: Walter (b. 1841 Ireland). The family emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. in 1852 between the time of Edmund’s birth and that of his next youngest sibling, Sister Anna S (b. 1853/'54 MA). The next Heneberry child, Sarah (1855) was also born in Massachusetts.

  Sometime in the mid to late 1850s, likely circa \1857, the Heneberrys departed Massachusetts for Wisconsin. It was there the last two known Heneberry children were born: Bridget (1856) and Johanna (1858). Interestingly, the 1860 U.S. Census for Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI lists the Heneberry household as consisting of mother Ann as well as children Edmund, Anna, Sarah, Bridget and Johanna. The fate of Edmond/Edmund senior is not known.  "Ann" at this time was noted as a washerwoman.

  There was obviously a large contingent of Irish immigrants living in and around Neenah as that was where the 17^th WI Inf., "The Irish Regiment," was formed in 1862. It was that regiment that accepted young Edmond into its ranks. Available military documents indicate he was nineteen years of age at the time of enlistment, but a check of his birth date against his army enrollment date finds him to have been just over fifteen and a half years of age. Vital statistics from time of enrollment indicate private Heneberry was 5'6" tall, light complexioned, with light hair and blue eyes. His occupation was noted as: Attending school learning the trade of becoming a cooper." (A cooper was/is someone who made/makes wooden staved containers of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoods and possessing flat ends or heads. Examples of a cooper’s work include, but are not limited to casks, barrel, buckets, tubs, butter churns, etc.)
Entering the military as a private our Heneberry would later be promoted to the rank of corporal and, finally, sergeant.

  In May of 1863 the forces under Union Gen. U.S. Grant were closing in on the City of Vicksburg. During fighting around there on 5/19/63 Edmond was wounded in the middle left forearm. While one source indicates the injury was slight, a medical examination later say that the wound fractured the radial causing several pieces of bone to "come out." Initial treatment for his injury was in the regimental field hospital, but 5/25 the patient had been transferred to the U.S. General Hospital at Milliken's Bend, LA. From there, on 6/20 he was moved from Milliken's Bend to the General Hospital located at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, MO, an institution which he entered on 6/24/63. Return to duty was on September 17^th. By the end of the next month former wounded patient Heneberry was absent from his unit escorting Rebel prisoners from the fallen citadel of Vicksburg to Memphis, TN. The only items of note during the remainder of Edmond's military career were medical treatments, the longest of which was for consumption (tuberculosis) between 8/2 and 9/11/64.

  After being mustered out of the military in July, 1865 Edmond returned to Neenah, WI. Sources also indicate that during that year and into 1866 he also resided in Kenosha and Green Bay in that state.

  On the one hand Edmond notes that he remained in Wisconsin for five years. On another, he indicates that in 1868 he moved to Austin, Texas. Why and exactly when is not documented and he cannot be located in the 1870 U.S. census.

  Available paperwork notes that at some point in 1873 Edmond removed from Texas to Michigan where he obtained employment as a "woodsman." During his residence there he apparently moved around within the state a number of times, finally ending up in Big Rapids. While there, in 1882 Edmond petitioned the U.S. Government for a disability pension based on  ailments which he traced back to his period of Civil War soldiering. While the exact nature of those “ailments” is not known, a monthly stipend of two dollars was granted. Interestingly, during the pension application process he noted that although his given first name was Edmond, so many people referred to him as Edward, that at some undefined time he had begun referring to himself as Edward!!

  On 8/27/83 in Big Rapids, Michigan Edmond married Nellie Discoll (b. ca. Feb., 1860, '61 or '62, a Canadian of Irish descent.  On December 21^st of that year the couple was noted as residing in a town or village called Lumberta (seemingly a logging community) located in the Michigan county of Newaygo.  The union would produce one child, Thomas. E. (b. 6/13/84 MI).   

  As of November, 1887 the Heneberry's were still in Michigan, then residing in Big Rapids. Shortly thereafter, however, they apparently departed that state for the west coast region around the city of Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington. The move was likely work-related, but exactly what line of employment Edmond was in at the time is not known although the Portland City directory for 1895 noted Edmond as a "bridge carpenter" living in St. Johns. Here it should be pointed out that departing Michigan Edmond did not inform the attorney that was working with him on his pension matters of his plans, or at least his destination. The man would search for him for the next six years.

  The Heneberry's exact movements within the Portland/Vancouver area cannot be clearly defined. However, by 1896/'97 they apparently departed that area and moved northward to the City of Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. There they appear to have remained for a year or less before travelling further northward (ca. 1898) toward the rural Snohomish County community of Marysville. It was there the 1900 census found them residing in the "Shoults" area. The household then consisted of Edmond, Nellie and son Thomas. Edmond's avocation was listed as "day laborer."

  In 1904 the Heneberry's departed the Marysville area and dropped slightly southward into the city of Everett, Snohomish County, Washington. Within that city, over the years, they would apparently reside in two locations.

  1910. When the census tabulation came around again, Edmond and Nellie were still in Everett. At this point Thomas was apparently no longer in the household. Edmond's occupation was listed as (railroad) "car repair shop." (Note: Edmond's final occupational tally which was in 1920 noted him to be a painter for the (Great Northern) railroad.) Also, his pension had increased to $12 per month. That dollar amount would increase to $19 in July of 1912 and peak out at $72 by the time of the old veteran's passing in l925.

  On April 30, 1925 former Civil War soldier Edmond Heneberry underwent a medical exam. That examination found him to be distressed by symptoms of vertigo, breathing, senility and heart problems all due to age. He needed to be cared for all the time. That "time" proved to be short as on 5/11/12 Edmond died at his home located at 2015 Colby in Everett. Official cause of death was listed as chronic cardio renal disease which he had experienced for several years with senility and toxemia contributing. Burial was in Everett's Evergreen Cemetery.

  After her husband's death Nellie petitioned the Federal Government to continue receiving at least a portion of Edmond's pension. The request was granted, so on 5/28/26 she began receiving $30 per month.

  1930 found Nellie still in Everett, a widow with no (except for her late husband's pension) income. She was still there a decade later.

  In 1943 Thomas, then likely residing slightly to the south of his mother in Seattle, King County, Washington wrote the Veterans' Administration (Ca. 1929  with Civil War veterans vanishing from  the scene, the old Pension Bureau, once one of if not the biggest agency of the Federal Government, was dissolved with the VA taking over the files of remaining vets or their spouses) noting that his mother, then 83 years of age, was in poor health and, with the cost of living and the need for a new roof on her house, needed an increase in her pension stipend. The plea was rejected.

  Nellie Heneberry died in Everett on 11/2/51. At passing she was reportedly 86 years of age and was receiving a monthly pension of approximately $50 per month. She was buried beside Edmond.

Buried at Evergreen Cemetery Everett
Row: 35
Site: 61