Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Joseph Nay

9^th INDIANA VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
Organized: Fall/Winter 1863/'64 Indianapolis, IN
Mustered In: 3/1/64 Indianapolis, IN
Mustered Out: 8/28/65 Vicksburg, MS

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:
 

The 9^th Indiana  - the 121^st regiment of the line -  a three year western theater cavalry unit, was  organized in Indianapolis, IN during the fall and winter of 1863/'64. It left the state on 5/1/64 and proceeded to Nashville, TN. From there it moved to Pulaski where it remained until late November. 
 

A portion of the regiment lost 196 killed, wounded and missing during an engagement with the enemy at Sulphur Branch Trestle in Alabama (9/23-25/64). After this, it was in action at Franklin, TN (11/30/64) where it lost 26 killed, wounded and captured.
 

In February, 1865 the 9^th was ordered to New Orleans, LA. There the unit turned over its horses then travelled to Vicksburg, MS. Arriving at Vicksburg it was remounted and assigned to garrison duties within the interior of the state.
 

On 4/26/65 the explosion of the steamer Sultana resulted in the loss of 55 men from the 9^th. These men were prisoners of war returning north. Those who escaped the disaster reached Indianapolis in early May and were mustered out of Federal service while under parole.
 

The remainder of the 9^th returned to Vicksburg, MS on 5/22/65. The regiment remained there until 8/28 when it was mustered into history.
 

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:

Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  4; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:  0; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  28; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 204.

SOLDIER:
Residence: Marion County, IN   Age: 25.5 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 1/7/64   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 1/7/64
Mustered Out: 8/28/65 Indianapolis, IN
Highest Rank: Pvt. (Saddler)
Rank At Discharge: Pvt. (Saddler)

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of Joseph Nay was created in November, 2020 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents will be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
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 Joseph William Nay was born 8/3/38.  His place of birth was Edgar County, IL. 
 

Parents of Joseph were Daniel (b. 12/25/08 Oldham County, KY - d. 8/27/62 KS) and Mary Ann (nee Pinnell b. 11/9/10 Culpeper, Culpeper County, VA - d. 6/7/91 Grandview, Edgar County, IL) Nay. Although the information is not reflected in available U.S. Census data, the Nays were likely farmers.
 

Daniel and Mary produced eight children. Joseph was the fourth of the eight. His older siblings were Harrison (b. 1829), Eliza A. (b. 1830) and Margaret Jane (b. 1836). Younger siblings were Christopher Columbus (b. 11/26/41), Erasmus (b. 5/26/48 IL), Mary E. (b. 1851) and Daniel Webster (b. 6/28/54).
 

On 11/14/59 Joseph married in Johnson County, IN. His bride was Cynthia Ann Parkhurst (b. 11/15/38 loc. unk. U.S.A.).
 

In 1860 Joseph and Cynthia were residing with Cynthia's parents in Nineveh Johnson County, IN.  Joseph was employed as a farm laborer.
 

The marriage would be the first and last for both Joseph and Cynthia.  During their years together they would produce six children all six of whom were living as of 1900.
 

Joseph and Cynthia's children were: Clara "Clary" F. (b. 2/11/61 IL), Lucy May (b. 1863), William Henry (b. 7/2/66 IL), Herbert "Hervey" James (b. 9/4/68 Edgar, Edgar County, IL), Eliza Morton (b. 1876 Central City Merrick County, NB) and Cecil Millie (b. 1879 IL).
 

Residentially, the Nays moved around a lot. After initially living with Cynthia's parents in Indiana, by 1864 they were still in that state, but had a place of their own in Marion County. That was where they were residing when Joseph joined the U.S. Army.
 

Joseph enlisted in and was mustered into the 9^th Indiana Cavalry on 1/7/64. The enlistment may have been at least partially prompted by financial considerations. By 1864 some rather "tidy" sums of money were being offered as enrollment bonuses or "bounties." Receipt of Private Nay's military service records will help clarify this matter.
 

While in the cavalry Joseph received a least some sort of promotion when he was made a saddler. However, exactly what this means is not known.
 

Although becoming a saddler was a positive, there were also a negative side to military service. Years later, in 1890, Joseph applied for and was granted a U.S. Government disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. One available pension form noted him having received gunshot wounds to his left thigh and right leg. It also noted his initial dollar stipend to be $17 per month. Again, receipt of pension files should shed more light on these matters. 
 

Promotions and wounding aside, Private Nay survived The War and returned to civilian life. Although available documents are unclear as to exactly where the Nays were living in 1865, as of 1868 they were residing in Edgar, Edgar County, IL.
 

Two years later, in 1870, the Nay family was in Clear Creek Vernon County, MO while by 1876 they were in Central City Merrick County, Nebraska. As of 1879 they were back in Illinois. A year later, in 1880 they were in Hamburg Fremont County, IA. While in Iowa Joseph noted his occupation as being "carpenter", so perhaps the moves were undertaken to follow building booms as American moved westward.
 

As of 1900, the Nays were in Washington State. What had drawn them to the Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest is an unknown. Also not known is when they arrived here.
 

In Washington Joseph and Cynthia resided in two locations.  In 1900 they were living in the small Kitsap County community of Kingston. A decade later, in 1910, they were in the Sunnydale region of King County. Sunnydale was/is near the present day city of Burien.  In both locales Joseph listed his occupation as "farmer."
 

Cynthia Ann Parkhurst Nay died on 4/1/07. No details are available pertaining to her passing.  It appears she died in the Seattle/King county area - perhaps in the aforementioned Sunnydale community - as she was/is buried in the I.O.O.F. Comet Lodge (Georgetown) Cemetery located on the western slope of Seattle's Beacon Hill.
 

Joseph died on 6/3/11 in Sunnydale. He was/is buried in the Comet Lodge Cemetery next to Cynthia.

Buried at Comet Lodge AKA Georgetown Cemetery