Fort Stevens

[gordoncarson]

Hello

I am emailing from the UK.

My Gr Gr Gr Uncle Henry M Gray (born in the UK in 1831) emigrated to the USA in 1855, aged 24.

In September 1859 he married Orcelia (Celia) Susan Shaw.

Henry M Gray enlisted for the Union Army on 1st January 1865.

He fought with the 3rd Heavy Artillery Regiment, Company F.

I understand he was stationed at some point at Fort Stevens just outside Washington. (Where President Lincoln was shot at)

He was wounded in the knee at Pleasant Valley and he was discharged from the Army on 31st January 1868.

He ultimately died at the Kansas National Veterans Home in Leavenworth on 30th November 1899, aged 68. He was living there from 1894 until the time he died. He dropped dead of heart failure playing cards with is fellow veterans.

He is buried at the Leavenworth National Cemetery.

I have a picture of him sporting some sort of a War Medal taken some time after the war had ended. Would you be able to identify the medal if I sent you the said picture?

Any other detail about my distant relative would be gratefully appreciated.

Regards
Gordon

 

[General Casey]

Greetings from Massachusetts!

It looks as if it could be a GAR medal. The GAR - Grand Army of the Republic - was a Union veterans organization, sort of a kind to our Veterans of Foreign Wars or American Legion. Not sure if the UK has something similar but probably.

I'll take a look through some other photos and see what I can find.

 

[General Casey]

The photograph indicates the photographer - Aaron Nelson - was based in Central City, Colorado. There was a GAR post in Central City named for Elmer Ellsworth.

 

[ErnieMac]

Photo from eBay auction showing a similar GAR medal.

 

[Zella]

Sounds like you already have some good information on him! Do you have his CSR?

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome back

 

[James N.]

Photo from eBay auction showing a similar GAR medal.
View attachment 296887

I'll add that the suspension bar of both this example and the one Henry Gray is wearing in his photograph is in the form of a Union officer's shoulder strap rank insignia and denotes that the wearer was an officer within his particular GAR Camp (for so they were termed) though the holder may not have actually been an officer in his regiment during the war.

Here's a link to additional information about the Battle of Fort Stevens: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/th...ns-and-battleground-national-cemetery.103589/

Welcome to the forums!