Question regarding Ulster County NY 1864

[BCS1973]

Can any of y'all upstaters give me an idea of what may have been going on around Kingston, NY early to mid 1864. I'm researching soldier from the Veteran Reserve Corps (Invalid Corps) who seemed to be on "detached" duty there quite a bit between Jan and June of 1864.

 

[lupaglupa]

I can't find anything. The only specific Civil War activity in the Kingston area would be recruitment for new regiments but the units I'm seeing that were formed in Kingston did so before 1864.

Any clues about the soldier that might help - occupation in private life, injury in the War, etc. - explain his presence there?

 

[BCS1973]

I can't find anything. The only specific Civil War activity in the Kingston area would be recruitment for new regiments but the units I'm seeing that were formed in Kingston did so before 1864.

Any clues about the soldier that might help - occupation in private life, injury in the War, etc. - explain his presence there?

Nothing. I have no idea what the injury was that landed him in the VRC. The soldier had lung issues early in the war, but there is no medical records indicating why he was placed in the VRC. He just kind of shows up in the VRC six weeks after Gettysburg. February and April records of 1864 just have him listed "On detached duty, Kingston, NY". In June, he re-enlisted in the VRC, appears to have been promoted to corporal in July, then "deserted while on furlough in Kingston, NY". Between then and 1870, he gets married, has a child in late 1865, and returns home to Philadelphia, and I can't say in what order he did those. I can't figure out if he just didn't want to be a corporal, or if perhaps that's where he met his future wife and she made him a better offer. It's also possible there were kinfolk there, but I have been unsuccessful in determining a relation thanks in large part to the Irish disdain for originality of names. This is the same soldier that was accredited to Lawrence Mass, 6th cong district upon re-enlistment, but appears to have no ties to that area of the country either.

 

[BCS1973]

As for occupation, before the war he appears to be an apprentice cordwainer, after the war he worked as a grinder in a grinding room.

 

[bayouace]

Famous Ulster Knives, started by immigrants from the British knife center of Sheffield, went into production about 1870. Was he possibly a grinder with them? If so he was a ground-breaking pioneer in American cutlery history.

 

[lupaglupa]

Did he stay in New York after the War?

 

[BCS1973]

Famous Ulster Knives, started by immigrants from the British knife center of Sheffield, went into production about 1870. Was he possibly a grinder with them? If so he was a ground-breaking pioneer in American cutlery history.

He was back in Philadelphia no later than 1870 as he buried a child there. He may have worked at the armory, or at Disston and Sons as he lived in walking distance to either. The year he died, the Philadelphia Directory changed his occupation from grinder to toolmaker, which makes me suspect he worked at Disston. He died from "grinders consumption" at about 42 years of age.

 

[lupaglupa]

Can you give me his name? I can check the local New York papers to see if there's a mention of him.

 

[BCS1973]

Can you give me his name? I can check the local New York papers to see if there's a mention of him.

It's actually the soldier in my avatar. I do have a newspapers account so I can research it that way, I don't remember much coming up there, however, now that you mention it, I may not have been looking at the papers in that area.

 

[lupaglupa]

It's actually the soldier in my avatar. I do have a newspapers account so I can research it that way, I don't remember much coming up there, however, now that you mention it, I may not have been looking at the papers in that area.

There is a quirky site here in New York that has tremendous coverage of local papers. It's a bit hard to use until you get used to it but once you know how you can find amazing stuff. It's at this link:

index

 

[BCS1973]

There is a quirky site here in New York that has tremendous coverage of local papers. It's a bit hard to use until you get used to it but once you know how you can find amazing stuff. It's at this link:

index

THX. just started looking at it. I see what you mean, but still i can see that it could yield results i otherwise haven't found.

 

[lupaglupa]

THX. just started looking at it. I see what you mean, but still i can see that it could yield results i otherwise haven't found.

I solved a lot of family mysteries with that site!

 

[Bruce Vail]

Could the deployment have something to do with suppressing the so-called "Fishing Creek Confederacy"?

 

[lupaglupa]

Could the deployment have something to do with suppressing the so-called "Fishing Creek Confederacy"?

That took place quite a distance away.

 

[John Hartwell]

It's actually the soldier in my avatar. I do have a newspapers account so I can research it that way, I don't remember much coming up there, however, now that you mention it, I may not have been looking at the papers in that area.

Have you tried the huge newspaper archive at genealogybank.com? They are particularly strong for the 19th century -- many papers I haven't seen elsewhere. You can search for free, but need a subscription to see the papers. If you find anything, I'd be happy to use my subscription to make copies for you.