TRIBUTE TO HENRY HALE
CIVIL WAR Co A. 184th NY Infantry
Henry Hale was born in a special
place called the Royal Forest of Dean,
the Hundred of St. Brivales, Gloucestershire,
England in 1826.
Henry's family were "Free Miners."
It was a very hard way to make a
living. It required clawing
out coal with a pick ax while lying in a
wet and muddy tunnel. Henry
started at age 14.
Henry married Miriam Chivers
on May 10th 1846 and they left Liverpool
aboard the ship Devonshire and arrived
in New York City in Sept of
1849.
Henry and Miriam established themselves
in Volney and raised 6 children
by the time the Civil War broke
out. With 5 children ranging in age
from 2 to 14 Henry might have avoided
the war but he chose to serve, joining the 184th NY Infantry Company
A. On the first day of the first battle Henry was mortally wounded.
He survived the trip home and died in less than a month, on 14 November
1864 at the age of 38.
Fate somehow arranged that, before
I learned of Henry's service, the
only Civil War battle reenactment
I ever saw was the Battle of Cedar Creek where Henry was wounded.
Henry's family followed him to America
in 1851. His mother died
shortly after arriving in Volney
and is buried in the same cemetery. His
father remarried and together with
Henry's brothers and sisters moved on to Cook County, Ill. and finally
to Central Iowa where they were
successful farmers and prominent
citizens.
Although Henry didn't survive to
enjoy his children and the good life
he had helped to defend he is remembered
by his family and honored for the sacrifice he made on that battlefield
far away from the ones he loved.
Contributed by
Jerry Hale
USN Ret., USMM Ret.
IowaGob1 AT juno.com
My one ancestor who I'm particularly
thinking of this Memorial Day was George W. Stearns. He was
from Orwell, and died of his wounds in Washington DC after being wounded
in the left arm near Petersburg, and having it amputated. His
wife Rosette was pregnant with my great grandmother, Georgianna, who was
not born until several months after George died. Unfortunately
I have no letters from George or Rosette. I have four ancestors,
and several other relatives who served in the Civil War, all from Oswego
County.
Contributed by Steve Swales
Joel S. Palmer
The Well-Known and Popular Fulton
Veteran. At the breaking out of the civil war he Enlisted and was
made Captian of his Company in the One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment,
New York Volunteers, from Fulton, serving with Gallantry throughout the
rebellion. His bright and cheery
Face was always welcome among the
old Comrades, at the camp fires of the G.A.R. He was a past commander
of the G.A.R. Post also.
Contributed by Paul & Laureen
Whitney
