Just a Few Civil War Dead From Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

My previous post lists the 29 men on the Civil War Monument on the Shrewsbury, Massachusetts town common. Most of their deaths are recorded all together in the vital records of the Town Clerk of Shrewsbury, and can be found here on Ancestry.com. The clerk took the time to mention some details of their enlistment and death circumstances. Here are just a few.

John F. Howe
17 March 1864, John F. Howe, 18 years, 2 months and 24 days old, died in Shrewsbury [Camp Nelson?], male, single, laborer, born in Shrewsbury, son of William H. Howe born Shrewsbury and his wife Eliza Shaw from Palmer or Brimfield. He died of cerebro-spinal meningitis, and is interred in Shrewsbury. Undertaker or informant was A. F. Maynard, recorded Jan. 7, 1865. "Mr. Howe enlisted from Shrewsbury Jan. 4 1864 in 21 Regt. M. V. M. Co. G. as private and died as above recorded."

Nathan B. Garfield
10 May 1864 (sic), Nathan B. Garfield, 28 years, 3 months and 27 days old, died in Petersburg, Va., male, single, apothecary, born in Shrewsbury, son of Jonas and Rhoda Garfield, died of "gunshot wound in abdomen. Mr. Garfield enlisted from Shrewsbury… in 25 Regt. Co. I as private and was wounded in abdomen during the battle in front of Petersburg, Va. May 9, and died the next day."

Drawing of the second Andersonville prison hospital

NPS/Andersonville National Historic Site

Jonas M. Wheelock

18 August 1864, Jonas M. Wheelock, 17 years, 6 months, 27 days, died in Andersonville, Ga., male, single, laborer, born Shrewsbury, son of Abraham Wheelock, born Northboro, and wife Mary C. Maynard [illegible], interred at Andersonville, Ga., informant A. F. Maynard, registered 7 Jan. 1865. "Mr. Wheelock enlisted from Shrewsbury March 7, 1862 in 11 Regt. U. S. I A. F. as private. Taken prisoner at Chancellorsville, Va. Carried to Andersonville, Va."

Several died of bullet wounds: Franklin J. Perry was "shot through the head and died instantly at battle of Coal Harbor, Va." on And Charles F. Rice died at Spottsylvania, Va. of gunshot wounds on May 8th of 1864. And Master Sergeant William H. Williams, 20, bootmaker, died in the Battle of the Wilderness, Va., "at the head of his men, by being shot in forehead, neck and breast."

Several others died of of chronic diarrhea: on 22 July 1864, 30 year-old married shoemaker Charles F. Gleason died at Broad and Cherry Street Hospital, Philadelphia; and 24-year old shoemaker Albert W. Carey died in the hospital at Point of Rocks, Virginia on 19 September 1864.