William H. Gray, F&S

On December 22, 1863, Assistant Surgeon William H. Gray mustered in at Fort Monroe and was assigned “servants”: Benjamin Lamson (until December 1863); Lewis Ames (January – February 1864); and Uncle Anderson (March – April 1864).  In August 1864 he received orders to establish a Post hospital in “the vacant building known as Capt. Wm. Webster’s residence. He will also examine all recruits offered until further notice.”
— Compiled military service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served with the United States Colored Troops [microform]: 1st through 5th United States Colored Cavalry, 5th Massachusetts Cavalry (Colored), 6th United States Colored Cavalry (1997). Reel 0005 – 1st United States Colored Cavalry: Fly, Benjamin – Griffin, Oliver (online at http://www.archive.org/details/compiledmili0005akesunit). Gray’s Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR) can be viewed at n1357-n1395.

 

Invalid — 908,921 / 755,248
Widow — 467,312 / 330,286, Mary Capen Gray

Proof of Marriage, William H. Gray & Mary Ann Capen, 27 October 1890
“Office of the City Registrar, City Hall, Boston … William H. Gray and Mary Ann Capen were married in Boston, November eighth, Eighteen hundred and forty-one … [officiant] Rev. Edward T. Taylor …”

 

Declaration for Invalid Pension, William H. Grey [sic], 18 August 1890
70 years old; residence, Bethel, Oxford County, Maine; … “Asst Surgeon at Fortress Monroe, Va. … unable to earn a support by manual labor or by the practice of his profession by reason of paralysis agitans of about eight year standing … Simon H. Ward, residing at Bethel, Maine, and Alvan B. Godwin, residing at Bethel, Maine [and have been acquainted with him for] 20 years and 20 years, respectively ­­

 

Physician’s Affidavit, C.D. Hill, M.D., 23 August 1890
post-office address, Bethel, Maine … “That he is a practicing physician, and has been acquainted with the above-named soldier for about five years … I have known Dr. Wm. H. Gray quite intimately as a friend & neighbor during the above-named period. While I have never treated him for any disease, I am well acquainted with his condition. He is suffering from ‘paralysis agitans’ in an aggravated form & is rapidly becoming almost entirely helpless by reason of his disease. As I have never given him a critical examination sufficiently to more recall to mind exactly the parts of the body affected. I make this general statement.”

 

General Affidavit, Gideon A. Hastings, 14 March 1891
residence, Bethel, Oxford County, Maine … “That he is well acquainted with Mrs. Mary A. Gray, widow of the late William H. Gray, late Asst. Surgeon for U.S. Colored Regt Vols; That he lives near her and was one of the appraisers in Dr. Gray’s estate and that in his opinion, Mrs. Gray’s income is insufficient for her support without her own labor being less than one hundred dollars a year.
“Affiant further states that Mrs. Gray, the within claimant has not remarried since the death of her late husband but remains his widow.”

 

General Affidavit, Richard A. Frye, 14 March 1891
61 years old; residence, Bethel, Oxford County, Maine … “That he is the executor of the will of her late husband’s estate and know her income from said estate to amount to about eighty to one hundred dollars a year, and that it is not sufficient for her support so that she has to labor with her own hands for a part of her living.”

 

General Affidavit, Mary A. Grey [sic], 1 July 1891
67 years old; residence, Bethel, Oxford County, Maine … “William H. Grey [sic] was the husband of the affiant and that his service in the United States Army ended on the fourth day of February A.D. 1866; That he was enrolled on the 22d day of December 1863 as Asst. Surgeon in United States Colored Regt. of Colored Cavalry and was discharged at Brazos Santiago, Texas, Feb 4th 1866 as above. That affiant gains the knowledge by the correspondence of the parties during the during the period of said services and by the private papers of the said decedent soldier which correspondence and papers can be produced if necessary.

“Affiant further states that she still remains the widow of decedent soldier.”