Richard Grant, Company I

Richard Grant was on picket duty when he received a gunshot wound to the hip. The minie ball remained lodged in his abdomen and caused considerable distress for the rest of his life. Grant worked as a waterman until he was hospitalized at the National Soldiers Home in Hampton, Virginia. Grant’s widow posted her pension application from a Massachusetts address. It was supported by testimony from comrades who lived in Virginia and Washington, DC.

Invalid — 238,921 / —
Widow — 443,358 / — , Eliza Grant

Marriage License [copy], Richard Grant & Anne Eliza Gray, 5 December 1871
Married in Norfolk on 7  December 1871; husband 23 years old and wife 20 years old; both single; both resided in Norfolk; husband born to Randolph & Phoebe A. Grant in Norfolk, wife born to John & Susan A. Gray in Norfolk County; husband’s occupation, waterman; officiant, Rev. Wm Lewis
[The marriage took place two days after license was issued – Leslie]

General Affidavit, Dinah Foreman, 16 April 1872
53 years old; residence, Norfolk, Va. … “I was present on the evening of Dec 7th 1871 and saw Rev. Wm. Lewis marry Ann Eliza and Richard A. Grant.”

Sworn Statements, Richard Grant, William Lee, & William Alpheus, 5 July 1877
Richard Grant, 28 years old; residence, Norfolk County, Va.; post-office address, care of John F. Dezendorf,  …“While on the picket line at night after the battle of Wilson’s Landing, and at Wilson’s Landing in the State of Virginia, Capt. Howard being in command of the Company at that time, he the said Richard Grant was wounded by a gunshot wound in the right hip, the ball passing in the abdomen, and that the ball still remains in the abdomen never having been extracted and causing a running wound upon the body of said Grant to the present time, that he was attended in hospital at Wilson’s Landing in the state of Virginia by Surgeons Hart, Scott, Manning, and Gray.”

“Wm. Lee, late Sergt Co I, 1st USC Cavalry of the County of Norfolk and State of Virginia … has been for 17 years acquainted with Richard Grant … that he (Lee) was present and on duty at the time said Grant was wounded and knows of his own knowledge that said declaration is true.”

“Wm. Alpheus, late Private, Co I, 1st USCC … declares that he has been for 14 years acquainted with Richard Grant … that he (Alpheus) was present when [Grant] was wounded and knows of his own knowledge that said declaration is true.”

Southern Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldier, Richard Grant’s Patient Record, 5 December 1889
“[w]as admitted on the 8 day March, 1887. His disability at the date of admission, as appears by the records, was due to disease of the lungs, from which he was extremely feeble. Not able to help himself. Confined to his bed most of the time which he alleges to have contracted in the service of the United States.
“He was admitted to the Hospital on same day he was admitted to the Home viz. March 8, 1887, for consumption of the lungs, and he died from that disease March 14, 1887. I have no knowledge of the origin or duration of the fatal disease as I never saw him until his admission as above” … signed by S.K. Towle, Surgeon

Declaration for Original Pension of a Widow – Child or Children under Sixteen Years of Age Surviving, A. Eliza Grant, 22 July 1890
36 years old; residence, Washington St, Melrose, Middlesex County, Massachusetts . . . widow of [the soldier] who was dishonorably discharged from the service from wound in life and consumption of the lungs on [19 March 1887] at Southern Branch, National Home, near Hampton, Va. … she was married under the name of A. Eliza Graye on [7 December 1872] by Rev. Wm. Lewis at Norfolk, Va. … his legitimate children who are under sixteen years of age at this present time, Walter born 1872

Declaration for Original Pension of a Widow, Child or Children under Sixteen Years of Age Surviving, A. Eliza Grant, 20 September 1890
36 years old; residence, Melrose, Middlesex County, Mass. … “widow of Richd. A. Grant … died after discharge … [on 17 March 1887] … she was married under the name of A. Eliza Graye on [7 December 1871] by Rev. Wm. Lewis, colored, at Norfolk, Va. … soldier’s legitimate children who are under sixteen years of age: Walter Grant born February 1872.
“[soldier died] from wound in hip and consumption of the lungs on the 19th day of March 1887 at Southern Branch National Home … [Eliza] was married under the name of A. Eliza Gray on 7 December 1872 by Rev. Wm. Lewis … soldier’s legitimate children who are under sixteen years of age: Walter born Feb 1872″

Request [for whereabouts of officers and some comrades] answered by Bureau of Pensions, Department of the Interior, 8 February 1894

Wm Reed	Corpl	78 Jefferson St., Norfolk, Va.
Rich Webb	Sergt	209 Bank St., Norfolk, Va.
Jacob Sugars	Pvt	Newsomes, Southampton Co., Va.
Henry Sykes alias Henry Williams	Pvt	Newsomes, Southampton Co., Va.
Albert McCoy	Pvt	Berkley, Norfolk Co., Va.
John Parker	Pvt	Newsomes, Southampton Co., Va.
Chas Jones	Pvt	243 Queen St., Norfolk, Va.
Henry Smith	Pvt	Land of Promise, Princess Anne Co., Va.
Thomas Williams	Pvt	Wilcox Wharf, Chas. City Co., Va.
Henry Stone	Pvt	18 Paul St., Norfolk, Va.
Chas Holmes	Pvt	1529 4 St., N.E. Washington, DC

Request [for whereabouts of medical officers] answered by Bureau of Pensions, Department of the Interior, 8 February 1894
“The Medical Officers of the Regiment are deceased.”

General Affidavit, A.A. Miller & Jno. J. Herbert, 2 March 1894
Miller, 46 years old; residence, Norfolk, Norfolk County, Va; and Herbert, 46 years old; residence, Norfolk, Norfolk County, Va. … “That we were personally and well acquainted with Richard A. Grant and his widow claimant before they married each other and were present at their marriage which event occurred on the 7th day of Dec 1871, at Norfolk, Va. That Rev. Wm. Lewis, deceased now, performed the ceremony.”

General Affidavit, Ann Eliza Grant, 1 May 1894
“residence, Malden, County of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts … The date of my marriage as given in my application for a pension filed July 25, 1890 which was given as December 7, 1872 was incorrect. It should have been December 7, 1871 as filed in my declaration of September 1890. Walter was born as stated February 28th, 1872. How the first date, December 7th 1872, was put onto the application I do not know for I am sure that I stated it as 1871.  I cannot be mistaken in the date as I have my bible with the date of my marriage written in it as December 7th 1871 and the date was written there on the day I was married and I further declare that in making the above statement, I have not used and not aided or prompted by any written & printed statement or recited, prepared or distorted by any other person and such testimony was written in my presence and from my oral statement made to C.H. Shedd on the first day of May 1894.”

Letter from Walter Grant to U.S. Pension Commissioner, Washington, DC, 17 April 1895
“Dear Sir: I Walter Grant of Malden in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, desire to make application for reimbursement, under an act of March 2nd 1895 for expenses incurred during the last sickness and for buryal [sic] expenses of my mother Ann Eliza Grant widow of Richard A. Grant of Co. I 1st USC Cavalry claim no. 443358. Said Ann Eliza Grant died March 27th 1895. Please forward me the necessary blanks, and instructions.
Resp Yours
Walter Grant
174 Bryant St
Malden, Mass”
[The letter was written on stationery bearing the address “7 Pleasant Street, Malden, Mass” — Leslie]