Two men with the same name served in the same company. Moses Wright and Roselia Davis (below) were married in Portsmouth, Virginia. Moses Wright and Maria Powell were married in Norfolk, Virginia. Both couples moved to New York and lived near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Incidentally, the USS Monitor made famous in the Battle of the Ironclads was commissioned there in 1862.
Widow — 783,087 / 597,524, Roselia Wright
Marriage License, Moses Wright and Roselia Davis, 2 June 1869
Portsmouth, Va.; husband’s age, 25 years old; wife’s age, 27 years old; husband’s condition, widowed; wife’s condition, single; husband’s birthplace, Nansemond County, Va.; wife’s birthplace, Portsmouth, Va.; both reside in Portsmouth, Va.; husband’s parents, David and Priscilla Wright; wife’s parents, John and Mary Davis
Transcript from the Records of the Deaths Reported to the Department of Health of the City of New York, Certificate and Record of Death, Moses Wright, 4 September 1878
#7811; died on this date at 10:30am; 34 years old;
married; laborer; birthplace, Virginia;
length of residence in city, 6 years;
father’s name, [blank]; father’s birthplace, Va.; mother’s name, [blank]; mother’s birthplace, Va.;
place of death, 428 S. 5th St.; class of dwelling, tenement;
cause of death, empyema;
place of burial, Union Cemetery; date of burial, 18 September 1878; undertaker, John Snyder; address, 409 Grant Street;
physician, Charles [?] Deane, M.D., 22 Messerole [sic] Street
[Note: Empyema is a “collection of pus in the cavity between the lung and the membrane that surrounds it (pleural space)” from Johns Hopkins Medicine, accessed 25 October 2020. It’s frequently a complication of pneumonia.]
Declaration for Widow’s Pension, Roselia Wright, 21 April 1903
post-office address, 325 1/2 Lewis Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
“That she was married under he name Roselia Davis, to said Moses Wright, on the 2d day of June A.D. 1869 by Rev. W.D.W. Schwereman, at Portsmouth, Va. … no children of the soldier under sixteen years of age”
“Also personally appeared Lilly M. Howell, residing at Brooklyn, NY, and Sarah V.L. Hommedian, residing at Brooklyn, NY… their acquaintance with her of 1 year and 1 year, respectively … ”
Form 3-050, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, 13 June 1903
“There was another Moses Wright and three other men surnamed Wright in Co. H. 1st U.S.C. Cav.”
Questionnaire (Form 3-472), Roselia Wright, 1 July 1903
[birthplace] Portsmouth, Va.
[residence when you became acquainted with the soldier] Portsmouth, Va.
[how long have you known the soldier before marriage] seven months
[where, when, by whom] June 2, 1869, Portsmouth, Va., W.D.W. Schureman, minister
[residence since marriage]
[previous marriage] no
[married since soldier’s death[ no
[children born to you and soldier] Mary, born Dec 26, 1869; Rosa, born Sept 10, 1873; Julia, born June 15, 1871; Moses, born March 19, 1876
[slave] “Yes — My owner’s name was George Bains or similar name. My maiden name was Roselia Davis & since marriage known as Roselia Wright”
[soldier’s birthplace] “I do not know.”
[soldier’s residence at your acquaintance] Portsmouth, Va.
[where and when did soldier enlist] “I do not know.”
[age at enlistment, occupation, height, complexion] [blank], none, black
[soldier’s only wife] yes
[was soldier a slave] “I think he was but do not know”
Sworn Statement, Roselia Wright, 30 August 1904
post-office address, 325 1/2 Lewis Ave., Brooklyn, New York
“That Moses Wright had once previously married and that his wife Patsy Wright died at Portsmouth, Va. on January 28, 1867. That there were no children of Moses Wright under sixteen years of age at the time of his death…. That I am wholly dependent on my own daily labor from washing and ironing. That I am in needy and destitute circumstances. I have a very hard time to earn a livelihood.”
Deposition, Rosalia Wright, 3 June 1905
about 60 years old, birthday, July 15th; post-office address, 40 Herkimer St., Brooklyn, NY
“I always lived in Portsmouth until I came here. The said soldier formerly lived in Suffolk. He was a newcomer in Portsmouth. I knew his mother and sisters. They came to Portsmouth with him. All are dead.
“We came to Brooklyn, NY about three years after our marriage and lived here afterwards until his death. … My husband died in 1878. …
“When Mr. Wright died I lived in S. Fifth St., Williamsburg (Brooklyn) NY. I lived there two or three years after his death. I moved to S. 2d St. near [illegible] in a house belonging to John Campbell. I was there several years, two or three anyway. Then 619 Larimer St., five years. Hacker [sp?] St. near Broadway 5 years. To S. 2d Street between Union Ave & Hacker [?], 13 months. To Fulton St. near Buffalo Ave. about two years. To Harrison Ave. corner Gwinnett St (now Larimer) 3 years. To 325 1/2 Lewis Ave. [illegible] years. Came here May 2, 190[?].
“Q. Give me the names of your oldest friends.
A. Mrs. Henrietta Bowman (widow Joseph), Decatur St., between Reid & Patchen Ave. Not related. She lived in same house where my husband died.
“Mary Jordan (spinster), 404 Carlton Ave., laundrywoman. We came from Portsmouth, Va. together. Not related. We both belonged to same family. Geo. Bain was my master. David Bain his brother owned Mary Jordan. Think she knew Wright as long as I did.
“I have a brother Richard of Portsmouth, Va. Think he works [illegible] Richard Davis.
“Mrs. Bowman was in S. 2d St. with me. Mrs. Richards lived with me. Think she lives in Asbury Park, NJ. Think she was Anna Richards. Don’t know husband’s name. Think he runs on Pullman car. Jno. Campbell is dead. The people that I lived with at 19 Larimer St. are all dead. Mary Jane Brown lived with me on Fulton St. Didn’t know her before. She lives on Bergen St., No. 118 Rochester Ave. near Bergen.”Mrs. Drummond – widow – knew me on Lewis Ave. She was there all the time that I was and is still there. Miss Wallace is still there.”
Sworn Statement, Henrietta Bowman and Mary Jordan,17 October 1904
51 years old; residence, 409 Decatur St., Brooklyn, NY
50 years old; residence, 404 Carlton Ave., Brooklyn, NY
Deposition, Mary Jane Brown, 12 June 1905
post-office address, 118 Rochester Ave., Brooklyn, NY
[How did you meet Rosalia Wright?]
A. We lived at 1882 Fulton St., in Brooklyn, NY in 1891…. Have seen her about every week since and been quite intimately acquainted.
[Does she have any property?]
A. She earns her living by washing and ironing … she is lame and poor and in need.”
Deposition, Henrietta Brown, 12 June 1905
51 years old; widow; post-office address, 409 Decatur Street, Brooklyn, NY
[When did you first meet the claimant?]
“Nearly 30 years. Met her first at S. 5th St., Brooklyn. We lived in the same house a couple of years.”
Deposition, Minnie A. Shelton, 14 June 1905
35 years old; wife of Jas. B. Sheldon; post-office address, 489A Hancock St., Brooklyn, NY
[When did you first meet the claimant?]
“About six years. Her daughter has been with me six years and goes home to her mother at night.”
Deposition, Elizabeth Remsen, 24 June 1905
65 years old; wife, Benj Remsen; post-office address, 36 Skillman Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
“I have known the claimant … here in Brooklyn, over thirty years. I knew her husband and know of his death.
“At the time of her husband’s death I lived near Mrs. Wright and saw her frequently. I don’t see her very often of late but her daughter calls on me frequently and I kept track of her all of this time.
Deposition, Martha Davis, 26 August 1905
about 68 years old; occupation, housework; wife of Richard Davis, a laborer; post-office address, 10 Green St., Portsmouth, Va.
“Rosalia Wright, the claimant, is a sister of my husband. I knew her before the Civil War, when I married her brother, about 50 years ago…. I knew Moses for some years before he married Rosalia. He used to drive a lumber wagon for John Deans in this City.
“Q. [Was Moses married before?]
A. Yes, but I never knew his former wife. She died before he married Rosalia, as I heard…. The soldier and claimant left Portsmouth, Va. several years after this marriage and I never saw either of them afterwards….
“Q.[How many children does Rosalia have?]
A. She had three when she left here., John, Mary, and Julia.”
Deposition, Cornelia Jordan, 26 August 1905
“I am about 75 or 76 years old”; widow of Peter Jordan; occupation, housework; post-office address, 1413 Glasgow St., Portsmouth, Va.
“I have known the claimant … since her childhood. She belonged to Geo. Bain and I belonged to David Bain, both of this City. Her first husband was Moses Wright. … They moved away from here many years ago. I was in Brooklyn, NY about 9 years ago, had heard that she lived there, but never got to see her. … I did not give the date of her marriage though I believe 1869 is correct.
“Claimant’s maiden name was Davis. I knew her mother and father well. They were named Mary Davis and John Davis.”
Deposition, Mary Jordan, 31 August 1905
56 years old; occupation, domestic; residence, 1413 Glasgow St., Portsmouth, Va.
“I have known the claimant, Rosalia Wright, all my life, we both belonged to the Bains family, two brothers, of this city. … They moved to Brooklyn, NY, I believe because over 30 years ago I met claimant there. She was there long before I went there. I lived in Brooklyn over 30 years, returned last June, though I had been here on visits.
“Q. [How often did you see them in Brooklyn?]
A. The first time I met her, she and her husband were both sick. I think they lived on 11th Street but it was in Williamsburg. I did not see her again in 8 or 10 years. Her husband was dead then. She was then living in Lewis Ave. #25 I think. I saw her two or three times after that …
Q. [Has she re-married?]
A. [Not to my knowledge.]
Q. How many children has she had to your knowledge?
A. She had four to my knowledge. They were named Mary, Rosa, Julia, and John.”
1st U.S. Colored Cavalry 
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