Henry McGrew (abt. 1812 - bef. 1868)

Born about 1812 in Maryland [uncertain]

Husband of Eliza Ann Curtis — married 23 Aug 1832 in Cathedral of Cincinnati, Ohio

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jeffrey McGrew [send private message]

Biography

We know nothing of Henry's life until a family member answered questions from a census interviewer on the 14th of August 1850 in the 2nd Ward of Cincinnati, Ohio. The census record claims Henry to be 38 yrs old, born in Maryland, and married with a wife and four children. His occupation is that of a shoemaker.^[1]

Fortunately (for me), his wife, Eliza Ann Curtis, applied to receive a Civil War pension of $8 a month granted to her disabled son, Napoleon, who died at home a year after his leg was amputated in the field after the battle of Charleston, Va., September 13, 1862.^[2] In an affidavit dated 15 Aug 1868, close acquaintances of Eliza and Henry swore Eliza " ...had not remarried since the death of her late husband, Henry McGrew, who died while crossing the Plains to California."^[3] It is interesting that a sworn statement by the same couple two months earlier claimed Henry died while, "crossing the plains going to California on the 20th day of June 1856."^[4] This was clearly a false statement requiring removal of the date in the subsequent affidavit.

Henry's death must have occurred after 1863 but before the 1868 affidavit described above for two reasons. First, Eliza received a letter from her son, Napoleon, dated April 28 from Camp Union in Fayetteville, Ohio (he enlisted 25 July 1861, so the letter was likely sent the following year, 1862). In the letter, he writes, "...and give my love to father and accept the same yourself."^[5] Second, the 1863 Cincinnati City Directory contains the listing, "McGrew, Henry, shoe mkr. res. Walnut Hills."^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Year: 1850; Census Place: Cincinnati Ward 2, Hamilton, Ohio; Roll: M432_687; Page: 90B; Image: 189, Ancestry.com, Provo, UT
2. ↑ Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows of Civil War Veterans, Application # WC118622, Fold3.com [1]
3. ↑ Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows of Civil War Veterans, Application # WC118622, Fold3.com [2]
4. ↑ Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows of Civil War Veterans, Application # WC118622, Fold3.com [3]
5. ↑ Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows of Civil War Veterans, Application #WC118622, Fold3.com[4]
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA (also available on Google search)