G2G: Pvt. Lucius Smith (1837 - 1919) U.S. Civil War Vet. of the 106th NYV and his 4 Wives

Question

Hi Wikitreers,

We have another veteran of the 106th New York Infantry Regiment Company D a Pvt. Lucius Smith. The son of William and Hilda Clark Smith. A man who died where he was born yet it appears his life was not so typical of the average farmer for the area! 

Pvt. Smith enlisted at the age of 28 on August 11, 1862, at De Kalb, N.Y. to serve three years. He mustered in as private into Co. D, August 27, 1862 and mustered out with company, June 22, 1865, at Washington, D.C.  

let’s not forget the woes of Company D as we see in this account:  “The following is quoted from Col. Fox's account of the regiment: "Companies D and F were captured, April 29, 1863, at Fairmount, W. Va., where they defended a railroad bridge for several hours against a large force of Confederates.”

See also: Fairmont Engagement

He has a very intriguing obituary. A man married 4 times during his lifetime. The names of his wives mentioned in his obit which is very rare! Usually the widow gets the entire spotlight yet it doesn’t appear to be from divorce yet more from tragedy. Pvt. Smith had children and grandchildren, but from which wife? I think the jigsaw puzzle will be enlightening.

Any collaboration is appreciated as we try and connect all 1400 veterans of the Glorious 106th NYV 

1.) Where was he buried and does he have a memorial? Per obit “Interment will be made in Riverside cemetery.” Update found his memorial Here

2.) All his wives are on his memorial except Misses Julia Austin

Answer 1

Andrew,

You hook me in again with that teaser!  I thought 4 wives at the same time. Ha.  Sort of disappointed to hear that they were one at a time.

I recall reading a pension file. There were two different widows who filed. Apparently, that soldier had two wives. As I recall, there was an affidavit from his mother who felt that nothing was wrong with what her son did. It was entertaining reading.

Comments

Hi Norman,

It does make one wonder if that did happen? I’m sure polygamy or such was something that existed then. It’s possible a veteran could of had many wives based on his religious views. That would be a very intriguing veteran!

---

In the case I had, it was not based on religious views. He and all of his wives could not read or write. He would get married to one. Supposedly the wife left him and he just married someone else. Did not bother with a divorce. The need for the formality of a divorce seemed foreign to this mother. But from the ages of his children, there was an overlap between wives. He was having children with both. One wife one year, the second wife the next year, and repeat. So clearly his first wife did not leave him as his mother said.

The children of the second wife got nothing, Their pension claim was rejected because he had never divorced his first wife.

I say first, but as I recall there was another wife, perhaps earlier that the so-called first wife. She never filed for a pension. Her name only came up in his mother's affidavit explaining things.  His mother said the first wife abandoned him so he remarried, Just matter-of-factly. This was not in some rural back-woods area. As I recall he was in Detroit.