John W. Aday (1841 - 1865)

Born 1841 in Arkansas, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Catherine (Sherman) Peters — married Jun 1861 in Alma, Crawford, Arkansas, United States

Died 15 Jan 1865 at about age 24 in Alma, Crawford, Arkansas, United States

Biography

John W. Aday was born in 1841 in Arkansas as the son of Boaz Walter Aday and Mary Polly Holcomb.

He married Elizabeth Catherine Sherman in June 1861 in Alma, Crawford, Arkansas

He was conscripted into the Confederate Army. He deserted the same day. He ended up enlisting in the Union Army in Company E, 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry, Union^[1][2][3] and served until death.

In January of 1865, he were in Missouri and were granted a leave to return home for a visit. There seemed to have been a small group of men who returned to Alma to visit their families. While they were at home, it came to the attention of men who were in the Confederate Army that “traitors” were in their midst. As John Aday was preparing to return to his unit, the Confederate sympathizers confronted him.

John was shot and killed in front of his home by these men on 15 January 1865. Having not returned to his unit, he was listed as having “disserted”.

His wife Elizabeth ended up married to her brother in law George Washington Peters who had 3 motherless children including an infant and had served with John.

After George died in 1911, the government was offering pensions to those who served in the Civil War and their widows. Since Eliza wasn’t married to George during the war, she applied for a widow’s pension from her first husband’s service. Since John was listed as having disserted, her pension was denied. She appealed this decision and got the testimony of those men who served with John to tell how he had died at the hands of the Confederates. Her cause was taken before the U. S. Congress. By Congressional Act, Eliza was granted her pension and John’s record was set straight^[4].

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F9LP-Z62 : 4 December 2014), John W. Aday, Private, Company E, 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry, Union; citing NARA microfilm publication M383 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1; FHL microfilm 881,488
2. ↑ "Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZVZ-VZ9 : 27 November 2014), John Aday, 1864; from "Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Arkansas," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M399 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1963), roll 15.
3. ↑ "Arkansas Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZV6-KTR : 27 November 2014), John W Aday, 1863; from "Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Arkansas," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M399 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1963), roll 59
4. ↑

   Military Pension Index

   Name: John W. Aday

   Certificate#:

   Type: Army Invalid

   Name of Soldier:

   Service: Pvt. Co. E. 2nd Arkansas Vol. Cav.

   Payable to: Widow - Eliza J. Aday

   Class: Reis.

   Rate: 12

   Date of Commencement: 4 March 1907

   Date of Certificate: 16 October 1907

   Date of Death: 5 November 1911

   Http://archive.org

• Profile created through the import of Aday.ged on Jan 2, 2013 by William Knight. See the Changes page for the details of edits by William and others.