JOSEPHUS and MARY
LOWREY of TUSCARORA
Joseph was born on 12/3/1846, probably in the Town of Independance, Allegany
County. He was the son of
Phillip and Harriett Hyde Lowrey. Harriett was Phillip's second wife.
Joseph's siblings were Lucinda (b.abt.
1845), James Frank (b.1850), Margaretta (b.1854-1855), and Malinda (b.1865).
In the 1860 and 1865 census Phillip's family, with Joseph, shows up in West
Sparta. However records show Joe
as being in the cavalry in 1865 and his unit was enroute to Colorado at census
time.
Joseph enlisted on 1/3/1864 at Sonyea into the 21st cavalry and was mustered
into Company E on 1/14/1864 in
West Sparta. He was discharged from Company C on 7/3/1866 at Camp Collins,
Colorado. Exploits of the 21st
Cavalry can be found in the book SABRES IN THE SHENANDOAH by John C. Bronnell,
Jr.
He also bought
land in 1864 which was recorded in Liber 69, page 222 as 3/28/1864. It was
lots 15 and 16 in the village of
Kysorville. It was bounded on the West by the road from Kysorville to Byersville,
on the South by a School House
lot, on the North by a gully, and on the East by the road from Kysorville to
Dansville. They sold it in 1867.
Prior to 1867 Josephus married Mary Claus from Groveland. Mary was born on
12/18/1850 and came to the US
in 1853.. One census shows that she was born in Strasburg, Germany (Perhaps
she was born in Germany across
the river from Strasbourg, France). She was the daughter of Michael
( b 4/15/1822 d.12/13/1872) and Hellan
(Knonel) (b.8/10/1824 d.6/14/1890). Mary's siblings were Charles
(b. 7/8/1849 d.1922 ), Michael
(b.around 1854), Hellan (Ella) (b.1857 d.1939), and Rose (b.1865 d.1946).
In the 1870 census for Groveland, the Claus's lived in household #240.
Phillip's family was at #255 and Joseph,
with Mary and baby Charles, were at #252. Had to be pleasant.
In 1875, Joe with Mary, Charles and William were in household #112 and
Harriett's family was at #113. Phillip
had probably died before 1875. I don't know where the Claus's were.
In 1915 Joseph and Mary bought 20 acres near Tuscarora on the South side
of Hoagland Road about 100 feet
west of Begole Road. The 1917 Farmers' Directory lists him as a farmer
growing hay and beans.
Josephus and Mary had four children:
Charles G. b. 9/16/1868 d. 9/25/1943;
William b. 11/11/1871 d. 2/10/1937 (my grandfather);
Elmer b. 1876 d. 1921
Fred b. 11/19/1878 d. 8/24/1937 6 months after William
Charles m. Grace M. VanOrnsdale, b.9/18/1877 d.8/24/1953 and had 3 dau.,
Ruth, Irene, Mary, and one son
Gordon.
A Daisy Lowrey died on 12/11/1900, age 8. Newspaper states that
she was daughter of Elmer but the
1900 census shows her in the household of Charles and identifies her as
daughter. Elmer would have been only 15
when Daisy was born but so too was Grace.
Charles and Grace are buried in
Mount Morris next to the Claus's.
William first married Laura Merrithew ( b.abt. 1873 d. 3/23/1900 ), daughter
of Hiram, and had two kids:
Neva Marjorie b. 10/6/1893 d. 6/1968 lived in Rossburg;
Ethel S. b. 9/4/1896 d. 7/16/1919 raised in Rossburg lived in
Tuscarora.
He then married Ida Nell Reynolds (b, 5/21/1876 d. 1/20/1945) and had four kids:
Lyman C. b. 4/11/1902 d. 1977 lived in Nunda;
Philip R. b. 8/30/1907 d. 3/22/1968 lived in Buffalo (my father);
Roland J. b. 5/6/1909 d. 2/5/1990 lived in Rossburg;
William R. b. 2/16/1916 d. 10/22/1998 lived in Clearwater, FL
Elmer b.1876 d.1921 He m. Catherine Ess (1876-2/14/1959). They had two
kids. Catherine(Carolyn-Carrie)
and Joseph. Newspaper (Mount Morris Union 12/13/1900 page 2) states that
Daisy, daughter of Elmer died on12/11/1900 age 8.
Daisy (6/12/1892-12/11/1900);
Carrie (7/15/1901-4/1968) m. Samuel Little;
Joseph (12/20/1906-11/1970) m. Onnolee Sprague ( 3/17/04- 12/25/90 )
Fredrick m. Nellie Johnson on 5/24/1899 and had one son and two daughters.
Fred (6/2/1905-1982);
Clara (11/17/1907-9/12/2000) m. Ward Traxler and had three sons;
Jane (2/4/1916-10/18/1986) m. Ed Stoner
Joseph died on 12/6/1919 and Mary died on 9/19/1920. They are buried in
Oakwood Cemetery in Nunda in
Section c, lot 39 along with daughter-in-law Laura Lowrey (William's first
wife) and Ethel Lowrey Smith (William's
daughter from Laura). William bought the graves in 1903 when Laura died.
Joseph's brother Frank and Frank's
wife Emma are in Section d, lot 38. Elmer and wife Catherine are buried nearby.
Corporal
Josephus Lowrey
One reference is the book SABRES in the SHENANDOAH by John C. Bonnell, Jr.
which is a history of the 21st
Cavalry (the Griswald Light Cavalry).
Josephus H. Lowrey at age 18 enlisted on Jan. 3rd, 1864 at Sonyea, NY in the
21st NY Cavalry. He was
mustered into Company E as a private on Jan. 14th in West Sparta.
The 21st was organized in July 1863 and took “basic training” at Camp Stoneman
Cavalry Depot at Gresboro
Point. (now Anacostia Naval Station-Wash. D.C. ) Men were issued an 1860
sabre, 2-1858 Remington
Revolvers, a Burnside carbine, and a McClellan saddle. On 1/14/1864 they
went to Harpers Ferry to be part of
the Army of West Virginia.
Joseph wasn't mustered until 1/14/1864 so he probably went to Stoneman for
training and joined the 21st in the
Shenandoah Valley between 4/1864 and 6/1864. Cavalry duties varied and
included scouting, escorting wagon
trains carrying supplies, guarding encampments, protecting the army’s flanks
and rear, and fighting Confederate
soldiers and guerillas. It was an ordeal and many men and horses died from
the cold, starvation, and disease.
Their tour in the Shenandoah consisted of the Yankees and the Rebs chasing
each other around the valley in what is
now Rte. 81 from the Maryland state line to south of Staunton (Rte.64). The
troops kept each other busy so that
the Yankees could not join in the fight for Richmond and the Rebs could not
attack Washington. The guerilla
warfare was one of the toughest parts.
In Jan. 1865 Joseph was appointed Corporal.
On 4/21/1865, as the war was winding down they were considered surplus to the
operations in the valley and they
were ordered to Washington for the Grand Review and parade past the President.
They left camp in Berryville
VA. and rode to Falls Church via Harpers Ferry, Frederick, and Arlington
Heights arriving 4/23/1865. On May
23rd they paraded past the President and then went into camp at Bladensburg
Md. and it was party time. There
was considerable drunkenness, rowdiness, and fighting with the men of the
Western Union Army. Finally the
troops were separated and the 21st went to Clouds Mill Alexandria.
On 6/14/1865 they rode to Union Station in Washington and boarded the B&O for
points west. It was an eventful
ride. When the train stopped in Sandy Hook and Martinsburg many troopers
engaged in looting and robbery and
assaults. When they arrived in Cumberland the detachment was arrested but
allowed to continue to Parkersburg.
After things were sorted and somewhat resolved they continued through
Cincinnati to St. Louis and boarded a
steamboat for a 13 day ride to Ft. Leavenworth. There they spent 18 days
getting outfitted and then a 39 day ride
to Fort Collins, Colorado arriving around Sept. 1865.
Joseph was transferred on Sept. 9th, 1865 to Company C. Company C was
stationed at Fort Halleck and Camp
Wardwell (Fort Morgan). The regiment’s duties included protecting the
Overland Stage Trail, the telegraph lines,
the forts, and the settlers and miners from the Indians.
The regiment was disbanded on July 3rd, 1866 at Camp Collins, Colorado.
Joseph was discharged with a
disability .. he was thrown from his horse. We had always been told that his
horse was shot from under him ..and
my brother has an old, worn saddle that was said to be his and it was said to
have a bullet hole in it. I never could
distinguish the bullet hole from other holes.
Because Joseph only served 2-1/2 years of his 3 year enlistment he was not
given money or tickets and had to get
back to Western NY on his own.