Charles Henry Clay (1844 - 1925)

Born 19 Mar 1844 in Plattsburgh, Clinton, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Holihan — married 17 Sep 1868 in Plymouth, Windsor, Vermont, United States

Husband of Ruth Ann Mc Namara — married 14 Apr 1914 in Ludlow, Windsor, Vermont, United States

Died 7 Aug 1925 at age 81 in Ludlow, Windsor, Vermont, United States

Charles Clay served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Oct 26, 1861
Mustered out: No Date
Side: USA
Regiment(s): 96th New York Infantry

Biography

Charles was born in 1844. He was the son of William Clay and Esther Holmes. He passed away in 1925.

The following comes from the Clinton County, NY, Civil War 1861-1865 Facebook page:

HIS WOUND NEVER HEALED - In 1860, Charles H. Clay was living on a farm in West Beekmantown with his parents, William and Esther Clay. The October of 1861, Charles was mustered into Captain Nicholas Day’s Company H of the 96th Infantry which formed in Plattsburgh. He and 70 privates with their officers, sergeants and corporals made up the company of 86 men. The regiment left for Washington by train in March of 1862.

As soon as the 96th got to the capital, they were transported to the Siege of Yorktown by ship before fighting northward on the Virginia Peninsula. At the conclusion of the Seven Days’ Battles in July, they joined the XVIII Corps and embarked on the Expedition from New Berne to Goldsboro in North Carolina. Charles re-enlisted Coinjock, NC, on January 1, 1864.

The 18th corps was transferred to the Army of the James in April 1864. During May, the 96th was present at Swift Creek, Proctor's Creek, Drewry’s Bluff and Bermuda Hundred, and joined the Army of the Potomac at Cold Harbor at the beginning of that battle on June 1st. On June 3rd, at Cold Harbor, Charles was shot in both legs and spent the rest of the war in hospital. He was discharged for disability in Philadelphia after 3 years, 7 months and 20 days in the military.

Charles returned to the Plattsburgh area then moved to Vermont, his father’s birthplace, and married Mary Holihan in 1868. He supported them both by working as a harness maker. Toward the end of his life, Charles spent many years in veterans hospitals because of the injuries he received at Cold Harbor, one of which in the left knee never fully healed and was a suppurating wound.

After Mary’s death in 1911, Charles married Ruth Ann Stearns and it was she who received his pension when he died in 1925.

The Rutland Daily Herald carried his death notice on August 8. 1825 – “Charles H. Clay, 81, a veteran of the Civil War, died at his home yesterday afternoon. The funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o’clock and burial will take place Monday at Waitsfield. Mr. Clay’s wife survives him. Mr. Clay was a member of the Army of the Potomac and served four years during the Civil War. He was wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor and was lame the remainder of his life. Mr. Clay had been engaged in the harness business at Waitsfield but he retired some years ago.”

Sources

• Rosters Of The New York Infantry Regiments During The Civil War—96th Infantry

• "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XFV7-9PX : 19 February 2021), Charles H Clay and Mary A Heath, 1868.

• "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XFVZ-L6L : 19 February 2021), Charles H Clay and Mary A Heath, 1868.

• "Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPQX-8F81 : 3 March 2021), Chap H Clay and May A Heath, 17 Sep 1868; citing Marriage, Rutland, Vermont, United States, various town clerks and records divisions, Vermont; FHL microfilm 005486460.

• "United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6H8-F4M : 20 August 2019), Charles H Clay, 1907-1933; citing NARA microfilm publication M850 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,634,446.

• "Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q28J-8144 : 10 March 2021), Chas H Clay and Ruth Ann Stearns, 14 Apr 1914; citing Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 828,826.

• "Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPQR-3W33 : 3 March 2021), Charles H Clay and Ruth Ann Stearns, 14 Apr 1914; citing Marriage, Ludlow, Windsor, Vermont, United States, various town clerks and records divisions, Vermont; FHL microfilm 005486456.

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCTY-C54 : 23 December 2020), Charles Clay in household of William Clay, Beekmantown, Clinton, New York, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMPW-H2L : accessed 16 April 2021), Charles H. Clay, Waitsfield town, Washington, Vermont, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 226, sheet 2A, family 32, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,695.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPFN-P3V : accessed 16 April 2021), Charles Henry Clay, Waitsfield, Washington, Vermont, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 235, sheet 5A, family 93, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1617; FHL microfilm 1,375,630.