Edward GILES

Edward Giles was born a Freeman in Hardin County Kentucky in 1833.  He died 12 February 1866 at New Madrid, Missouri. At age 32 Giles

had enlisted in the United States Army at

Marietta, Ohio,  on 10 Aug 1864 and was assigned to Company G, 5^th

U.S.C.T. He was discharged 22 August 1865. 

Edward Giles married Mary Hanna Newter on 6 May 1855, in New Madrid, Missouri.  Mary was born in 1838. 

 In July 1866 Giles was shot by a former Rebel

soldier while visiting his former home to bring

his mother-in-law to Marietta. Instead his body was accompanied to Marietta by his mother-in-law. He is buried in Mound Cemetery in Marietta, Ohio.  

Edited by Henry Robert Burke

Benjamin D. Fearing Camp 2

Sons of Union Civil War Veterans

Marietta, Ohio

GENERAL AFFIDAVIT

  In the matter of Mary H. McGee, widow of Edward Giles, CO. G. 5. U.S.C.T.

  Personally came before me, a Notary Public in the aforesaid county and state Andrew McConall aged 56 years, citizen of Newcomerstown County of Tuscarawrus, State of Ohio well known to me to be a reputable and entitled to credit, and who being duly sworn, declares in relation to aforesaid case, as follows:

  That he was present when Mary Hannah McGee was married to Edward Giles.  That she at that time was a slave owned by Irving Shields of New Madrid County, Missouri, that as near as he can recollect she was married to said Giles about May or June 1856 and that they lived together as man and wife thereafter.

  That he knows said Edward Giles was killed sometime in July 1866, near Mr. Shields’ farm , an old house, in New Madrid County Missouri, by a confederate soldier.  He was shot in the evening about 6 o’clock. I had the body brought to New Madrid and there shipped to Marietta, Ohio. 

Dr. Sir:-

      I am sure you are willing to help a poor colored woman and a widow of a Union Soldier.

Edward Giles was a soldier in the Union army and after his discharge he returned to New Madrid Missouri where his wife had been a slave.  He had gone there to bring his mother-in-law to Marietta, O. to live with him and his wife. Upon seeing Edward Giles in his blue Union overcoat the overseer, a recently discharged Confederate soldier who was working on the plantation, shot Giles dead. Giles’s mother-in-law brought his body back to Marietta, O. and he is buried in Mound cemetery.