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, 5th
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
State of Ohio
County of Tuscarauras |
} |
SS |
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.
LAW OFFICE
OF
S. J. HATHAWAY,
Marietta, Ohio,
May 35th 1901.
Mr. S. E. Garrison,
510
Charles St.
Marietta,
O.
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.
The widow
Mary Hannah Giles married Reuben McGee who died afterwards and a recent law as I believe makes her eligible for a pension
and with the assistance of friends I hope to furnish the requisite evidence. It
becomes necessary to prove the death of Edward Giles.