Thompson J. Wright, his wife Jane and their family moved from Wolcott N.Y. to Michigan around 1838. Thompson Wright was 44 years old at the time. He probably moved along with his brothers Frederick and Solomon.[1] The 1840 Michigan census notes that Frederick Wright lived in Parma Michigan and Thompson Wright lived in Concord Michigan, contiguous to and south of Parma. The 1840 census locates the third brother, Solomon Wright, namesake of his father Solomon Wright who was a Revolutionary War soldier, in Kent County Michigan where he was the first American settler of Alpine Michigan.[2] Solomon probably settled on a land grant that he was awarded for his service in the War of 1812.[3] The BLM record, a google map of the property location today, and a drawing of his 1837 house appear below.[4]
Solomon Wright’s house in Alpine Michigan above was built on his land grant for service in the War of 1812. The land grant document is shown below:
The red arrow shows the approximate location of the land grant viewed from satellite on google maps.
This story covers primarily the Thompson J. Wright family, but there is no doubt that descendants of his brother Solomon Wright and perhaps Frederick also had family members that participated in the war. One of Solomon Wright’s sons, Andrew C. Wright, perished in a Confederate prisoner of war prison camp.[5] [6]
Thompson J. Wright and his wife Jane had five sons, Franklin born 1820, Solomon born 1828, Philander born 1831, Elias born 1834, Datus born 1837, and possibly Helmer, born 1843. Thompson’s daughter Harriet Elizabeth was born in 1840, and Francis was born in 1842. Philander, Elias, Datus and Franklin all were in the Union Army in the Civil War. Thus far I cannot locate any record for Thompson Wright’s sons Helmer, or Solomon Wright my great-great-grandfather, in the war. That said, the records below, except for Datus Wright, were difficult to locate and to associate with the correct person.
Datus Wright
My inquiry into the family participation in the Civil War started with Datus Wright’s Civil War service. Research indicated he was in in Michigan’s 12th Infantry Company D. I requested his Civil War pension file from the National Archives. That file had a transcription from the family Bible of the births in the family. The file also detailed that Datus served in the Union Army from September 3rd 1864 to September 9th 1865.
According to the National Park Service website, during Datus Wright’s service the 12th served at:
“Duvall’s Bluff, guarding railroad, provost and fatigue duty till June 6, 1865. Hazen’s Farm near Duvall’s Bluff November 2, 1864 (Detachment). Moved to Little Rock June 6, thence march to Washington June 13-22. Guard public property at several points by detachments, with Headquarters at Camden till January 28, 1866.” [7]
Philander Wright
Tracing relatives back in time can be complicated by the fact that many people share the same name and unraveling who is who can be difficult. There are other Philander Wrights that fought in the Civil War but with luck I came across a document on Ancestry.com, titled New York, U.S., Town Clerks’ Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War, ca 1861-1865, that detailed the name of Philander’s parents. I did not expect to find Philander in New York. I do not know why he returned to New York long after his parents moved to Michigan. Knowing that I now had the correct person I requested his pension file from the National Archives in order to see if his file contained information about the family.
Philander Wright’s pension documents relate that: He married Mary Jane Pendall in September of 1855, at Albion Michigan. He enlisted in the New York 9th N.Y. Heavy Artillery in Auburn New York, September 22, 1862 at the age of 33 and was discharged on May 31st 1865. He was wounded by grapeshot in his back, stomach, hip and ankle at the battle of Cold Harbor June 1st 1864. After the war he lived at Brockport NY for 3 years, Decatur Michigan 6 years, and at Cedar Rapids Iowa from 1877 until his death in 1919.
According to the National Park Service website, during the time that Philander was in the army the 9th saw heavy action:
“Garrison duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C., till May, 1864, during which time built and garrisoned Forts Mansfield, Bayard, Gaines and Foote. Relieved from garrison duty and ordered to join Army of the Potomac in the field May 18, 1864. Rapidan Campaign May-June. North Anna River May 26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3.” [8]
Elias Wright
Elias Wright was another elusive family member in my Civil War research. I knew from my inquiry into Datus Wright’s Civil War service that Datus was in Michigan’s 12th Infantry Company D. I noted that there was also an Elias Wright in Michigan’s 12th Infantry Company D. Not sure if I had the correct Elias Wright, I requested the pension file for a possible match, a soldier listed as residing in Missouri.
Thompson J. Wright’s son Elias Wright married Mary Williams and they had a daughter named Ida. With that information I was able to trace Elias Wright’s travels. His pension documents stated that he was born in Wolcott NY in 1834 and later moved to his Michigan residences of Concord, Grand Rapids, and Mason. Those details matched census information for the Elias Wright with wife Mary and daughter Ida and cemented the fact that the Elias M. Wright in the pension file was the Elias son of Thompson and Jane Wright. According to his pension records he contracted malaria at Duvall’s Bluff Arkansas in 1865, leaving him with lung and other health problems.
According to the War Department record in his pension file Elias was a private in the service of the Union Army from 28th Feb to 21 Feb 1866 during which time he was stationed at Camden Arkansas. During that time his Company D was assigned to to Camden November 1, 1865 until his muster out.[9]
Franklin Wright
In 1890 Franklin Wright lived in Palmyra Michigan. The post office for that town on the 1870 census is listed as Adrian. He is listed on the 1890 Census Union Veterans Schedule pg. 576 of 1326 as having served in Michigan’s 18th Company B for 2 years 10 months from 1862 to 1865, meaning that he enlisted at age 42.
I noted that Adrian, the post office on the schedule that goes with his listing, is 5 miles from Palmyra, and that there are a dearth of Franklin Wrights other than him in the area on any of the relevant censuses. There is one other Franklin Wright, (born in England and having a wife Elizabeth), on the 1860 census in the area but he relocated far away by 1890. It does not appear that Franklin ever applied for a pension. Were it not for the 1890 Veterans Census Schedule his service may not have been locatable or remembered.[10]
Franklin Wright served from August 7th 1862 to June 26 1865. According to the National Park Service website the 18th saw various action during this time:
“Duty at Lexington, Ky., October, 1862, to February, 1863, March to Danville, Ky., February 21-22. Retreat to the Kentucky River February 24-27. Duty at Lexington, Ky., till March 21. Operations against Pegram’s forces March 22-April 1. Action at Danville, Ky., March 24. Heckman’s Bridge March 24-27. Moved to Stanford, Ky., April 2, thence to Lebanon, Ky., and to Nashville, Tenn., April 7-14. Duty at Nashville, Tenn., till June 11, 1864. Moved to Decatur, Ala., June 11-12, and duty there till September 1. Operations in District of North Alabama June 24-August 20. Action at Curtiss Wells June 24. Pond Springs June 28. Expedition from Decatur to Moulton July 25. Courtland, Ala., July 25 and 27. Expedition to relief of Athens September 1-8. Athens September 2. Pursuit of Wheeler to Shoal Creek September 8-11. Action with Wheeler near Athens September 23-24 (Detachment captured).” [11]
The family of Thompson J. Wright and his wife Jane served heavily in the Civil War. Although some members were wounded, fortunately none of them were killed. Even though there is a larger story to tell for each of these men, the lost history of their participation in the war and their movements after the war are now reconstructed and preserved.
[1] Bruce Alan Wright, Esq., Discover Your Roots! How I Found My North American and Revolutionary War Ancestors, p. 143-156, Self-Published, Amazon, 2018.
[2] Ernest B. Fisher, Ed., Grand Rapids and Kent County Michigan, v.1, p. 100, Robert Law Co., Chicago, 1919.
[3] Solomon Wright War of 1812 Land Patent, Bureau of Land Management.
[4] Alpine Township, 1847-2007 160th Anniversary Street Map.
[5] Ernest B. Fisher, Ed., Grand Rapids and Kent County Michigan, v.1, p. 100, Robert Law Co., Chicago, 1919.
[6] Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers 1861-1865.
[7] National Park Service, Battle Unit Details.
[8] National Park Service, Battle Unit Details.
[9] National Park Service, Battle Unit Details.
[10] 1890 Census Schedule of Civil War Veterans.
© 2024 Bruce Wright
The Boating Genealogists 