Civil War Soldiers Buried in Portland s St. Mary s Cemetery

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1 Civil War Soldiers Buried in Portland s St. Mary s Cemetery Martin Riley Martin Riley, widower of the deceased Ellen Maria Hurley, died from heart disease on 26 January 1921 in Portland, Oregon. He was buried from St. Mary s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.1 He was born in Ireland, son of James Riley and Mary McGraw.2 Riley was buried in Portland s St Mary s Cemetery. The cemetery closed in 1930, and the Archdiocese sent letters to lot owners advising them of the cemetery s closure and offering space in Mount Calvary. Announcements were also published in newspapers. Between 1930 and 1937, people stepped up and made the arrangements to transfer family burials. In 1937 the Archdiocese contracted with a professional crew to carefully excavate the cemetery, and the remains and tombstones were transferred to Mount Calvary s St. Mary s section. No one claimed Martin Riley. Ellen Riley ( ) and Mathew Riley ( ) were removed from St. Mary s Cemetery and placed in the St. Mary s section of Mount Calvary Cemetery.3 Riley s soldier stone was moved with them. Photo by Connie Lenzen, January 2013 Riley s funeral notice (below) listed nieces and nephews, but they may not have been contacted about moving their uncle. 27 January 1921, Oregonian4 Funerals Riley In this city, January 26, Martin Riley, aged 81 years, uncle of Mrs. Annie Gaynor, this city; Mary, Henry, James, John, Martin Riley and Mrs. Matt Gill, St. Joseph, Mo. The deceased was a member of George Wright Post, G. A. R. Funeral will be held from McEntee & Ellers parlors, 10th and Everett streets, Friday, January 28, at 8:45 a.m., thence to the cathedral, 15th and Davis sts. at 9 a.m., where requiem mass will be offered. Friends invited. Interment St. Mary s cemetery. 1 Connie Lenzen, St. Mary s Cemetery, Portland s Pioneer Catholic Cemetery (Vancouver, WA: Clark County Genealogical Society, 1987), Oregon State Board of Health, Certificate of Death, No. 203 (1921), Martin Riley; Oregon State Archives, Salem. 3 Plot Book, Removals to Mount Calvary Cemetery, mss; Mount Calvary Cemetery, Portland. 4 Oregonian (Portland, OR), 27 January 1921, p. 13, col. 4; digital image, The Historical Oregonian, (access though Multnomah County Library : accessed 19 January 2013).

2 Civil War Service, Private, Co. G, 14 th New Hampshire Infantry Spencer Leonard ( ) was a member of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. He created a tribute to Civil War veterans who lived in Oregon, both the veterans who served from Oregon and those who served from other states. The end product was a card file at the Genealogical Forum of Oregon in Portland with data on more than 15,000 veterans. Martin Riley s card in the Spencer Leonard collection provides his military service and death date. It also indicates he was a member of Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Post No. 1. Martin Riley, a 23-year-old resident of Keene, New Hampshire, enlisted in Company G, New Hampshire 14 th Infantry, on 23 September 1862 and was mustered out on 8 June A Michael Riley, also from Keene, enlisted and served the same time as Martin. Fourteenth Regiment Historical Notes: This regiment, mostly from the south- western part of the state, was mustered in for three years at Concord in Sept. and Oct., It was mustered out July 8, 1865, at Savannah, Ga. The original members numbered 968, transferred 1, recruits 417, total strength 1,386. It lost 66 of its number, who were killed or died of wounds and 159 from other causes. The 14th was the last three years' regiment furnished by the state, many of its men having expected to join other regiments. It left the state for Washington on Oct. 18, 1862, arrived there two days later and was assigned to defense duty. It remained near Washington, performing varied services until in Feb.1864, when it was ordered to the upper Potomac and was encamped for a short time near Harper's Ferry. The men went home to vote and in March the regiment was ordered to Hilton Head, S. C, which was reached after terrible storms. From April to July, 1864, it was in or near New Orleans, then returned to Washington, and soon entered into active field service. It was in the fights at Deep Bottom, Winchester, Halltown, Berryville, Lock's ford, Fisher's hill, Tom's brook, Strasburg and Cedar creek, and all proved the valor of the 14th. The late winter and spring were spent in Savannah, Ga., and in May, 1865, the regiment was ordered to Augusta. So much southern service was disastrous to the health of the troops and they lost heavily through sickness. 5 Revised Register of the Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire in the War of the Rebellion, , digital images, entry for Martin Riley and Michael Riley, Ancestry.com ( : accessed 28 January 2013).

3 The Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 63 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 151 Enlisted men by disease. Total 232. Assignments: Attached to Grover's Brigade, Military District of Washington, to February, Jewett's Brigade, 22nd Corps, Defences of Washington, to June, Garrison of Washington, D. C., 22nd Corps, to March, Unattached, Defences of New Orleans, La., Dept. of the Gulf, to June, st Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to July, 1864, and Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, to January, st Brigade, Grover's Division, District of Savannah, Ga., Dept. of the South, to March, st Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Dept. of North Carolina, to May, Dept. of the South to July, Service: Picket and patrol duty along Upper Potomac, Defences of Washington, November, 1862, to April, Provost duty at Washington, D. C., till February, Ordered to Harper's Ferry, W. Va., February 3, thence moved to Cumberland, Md., and return to Washington February 25. Ordered to New Orleans, La., and sailed from New York March 20. Duty at Camp Parapet, Carrollton, Jefferson City and along Lake Pontchartrain till June. Ordered to Morganza, La., June 7. Movement to Fortress Monroe, Va., thence to Washington, D. C., and to Berryville, Va., July 13-August 19. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to December. Battle of Winchester September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty at Kernstown and other points in the Shenandoah Valley till January, Moved to Washington, D. C., thence to Savannah, Ga., January 3-20, and Provost duty there till May 6. March to Augusta, Ga., May Return to Savannah June and mustered out July 8, The 14 th Regiment participated in battles in Virginia. On the advance to Fisher s Hill th Regiment Infantry, New Hampshire, digital article, Civil War Archive ( /Unreghst/unnhtr4.htm : accessed 28 January 2013). 7 Alfred R. Waud, On the advance to Fishers Hill, Civil War Photograph Collection, Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress ( : accessed 25 February 2013).

4 The regiment also saw picket and provost duty; they were the police force that kept order. It is possible that one of them guarded these Confederate soldiers who were captured at Fisher s Hill. 8 In Washington, the regiment furnished guards for the Old Capitol Prison and Central Guard house and for other posts in the city. One group was put on duty at the steamboat landing where they watched for contraband trade and arrested unauthorized travellers. 9 In Winchester, they provided provost duty for the town. 10 At the end of the war, they guarded Jefferson Davis and other rebel soldiers that were taken with him. 11 One New Hampshire soldier wrote home about what he saw in Savannah. Savannah Georgia, March 2, 1865 well our gunboat took a reb gun boat to day they sot out to come down the river and our boat fired into her and she serendered they took her in the rebs come in every day they are glad to get in to get somthing to eat they are done plaid out as the darkeys say they are dog ond tired of it 12 8 Confederate Prisoners captured at the battle of Fisher s Hill, VA, Civil War Photograph Collection, Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress ( : accessed 25 February 2013). 9 Otis Frederick R. Waite, New Hampshire in the Great Rebellion (Claremont, NH: Tracy, Chase & Co., 1870), Otis Frederick R. Waite, New Hampshire in the Great Rebellion, Otis Frederick R. Waite, New Hampshire in the Great Rebellion, William Combs Letters, Manuscripts of the American Civil War, transcription, University of Notre Dame, Rare Books and Special Collections ( : accessed 24 February 2013).

5 After the war Martin Riley wed Ellen Maria Hurley on 24 May 1870 at Portland s Catholic Cathedral. One of the witnesses was Matthew Riley. 13 M and Ellen Riley had a Thomas Riley enumerated with them in the 1870 Portland census. 14 Martin and Matthew Riley were listed in Portland city directories Riley, M., boot maker, 144 First Riley, M., boot maker, 144 First res 64 Alder Riley, M., bookmaker, 144 First. Riley, M., laborer, boards New Wisconsin Hotel Riley M., boot maker 144 First. Riley Matthew, blacksmith, boards Portland Hotel. Riley Thomas, blacksmith, boards Portland Hotel Riley Martin, shoemaker, east side Fourth, between I and J, resides east side Eighth, between I and J. Riley M., laborer, boards Astor House. Riley Thomas, laborer, boards Central House Riley M., shoemaker, east side Fourth between I and J (East Portland), p Riley Martin, shoemaker, east side Fourth between I and J, resides south east corner Twelfth and I Riley Martin, shoemaker, Fourth between I and J, resides corner Twelfth and I. 13 Harriet Duncan Munnick, Catholic Church Records of the Pacific Northwest, Portland Register, (Portland: Binford & Mort Publishing, 1986), U.S. census, Multnomah County, Oregon, population schedule, Portland, page 215 (stamped), dwelling 692, family 616, M. Riley; digital image, ProQuest HeritageQuest.com (accessed through Multnomah County Library : accessed 4 January 2013), citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll S. L. McCormick, comp., Portland City Directory for 1870 (Portland: F. L. McCormick, 1870), S. L. McCormick, comp., Portland City Directory for 1871 (Portland: F. L. McCormick, 1871), S. L. McCormick, comp., Portland City Directory for 1872 (Portland: F. L. McCormick, 1872), S. L. McCormick, comp., Portland City Directory for 1873 (Portland: F. L. McCormick, 1873), S. L. McCormick, comp., Portland City Directory for 1874 (Portland: F. L. McCormick, 1874), 192, and S. L. McCormick, comp., Portland City Directory for 1878 (Portland: F. L. McCormick, 1878), 192 and 206.

6 Martin and Ellen Riley were enumerated in the 1880 East Portland census where they were living on I Street. 22 East Portland was a separate town on the east side of the Willamette River until it was brought into the Portland city limits in This bird s eye view map shows the town in J Street is the street that goes into the river on the right. I Street is the street that goes into the river on the left. Fourth Street is marked on the upper left. 23 A major recession hit the United States in 1882 and lasted until Martin s shoe store closed in June Closed by Attachment. Portland, June 5th. boot and shoe store of Martin Riley, in East Portland, was closed today by attachment. 24 Ellen Riley died in 1889, but there is no death notice for her in the Portland Oregonian. 21 S. L. McCormick, comp., Portland City Directory for 1879 (Portland: F. L. McCormick, 1879), U.S. census, Multnomah County, Oregon, population schedule, East Portland, ED 101, p. 3 (penned), 369C (stamped), dwelling 21, family 21, Martin Riley; digital image, Ancestry.com ( : accessed 19 January 2013), citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll E. S. Glover, Portland, Oregon 1879 (Litho) (San Francisco: A. L. Bancroft & Co., 1879); digital image, Library of Congress Geography and Map Division ( : accessed 22 February 2013). 24 Sacramento Daily Union, 6 June 1884; digital image, California Digital Newspaper Collection, CDNC ( : accessed 24 February 2013).

7 Martin Riley was enumerated in the 1890 veteran s census. In the section for disabilities, none were listed. 25 Martin Riley was enumerated in the 1890 veteran s census. In the section for disabilities, none were listed. 26 In 1911 Martin Riley was installed as Surgeon, George Wright Post and Relief Corps of the Grand Army of the Republic, 27 and with good reason. He was now a physician and practicing out of his home at 146 ½ Grand Avenue. 28 He did not practice for long; he is not listed in the 1915 or 1916 Portland directories. Martin Riley died on 26 January U.S. census, Multnomah County, Oregon, veteran s schedule, East Portland Pct., ED 133, p. 1, line 2, Martin Riley; digital image, Ancestry.com ( : accessed 19 January 2013), citing NARA microfilm publication M123, roll U.S. census, Multnomah County, Oregon, veteran s schedule, East Portland Pct., ED 133, p. 1, line 2, Martin Riley; digital image, Ancestry.com ( : accessed 19 January 2013), citing NARA microfilm publication M123, roll Oregonian, 12 January 1911, page 11, col. 1; digital image, The Historical Oregonian, (access through Multnomah County Library : accessed 3 February 2013). 28 R. L. Polk s Portland 1911 City Directory (Portland: R. L. Polk & Co., 1911), U.S. census, Multnomah County, Oregon, population schedule, Portland, Ward 8, Pct 52, ED 188, sheet 8A (penned), 114 (stamped), dwelling 73, family 203, Allen B. Hutchins, entry for Martin Riley; digital image, Ancestry.com ( : accessed 24 February 2013), citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 1286.