Henry Murray
Rank: Sergeant, Co. C, 7th PA Reserves
Descendant: Douglas H
Henry Murray was born in 1840 in County Antrim, Ireland. In1857, he immigrated to America and settled in Pennsylvania. He started learning the trade of morocco finishing with a Captain Harvey, who was captain of the Montgomery Guards. Henry joined the guard. As the war was breaking out, the guard was sent to Fort Mifflin for a month and then returned to Philadelphia.
Henry then enlisted in the Bucktail Guard, Company C 7th PA Reserves on 5 May 1861, was promoted to corporal on 27 July 1861, and to sergeant on 7 February 1862. He was wounded at the Battle of White Oak Swamp on 30 June 1862 and was sent to a hospital in Annapolis for 6 weeks. He returned to his unit and was involved in all the battles up to 1864.
In early May 1864, the Overland Campaign began, and his unit was involved. The 7th was part of Col McCandless’s 1st Brigade, BG Crawford’s 3rd Division, MG Warren’s 5th Corps, USA. After advancing rapidly in the early morning of 5 May 1864, the division was pulled back from the route to Parker’s Store as Warren struck Ewell on the Turnpike. When they pulled back, Henry and 272 other officers and men were captured by the Confederates and were eventually taken to Andersonville where they remained for about 8 months. There he contacted a disease from which he would suffer until his death.
Upon his release, he returned to Philadelphia, and married Catherine Costello on 30 December 1864 in Philadelphia. They eventually raised 10 children. He died 21 June 1894 in Philadelphia.