 "Edouard Cashel" (born 1881). |
 Back (Left to Right): "Maria Cashel" (born 1871), "Agnia Cashel" (born 1873), "Sarah Cashel" (born 1876). |
Family tree - Cashel - Edward Francis Cashel |
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The Cashel children in the above picture:
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Edward Francis Cashel [poss. descendant of Edward III],
American Civil War started Apr 1861.
N side (Union, Federal, anti-slavery, president Abraham Lincoln, capital Washington, DC)
v. S side (Confederate, rebels, pro-slavery, president Jefferson Davis, capital Richmond, Virginia).
Edward
enlisted as a
private
in the Regulars,
Company G
(also called
Battery G),
2nd Regiment,
US Artillery
(U.S. Horse Artillery Brigade),
he enlisted at
Washington, DC (capital of the Union),
8 May 1861, age 20
(right at start of war, he was volunteer, no conscription at this time),
enlistment incorrectly states
Georgetown
as his birthplace,
rather it was where he was living,
enlistment 1861 lists his occupation as a "miller",
an estimated 200,000 Irish fought for N, and 30,000 fought for S,
he was only a private, but was in an important Federal unit,
which saw action in many of the biggest battles of the war,
see Civil War battles of Edward Francis Cashel, July 1861 to Nov 1863,
the N campaign did not start up again after winter until May 1864,
Edward's 3 years were up that month,
he was honorably discharged at
"the Wilderness",
VA on May 8, 1864, for
reason of Expiration of Term of Service,
this was the day after the
Battle of the Wilderness
(May 5 to May 7, 1864),
his military records say
he was in the hospital at the time of his discharge,
though in the letter below he says he was never wounded,
on 20 May 1864 he writes a
letter to his father George Cashel,
the war is still on,
but his 3 years are up:
"I have just returned to Georgetown from the Army in which I served 3 years. I was sworn in for 5 years, but Congress passed an Act that all persons who enlisted in 61 were to serve only 3 years",
in 1864 he is
staying again in Georgetown, DC,
with
"Uncle William and Aunt Jane",
"I have been in a great many battles,
and thank God I never received a scratch or wound in the whole campaign",
he was in 3 of the
biggest battles of the war
(Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Antietam),
front line, and some N lost, amazing no injuries,
asks "what William and Blen are doing",
"Hoping you, brothers and sister enjoy good health"
(mother obviously dead,
and since this is apparently the first contact since he signed up in 1861,
she prob. died before 1861),
while Edward was away, Battery G was dismounted in June 1864 and
sent to Washington, it had no more active service in the Civil War
[Simpson, 1896],
Edward did not stay a civilian for long,
he rapidly
re-enrolled again, July 27, 1864,
signing up for another 3 year period,
again
with Battery G, 2nd Regiment, US Artillery,
American Civil War ended May 1865.
N won. Slavery abolished throughout S (and some remaining parts of N).
Sometimes called the first "modern" war, a warning of the future WWI.
560,000 Americans died, more than in any war before or since (including WW2).
he deserted for one day, July 31, 1865, and was
apprehended August 1, 1865,
he was restored to duty without trial,
the 2nd Regiment, US Artillery, was assembled at
Fort McHenry,
Baltimore, Maryland,
in August, 1865,
and sailed from there for California via the
Isthmus,
the 2nd Regiment arrived
San Francisco
Sept 1865,
set up headquarters at the
Presidio,
San Francisco
[Simpson, 1896],
Battery G were based
at Alcatraz Island, San Francisco,
he was
promoted to Corporal
(just above Private), 1 Jan 1867,
he was honorably
discharged from his 3 years service on July 27, 1867
at Alcatraz Island, San Francisco,
he immediately signed up for another 3 years service, July 27, 1867,
again with Battery G,
promoted to Sergeant
1 Sept 1867,
he was sent with Company "G", 2nd Regiment, US Artillery, in 1868
to the new US territory of
Alaska,
with rank of quarter master
sergeant,
would need some education (maths) to hold that post,
[Foreman, 1935]
says that
after U.S. purchase of Alaska 1867,
Eli Lundy Huggins
(joined 2nd Artillery Feb 1866)
received orders to conduct "Battery G" from their post at
Alcatraz Island, California,
to Kodiak, Alaska,
the first U.S. troops arrived at Kodiak spring 1868,
Huggins joined them 6 June 1868,
[US Census, 1900]
says Edward arrived in Alaska June 1868,
Alaska was probably first settled by humans from Asia in approximately the 20,000 - 10,000 BC period.
Alaska was settled by the Russians starting in 1784.
The original Russian colony 1784 (first white settlement at all in Alaska) was established at Three Saints Bay, E end of Kodiak Island, S Alaska. It was soon destroyed by an earthquake and tidal wave.
The settlement was moved to nearby Kodiak, E end of Kodiak Island, 1792. The Russian Fort Pavlosk was built at Kodiak 1792.
Alaska was purchased by U.S. from Russia 1867.
It was inhabited at this point by a few thousand Russian settlers and the natives, whose relations varied from exploitation to trade to friendly inter-marriage and conversion to Christianity.
The Russian fort and the small Kodiak village existed at Kodiak when the Americans arrived 1868.
Edward served at Kodiak under Eli Lundy Huggins,
Battery G built the new
Fort Kodiak
at the
pre-existing Kodiak village and Russian fort,
the aim was
"to prevent, in the absence of any organized civil government,
any abuse by the settlers, traders and fishermen upon the natives of the Island,
and second, to keep in check and overawe, by an exhibition of military force,
the more barbarous natives
of Kenay
and Alaska Peninsula,
who visit Kadiac [Kodiak] for purposes of trade."
[Huggins, 1874],
a
letter Aug 1868, sold in a stamp auction 2004,
calls it "Kodiak, Alaska Territory, Russia America",
"the only known letter addressed to Russia America",
William Kickham
writes in letter to George Cashel, Feb 1869:
"I had a letter from Edward .. he is at Fort Kodiak, Alaska Territory",
Edward's letter posted Alaska Dec 1868, sent by steamer to
"San Francisco, California"
(note he names the state - George mightn't have heard of
San Francisco, then just small town on wild W coast)
and then E across the continent to Georgetown, DC,
"the letter was over 50 days coming here",
Huggins stayed with Battery G at Fort Kodiak until June 22, 1870
when he was assigned to
St. Paul Island, Alaska,
Edward did not stay in contact with home,
his brother Blen went to US looking for him 1870,
Blen received a dispatch from
US War Department,
addressed to him in New York City, 9th July 1870:
"In reply to your communication of 29th June 1870, I have the honor to inform you that
Edward F. Cashel, Qr.M.Sgt, of Co.G, 2nd Regt US Artillery .. [is with his Co. at]
.. Fort Kodiak, Alaska Territory",
Edward was honorably discharged as
Sergeant at
Fort Kodiak, July 27, 1870 for Expiration of Term of Service,
he left the Army,
Battery G left Fort Kodiak Sept 1870,
fort abandoned by army, but village continued and became
Kodiak city,
troops were sent to
a number of other places in Alaska,
but by end 1870 all these bases (incl Fort Kodiak) were closed
except for Sitka,
Huggins rejoined Battery G
at the Presidio,
San Francisco, November 19, 1870
[Foreman, 1935],
Edward stayed in Alaska,
lived Kodiak, 27 July 1870 - 15 May 1871 [pension records],
he
mar 4 Sept 1870
[Russian Orthodox church records],
NOT 25 Sept,
to
Marre-a Olgin
[Marre-a Alexandrova Olgin,
thus spelt in [Cashel family bible],
possibly Ol'gin,
think NOT Mare-a or Maria or Mariia,
think NOT Alexandrovia or Aleksandrovno,
she was a Russian settler in Alaska],
they married in the
Russian Orthodox church,
Marre-a was Russian Orthodox;
[Marti Murray]
lists Edward as "Protestant", but think this is not true,
he was born Catholic;
he had his children baptised in the Russian Orthodox church though,
[Russian Orthodox church records]
say they mar
23 Aug 1870
according to the
Julian calendar,
this is 4 Sept new style,
says they mar in
Kodiak Island parish
(this is probably the
Church of the Holy Resurrection,
Kodiak, Alaska),
mar cert is apparently in Russian,
possibly married
on
Spruce Island
in Kodiak parish,
Marre-a was
born 30 Mar 1848
(18 Mar Julian)
in Kodiak,
dau of Aleksandr Vasil'iev Olgin
(or Aleksandr Vasil'Evich Ol'gin)
and
Irina Platonova Bushkovskii
(or Irena),
see her ancestry,
her grandmother was apparently
Aleut
(Native Alaskan),
[Marti Murray] says
she had the designation
"Creole",
which would mean a combination of Russian and Native,
some Russian settlers left after America bought Alaska,
but many stayed,
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it is thought that after the last contact in
1870 he was never heard of again by the family in Ireland, it was known that he married a "Russian girl" and that was it, see my website in 1999, until 132 years later, in 2002, when his descendants discovered my website, |
they lived
Unga Island
(the largest of the
Shumagin Islands),
Alaska,
20 May 1871 - Apr 1874 [pension records],
lived Kodiak, Apr 1874 - 1878 [pension records],
they (and later just he) lived Unga, 1878 to at least 1907 [pension records],
Edward worked as an agent for the
Western Fur and Trading Company
(estab 1877),
listed as a "Storekeeper" in Unga for them
[Reeve],
he later worked as an agent for the Alaska Commercial Company
(which purchased the
Western Fur and Trading Company
1883),
he was their agent as at 1884,
gold was discovered on Unga Island in 1884
and there was a boom for many years,
Marre-a died 12 April 1884,
Unga Island
[pension records],
age 36 yrs,
[Russian Orthodox church records]
say "Mariia Keshal"
died
1 Apr Julian
(which is 13 Apr new style),
they say she died
in Belkofski
parish,
Belkofski is just W of Unga
(see
map),
Belkofski parish might include Unga,
after his wife died, it looks like he failed to give the children a proper education;
he was (of course) able to read and write himself,
but his children Sarah and Edward are both listed as illiterate
in the 1900 census,
[Reeve]
lists Edward as "well educated" and "hard drinker",
he applied for U.S. Army pension, 31 July 1893,
he applied for U.S. Army pension,
May 24, 1895,
he applied for U.S. Army pension, April 8, 1898,
he is listed
at Unga in
[US Census, 1900],
lists him as "trader",
former occupation "miller",
incorrectly states he was born D.C.,
he was a pensioner on the U.S. Army pension roll, #1037181, living Unga,
as at 1907 [pension records],
he died Dec 1909, age 69 yrs,
on Simeonof Island, Shumagin Islands, Alaska
[Reeve],
[Nancy von Konsky],
think NOT Unga,
had issue:
mar 1stly, 16 July 1888 [her age 16, him age 25], Unga, to Nehemiah Guttridge
[born Aug 1863 in California,
poss. Nihemiah or Neamiah],
Nehemiah died September 28, 1904, age 41 yrs,
in a mine accident in
Douglas,
think NOT in Unga,
mar 2ndly, 1905 (think NOT 1902 or 1903),
Douglas
[his 2nd mar too]
to William Homer McBlain
[or McBlane,
born 1861 in "Kelivinning"
(must be Kilwinning), Scotland,
son of Quentin McBlain and Mary Strathdee],
William had come to Caledonia, Ontario, Canada,
in 1874 with his parents,
he had mar 1stly to Elizabeth Miller [Annette Elizabeth Miller] and had issue,
he might be
"William H. McBlaine", gold miner, born 1867, parents from Scotland,
listed
on
Douglas Island
in
[US Census, 1 June 1900],
William was Post Master, Warm Springs Bay,
Alaska,
Mary died 29 Nov 1918 in
Warm Springs Bay, age 47 yrs,
believed to have died of flu
(there being no doctor out there),
bur Douglas,
he died 8 Feb 1939 in Douglas, age 78 yrs,
bur February 26, Odd Fellows Cemetery in Douglas,
[Marti Murray]
lists issue
Nettie McBlain, but
[Cashel family tree]
says she was from McBlain's 1st mar (to Miller).
Mary Cashel.
From photo c.1887.
Mary Cashel and her 1st husband Nehemiah Guttridge.
See larger
and full size.
Mary Cashel.
See full size.
Mary Cashel.
From [Pioneers of Alaska].
See full size.
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