Family:Whitney, James Daniel (1838-1893)
Sergt. James Daniel8 Whitney (Daniel7, James6, Ezra5, James4, John3, Jonathan2, John1), son of Daniel7 and Ruth (Watson) Whitney, was born 16 Mar 1838, Grafton, MA,[1] and died 10 Dec 1893, Grafton, MA, aged 55 years 9 months 24 days, of valvular disease of heart.[2]
He married, 25 Apr 1859, Grafton, MA, Victoria Kay, daughter of Charles and ALice (-----) Kay.[3] She was born 17 Mar 1839, Oldham, England, and died 4 Nov 1899, Grafton, MA, aged 60 years 7 months 18 days, of valvular disease of heart.[4]
In 1859 he was a miller.
He was born in Grafton, and was well known in Worcester county. He was a good soldier, generous and brave; having a magnificent physique and bearing, he was often detailed to be one in any hazardous enterprise, or when an act of imminent peril was deemed necessary. On the eve of the fight at Roanoke Island, at General Reno's request, with three comrades, they penetrated the lines of the enemy, and his report to the commanding general, with that of Captain Josiah Picket, in command of Company A, 25th regiment, had much to do in the plans of that victorious battle. It was in the charge on the Cypress Swamp fort of the following day that Comrade Whitney with his tent mate, Officer Addison March, of Worcester police force, on the right of the company, were disabled by wounds in the last volley as the colors struck the crest of the fort and the regiment went over the ramparts. In the fight at Fredericksubrg, 12 Dec 1862, Comrade Whitney stopped the fragment of a shell at the farthermost point of Marye Heights, just as his regiment lay down to escape the terrible storm of shot and shell, the missile striking him in the neck. The thick collar of his overcoat saved him from serious injury, but the iron, intent on its mission, ploughed a furrow through cape and coat from top to bottom. It was a most miraculous escape from death. Antietam was another in which he showed his courage and bravery. Whenever courage was needed for perilous undertakings, he was always a volunteer or chosen by the commander. He was a favorite with his commander and comrades throughout the entire campaign. Comrade Whitney was for a while on the Woonsocket police, but his last years were spent at his trade or on the paternal estate in Grafton. He resided Grafton, MA.
Children of James D.8 and Victoria (Kay) Whitney:
i. Ruth A.9 Whitney, b. 5 Feb 1860 [Pierce] or 1861, Grafton, MA;[5] m. 20 Dec 1881, Grafton, MA, Frank White, b. ca. 1859, Oxford, MA, son of William A. and Louisa N. (-----) White,[6] b. 17 Jan 1857; res. Grafton; is a painter. Children: a. Isabella A. White, b. 3 Feb 1883. b. Fred E. White, b. 19 Aug 1885.
ii. Charles D. Whitney, b. 29 Jun 1874, Grafton, MA;[7] m. Isabella Kirk.
Census
1235 1393 Daniel Whitney 45 M - Farmer $900 $300 Connecticut Ruth " 52 F - Rhode Island James D. " 22 M - Massachusetts Abby A. " 16 F - Vermont Attended school Ansel B. " 12 M - " Attended school Victoria " 22 F - England Ruth A. " 5/12 F - Massachusetts
466 566 Daniel Whitney 2d 57 M - Connecticut M Farmer - - 1 1 - Ruth Whitney 54 F - Rhode Island M Housekeeper - - - - - James D. Whitney 26 M - Grafton, Mass. M Soldier - - 1 1 - Abbie A. Whitney 21 F - Craftsbury, Vt. S Housekeeping - - - - - Ansel B. Whitney 18 M - Craftsbury, Vt. S Farmer - - - - - Ruth A. Whitney 5 F - Grafton, Mass. - - - - - -
383 430 James Shirry 55 M - England M Spiner - - 1 1 - Mary Shirry 54 F - England M Housekeeper - - - - - William Shirry 27 M - England S Soldier - - 1 1 - James Shirry 11 M - Grafton, Mass. S - - - - - Roselia Ford 19 F - Ireland S Domestic - - - - - Henry E. Knowlton 55 M - Portland, Maine M Carpenter - - 1 1 - George Norton 24 M - Maine S Farmer - - 1 1 - William R. Walker 23 M - Halifax, N.S. S Shoemaker - - 1 - - Juliann Higgins 27 F - Newton, Mass. M Weaver - - - - - Eliza Brothers 30 F - Ireland M Weaver - - - - - Alice Richardson 25 F - Ireland S Weaver - - - - - Jennie E. Smith 21 F - New York S Weaver - - - - - Eliza Burton 60 F - Sutton, Mass. S Weaver - - - - - Rhobie Perry 34 F - Dudley, Mass. S Weaver - - - - - Jane McKenney 27 F - Ireland S Weaver - - - - - Victoria Whitney 26 F - England M Weaver - - - - - Patrick Brothers 30 M - Ireland M Weaver - - - - - John Briggs 53 M - Sutton, Mass. S Laborer - - - - - Mary Jane Carrigan 24 F - Ireland S Weaver - - - - - Mary Mack 35 F - Ireland S Weaver - - - - - Margaret McMurray 19 F - Ireland S Carder - - - - - Mary Cassiday 27 F - Ireland M Weaver - - - - - Margaret Cassiday 8 F - Brookfield - - - - - -
195 251 Whitney, J. G. 34 M W Laborer Mass. Male citizen over 21 -----, Victoria 33 F W Keeping House England Parents foreign born -----, Ruth 10 F W At School Mass. Mother foreign born Dupre, Peter 40 M W Laborer Canada Parents foreign born, Illiterate
197 254 Whitney, Daniel 58 M W Farmer $4000 -- Conn. Male citizen over 21 -----, Ruth 63 F W Keeping House Rhode Island -----, Ruth A. 11 F W At School Mass. Attended school
This was his daughter Ruth, enumerated for a second time.
James D. WHITNEY 40 Self M M W MA Laborer CANA MA Victoria WHITNEY 39 Wife F M W ENGL Keeping House ENGL ENGL Charles D. WHITNEY 9 Son M S W MA MA ENGL
Ruth WHITNEY 73 Self F W W MA Keeping House MA MA Ruth A. WHITNEY 20 GDau F S W MA Cotton Mill MA ENGL
This was his daughter Ruth.
References
- Census records.
- All data imported from Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), pp. 555-556.
1.^ "James Daniel [Whitney], s. Daniel and Ruth, [born] March 16, 1838," according to Franklin P. Rice, ed., Vital Records of Grafton, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Worcester, MA: The Systematic History Fund, 1906).
2.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 438, page 629.
3.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 182, page 183.
4.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 494, page 338.
5.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 134, page 188.
6.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 327, page 281.
7.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 261, page 323.
Copyright © 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2020, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.
