William D. Murray

William D. Murray

The biography below has been graciously submitted by Bill Moore, a descendant of William Murray. Both Bill and his cousin Jack are very eager to correspond with anyone who might have additional information about Sergeant Murray.

William D. Murray, Sergeant of Co. I, 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry was born in April 1840, in Kingston Ontario, Canada. He enlisted in the 24th on August 5th 1862, at the time of enlistment he was a clerk in his mother's commissary store. A close family friend, George Gordon, promised him the position of sergeant. Murray fared well in service to his country taking part in every engagement with his regiment up to and including Gettysburg.

At Fredericksburg he, along with others, was commended for acts of bravery and heroism in a letter by Chaplain Way ,which can be found in O. B. Curtis's book , The history of the 24th Michigan Vol. Inf. (pg. 102). In their first test under fire, the men were the leftmost regiment, and after taking positions on the field, the 24th was ordered to the front to take the woods that lay in front of the brigade, they did so most splendidly and captured a number of rebels and horses. At this point the enemy pressed hard on the center of the Union line trying to break the ranks and regain the position with an artillery barrage .It failed, and the 24th held and kept the extreme left of the Union line secure. Their posture on this occasion earned the respect of other Union officers and the men that made up the Iron brigade. For their performance they earned the right to wear the black hats.

According to a letter written by Capt. Gordon, Murray sustained his first wound at Fitzhugh Crossing. He was wounded in the upper lip, how is not clear. The Army of the Potomac was now under the command of Gen. Joseph Hooker. It was April 28th 1863 and the Chancellorsville Campaign is about to begin. To distract the enemy. Hooker orders a diversion. A bridgehead is to be established to the south of Fredericksburg. The Engineers are being harassed by rifle fire from the other side of the river courtesy of the Jubal Early's boys. An assault is ordered on the rifle pits across the river, the 24th and the 6th Wisconsin with a shout run to the river, board pontoon boats and paddle for the opposite shore under a heavy fire from both sides of the river. Look to Gordon's letter to read what happened when they reached shore.

On July 1st, 1863 at Gettysburg, the 24th paid a great a price for the honor of wearing the black hats. What follows is an oral history handed down by my family I have not been able to substantiate some of it but most is documented, I am committed to factualise all of it. I have discussed it with many historians and Park Rangers and field guides of Gettysburg and all say it is completely plausible. This then is the account:

Early in the morning the men are ordered to march up the Emmitsburg road to the sound of the guns of those already engaged west of town. Just south of town the men receive orders from Gen. Reynolds to turn left and hurry through the fields towards Willoughby's run. Colonel Morrow stops the men to load arms. Reynolds Countermands saying there is no time to delay. Many men charge the enemy with unloaded guns. Archers Brigade of A. P. Hills Corp is routed when the 24th and 19th Indiana swing around the rebels and push them into the Wisconsin Regiments, Gen. Archer among the scores of captured. This action stops the Confederate advance for a time. It is at this time that Capt. Gordon is captured along with a few others. The Iron Brigade is ordered to new positions on McPherson's ridge. This then is where the deadly embrace between the 26th North Carolina and the 24th begins. The 19th Indiana on the left of the 24th starts to crumble under very heavy fire. The 26th N. Carolina moves steady towards the center of the line now held by the 24th their numbers are far superior such that they think the men of iron will surrender. At less than one hundred yards the 24th unleash a volley into the ranks of the 26th many men go down. Stunned the 26th falls back reorganizes comes at the 24th again and again. The 19th falls back leaving the 24th to flanking fire the losses start to mount in the ranks. The Iron Brigade starts to cede ground however grudgingly to the enemy. At the Seminary not much remains of the 24th - barely one hundred men, (496 men started the day). It is at this time Col. Morrow is struck in the head, "I was not more than ten feet from my commanding officer when I saw him go down," cites Murray. Somewhat after Morrow is helped to the Seminary, the order to retreat is finally given. Murray's story continues, "I raised the flag to rally the men, (most of the officers and NCOs by this time being wounded, or dead, or missing), to leave the field when a mini-ball struck me in the arm." Murray is seriously wounded both Morrow and Captain A.M. Edwards relate in their reports of an unnamed soldier who is sitting against a tree with the flag," in a death like grip in his left hand with a terrible wound to his right side." when Edwards takes the flag and leads the men back through town.

First reports have Murray at the court house hospital in town, (Detroit Times), the next report has him at the Seminary Hospital. The ball passed through the right arm just below the shoulder breaking the bone. It is considered mortal," If I am to die it is better that I die whole," states Murray," If I am to live I can't farm with only one arm, so tend to someone else." Murray lives but never sees active duty again after being transferred to Baltimore Hospital a resection is tried on the arm and fails - gangrene sets in. Murray writes a letter asking to be moved closer to home, and is transferred to Harper Hospital in Detroit, so that his mother could care for him. He is discharged for disability with the regiment in June of 1865. The arm never heals over. The wound remaining an open sore until 1895. Treatment of the day was to boil silk and push it through the wound whenever infection set in.

Murray later settled in Lexington, Michigan. After the war married when he is 36 to a young girl of 18, Alvina their first born was my grandmother. The Sanilac Jeffersonian, (a local newspaper), carried many articles in which Murray is referenced, the first April edition, 1896 states " William Murray is lying low this week," he was in fact finally succumbing to his wounds suffered at Gettysburg. The last April edition of the Jeffersonian states, "William Murray died at his home this week, the wounds he received at Gettysburg had finally healed over about a year ago and doctors thought he would now completely recover, the funeral will be held in the G.A.R. Hall Saturday at 1pm. He left a widow and six children. He was 56. "When the hole in his arm healed over the infections that continued internally didn't have a drainage channel through which to leave the body. Infection spread throughout his body rendering him paralyzed and finally killed him; thus Gettysburg had claimed another victim, although it took 33 years!

Murray's last son was named William; he died at 16 yrs. My father, who has since passed away, was named after them. I am named after my father, and my 1st born son is named after me, such that the name, William will continue on in our family for generations to come, hopefully.

This ends the story, I thank you for staying this long to read it.

William W. Moore Jr.
August 1, 1998

(Great grandson of William D. Murray)

Descendants:

Bill Moore: WW.KJ.MOORE@prodigy.net

Jack Moore: JMOORE7@steelcase.com