Daniel Wright

Daniel Wright served with Company A of the 24^th U.S.C.T. He was born in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania around 1843, to parents Stephen and Catherine Wright, and lived in Shippensburg with his family, including his siblings Samuel, Stephen, David, Phillis, Mary, Benjamin, William, and Sarah.¹ He enlisted on January 12, 1865, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, at 20 years old. He stood at five feet and three inches tall, and was described as having a yellow complexion, dark hair, and brown eyes. He was working as a laborer at the time. He was appointed sergeant on January 23, 1865, and was mustered in at Chelten Hills, Pennsylvania, on January 30, 1865. After the end of the war, he was mustered out with the rest of his company from Richmond, Virginia, on October 1, 1865.²

In August of 1869, Wright married Sarah Ridout, also of Shippensburg, and the ceremony was officiated by a Reverend James Harper.³ In 1870, he was working as a day laborer, and living in Shippensburg with his wife.⁴ In July of that year, he was elected First Lieutenant to the Union Guards, a new company attached to the National Guard of Pennsylvania at Shippensburg.⁵

Wright died on November 17, 1879, from stomach issues contracted during his time in the army.⁶ His exact cause of death is uncertain, but it was reported as a “strangulation of bowels”, and “a disease resembling neuralgia of the stomach”.⁷ He is buried in Queen Street Cemetery, in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. His grave is located in section A-1, number 2, with a marble headstone.⁸

1. 1850 United States Federal Census for Daniel Wright, 204B; 1860 United States Federal Census for Daniel Wright, 727.
2. U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865.
3. “Married”, The Star and Enterprise, 2, Aug 14, 1869.
4. 1870 United States Federal Census for Daniel Wright, 376B.
5. “The Adjutant General’s Department…” Harrisburg Telegraph, 3, Jul 29, 1870.
6. Catherine Wright, General Affidavit, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Pension Office, 1898.
7. Daniel Wright, Southern Division, Mothers, No. 881992. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D.C. Sept 24, 1889; “Home Digest”, The Shippensburg News, 3, Nov 23, 1878.
8. Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012.

Bibliography:

Daniel Wright, Southern Division, Mothers, No. 881992. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D.C. Sept 24, 1889. 

Catherine Wright, General Affidavit, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Pension Office, 1898.

1870 United States Federal Census for Daniel Wright. Ancestry.com. 376B. NARA: Washington, 2009. 1870 United States Federal Census - AncestryLibrary.com

1860 United States Federal Census for Daniel Wright. Ancestry.com. 727. NARA: Washington, 2009. 1860 United States Federal Census - AncestryLibrary.com

1850 United States Federal Census for Daniel Wright. Ancestry.com. 204B. NARA: Washington, 2009. 1850 United States Federal Census - AncestryLibrary.com

Daniel Wright. Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012 - AncestryLibrary.com

Daniel Wright. U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865. Ancestry.com. NARA: Washington, 2007. U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865 - AncestryLibrary.com

“The Adjutant General’s Department…” Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Jul 29, 1870. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/44277333

“Married”. The Star and Enterprise. Newville, Pennsylvania. Aug 14, 1869. Page 2. https://www.newspapers.com/image/278522041

“Home Digest”. The Shippensburg News. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Nov 23, 1878. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/95502689