Julius A Murray
Enlisted as a Wagoneer 6th Wis Inf Co E on 18 Jun 1861 in Shawano
Disability Discharge 18 Jan 1863
Re-enlisted 13 May 1864 in the 37 Wis Inf Co K
Mustered out 5 Aug 1865
Time Served 1y 7m
Born 5 Apr 1817 in Delaware, Ohio
Died 16 Jul 1869 Shawano
Buried Woodlawn Cemetery Shawano
Married Margaret Delvin 17 Oct 1837
Father Captain Elias Murray
In 1861, the nation began the Civil War. Julius and oldest son Lucius, age eighteen, enlisted in the Union Army. Both were members of Company E, 6th Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers which became part of the Iron Brigade.
During his first enlistment, Julius wrote home many times. His family preserved many of those letters which are housed in the archives at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
Julius enlisted first, and while waiting at Camp Randall for deployment, was surprised when Lucius made an unexpected visit. Lucius wanted to enlist. Julius expressed fatherly concern in a letter to his son-in-law dated July 15, 1861. Even though Julius was prepared for “privation and hardship,” he did not want the same for his son.
I would have preferred having him stay home for it is uncertain who will return, but as he is anxious to go, I have seen the Capt. and got him enrolled in the Company. If I prevent him, he might enlist in another Company, as it is I can see and take care of him.
In that same letter, Julius reported that he had been offered the position of Baggage Master at a pay rate of $22 per month. His pay was supplemented by Shawano County. According to county records from July 8, 1861:
The County Board of Supervisors hereby order that the sum of three hundred dollars be raised and appropriated for the families of Volunteers and the same shall be paid to the named persons, to viz: Mrs. Hannah Wescott, Mrs. Margaret Murray, and Mrs Leneys Taylor at the rate of two dollars per week to each of the said persons…
By November 17, 1861, Julius and his son were stationed near Washington, D.C. and decided to take a trip to see the capital. On the way there, they were arrested by a drunken guard who said their papers were forgeries. In order to clear the confusion, they were marched to the Officers’ Quarters. They did get to tour the Capitol but not until after they had dined on oysters and had their photographs taken.
On February 19, 1862, Julius wrote home to his wife from Arlington Heights and complained about the miserable, rainy weather. In that same letter he made a forecast regarding the war’s outcome.
This war will now be short. We have the enemy surrounded, as soon as we can get there, the troops of this Division will advance on Manassas as Gen. McClellan says there will be a bloody battle fought there and that will end the Rebellion.
At that time, the unit had not been engaged in combat. When Mr. Murray wrote home again a month later, his viewpoint of the war was markedly different.
You can hardly form any idea of the terrible havoc and desolation this war has occasioned in old Virginia. Splendid houses were deserted, some knocked partly to pieces, some burnt up and one large mill we passed still burning, fences all burnt up, excellent orchards entirely destroyed. It is a sorrowful sight.
In that same letter, Julius wrote of fatigue from the long marches and the weight of their knapsacks. Many of the soldiers were jettisoning their clothing in order to lighten their loads. He made special mention of Lucius’ leaving a $4.00 pair of boots.
From a location near Washington in September, 1862, Julius wrote that he had been ill, and Lucius had seen to his care. However, the ambulance was not able to make it through the battle lines due to the destruction of roads and bridges, so the patients were then left to their own devices.
Following his illness, Mr. Murray was assigned to drive a two-horse brigade ambulance. He closed by saying: “…..but my marching is over till I can regain my strength.”
The tone of Mr. Murray’s letters became more sober as the war progressed. From Sharpsburg on September 27, 1862, Julius told of his battle fatigue, constant marches, and a “terrible battle.” Furthermore, he was concerned for Lucius.
Luty has been in every fight and has fought bravely, his pants were cut open on the knee and several parts of his clothes bear the marks of bullets. I am proud of him, but he shall not go into another fight if I can prevent it…
In that same letter, Julius recounted the horrors of war, growing callousness of the soldiers toward death, and his rescue of a woman and her daughters from drunken, marauding soldiers. He also recommended that his daughter’s husband John “keep out of it.”
On New Year’s Eve, 1862, Julius again wrote to his daughter Mary explaining his attempts at discharge. He had been ill with chronic diarrhea, probably dysentery, for three months. “The disease is now a chronic one and I know I shall not get well here.”
Julius was discharged on January, 18, 1863. However, his military career had not ended. On May 13, 1864, Julius again enlisted, this time in Company K of the 37th Infantry Regiment. It was during this enlistment that he was wounded, July 30, 1864 at Petersburg, Virginia. He later became quite ill with typhoid and was transferred to the Veteran’s Reserve Corp on April 17, 1865. He was mustered out of the service on August 5, 1865.
Julius A. Murray returned home to his family in Shawano where he served as Clerk of the Circuit Court, Clerk for the Town of Richmond, and Justice of the Peace. In the last capacity, he performed two marriages in 1866. Mr. Murray died after a three-day illness probably brought on by his bout with typhoid during the Civil War on July 16, 1869, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Shawano.