Sunday, June 01, 2008

Henry Paschal Cutler

Henry Paschal Cutler was born December 14, 1841, in Henrietta (?), Ohio, the son of David R. (b. 1814) and Vienna R. (Wright, b. 1819).

Massachusetts natives David and Vienna were probably married in Massachusetts before 1837 when their oldest daughter Anna was born. Sometime between 1837 and 1839 the family moved to Ohio where they resided for a number of years. Henry’s family left Ohio and by 1850 had settled in Watertown, Clinton County Michigan, where Henry was attending school.

Henry married 16-year-old New York native Hannah M. Corey (1843-1928) on April 29, 1859, and they had at least three children: Charles R. or S. (1859-1867), Moses (b. 1861) and Harvey (1867-1882), Agnes (b. 1872), a son (b. 1874) and Brice C. or G. (b. 1876).

By 1860 Henry was a farmer living with his wife in Riley, Clinton County, where both of them were also apparently attending school. Hannah was the sister of Charles Corey, also probably from Clinton County and born in New York, who would also join Company D, Third Michigan.

Henry stood 5’9” with gray eyes, light hair and a light complexion and was 19 years old and still residing in Clinton County when he enlisted in Company D on May 13, 1861. He was sick in the hospital in July and August of 1862, and reported as a deserter on September 21, 1862, at Upton’s Hill, Virginia, but had in fact been discharged for consumption on April 2, 1862, at Annapolis, Maryland.

After his discharge from the army Henry returned to Michigan, probably to his home in Clinton County. In any case, he reentered the service as a Private in Company E, Thirtieth Michigan infantry on December 6, 1864, at Lansing for one year, crediting Westphalia, Clinton County, and was mustered on January 4, 1865, at Detroit. The regiment was organized for 12 months’ service and was mustered into service on January 9. It was engaged in frontier duty along the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers until June. Henry was mustered out with the regiment at Detroit on June 30, 1865.

After the war Henry eventually returned to his home in Clinton County. By 1870 he was working as a farmer (he owned some $1200 worth of real estate) and living with his wife and two children in Riley next door to the Andrews Daniels family; they were the parents of Asa who had also served in the Old Third. He was living in Watertown in 1880, in Wacousta, Clinton County in 1883, in 1888, and in December of 1890 when he became a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association and either in Wacousta or Watertown in 1894.

Henry may have been living on R.R. no. 7 in Detroit around 1900, but had returned to Clinton County by 1911 when he was living in Dewitt. He possibly resided in Watertown for a time as well as South Riley. By 1920 he and Hanna were living in Oneida, Clinton County.

Henry was a member of Grand Army of the Republic Joseph Mason Post No. 248 in Wacousta, and received pension no. 30,249, drawing $4.00 per month in 1883.

Henry died on November 24, 1924, in either Watertown or Wacousta and was buried in Wacousta cemetery: old section, lot no. 185.

In 1925 his widow applied for and received a pension (no. 960800).

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