James and Chloe Ackley After the US Civil War

August, 1865: Leicester, Worcester County, Massachusetts 

“Mama, here are flowers to put on the table. Etta and I picked them and made a centerpiece for when Daddy gets home!” 9-year-old Mary calls happily. 

“Darlings, that’s perfect! Now could you help little Emma to settle down?” Chloe smiles. “Daddy should be home soon.” 

Orrin, the 10-year-old lookout, calls, “I see him! Here he comes!” The kids race out to get some hugs. It’s a beautiful day. 

When James finally gets to Chloe, waiting in the door, he throws down his crutch and they support each other in a big embrace. “It’s so good to be home again, dear.” 

“It’s wonderful to have you home again, James. Set yourself down here at the table. We have food, drink and a lot of love for you.” 

The kids crowd around, insisting, “Tell us about the war and how you got your crutch!” 

Holding 5-year-old John in his lap, James laughs, “Let me tuck into some of this feast, while I tell you about saving the Union. Of course, your daddy saved the Union single-handedly,” he winks at Chloe.

Later that evening, in bed with Chloe, he tells her the true story. 

James’ Civil War Story 

Map Source: National Park Service: Civil War Advisory Commission, Report of the Nation's Civil War Battlefields. https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-civil-war/maps/ 

Last May, in 1864, I really wished I hadn’t re-enlisted with the 57th Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers Infantry, after being mustered out of the Navy. The Pensacola was a good ship, and taking New Orleans was exciting, but after a year and a half, I wanted to fight that devil Lee on land. I ended up in Company C. Capt. Albert Cook is a good man. Grant and Meade had a huge army, maybe 100,000 men. We couldn’t lose! Lots of men were bragging around the campfires about how many rebs they were gonna get. But when the 6th of May came around, we had to fight like no man’s army should fight – in the middle of a tangled wilderness near Fredericksburg, Virginia. There was no room to see where or even who you were shooting! The trees were so dense that we ended up using our rifles to club the enemy. Then the woods caught fire! Both sides had to stop fighting to put out the fire, or we’d have all been killed. I missed the action after that, because I took a piece of shell in the head. It was probably a good thing I was out cold, ‘cause thousands of us Union soldiers died in this battle. The Rebel commander, Longstreet, might have been shot and wounded by fire from his own troops! 

On the 7th of May, bandaged head and all, we marched as fast as we could to Spotsylvania Court House. General Grant wanted the Army of the Potomac to get ahead of Lee. But Lee was there ahead of us! The man must be in league with the devil. The fighting at Spotsylvania on May 8 was fierce. I got hit in right foot by a ball, and that was all for me. I was shipped off to the Lovell U.S.A. Hospital in Portsmouth Grove, Rhode Island. Two battles, and neither side came out on top! 

They healed me up for the rest of May, June, and July. I’m thankful I missed the battle at Cold Harbor in June. ‘Butcher Grant’ just marched his men in close formation, right into Johnny Reb’s fire. They say there were 12,000 men killed in only 8 minutes! I was mustered out of the hospital at the beginning of August, and rejoined my battalion in Petersburg. For a change, Grant finally outguessed Lee, and the Union army got there first. We fought from trenches for the whole winter. One day, the laundress with the purple dress had a dispute with a lieutenant from Company B. He wouldn’t pay her the four bits for washing his long johns. She wouldn’t give them to him, and he was trying to rip them out of her hands. Another laundress commenced to beating him with a bag of potatoes, and Purple Dress went for her gun. Before you knew what happened, she shot him in the leg. It got gangrene, and the medic had to amputate! 

Chloe, your package for our anniversary November 24th was heaven-sent. New socks! A shirt made of “shoddy” or rewoven wool! Give me a kiss, you wonderful wife. 

Spring 1865 started with our army getting reinforcements. We finally took the railroads. Lee retreated west, but we caught him, with twice as many men as he had. He knew more fighting was useless. Lee surrendered April 9th. The two generals met in the house of a farmer named McLean in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Grant gave the rebs a day’s rations and let them go, with their horses and mules to take home and put in a crop. Mighty generous, if you ask me. 

May was quite a month. First, Lincoln was murdered just five days after Lee surrendered. We all wanted revenge, but Capt. Cook reminded us of what Abe said: “malice toward none… charity for all”. Confederate President Davis was captured in Georgia. Then on the 26th, General Edmund Smith surrendered the last Confederate army. The war was over! It took until July 30th for me to get discharged. I came home to you in Massachusetts as fast as ever I could, my darling Chloe. 

 1885: Pensions are offered 

“Bridget next door says they are going to give pensions to veterans! That will help us so much, James. It’s been tough, the last couple of decades, what with you not being able to go back to blacksmithing. Too bad the heat and noise set off your headaches,” Chloe says. 

James looks up with hope shining from his grey eyes. “Yeah, maybe our luck will turn. The Lord taking Mary Eldridge right after I got back, then baby Ernest James, and then little Freddy Henry at only 7 just about broke my heart. Thank God that George and Bert are healthy. Etta, Orrin, Mary and Emma have married and moved away. John Abner has that lovely Irish lass, Annie. I think, with a pension, we can keep the house and raise George and Bert. They can keep going to school and learn to read and write!” 

 1890: Greenville Cemetery 

Chloe looks over James’ grave, next to the graves of her children Fred H, Ernest J and Mary E, in Greenville Cemetery, Worcester County, Massachusetts. She pulls some weeds and places flowers on their graves. 

“James, I miss you. I can’t get through the days anymore. You were always there for me. Bert is 15 and still at home, but is becoming such a good-looking young man. I’m sure he’ll get a young woman soon. And you remember little Fred John? He’s just 4, and keeping me busy. His dad John Abner is going out West, figuring to get rich mining. I don’t think he will ever settle down after Annie died. I miss him, too. Fred is a good boy. He may have lost his parents, but he has me, and I will give him all the love he needs. With you gone, George is stepping up to help us out. George has a lovely girl, Alice, and they just got married in September, 1890.” 

George walks up behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Mama, we have to go talk to the bureaucrat now.” 

“I’m so glad you can handle all that official paperwork, son. My reading isn’t so good. And my head has been in such a fog ever since pneumonia took your father from us last year. I was just catching him up on how things are going.” Chloe dabs at her eyes and stands. “Do you have the application, the proof of James’ service in the Navy and Infantry, his death certificate, our marriage license, and you children’s birth certificates? They make it so hard! Who keeps all those papers?” 

“I know, I know, but I have them all right here,” George replies. “It’s a good thing you sent me to school, isn’t it, Mama?” 

“If I hadn’t, you would be stuck with me. I’d be hassling Alice about the right way to keep house!” 

“Is that a threat? I will make sure you get that pension, ‘Widow Ackley’!” 

Chuckling, Chloe and George head toward Town Hall. 

 June 1907: Leicester, Worcester County, Massachusetts 

Chloe’s family surrounds a happily smiling Mama / Gramma. 

 -George and Alice, 16-year-old Florence, 14-year-old Willis, 10-year-old Ernest, as well as 

 -Emma, who recently lost her husband Albert Graves, 

 -Bert (Clarence Herbert) and his wife Fannie with their kids, 10-year-old Blanche, 8-year-old Esther, 6-year-old Everett, and 3-year-old France, and their niece, 10-year-old Mildred Adams, 

 -Etta Hunt, 30-year-old Harry, 28-year-old Mabel, 26-year-old Lillian, and 21-year-old Leon 

are all here on Pleasant Street in Leicester to celebrate. 

Chloe holds a letter out to George, and says, “Read this aloud for us, George.” 

“George E Ackley has been discharged on 29 May 1907 from the duties of guardian for Chloe Ackley. The pensioner, Chloe, widow of James Ackley, is hereby adjudged competent to manage her own affairs.” 

 A cheer goes up, and everyone toasts the woman of the day! 

 Afterward 

Chloe stays with Etta and her adult children until she dies on June 28, 1911, at age 78.

You can see the sources of this material at WikiTree. Chloe is at https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Jennison-267&public=1, and James is at https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Ackley-1615&public=1