Biography of John E. McVey

John E. McVey
Company D
1830-1907

John E. McVey was born in the Parish of Artrea, County Londonderry, Ireland on May 22, 1830. When he was 31 years old, he mustered in with the 20th Massachusetts Infantry, Company F (Harvard Regiment) at Camp Massasoit for a period of three years. During his period of service from July 26, 1861 through January 25, 1862, he fought in the Battle of Ball's Bluff on October 21, 1861 near Leesburg, Virginia. The 20th was in the thick of the worst fighting at Ball's Bluff. Allegedly, John left the regiment in September of 1861 while marching through New York City. From a letter written to Lieut. Colonel Palfrey on December 27, 1861, it seems that John was under arrest and was to be court martialed for desertion. He was held in confinement on November 20, 1861, and dishonorably discharged on January 25, 1862 from Camp Benton. According to letters written by John to government officials while requesting a pension, John felt very strongly that he was wronged. His letters vehemently denied these desertion charges. He felt that he was a scapegoat for some of the problems the unit was having. Unfortunately, we have no proof as to what actually occurred and can't clear his name.

John, however, re-enlisted into military service on December 22, 1864 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was assigned to the 60th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company D and served until July 25, 1865. As a direct result of his experience in the Civil War, he sustained a hernia, deafness in his left ear, and partial loss of his right hand. According to his pension papers, these injuries were contracted at Fort Steadman in Virginia on March 25, 1865 due to "exposure and hardship." He was mustered out on July 28, 1865 by order of General George B. McClellan, Commander of the Union Army of the Potomac, at the Delaney House in the District of Columbia. The National Archives in Washington, D.C. had his rank as a Private, Soldier Certificate 651415.

A little less than two years later and just before his 37th birthday, he married Mary Elizabeth Brown at Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Maine on April 29, 1867. They had eight children, six sons and two daughters. John E., Jr. was born in 1869, Charles Cornelius in 1870, Mary Elizabeth in 1871, Joseph A. in 1872, Francis Frederick in 1874, Henry Harrison in 1875, Walter Everett in 1878, and Florence Louise in 1883.

The injuries he obtained during the Civil War later qualified him for an "invalid pension" from the United States Government, which he filed on September 22, 1890. He asked for a monthly pension of $20 per month (since he was only 75 years old), but received only $12 per month until his death. John E. McVey died on November 3, 1907 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts at the age of 77. He was buried November 6, 1907 at HolyHood Cemetery in Brookline, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. There is a bronze plaque at his grave site that reads "Chandler Post 143 G.A.R." (Grand Army of the Republic.)

A special thanks to Peggy Coughlan for contributing this information. John E. McVey was her husband's great grandfather.