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Note: Owen McManus was apparently born in New York State. In some of the records he is listed as having been born in Pennsylvania, but in others it lists New York. In the obituary of his son Thomas, it states that Owen came to Monroe County, Michigan with his parents in 1831, from Penn Yan, New York. This is in Yates County, in the "Finger Lakes" area of upper New York State. Perhaps the name of this place (Penn) is part of the source of some of the confusion. It is not clear when exactly he was born, because there are different records for that also. It would seem that if he came to Monroe County in 1831, he was very young at the time. Rick Waggener =============== From the 1850 Federal Census of Exeter Township, Monroe County, Michigan, page 831, taken August 24, 1850, household #59; from ancestry.com, image #334 of 367. Owen is listed in the household of his parents: Owen McMannus; age- 19, male, occupation- laborer, born- New York ============== From the obituary of his wife Alice in 1899, it is listed that Owen and Alice married on September 20, 1851, in Exeter Township, Monroe County, Michigan. From the obituary of his son John, I have determined that Owen and Alice purchased and moved into what became the family homestead in about 1853. Owen and Alice lived in that house on that property, until their respective deaths. At least four of their sons lived in there after Owen's death (1915), and also for the rest of their lives. From the 1940 Census, when three of the sons were still living there, the address was listed as 5282 O'Hara Rd, Scotfield. The house and property were on the northwest corner of O'Hara Road at Martinsville Road. The property was 80 acres and it fronted on O'Hara Road and ran along Martinsville Road up to Carleton- Schofield Road. According to Jerry Waggener, this house burned down some time after the last son William died in 1946. Although I have not been to the location, I believe that there is a farm and a new house on the property. Rick Waggener =============== From the 1860 Federal Census of Exeter Township, Monroe County, Michigan Page 408, household #816, taken July 5, 1860; from ancestry.com, image 8 of 21: Owen McMannus; age- 28, male, occupation- farmer, real estate- $800, personal property- $600, born- Pennsylvania Alice, " ; age- 31, female, born- Pennsylvania John, " ; age- 8, male, born- Michigan Thomas " ; age- 7, male, born- Michigan Patrick " ; age- 5, male, born- Michigan George " ; age- 4, male, born- Michigan (Owen and Alice are living next door to the household of Alice's parents, John and Ann Ward, in household #815. -RW) =============== Owen served during the Civil War, as a Private in Company "B," of the 17th Regiment of the Michigan Infantry Volunteers, apparently commanded by General Butlers. I have obtained a copy of his pension file (# 2500019) from the National Archives. It documents that he enlisted for 3 years on February 9, 1864 in Detroit, Michigan, and he was honorably discharged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 4, 1865. It appears that Owen was wounded in the right foot by a musket ball in early May of 1864. Apparently just before he was wounded he had contracted some kind of intestinal illness, and he reportedly suffered from Chronic Diarrhea for quite some time. He spent the rest of his military career in the hospital. It also appears that he suffered with problems with his foot and leg, and that he had an apparent loss of hearing, for the rest of his life. The 17th Regiment of Michigan Volunteers originally mustered into service in Detroit, Michigan on May 29, 1862. They were a battle hardened unit by the time Owen joined them, having earned the nickname, the "Stonewall Regiment of the Union." It appears that Owen and about 200 new recruits joined the regiment in Annapolis, Maryland in March of 1864. He was reportedly wounded on about May 1, 1864, near Warrenton Junction, in Fauquier County, Virginia. This was in the opening stages of what became known as the Battle of the Wilderness. Owen was reportedly sent to a hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, just outside Washington D.C., where he spent 4 days. Then he was transferred to the South Street Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he spent about 6 months. He apparently grew even sicker in this hospital, reportedly contracting Typhoid. Then he was transferred to a hospital on the corner of 23rd and Filbert Streets in Philadelphia, where he apparently spent the rest of the war. On January 18, 1865, he was transferred to Company 105, 2nd Battalion, of the Veterans Reserve Corps of the 17th Michigan Infantry, and he was subsequently discharged from this unit. Owen would have been about 32-33 years old when he joined the army. He had been married to Alice for about 15-16 years and they apparently had 6 living children at home. Alice was in fact pregnant at the time Owen enlisted and gave birth to son Francis Owen McManus in October of 1864. It would seem that Owen must have been deeply committed to the Union cause to join the army at that time and under those circumstances. The pension file is a collection of applications, affidavits, and government documents. There is a lot of interesting information there, but it is somewhat buried in a lot of other information. Besides providing documentation of Owen's military career, there is confirmation of quite a bit of his previously known personal data. Interestingly, he apparently didn't know his birthday and he either wasn't sure of the year of his birth or he really didn't know that either. When asked in 1898 for the dates of birth for his children, he could only only give the years of birth of his two oldest, out of twelve. He also lists that he was married to Alice Ward on September 13, 1848 by Reverend Smoulders, when they were apparently married on September 20, 1851. There were a few previously unknown facts about him in the files, like the fact that he was 5' 9" tall, had black hair, black eyes, and a fair complexion. The various affidavits are from a number of friends and neighbors who knew Owen during and after the war. He apparently served with his brother-in-law Patrick York, who was married to his wife Alice's sister Mary, although Patrick died before he could give an affidavit. Other neighbors who did give affidavits were: Frank Miller, Bernard Lucke (twice), Francis Trombley, and Joseph Boodrey. The affidavits are pretty depressing, telling the story of a man who apparently suffered for the rest of his life with diarrhea, leg and foot problems, and hearing loss. In fact, the pictures they paint are so grim that they surely must be exaggerations. They report that he was unable to work a single day the rest of his life. It doesn't seem possible that he could have lived almost 50 years after the war's end if he was in such bad shape. He also fathered 4 more children, ran the 80 acre farm, and apparently raised 10 children to adulthood. Owen was eventually granted a pension, although it is not particularly clear from the paperwork when he started receiving it, because the government seemed to ask for more documentation even after he was getting it. Perhaps the government agents found his reports of disability a little hard to believe also. It appears that it was begun some time in the 1890's and that he continued to receive it up until his death on April 14, 1915. Rick Waggener ============== From "Miscellaneous Records of Monroe County, Michigan" by Virginia Mehregan, 1988; published by the Gen. Soc. of Monroe Co., Mich.: From Baptisms of St. Patrick's Church, 1859-1869 Brigette Ann McManus, b. 6 Feb 1861, bap. 23 Feb 1861, par. Iwn McManus and Ella Ward, spon. John Corcoran and Marie Ward. Mary Elisabeth McMANUS, b: 09 Oct 1862, bap: 20 Oct 1862, parents Owen McManus and Alice Ward, spon. Jacob Finigan, Margaret Whelan. Francis Owen McMANUS, b: 19 Oct 1864, bap: 01 Nov 1864, par. Owen McManus and Allas Ward, spon. John Corkeran & Helen Condran William McMANUS, b: 01 Jan 1867, bap: 03 Feb 1867, par. Owen McManus and Alus Ward, spon. John Ward and Margaret Partland Michael McManis, b: 29 Oct 1868, bap: 14 Nov 1868, par. Owen McManis and Alice Ward, spon. Patrick York and Catherine McManis ================= From the 1870 Federal Census in Monroe County, Michigan, Exeter Township, page 281R, taken July 6, 1870, household #121; from ancestry.com, image 16 of 27: McManus, Owen; Age 38; male; white; Occupation: farmer; Born: Pennsylvania; Real Estate Value: $3,000; Personal Property Value: $650; parents of foreign birth McManus, Alice; Age: 40; female; white; Occupation: Keeping House; Born: Pennsylvania; parents or foreign birth McManus, John; Age: 18; male; white; Occupation: Farm Laborer; Born: Michigan; attending school McManus, Thomas; Age: 17; male; white; Born: Michigan; attending school McManus, Patrick; Age: 16; male; white; Born: Michigan; attending school McManus, George; Age: 14; male; white; Born: Michigan; attending school McManus, Ann; Age: 9; male; white; Born: Michigan; attending school McManus, Libbie; Age:7; female; white; Born: Michigan; attending school McManus, Frank; Age: 5; male; white; Born: Michigan; attending school McManus, William; Age: 3; male; white; Born: Michigan McManus, Michael; Age: 1; male; white; Born: Michigan ============== From the 1880 Federal Census in Exeter Township, Monroe County, Michigan;, district #177, taken June 23, 1880, page 18B, household # 185; ancestry.com, district #177, image 18 of 37: McManus, Owen; male, age-48, head of household, married, occupation- farmer, born- Pennsylvania, parents born- Ireland ----- Alace; female, age- 50, wife, married, occupation- keeping house, born- Pennsylvania, parents born- Ireland ----- Elizabeth; female, age- 18, daughter, single, at home, born- Michigan, parents born- Pennsylvania ----- Francis; male, age- 15, son, single, at home, in school, born- Michigan, parents born- Pennsylvania ----- William; male, age-13, son, single, at home, in school, born- Michigan, parents born- Pennsylvania ----- Michael; male, age- 12, son, single, at home, born- Michigan, parents born- Pennsylvania ----- James; male, age- 9, son, single, born- Michigan, parents born- Pennsylvania ============== The following record was so washed out that it was almost unreadable, but I am pretty sure it is the household of Owen. From the 1900 Federal Census in Monroe County, Michigan; Exeter Township, district #70, page 12A, taken June 16, 1900, household #218; from ancestry.com, district #70, image 23 of 42: McManus, Owen; head of household, male, born- Nov 1828?, age- 52?, widowed, born- Pennsylvania, parents born- Ireland, occupation- farmer, r/w's, owns home free of mortgage, home is a farm ----- John; son, male, born- Oct? 1849, age- 50, widowed, born- Michigan, parents born- Pennsylvania, occupation- farm laborer, r/w's ----- James; son, male, born- Dec? 1871?, age- 28?, single, born- Michigan, parents born- Michigan, occupation- farm laborer, r/w's ----- Thomas H.; son, male, born- Dec 1852, age- 47, single, born- Michigan, parents born- Pennsylvania, occupation- farm laborer, r/w's (Owen's wife Alice had died a little over a year earlier. His brother-in-law, John Ward is living very close. The boys seemed to have spent the rest of their lives living on this same farm. -RW) =============== From the Federal Census of Monroe County, Michigan; Exeter Township, district #92, page 2A, taken April 18-20, 1910, household #24; from ancestry.com, district #91, image #3 of 32: McManus, Owen; head of household, male, age- 80, widowed, born- Pennsylvania, parents born- Ireland, occupation- farmer/ general farm, r/w's, owns home free of mortgage, home is a farm, civil war survivor ----- John; son, male, age- 58, widowed, born- Michigan, father born- Pennsylvania, mother born- Michigan, occupation- laborer/ farm, r/w's ----- Thomas; son, male, age- 57, single, born- Michigan, father born- Pennsylvania, mother born- Michigan, occupation- laborer/ farm, r/w's ----- Patrick; son, male, age- 55, single, born- Michigan, father born- Pennsylvania, mother born- Michigan, occupation- laborer/ farm Henderson, Libbie; daughter, female, age- 47, widowed, mother of 5 children/ 5 children living, born- Michigan, father born- Pennsylvania, mother born- Michigan, occupation- housekeeper, r/w's ----- William; grandson, male, age- age- 14, born- Michigan, father born- Canada, mother born- Michigan, r/w's, in school ----- Geneive; granddaughter, female, age- 12, born- Michigan, father born- Canada, mother born- Michigan, r/w's, in school ----- Frank; grandson, male, age- 7, born- Michigan, father born- Canada, mother born- Canada, r/w's, in school ----- George; grandson, male, age- 2, born- Michigan, father born- Canada, mother born- Canada =============== From Vital Records, Monroe County, Michigan by Nancy De Graff Toll Charter, St, Patrick's Parish: "McManus, Owen d. April 14, 1915" =============== I obtained a copy of Owen's death certificate from the State of Michigan, containing the following information: Name: "Owen McManus" Date of death: "April 14, 1915" Place of death: "County of Monroe, Township of Exeter" Sex: "Male" Race: "White" Marital status: "Widowed" Date of Birth: "Don't know 1829" (From the other records it seems it must have been about 1831-32) Age at death: "86 years, don't know months, days" Occupation: "Farmer" Birthplace: "New York" Name of father: "Patrick McManus" Birthplace of father: "Ireland" Maiden name of mother: "Bridget Murphy" Birthplace of Mother: "Ireland" Informant name: "John McManus" (John was Owen's oldest son.) Address: "Carleton, Mich." Cause of Death: "old age and Bronchitis causing heart failure" Place of Burial: "Stoney Creek Cemetery" ============== Owen is buried with his wife Alice in the "middle" cemetery of St. Patrick's Parish, in Carleton, Michigan. The inscription reads: Owen McManus Co. B 17 Mich. Inf. ============== From National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Applications for Headstones for U.S. military veterans, 1925-1941; National Archives Microfilm Publication: M1916: Enlistment date: February 9, 1864 Discharge date: September 4, 1865 Name: Owen McManus Rank: Private Company B Regiment: 17th Michigan Infantry Death Date: 14 Apr 1915 Cemetery: St Patrick's Cemetery Cemetery Location: Carleton, Michigan Person submitting application: George E. Lang; Carleton, Monroe Co., Michigan Date shipped: June 30, 1937 (This would be the application for the military headstone on Owen's grave.-RW)
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