The Story of Ira B. and Mary Jane Tewksbury

Ira B. Tewksbury was a Private in Company E, 3rd New York Cavalry during the Civil War of 1861-1865. He enlisted in the Union Army in February 6, 1864. He was taken prisoner by the Confederate forces at the Battle of Johnson's Farm (Also known as The Battle of Darbytown Road) on October 7, 1864 and imprisoned in Salisbury Prison where he died February 5, 1865. His wife Mary Jane (Poole) Tewksbury was granted a pension on November 13th, 1866 at the rate of eight dollars per month. The pension documents were signed by Acting Secretary of the Interior, W.T. Otto and countersigned by Joseph H. Barret, Commissioner of Pensions. (Recorded in the Pension Office, Department of the Interior, Washington DC, Book 6 Vol 10, page 91.) Copy No 63969

This is from the NYS Adjutant General's Report.

Ira B. TEWKSBURY, age 38; enlisted 2/6/64 at Sanford; mustered into Co. E, 3d NY Cavalry;

missing 6/29/64 at Ream's Station, VA; returned 7/3/64; VA; promoted to farrier 9/1/64;

POW 10/7/64 at Darbytown, died of disease POW 2/5/65 at Salisbury, NC.

Mary Jane (Poole) Tewksbury ( It is claimed ) was, in her youth, a Lady in Waiting for Queen Victoria. There is no actual documentation or record to confirm this and the date of her arrival in the USA with her parents makes this seem unlikely. This is a story passed on down over the years and is highly suspect.

The following is her obituary notice from the Staples, MN. Newspaper.

From the "Staples World" newspaper..February 1st, 1894

"Mrs. Jane Tewksbury was born in England, March 18, 1827. She came to the USA at the age of 13 with her parents. They settled in Albany, New York. She married Ira B. Tewksbury at the age of 20. They had four children.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Ira enlisted in the Union Army and gave his life in the cause of Freedom, dying in a Southern prison camp.

In 1883 she moved to Motley Minnesota to live with her daughter, Mrs. L.H. Townsend (Cora Tewksbury), her only surviving child. In 1859 she joined the Methodist Church and was a faithful and active worker. She was an esteemed member of the Women’s' Relief Corps. She was a faithful mother, a good neighbor and an earnest, consistent Christian. She died in Motley, Minn. at the age of 67, January 24, 1894. The funeral service was preached by Rev. E.H. Nicholson at the M.E. Church. Her remains were laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery.