Joseph Wiley Gelray – Captain, United States Army

Joseph Wiley Gelray of England

• Appointed from Massachusetts, Private and Corporal, Company A, and Sergeant Company H, 2nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 25 May 1861 to 12 February 1863
• Second Lieuenant, 2nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 12 February 1863
• First Lieuenant, 23 July 1863
• Honorably mustered out 13 October 1864
• Captain, 7th Massashusetts Volunteer Infantry, 19 October1864
• Honorably mustered out, 17 June 1865
• Captain, 45th U. S. Infantry, 28 July 1866
• Unassigned 22 July 1869
• Retired 15 December 1870
• Breveted Major, 2 March 1867, for faithful and gallant service in the battle of Cedar Mountain, Virginia
• Breveted Lieutenant Colonel, 2 March 1867 for gallant and meritorious service in the batle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• Died 10 March 1900

COLONEL GELRAY’S FUNERAL

Services at His Home –
Body Taken To Washington for Interment in the National Cemetery

NEW YORK, March14, 1900 – The funeral of Colonel Joseph W. Gelray (Captain, U.S.A., retired), was held at noon yesterday at his home, 30 Union Park. The services were under the direction of Colonel Arnold A. Rand, head of the Massachusetts Commandery of the Loyal Legion, to which the departed belonged, and the burial rite of that military order was observed in compliance with the expressed wishes of Colonel Gelray.

The coffin, which stood in the center of the large parlors, was draped with the U. S. Flag, sent from Edward W. Kinsley Post113, in which the deceased was a comrade. The delegation from the Loyal Legion, which accompanied Colonel Rand, was composed of Rear Admiral Belknap, U.S.N., retired, and General N. A. M. Dudley, U.S.A., retired; Colonel H. S. Russell, Captain John Chester White, U.S.A., retired, Captain George W. Morse, Captain Charles Hunt, Lieutenant W. F. McApline and Lieutenant E. C. Pierce.

Comrades from E. W. Kinsley Post, the 2nd Massachusetts Volunteers, the 57th Massachusetts Volunteers and from the 4th Heavy Artillery, Massachusetts Volunteers, were also in attendance.

Rev. Dr. Edward L. Clark, pastor of the Central Congregational Church, former chaplain ofthe12th Massachusetts Infantry of the Civil War, and chaplain of the Massachusetts Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion, was the officiating clergyman.

The following hymnal selections were sung by the members of the Herbert Johnson male quarter, “Eternal Goodness,” “Rock of Ages,” “Shall I Be Forgotten?”

A delegation from Post 113was in attendance comprising the following: Commander Paul H. Kendricken, Comrades John C. Cook, James C. Bruerton, J. L. White, Augustine Sanderson, Charles E. Pierce, John W. Small, James W. Porter, Fred G. Storey, George W. Brooks, E. P. Langley, Arthur Hooper, Ira B. Goodrich, William P. Smith, Luke R. Landry and Augustus N. Sampson.

Colonel Gelray’s niece, Miss Fanie E. Burgess, and Mr. H. H. Burgess, accompanied the remains to Washington where they will be interred in the Arlington National Cemetery.

GELRAY, JOSEPH W

• CAPT U S ARMY
• DATE OF DEATH: 03/10/1900
• BURIED AT:   SITE LOT 475
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard