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Edward
Mead was the son of a shoemaker, Harvey Mead and his wife Julia Ann
Glastry Hoffman Mead. He was born in Pennsylvania on July 2, 1840. The
family moved to Camden's South Ward in the late 1840s. When the
1860 census was taken, Edward H. Mead was working as a shoemaker and
living at home with his father, step-mother Lucetta, and younger sister
Catherine. Two older brothers, george and William, were no longer living
at home when the census was taken.
When
the war broke out between the Northern and Southern states, Edward H.
Mead came to his nation's call. He enlisted as a Private on 25
April 1861 and was placed in Company G, 4th Infantry Regiment New
Jersey on April 1861.
The
Fourth Regiment--Militia, was commanded by Colonel Matthew Miller, Jr.,
serving under him were Lieutenant Colonel Simpson R. Stroud and Major
Robert C. Johnson. This regiment was mustered into the U. S. service at
Trenton, April 27, 1861, to serve for three months, and left the
state for Washington, D. C., on May 3, with 37 commissioned
officers and 743 non-commissioned officers and privates, a total of 777.
On the evening of May 5 it reached the capital, and on the 9th it was
ordered to go into camp at Meridian hill, where, within a few days the
entire brigade was encamped, and where, on the 12th, it was honored
by a visit from the president, who warmly complimented the
appearance of the troops. On the evening of May 23 it joined the
2nd and 3d regiments and about midnight took up the line of march
in silence for the bridge that spanned the Potomac. This bridge was
crossed at 2 o'clock on the morning of the 24th, the 2nd was posted
at Roach's spring, and the 3d and 4th about half a mile beyond on the
Alexandria
road. On July 16, a guard was detailed from the 4th for a section
of the Orange & Alexandria railroad, which it was important to
hold; one company from the regiment guarded the Long bridge; still
another was on duty at Arlington mills; and the remainder of the
regiment, together with the 2nd, was ordered to proceed to
Alexandria. On July 24, the term of service having expired, the 4th
returned to New Jersey and was mustered out at Trenton, July 31, 1861.
The total strength of the regiment was 783, and it lost by
discharge 6, by promotion 2, by death 2 and by desertion 7,
mustered out, 766.
Edward H Mead was among those who mustered out with Company G,
Fourth Infantry Regiment New Jersey on July 31, 1861 at Trenton,
NJ.
On
January 27, 1864 Edward H. Mead was married to Beulah L. Simons.
In
1864 he went back into the Union Army, enlisted in Company I, New
Jersey 3rd Cavalry Regiment on March 24, 1864.
The
Third New Jersey Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 36th New Jersey
Volunteers was recruited during the winter of 1863-64, and was mustered
into the U. S. service on Feb. 10, 1864,
as the "First United States Hussars," though the name was not long
retained. It left Trenton on March 29, 1,200 strong, marching by
way of Philadelphia and Wilmington to Perryville, Maryland, where
it embarked on steamers and proceeded to Annapolis, being there
attached to the 9th army corps. The enemy being gradually compelled
to fall back before the operations of Grant, the regiment pushed
forward with its brigade- 3rd brigade, 1st division, Cavalry corps-
sharing in the operations at Ashland, Old Church and other points,
and showing the highest soldierly qualities in all the combats in which
it participated. Up to the middle of July its total losses in
killed, wounded and missing amounted to 76. On July 16, the command
was transferred to Lighthouse Point but on the 25th it returned to
its old position, and two days later lost several men from guerrillas
while on picket, 1 being killed, 2 wounded and 2 captured. At the
baffle of Winchester its total loss was 130 men the killed
including 1 captain and 1 lieutenant. In the operations at Summit
Point the regiment lost 6 killed, 25 wounded and 14 missing At
Kearneysville its loss in wounded and missing was 30 men, and in the
affair on the Berryville turnpike in September its loss was 1
killed. After this affair, the regiment lay quiet until the 19th,
when it participated in the battle of the Opequan, suffering some
loss, but not sufficient to disturb the elation over the grand
achievements of the day. It was again engaged at Front Royal, losing
some men, and on the 28th, being in the cavalry advance, it once
more encountered the enemy at Waynesboro, where it suffered a loss
of 10 in killed and wounded, but fought with its accustomed
gallantry. In the retrograde movement which followed, a movement
designed to draw the enemy once more within effective striking
distance, the regiment again proved its efficiency at Bridgewater,
losing 9 men, at Brock's gap, and at Tom's Brook, where it had a
severe engagement with the now pursuing foe, its loss in that affair
being 8 men. Finally reaching Cedar Creek, it went on picket, where
it remained until the 13th, when it had a sharp fight, losing two men.
In the memorable battle of Cedar Creek it was early placed in
position, but was only moderately engaged. In the subsequent operations
in the Valley it had an honorable part, being engaged on the Back
road and at Mount Jackson in the loss of the command in the latter
affair being two men, killed and wounded. In the spring of 1865 it
was variously employed in the vicinity of Petersburg until the last
grand assault upon the enemy, when at Five Forks, fighting again
with the scarred veterans who had swept Early from the Shenandoah
Valley, it displayed conspicuous gallantry, sharing in all the
perils as well as the splendid achievements of that memorable and glorious
day, on which the power of the Rebellion was finally and forever
broken. The loss of the regiment was only 8 wounded, including
Lieut.-Col. Robeson. Joining in the pursuit of the flying foe, it
had 1 officers wounded in a skirmish on the 6th, but was not again
heavily engaged. In due time Lee surrendered and the Confederate
armies dissolved, when the
regiment proceeded to Washington, and thence to Trenton, where it
was mustered out. The total strength of the regiment was 2,234, and
it lost during its term of service by resignation 17, by discharge 83,
by promotion 47, by transfer 276, by death 145, by desertion 439,
by dismissal 8, not accounted for 187, mustered out 1,032.
Private
Edward H. Mead mustered out on June 24, 1865 at Baltimore, Maryland. He
did, in due time, return to Camden. He was living in Burlington, New
Jersey when the 1870 Census was taken, with his wife Beulah.
Fire
Department records state that Edward Mead was living at 1 Yeager's Court
in 1871 when he was appointed to the Fire Department. When he was
promoted to Stoker in May of 1872 he was living on Pine
Street. No
address is given for the date upon which he was reinstated, however he
was living at 342 Division Street into early 1874. He was living at
618 Pine
Street when reappointed in April of 1876. Edward H. Mead was at
814 South 4th Street when the 1878-1879 Camden City Directory was
compiled. He moved to 569 Pine
Street in time for 1879-1880 edition, and
was living at 514 Roberts Court when the 1881-1882 edition was
compiled.
In
the 1880 census Edward H. Mead, shoemaker, born 840 in
Pennsylvania, is living in Camden with a 38 year-old wife named
Julia and a 9 year old son, Edward Mead Jr. By the time the 1883-1884
Directory was being compiled, Edward H. Mead had moved to 614 Roberts
Street, rear. He stayed at 614 Roberts Street through the beginning of
1892, then moved to Cramer
Hill. Edward H. Meade worked as a shoemaker
over the river in Philadelphia during the 1880s and 1890s.
The 1900 Census shows Edward
H. Mead as having remarried in 1883 to Abigail Merembeck, and that there
were two sons, Grover Cleveland Mead and Winfield Hancock Mead, as well
as brother-in-law Joseph Merembeck, at home. They were living at 1214
Main Street in Cramer Hill, this street was re-named
North 26th Street
shortly after the Census was taken. Joseph Merembeck had been active in
political and civic affairs in Cramer Hill in the 1890s, before that
section had been annexed to Camden in 1899.
The
Mead family is not listed in the 1906 Camden City Directory. Edward H.
Mead had apparently moved to 122 Montgomery Avenue in Holly Beach, New
Jersey (present-day Wildwood), where he was living with his wife Abigail
"Abbie" Mead. Next door at 126 Montgomery Avenue lived son
Edward H. Meade Jr., and Edward Jr.'s wife and son. Edward H. and Abbie
Meade were still there in January of 1920, at 116 Montgomery Avenue.
They both passed in the 1920s. |
