Roster Page - 107

Edward Deniff

• Company: C

• Edward Deniff was born between 1840 - 1841 at Ireland.
• In 1863 Edward was living at Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
• At the time of his enlistment in the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in 1863, Edward gave his occupation as laborer.
• 
  On 28 Jul 1863 Edward mustered into service with the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, being credited to the quota of Roxbury, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
• On 12 Jul 1864 Edward ended military service with the 15th Massachusetts by transfer to Company E of the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, while absent sick, according to Ford's history.
  
  
• Starting 13 Jul 1864, Edward also served in the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Company "E."
• He ended his service with the 20th MVI by mustering out on 16 Jul 1865 at Washington, DC.

• Last Edited: 7 Jun 2009

James Tyler Dennis

• Father: Edward S. Dennis b. 6 May 1810
• Mother: Anna Maria P. Stockwell b. 1815

• Company: G

• James Tyler Dennis was born on 23 Jan 1841 at Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, son of Edward S. Dennis and Anna Maria P. Stockwell.
• Note: these parents are tentative and need further confirmation. Please contact the Webmaster if you have further information.
• James Tyler Dennis was enumerated in the household of Tyler Stockwell in the 1860 US Federal Census on 11 Jul 1860 at Sutton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, as:
  James T. Dennis, 19, farm laborer, b. MA
  living in the household of:
  Tyler Stockwell, 65, farmer, b. MA.
• At the time of his enlistment in the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, James gave his occupation as groom.
  
• 
  On 12 Jul 1861 James mustered into service with the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, being credited to the quota of Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was 20 years, 5 months and 19 days old.
• On 15 Mar 1864 James ended military service with the 15th Massachusetts by transfer to the 6th Infantry V. R. C., Company H.
  
  
• He ended his service with the 6th Infantry V. R. C. due to expiration of his term of service, as "absent sick" on the rolls on 28 Jul 1864.
• On 13 Feb 1869 James Tyler Dennis, 28, married Josephine Denno, 21, at Washington, District of Columbia, according to one unconfirmed report. Please contact the Webmaster if you have further information.
• James Tyler Dennis and Josephine Denno were enumerated in the 1870 US Federal Census on 21 Jun 1870 at Washington, DC, as:
  Jas. T. Dennis, 30, Engineer, b. MA
  ---, Josephine, 28, b. Canada
  ---, Edwd., 7/12, b. DC.
• James Tyler Dennis died on 21 Dec 1871 at Washington, DC. He was 30 years, 10 months and 28 days old.
• James wrote a letter in Dec 1871 from Congressional Cemetery, Washington, DC, as follows.
• On 7 Sep 1886 Josephine Denno received a pension to surviving family member in Indiana based on James's service; his wife, received certificate number 259816.

• Last Edited: 5 May 2011

Alden Waldo Derby

Gravemarker of Alden W. Derby

• Father: Josiah Derby b. 30 Dec 1808, d. 1 Jan 1852
• Mother: Mary "Polly" Hoar b. 29 Dec 1798, d. 17 Mar 1866

• Company: A

• Alden Waldo Derby was born on 10 Jan 1839 at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, son of Josiah Derby and Mary "Polly" Hoar.
• Alden Waldo Derby was enumerated in the household of Josiah Derby in the 1850 US Federal Census on 14 Sep 1850 at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, as:
  Josiah Derby, 40, farmer, $2298 property value, b. MA (as were all in the family)
  Polly, 57
  Julia A., 16
  **Alden W., 11.
• On 1 Jan 1852 his father, Josiah Derby, died at age 43.
• At the time of his enlistment in the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in 1862, Alden gave his occupation as farmer.
• In 1862 Alden was living at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts.
• On 20 Feb 1862 Alden Waldo Derby, 23, married Eliza Ann Robbins, daughter of Ephraim Robbins and Eliza Nourse, at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, in a first marriage for both.
• Alden Waldo Derby and John Murray Robbins, brothers-in-law, served together in the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
• 
  On 9 Aug 1862 Alden mustered into service with the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, being credited to the quota of Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was 23 years, 6 months and 30 days old.
• On 31 Jan 1863 Alden ended military service with the 15th Massachusetts at Falmouth, Stafford County, Virginia, by desertion according to the MASSCW.
  
  
• On 17 Mar 1866 his mother, Mary "Polly" Hoar, died at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, at age 67.
• Alden Waldo Derby and Eliza Ann Robbins were enumerated in the 1870 US Federal Census on 6 Sep 1870 at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, as:
  Derby, Alden W., 31, farmer, $4500 property value, $1900 personal estate, b. MA (as were all in the household)
  ---, Eliza A., 30
  ---, Hellen L., 4
  ---, Emma A., 2
  ---, Anna M., 9/12
  Robbins, Eliza, 62
  ---, Timothy L., 20
  Nourse, Edward, 15, farm hand
  Bowker, Sarah A., 18, domestic
  (Note: The Robbins also appear with this family in 1880.).
• Alden Waldo Derby and Eliza Ann Robbins were enumerated in the 1880 US Federal census on 10 Jun 1880 at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, where he is a farmer.
• On 16 Feb 1881 Eliza Ann Robbins, his wife, died at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts.
• On 8 Jan 1882 Alden Waldo Derby, 42, married Ann Rebecca Melvin, 27, daughter of James Melvin and Harriet Hazen, in a second marriage for him and the first for her.
• On 27 May 1885 Alden's daughter, Emma Angelia Derby married Edward Amory James at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, in a first marriage for both.
• On 25 Jun 1889 his daughter, Anna Maria Derby, died at Lancaster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, unmarried, a suicide by drowning at age 19.
• Alden Waldo Derby was enumerated in the 1890 US Federal census, Veteran's Schedule in Jun 1890 at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, as having served in the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Company A.
• On 6 Jan 1897 Alden's daughter, Marion Julia Derby married Lawrence Gove at Fitchburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts, in a first marriage for both.
• On 7 Dec 1898 Alden's daughter, Edith Frances Derby married Henry J. Andrews at Fitchburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts, in a first marriage for both.
• On 30 Nov 1904 Alden's daughter, Florence May Derby married Walter W. Morse at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, in a first marriage for both.
• Alden Waldo Derby and Ann Rebecca Melvin were enumerated in the 1910 US Federal Census on 30 Apr 1910 at Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts, with their five children, showing that this is his second marriage and her first.
• Alden Waldo Derby died on 26 Jan 1916 at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was 77 years and 16 days old.
• He was buried on 29 Jan 1916 at Evergreen Cemetery, Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Section 4 Lot 71.
• Ann, his wife, outlived Alden and died on 1 Mar 1917 at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, at age 63.

• Last Edited: 9 Oct 2010

Richard C. Derby

Capt. Richard C. Derby

• Father: Elias Haskett Derby b. 1 Sep 1796, d. 3 Dec 1840
• Mother: Mary Ann Allen b. 10 Apr 1812

• Company: C

• Richard C. Derby was born on 3 Oct 1834 at Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, son of Elias Haskett Derby and Mary Ann Allen.
• On 3 Dec 1840 his father, Elias Haskett Derby, died at Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, a suicide by hanging at age 44.
• Richard was educated at Lawrence Academy, Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, as recounted in Ford's History of the 15th Mass. -

  He was a scholar of excellent ability. He had intended to enter college, but the failure of his health forced him to relinquish this ambition. Later he attended the private school of Rev. Joseph Allen in Northboro, and took a course at a commercial college.

• From Ford's History of the 15th Mass.

  He was skillful in the use of tools and had considerable talent in drawing and music. He worked for a time as a salesman for a dry goods firm in Beloit, Wisconsin. He settled upon some government land in Minnesota and built himself a house, where he lived for a year and half. Work as a salesman in the West and Boston filled up most of the intervening time between 1856 and the opening of the Civil War.

• At the time of his enlistment in the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Richard gave his occupation as salesman.
• From Ford's History of the 15th Mass. -

  When the President’s first call for troops was issued, he enlisted from Boston in the Fourth Battalion Rifles. He was at Fort Independence until August, when he received a commission as second-lieutenant in the Fifteenth Regiment. He was assigned to Company H.

• 
  On 1 Aug 1861 Richard mustered into service with the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as a 2nd Lieutenant., being credited to the quota of Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts. He was 26 years, 9 months and 29 days old.
• On 14 Aug 1861 at "The Worcester Spy", Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Richard C. Derby was mentioned in an article about the departure of the Fifteenth Massachusetts from Worcester.
• On 22 Nov 1861 Richard was promoted to 1st Lieutenant.
• On 6 Aug 1862 Richard was promoted to Captain.
• He died on 17 Sep 1862 at The Battle of Antietam, Washington County, Maryland. He was 27 years, 11 months and 14 days old.
• On 24 Sep 1862 Mary Ann Allen received a letter from Walter Gale at Bolivar, Virginia, mentioning Richard C. Derby as follows: (Click icon to read.).
• He was buried at Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
• In 1865 Mrs. Phebe Ann Hanaford
  published The Young Captain: a Memorial of Capt. Richard C. Derby, Fifteenth Reg. Mass. Volunteers, who fell at Antietam. (off-site link at Internet Archive, archive.org) (Note: Phebe Ann (Coffin) Hanaford had no known relationship to the Derby family. She was the first woman ordained in New England, a member and officer of many literary and temperance societies, as well as the author of many books and poems.).
• In Nov 1868 Mary Ann Allen received a pension to surviving family member based on Richard's service; his mother, received certificate number 10221.
• From Ford's History --
  His letters, collected in a memorial volume entitled "The Young Captain," have been one of our chief sources of information in regard to the history of the Fifteenth Regiment. From these we have been able to catch many glimpses of his life and character. He was made first-lieutenant November 22, 1861, and captain August 6, 1862. He commanded Company C.
• On 17 Sep 1900 Richard C. Derby was included on the Civil War memorial at Antietam Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Maryland, on the 35th anniversary of the battle. (Articles from the Fitchburg Sentinel about the planning for the memorial.).
• Credits: Photo in uniform courtesey of Mark Savolis.

• Last Edited: 25 Dec 2010

Wallace Wellington Derby

• Father: Gilbert Derby b. 5 Jun 1811, d. 26 May 1880
• Mother: Caroline S. Chase b. 6 Mar 1814, d. 5 Feb 1875

• Company: A

• Wallace Wellington Derby was born on 3 Dec 1842 at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, son of Gilbert Derby and Caroline S. Chase.
• Wallace Wellington Derby was enumerated in the household of Gilbert Derby and Caroline S. Chase in the 1850 US Federal Census on 4 Sep 1850 at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, as:
  Gilbert Derby, 38, comb manufacturer, b. MA (as were all in the family)
  Caroline C., 36
  Saphona J., 16
  Andrew G., 15
  Mary C., 12
  Emma E., 10
  **Wallace W., 8.
• At the time of his enlistment in the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in 1861, Wallace gave his occupation as comb maker.
• In 1861 Wallace was living at Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts.
• 
  On 12 Jul 1861 Wallace mustered into service with the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, being credited to the quota of Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was 18 years, 7 months and 9 days old.
• On 3 Jul 1863 Wallace was taken prisoner at The Battle of Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania.
• On 22 Jul 1863 at "The Worcester Spy", Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Wallace Wellington Derby was reported as missing at Gettysburg.
• On 28 Jul 1864 Wallace ended military service with the 15th Massachusetts due to expiration of service term.
  
  
• In Aug 1864 Wallace Wellington Derby was brakeman.
• Starting 18 Aug 1864, Wallace also served in the 4th Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, Company K.
• On 18 Oct 1864 Wallace was promoted to Corporal.
• On 1 Mar 1865 Wallace was promoted to Sergeant.
• He ended his service by desertion from furlough, according to the MASSCW on 19 Apr 1865.
• He died in 1869 according to one uncomfirmed source. Please contact the Webmaster if you have further information.. He was 26 years old.

• Last Edited: 25 Dec 2010