William John Wray

Pvt. Company F, 23rd PA

Sgt. Company K, 1st VRC

Medal of Honor Recipient

Clockwise William Wray, William John Wray, William Hickey Wray and William Corbin Wray (Click to Enlarge)

Pvt. William John Wray (Co. F., 23rd PA. Wounded by the same Ball.) (Click to Enlarge)

Pvt. Patrick Hickey and Pvt. William J Wray (Click to Enlarge)

1918 Last known photo of William John Wray (Click to Enlarge)

Early Days

William J. Wray was born in Philadelphia on May 16 1845. Raised in "The Cradle of Liberty" he must of treasured his freedom and Independance at a young age. Living near Independance Hall and the Liberty Bell he must have been reminded many times on how those freedoms were obtained. So it was only a natural thing for him to join to fight in Company F of the Twenty Third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.His love for country and preservation of The United States as one Nation was his devotion in life.

Enlistment in Union Army

At the time of his enlistment, William J. Wray was 5’6 ½ “ tall, 135lbs, with Brown hair and eyes and only 16 years old. During the Civil War age went often unchecked and policies concerning the age of 18 for enlistment were often overlooked or ignored. He was Mustered into Service on April 18th,1861 in Company F, 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers. Three months later, he re-enlisted for Three Years and stayed in Company F of The 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers also known as “Birney’s Zouaves” named after Lt. Colonel David Bell Birney who himself would rise Major General during The American Civil War. Private William Wray was issued a new uniform, an attractive Zouave outfit that boosted his morale as well as all the men in the unit. Known to other units as “Birney’s Boys” these men were ready and willing to defend the only nation they knew and the principles that the founding fathers laid down. They would be the first to leave the City in Uniform and arms.

Camps

By the Summer of 1861, The 23rd PA was on the March from the city to Washington D.C where it was being sent into the theatre of War and to defend the Capital. By October they settled near Bladensburg at Camp Graham , about three miles North of the Capitol. In November Typhoid Fever broke in the camp and 50 men died. Wray survived it unscathed as the Regiment moved to higher ground in March of 1862 into Camp Clark.

The Virginia Penninsula and Seven Days Battles

Wray was on the Virginia Penninsula and at Williamsburg, he dragged the color bearer to safety, risking his life after the colors were shot down. He was wounded in the arm. He then would go through The Seven Days Battles (Fair Oaks, Seven Pines, White Oak Swamp, Turkey Bend and Malvern Hill . Wray and his regiment would hold off Robert E Lee as they fought on High Ground at Malvern Hill.

Wounded at 1st Fredericksburg

At 1st Fredericksburg ,in December of 1862 he was shot through the eye. The bullet caused him to lose his right eye and his best friend was wounded in the arm by the same ball. However his desire to defend the country he so dearly loved was not shaken. After spending the Holiday season of 1862 recovering from his wounds, he was back in action with the 23rd Pa for the next year and a half.

Gettysburg Campaign (The Wrightsville Columbia Bridge

On June 28, 1863, Confederate troops under the command of General Jubal Early were heading in the direction of Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Just prior to this, William J. Wray was in a Hospital in York Pennsylvania, recovering from his serious wound that cost him his eye at Marye’s Heights, 1st Fredericksburg. The capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, was one of General Lee’s goals in the war. It was believed that they would attack the state capitol which was left mostly undefended and either capture it, demand a ransom, or sack and burn it. Wray now without a unit, volunteered on last minutes notice with about 100 men to “McGowan’s Invalids” to defend The Wrightsville-Columbia Bridge which was about to be attacked by General Jubal Early’s Troops on his raids through Pennsylvania. Early had held The City of York up for Ransom and demanded 100,000 Dollars. This angered Wray, a proud Pennsylvanian. He felt that Early, a southerner had no claim to Pennsylvania or Northern Soil. They never made it across the Susquehanna River after the Wrightsville-Columbia Bridge was destroyed. Originally a plan to blow up three of the trussels failed so turpentine and other fuels were spread across the span and it was set on fire,destroying it.

Veterans Reserve Corps

With him losing his eye, he was transfered to the "Invalid Corps" in September 1863. Men were insulted by the name and it was changed to the Veteran Reserve Corps. These were soldiers who still wanted to serve but were seriously wounded in war. Most of the time it was Light Duty work. Guards, Parades, Message Carriers Army VIP Reps at Social Events. Eventually, able-bodied men who had seen front line service and been discharged were allowed to join the V.R.C. First Battalion men served as guards of government property, railroads and bridges, as well as over prisoners of war going to he rear and draftees going to the front. Second Battalion men served as clerks, cooks, and nurses. Because the letters I.C. stood not only for the Invalid Corps but also for "Inspected, Condemned," the mark stamped on worn-out army equipment, the men took some ribbing from other soldiers. "The boys called us Condemned Yanks" . A song about the Invalid Corps became popular at the front: "So now I'm in the Invalids/ I cannot go and fight, sir./ The doctor told me this is so,/ and of course the doctor's right, sir." After a year of this, the Invalids were renamed the Veteran Reserve Corps on March 18, 1864. V.R.C. members stood out, as Early's Confederates noticed, because of their unique uniforms, possibly the most handsome in the Union army. According to General Orders No. 124, issued May 15, 1863, "The following uniform has been adopted for the Invalid Corps: "Jacket: Of sky-blue kersey, with dark-blue trimmings, cut like the jacket of the U.S. Cavalry, to come well down on the loins and abdomen. "Trousers: Present regulation, sky-blue. "Forage cap: Present regulation." In fact the jackets were not identical to those issued to mounted men in design or cut. The number of buttons varied. Bellard described his jacket as being "made of light blue cloth with black braid for trimmings and nine small buttons down the front." Other examples show 10 and 12 buttons also being used. Moreover, the jackets had trimmed epaulets on the shoulders rather than brass shoulder scales. The collars were cut lower, with only one line of dark blue worsted lace forming a false buttonhole. There were no belt support pillars or trim on the back, and most jackets had slits on each side like chasseur jackets. Hues varied according to maker, ranging from violet to sky-blue. V.R.C. troops also wore standard dark blue fatigue blouses from time to time. Standard forage caps were to be decorated with the brass infantry horn, regimental number, and company letter. Officers also wore sky blue; a frock coat "Of sky-blue cloth, with dark blue velvet collar and cuffs, in all other respects according to the present pattern for officers of infantry. Shoulder straps were also to match current patterns but "worked on dark-blue velvet." Officers of the 24th Regiment, V.R.C. also wore gold epaulets on parade. Eventually officers were allowed to wear the standard dark-blue frock, ostensibly because sky-blue frocks soiled easily. Some officers had their frocks cut down to make uniforms or shell jackets. By the war's end, however, the Army was still making sky-blue officers' frocks. Because they represented the Provost Marshal's office, men of the V.R.C. often came under stricter dress discipline than did men in line units.

William was placed in a Fort, a couple of Miles north of the White House in 1864 as the War was winding down in Central Virginia. When General Jubal Early decided to attack the Capitol in July of 1864, the only thing in his way was Ft. Stevens, with a couple hundred men, it seemed no match for the Artillery and Infantry of 7,000 men in Early's Force. After a few hours of Shelling, some which actually landed in the White House Lawn while Lincoln was inside, Early's Infantry began to move forward. Men in the fort began to panic and scatter. Wray seeing this pulled out his pistol and threatened to shoot any man on sight who ran away. He ordered the guns to a change of Position, while under fire and son Early's Attack was repulsed.

Post War

William J. Wray and his Fiance Lucy were married at Wrays Father’s residence on March 7th 1869. The ceremony was officiated by Reverend Stevens. After the War William Wray went to work selling tobacco while his wife Lucy gave birth to their first Daughter, Emma in 1870. A few years later the young Wray got a better job working for the Postal Service as a letter carrier and his wife now with the children growing up and in school took over the selling of tobacco and sugar. He also worked at The Delinqunit Tax Office as a Tax Collector. Though this was not his line of work, it did pay well and would help him in his future as a Laywer. From 1870 to 1884, Wray was living at 3923 Reno Street in Philadelphia.

His Children were as follows

Born	Died	Age	Town	State	Cause of Death	Name
May 21st, 1870	Oct '61	?	Phila	PA	N/A	Emma Wray
May 30th, 1872	N/A	?	Phila	PA	N/A	James A. Wray
March 14th, 1875	Dec. 18th, 1899	24	Phila	PA	N/A	William Corbin Wray
July 30th, 1878	Sept. 12th,1941	63	Phila	PA	N/A	Albert Sedgewick Wray
October 13th, 1880	April 10th, 1897	16	Phila	PA	N/A	Edison Grant Wray
February 26th, 1883	July 3rd, 1885	2	Phila	PA	N/A	Mabelle Henderson Wray
September 13th, 1885	April 23rd,1887	1	Phila	PA	N/A	Frank Smith Wray
February 4th, 1888	N/A	?	Phila	PA	N/A	Winfield Scott Wray
August 5th, 1892	N/A	?	Phila	PA	N/A	Walter Hickey Wray

But maybe most important of Wray’s Contributions was the calling for him to lead a Team that would compile and write the Regimental History of the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers, “Birney’s Zouaves”. This was an amazing project that took extreme amounts of time, money and research to complete. Wray and his team took it a step further than most, adding every possible photo, death record and letter he could find. The Result would be a 400 plus page book that would be issued to libraries and institutions in 1904. Around this time, and to May 11th 1912, Wray was living at 130 S. 7th Street in Philadelphia.

Medal of Honor

In 1892, he was finally awarded for his actions at Ft. Stevens and While defending Washington D.C. on July 15th 1864 and while under fire, he rallied his men during a charge. This action won him the Congressional Medal of Honor on December 15th 1892.

William J Wray after the war never did forget his roots. He went back to the city where he was born (Philadelphia) and to his house 2 blocks from Independance Hall. He was commisioned by the War Department to write the unit History of The Twenty Third Pennsylvania "Birneys Fire Zouaves" He was named the secratary and completed it in 1903. It is still one of the largest and most detailed unit histories on any unit during the Civil War. Now the story gets sad...............

Death and Burial

William Wray died on Sunday June 1st 1919, at the age of 74 at his son, Albert S. Wray’s home at 5412 Webster St. in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Invitations were sent out to A.M Corinthians Royal Arch,23rd Pennsylvania Volunteer survivors, Post 2 G.A.R. members, Lodge #9, Sixth Army Corps Survivors, Medal of Honor Legion of America, Goodwill Engine Fire Company, Club Veteran Fireman Association, and the employees of the Delinquent Tax Office. The hallowed remains of William J Wray would be taken that night to The Oliver H. Bair Funeral Home at 1820 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia . The viewing would be held on Wednesday from 7:30 to 9:30 PM followed the following day by a private funeral. He would be laid to rest in The American Mechanics Cemetery at 22nd and Diamond Street in Northeast Philadelphia, a very beautiful Cemetery with a 4 foot high black iron fence surrounding it. He was buried there at 4 P.M. on June 5th 1919 in Section 1, Division 3, Lot 31, Grave 1. At last this man who helped to preserve the nation was taken from us.

He remained buried there until 1951, when the Cemetery was moved as part of the “Diamond Project” in Philadelphia. With the population explosion of the 30’s and 40’s and the development of North Philadelphia, many of it’s Cemeteries began to be moved. In 1950 a contract was reached to have the American Mechanics Cemetery moved in the span of one year. This was called “The Diamond Project” and involved several Historic Cemeteries in North Philadelphia. Next of kin or closest family members would be notified of the removals and re-internments. If no family member could be found, the remains would be moved to the Cemetery that the contractor had worked a deal with.

On September 11th 1951, William J. Wray and his family were disinterred from American Mechanics Cemetery and moved to Philadelphia Memorial Park in Frazier, Pennsylvania where they were re-interred on September 13th 1951 in Section F. The Cemetery was gone by 1952 and a housing project was built. From 1952-2010, The Raymond Rosen Manor housing projects, part of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, sits on the spot where American Mechanics Cemetery once was.

For 50 years following his reburial, William J. Wray, a congressional Medal of Honor Winner, Veteran of the Civil War, Father, Husband, Master Mason, Fireman had gone unnoticed. His Gravesite had gone unmarked, sunk into the ground and records of his burial lost.To right this wrong, Frank P Marrone Jr was called to lead an investigation that would take two years, thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of time, scouring the City of Philadelphia to each and every of the over 300 Cemeteries to find William J. Wray. On many occasions I was told to give up, that there may be no way of ever knowing what happened to his remains or that they may have been covered over by progress. Often there was no cemetery office or the workers in the offices were unhelpful. Money is not made by helping someone research but rather by sales of new plots and perpetual care, so often the focus of a Cemetery, as a business is on that. In March of 2002 his Grave was located and in 2004 a brand New Medal of Honor Heastone was dedicated.

William J. Wray, August 5th 1886 (Click to Enlarge)

William J. Wray 1892 (Click to Enlarge)

William J. Wray's Medal of Honor (Click to Enlarge)

Wray's Medal of Honor Certificate (Click to Enlarge)

“We fell back from our lines on the Rappahannock, June 13th, and by forced marched by night and by day, retreating and advancing, we reached the battlefield on July 2nd in time for our First Division to turn back Joe Reb, and probably save a disaster to our Army. On the 3rd inst. Our Corps (Sixteenth Sedgwick’s) was under one of the heaviest shot and shell fires ever on this continent, acting as reserves and supports. Our regimental loss was slight, one killed and fifteen wounded. Near dusk First Leiut. Joshua S. Garsed was struck by a Whitworth shot and instantly killed. Garsed had been with the regiment since August 2nd 1861, participating in the Peninsular and Maryland Campaigns of 1862, and became distinguished for his coolness, bravery, and moral worth. He was beloved by all. His blood now consecrates Pennsylvania soil, another martyr to the Union.”

Wray in the 1870 Census (Click to Enlarge)

Plaque inside Stalbans Church (Click to Enlarge)

William J. Wray's Obituary (Click to Enlarge)

House where William J. Wray Died, 5412 Webster Street, Phila.,PA June 1st 1919 (Click to Enlarge)

Later Years and Death

William J Wray had a son William C Wray who died in 1899 as a young man of 24 years. Then on June 2 1919 Willam J. Wray died in Philadelphia. He was buried in American Mechanics Cemetery on June 6th 1919. The Cemetery was moved in 1951 and the land developed.

William John Wray's Grand Old Army of the Republic Hat (Click to Enlarge)

Wray dropped from Pension Roll after death (Click to Enlarge)

William and Lucy Wray Marriage Record (Click to Enlarge)

William J Wray State of PA Soldier Card (Circa 1950) (Click to Enlarge)