With the help of Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness Volunteer Jack Stanton, I was able to discover a treasure-trove of information about several Sheehan and Hayes relatives who are interned at the Old St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Bedford, NH. (see “Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness” – A Must For The Genealogy Toolbox!).

I had contacted Jack by email and asked him to photograph the grave stone of two Great, Great Aunts who I knew were buried there; Margaret Simpson and Hanorah Sheehan. What I got was a picture full of surprises and the location of internment for some others I had been looking for, for some time.

The Sheehans

(Click To Enlarge)

But perhaps the most interesting piece of information comes in the form of the following inscription.

“A Member of Company K, 10th Regiment, N.H. Volunteers”

My Great, Great Grandfather was a civil war veteran. According to subsequent records I found through Google and Ancestry.com, I was able to determine that he enlisted on July 25, 1861 at age 38 and served for several years.

• Enlisted as a Private on 25 July 1861
• Enlisted in Company C, 3rd Infantry Regiment New Hampshire on 23 Aug 1861.
• Received a disability discharge from Company C, 3rd Infantry Regiment New Hampshire on 19 Oct 1861 at Annapolis, MD.
• Enlisted in Company K, 10th Infantry Regiment New Hampshire on 5 Sep 1862.
• Received a disability discharge from Company K, 10th Infantry Regiment New Hampshire on 28 Apr 1863.
• Enlisted in Company C, 11th Regiment U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps on 4 Jan 1864.
• Received a disability discharge from Company C, 11th Regiment U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps on 2 Dec 1864 at Point Lookout, MD.

I found the following snippet about Company K:

“THE regiment was organized under the call of July 1, 1862, for 300,000 men. One company was recruited at Nashua and vicinity ; one at Portsmouth; one at Andover and Wilmot; one at Farmington and Dover, while Manchester furnished the larger part of six companies. Capt. Michael T. Donohoe, then an officer of the Third New Hampshire regiment, was appointed colonel and Hon. John Coughlin, who resigned his seat in the New Hampshire legislature to accept, was appointed lieutenant- colonel. Manchester was selected as the rendezvous and the camp was named ” Camp Pillsbury ” ; Companies began to arrive on the 20th of August and on the 5th of September, 1862, the regiment was mustered into service of the United States.”

The 10th Infantry Regiment participated in many battles. 7 Officers and 54 Enlisted men were killed in battle while 1 Officer and 133 Enlisted men died of disease.

In The Sheehan Plot

• Jeremiah D. Sheehan
  My Great, Great Grandfather
  b. 1826 in Ireland
  d. December 16, 1891
  Buried: The Old St. Josephs Cemetery in Beford, NH
  Lived: In Manchester, NH and Boscawen, NH
• Mary Sullivan Sheehan
  My Great, Great Grandmother
  b. 1829 in Ireland
  d. 1870
  Buried: The Old St. Josephs Cemetery in Beford, NH
  Lived: In Manchester, NH and Boscawen, NH
• Danial J. Sheehan (spelling of first name according to grave stone)
  My Great, Great Uncle
  b. 1851 in New Hampshire
  d. 1900
  Buried: The Old St. Josephs Cemetery in Beford, NH
  Lived: In Manchester, NH and Boscawen, NH
• Margaret G Simpson (Sheehan)
  My Great, Great Aunt
  b. 1858 in New Hampshire
  d. 1930
  Buried: The Old St. Josephs Cemetery in Beford, NH
  Lived: In Manchester, NH; Boscawen, NH; Danbury, NH and Goffstown, NH
• Hanorah A Sheehan (Not on stone, but in database)
  My Great, Great Aunt
  b. 1860 in New Hampshire
  d. 11/23/1939
  Buried: The Old St. Josephs Cemetery in Beford, NH
  Lived: In Manchester, NH; Boscawen, NH and Goffstown, NH
• Catherine Sheehan
  b. 1865
  d. 1867
  At this time, I don’t know who this is or who her parents were.

John J. and Jane B. Hayes

(Click To Enlarge)

John and Jane had a son, Tommy, who passed away at age 11 or so.  I am not sure whether he is buried at this same site or not.  I did see a Thomas Hayes, Age 11 in the database of Hayes’ at this Cemetery, but I could not determine whether he is buried in this same plot.

There were other photo’s of Hayes plots taken.  Right know I’m trying to figure out if and how they fit in.  Stay tuned!

The Hayes Plot

• John J. Hayes
  b. November, 1849 in England
  d. 1905 in New Hampshire
  buried: The Old St. Josephs Cemetery in Beford, NH
• Jane B. Kelty (Kilty)
  b. 1849 in Manchester, England
  d. 7/31/1927 in Manchester, NH
  buried: The Old St. Josephs Cemetery in Beford, NH