25 November 2022

Civil War Veteran’s Guardian Was Murdered by a Jealous Brother-in-Law - Edwin A Langley, Springfield Twp

            

                                   By Pamela Pattison Lash

 

This Civil War Soldier left his native residence of Keene, Coshocton Co, OH after his service in the Ohio Volunteer Infantry was over, taking his wife and small children to Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH.  A blacksmith by trade he established a home here and later moved to Gorham Twp, Fulton Co, OH after the death of his wife.

 

Edwin Apuilla LANGLEY, the son of Moses B Langley and Martha B Childs, was born on 17 March 1843 in Keene, Coshocton Co, OH.  He is found in both the 1850 and 1860 Keene, Coshocton Co, OH Federal Census Records, living with his parents and later his widowed mother.  Moses B Langley was born in NH c1802 and died by 30 June 1859.  Dr. Lucius Howard was appointed by the local court as guardian for Moses’ minor heirs, Jonas C, Lila P, and Edwin A Langley.  Representing them and the interests of widow Martha Langley, Lucius petitioned the court to sell Moses’ lands of Lot 18 consisting of about 160 acres.  Three men were set to appraise the value of this property and Howard was then allowed to sell the property with the proviso of 1/3 payment in hand, 1/3 in one year, and the balance in two years with 6% interest.  Edwin and Lila appear to be twins of age 16 and Jonas was 20 years of age.  Older sister Mary Jane had married Simon Elliott on 13 Apr 1854 in Coshocton and lived in Richland Twp, Defiance Co, OH.  The youngest child, Rebecca Langley was born c1848 but she must have died before the father as she is not included in this probate.

 

On 28 January 1860 Dr. Lucius Howard, husband of the former Rosette Farwell, was murdered by his brother-in-law in the Farwell Butcher Shop.  Lewis Farwell believed that Lucius was overly friendly with Farwell’s wife and had words with the physician earlier in the evening.  Farwell then left home to conduct some business and Howard decided to stroll over to the butcher shop.  Farwell changed his mind and returned home to find Howard there and killed him with a piece of stove wood.  The butcher was convicted of second degree murder and spent a term at the Ohio Penitentiary.  He later moved to Illinois with his family.

 

By the 1860 Richland, Defiance Co, OH Federal Census records, Edwin’s sister Mary and husband Simon Elliott, and Langley brother Jonas were listed there. Edwin Langley joined the Co G unit of the 104th OVI and later was transferred to the Co H unit of the 80th OVI.  He mustered in on 29 Feb 1864 in Ohio and mustered out on 13 Aug 1865 at Little Rock Arkansas as a private.  He married Clarissa Leavitt in Coshocton Co, OH on 19 Oct 1865.  

 

Clarissa, born in Keene, OH on 13 Nov 1842, was the daughter of Gideon Leavitt and wife Mary Sickles.  Edwin, Clarissa, and children were found in the 1870 Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH Federal Census; they were also enumerated there in 1880 and he was listed in the 1890 Veterans Schedule for the Stryker, OH area.  He applied for a CW Pension as an invalid on 23 Aug 1890. Clarissa died in Williams Co, OH on 24 Sept 1894 and was buried in the Boynton Cemetery of Springfield Twp.  Edwin and Clarissa were the parents of the following four children:

1.     Pren M (died as toddler, Williams Co, OH), male

2.     Zina E (1869 OH – 6 Dec 1951, Alvordton, Williams Co, OH)

3.     Milo Edwin (1871 Stryker, OH – Jan 1957, Williams Co, OH; m1 Eva Austin, 15 Oct 1893, Williams Co, OH; m2 Alta M Replogle)

4.     Edna Mary (14 Aug 1880, Williams Co, OH – pos 22 Jan 1948, Lucas Co, OH; m Robert Lee Johnson, 25 Mar 1913, Lucas Co, OH )

 

By 1900 Edwin was living in Gorham Twp, Fulton Co, OH as a landlord but ten years later he was residing in Brady Twp, Williams Co, OH as a widower living on his own income.  Edwin died on 28 Jan 1919 in West Unity, OH of heart disease and was buried beside Clarissa in Boynton Cemetery.

 

Reference List

1850 Keene, Coshocton Co, OH Federal Census – Edwin 7 OH with parents

1860 Keene, Coshocton Co, OH Federal Census – Edwin A 17 OH with mother

1870 Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH Federal Census – Edwin 27 OH/Clarissa 29 OH

1880 Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH Federal Census – Edwin 37 OH/Clarissa 38 OH

1890 Veterans Schedule, Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH

1900 Gorham Twp, Fulton Co, OH Federal Census – Edwin 57 OH, widower, landlord

1910 Brady Twp, Williams Co, OH Federal Census – Edwin 67 OH, widower, own income

“Bryan Times” (Bryan, OH), 28 Jan 1957 – Milo Edwin Langley Obit

Civil War Pension – invalid, 23 Aug 1890

Coshocton Co, OH Marriages, 1859-1874, p396 – Edwin A Langley and Clarissa Leavitt

Coshocton Co, OH Probate Administrator of Estates, 1858-1866

“Leader Enterprise” (Montpelier, OH), 10 Dec 1951 – Zina E Langley Obit

Lupien, David, Boys in Blue, p6,7,18

Official Roster of Soldiers of State of Ohio

Ohio Grave Registrations for Ohio Soldiers

Springfield Twp, Williams Co, OH Cemeteries, p15

“The Progressive Age”, (Coshocton, OH), Wednesday, 3 Aug 1859, p3 c1- guardianship sale of real estate

US Civil War Draft Registration, 1863, Keene, Coshocton Co, OH - unmarried

US Civil War Soldiers M552 Roll 62

 

 

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