William Naylor

Part I

William Naylor was born 28 Sep 1844 in Shelbina, Missouri, the second of six children of Edward Ralph Naylor and Cornelia Myers.   His father died when he was just fourteen, leaving William and his four younger brothers to help run the farm.

Civil was soon disrupted life in Missouri, pitting family against family as the inhabitants of the area took sides in the battle.  William enlisted as a private in D company 14 Missouri Cavalry just a month before the final battle of the  Civil War, but his late entry into the war did not save him from the fate that met so many of the participants.  According to pension papers filed in 1890 in Loveland, Colorado, William was suffering from scurvy at the time the troops were dispatched to Fort Levenworth in Kansas to be discharged. The scurvy resulted in mouth disease and the loss of teeth. Furthermore, on the trip to Fort Levenworth, which was by open boat he developed pneumonia which developed into lifelong lung disease. Military hospital records show hospitalization in March and Sep of 1865 for diantura.

According to an affidavit by Orson Oakes, "...he was suffering at the date of our discharge from the service in Oct 1865; that claimant lived with me about one year after his discharge from the service and he was then suffering from said Lung trouble and continued to so suffer up to the time he left my house in Shelby Co MO, about the Spring of 1868."

"That the facts stated above are personally known to the affiant by reason of being a member of my company and seeing him nearly everyday while in the service, and also seenig [sic] him daily after his discharge in 1865 and until the Spring of 1868.  And know that he was not able on account of his disabilities to do any manual labor.  And I further know that at the time of his discharge at St. Louis MO claimant was in such poor condition of health that I and his brother had to take him home to Shelby County, MO, and as long as I knew him he was still suffering from said lung trouble."

According to an affidavit by his brother John, "I was with my brother William Naylor who is my brother during his time of service in the army and on till the year of 1873, i took care of the said William Naylor while he as sick in the army and after he was discharged from the Service.........."

According to his brother Edward, "By being with him on his return home; he was confined to his bed something like three weeke at Shelbyville MO immediately after his discharge befor he was able to be moved Home.  At the end of that time, I went after him in a wagon and brought him home on a feather bed. (about ten miles) and he was confined to bed for some time after I got him home, and was never strong afterwards the doctor doctered him for Scurvy for a year or more after coming out the army, and he had Pneumhony [sic] when discharged.  And his lungs have been week ever Since he came out the army and teeth loose from scurvy"

While no picture of William has shown up in family records we do have the following description of William from his induction into service 1865.

While recovering in the home of Orson Oakes, William had a chance to get to know Orson's daughter Ellen.  On 20 Feb 1868 they were married in Shelbyville.  Within a few years they had moved to Loveland, Colorado, where they had seven children.

1. Annie Dora 
2. Edgar William   2 Feb 1872 Shelbina MO - 4 Oct 1933 CO m. Georgia Virden
3. Mary Eveline (Eva) 20 Apr 1875 CO - 4 Oct 1946 CO m. James Clyde m2 Soule
4. James Francis 16 Jan 1879 CO - 19 Nov 1937 CO m Daisy F Andrews m2. Edith
5. Carl Chester  20 Aug 1881 CO - 15 Oct 1923 CO m. Elizabeth Kroh
6. Cora May 1 Sep 1883 CO - 27 Feb 1970 CA m. Owen M. Farnsworth m2. S Lee Mosher
7. Fern Marion  22 Mar 1886 CO - 1961 WA m. Frank Leonidas Thomas

To be continued