Moses Swett Ramsell
See a letter that establishes who Moses' parents are.
His obituary says married in Virginia.
Civil War Veteran
Iowa 7th Cavalry Company C
Enlisted Nov. 4, 1862 as Second sargent
Deserted July 4, 1864
Enlistment Form
Letter about Desertion
A letter from Moses explaining the desertion
See the Ramsell-Williams family Bible.
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Back of the picture says: "The sun is shining in Dad's eyes". photo obtained from Virginia Tremaine (grand daughter of Charles D. Ramsell) |
Moses Swett Ramsell's parents were from Maine, and Nancy Walker's parents were from Pennsylvania. Moses may have been separated from his parents at a young age, His obituary says he grew up in Virginia and Ohio. Nancy Walker's family moved to Ohio in about 1830. We believe that Moses and Nancy were married there in 1852. While living in Ohio, they had two children: William Benjamin Ramsell in 1854 and Mary Jane Ramsell in 1856. They then moved to Agency, Iowa (approx 1857) where they had a third child, Charles Dudley Ramsell in 1861.
In 1862 Moses joined the Iowa 7th Cavalry in the Civil War. Nancy died from accute asthma in 1865, just after the War. She is buried in the Agency cemetery. The children were raised by Nancy's sister Sarah Walker (known as "Aunt Sally"). The 1870 Iowa census shows that Moses remarried Judith Gill who was from Kentucky. In 1875 Mary Jane married Samuel E. Williams in Agency City, and in 1881 William B. married Caroline A. Roemer in Ottumwa, Iowa. Also about 1881 Charles, Mary Jane, and Samuel all moved to Colorado. Mary Jane and Samuel had several children in Denver, then moved on to Centralia, Washington where Samuel died in 1905. Mary Jane died later in the nearby town of Morton in 1938. They are both buried in the Pioneer Cemetery in Centralia, Washington. A 1909 city directory shows Moses and Judith living at 529 N. National Ave. in Ft. Scott, Kansas. We do not think they ever had any children together. Judith died of breast cancer in 1912 and is buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Ft. Scott. Moses died later of acute bronchitis in 1913. His son Charles D. Ramsell died in 1933 in Colorado Springs. Moses and Charles are both buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Colorado Springs.