Charles Edwin Shackford was the son of Ephriam F and Mary A (Newton or Yeaton) Shackford born in Kittery, Maine on January 7, 1845. His father, Ephriam died in York, Maine in 1849 and we find Charles and his brother William living with Mary A Shackford and William O Shackford in the 1850 and 1860 censuses. An obituary for William who we believe was his brother states that he was the son of Ephriam. Ephriam’s probate records dated Sept 3, 1849 lists a wife Mary A. We have not yet found guardianship records which would most likely exist for Charles and William.
Based on census records and his military enlistment, we believe Charles was born about 1844. He was eighteen when he enlisted via this formal document.
Duplicate
VOLUNTEER ENLISTMENT
STATE OF Maine TOWN OF Kittery
I, Charles E Shackford a resident of Kittery
born in Kittery in the State of Maine
aged eighteen years and by occupation a Farmer
DO HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE to have volunteered this thirty first
day of July 1862, to serve as a SOLDIER in the ARMY OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, for the period of THREE YEARS,
unless sooner discharged by proper authority: Do also agree to accept such
bounty, pay, rations, and clothing, as are, or may be, established by law for vol-
unteers. And I, Charles E Shackford do solemnly swear, that I
will bear true faith and allegiance to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies or
opposers whomsoever; and that I will observe and obey the orders of the Presi-
dent of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me,
according to the Rules and Articles of War.
Sworn and subscribed to, at Portland
this thirteenth day of Aug 1862 Charles E Shackford [signature]
BEFORE Joseph S Perry 2d Lieut 17th Reg Maine Vol
Must Officer
I CERTIFY, ON HONOR, That I have carefully examined the above named Volunteer
agreeably to the General Regulations of the Army, and that in my opinion he is free from all
bodily defects and mental infirmity, which would, in any way, disqualify him from performing the duties of a soldier. William Westcott Examining Surgeon.
I CERTIFY, ON HONOR, That I have minutely inspected the Volunteer, Chas
E Shackford previously to his enlistment, and that he was entirely sober when
enlisted; that to the best of my judgment and belief, he is of lawful age; and that, in accept-
ing him as duly qualified to perform the duties of an able-bodied soldier, I have strictly observed the Regulations which govern the recruiting service. This soldier has blue EYWS,
light HAIR, lighter COMPLEXION, is 5 FEET
6 1/2 INCHES high
17 REGIMENT OF MAINE VOLUNTEERS
A J Stinson Recruiting Officer
[Note will be made upon the margin stating whether the recruit is married or single]
states single along the margin
After the war we find Charles in Portland in 1869 working as a machinist. He was 29 when he married Elizabeth Rebecca Kennedy on January 1, 1873. They moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where he continued to work as a machinist and added daughter Marion to their family. Sometime thereafter they moved to Guadalajara, Mexico where master mechanic C E Shackford was one of five Americans honored for rescuing many lives when the steamer La Libertad sunk in Lake Chapala. Charles continued to work for the railroad in Mexico until his death on June 26, 1897 due to fever. His death was mentioned in at least five newspapers in Kansas City, Wichita, Michigan, and Minnesota describing him as a well known American Railway man and old employee of the Mexican Central. Charles’ wife Elizabeth who still had a young son at home when her husband died married a Mr Daniel B Smith.
CHILDREN:
Marion Swett Shackford (1877-1949) – married Henry Van Hollinger Van Vorhees who died three years later, then married Nathaniel Henry Emmons
Robert Smith Shackford (1889-1953) – married Carolyn Hildeguard Payne
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SOURCES:
1850 United States Federal Census, York County, Maine, population schedule, Kittery, Mary Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 January 2014).
1860 United States Federal Census, York County, Maine, population schedule, Kittery, Page No 42, Mary Shackford; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 January 2014).
1870 United States Federal Census, Cumberland County, Maine, population schedule, Portland, Page No 63, dwelling 362, family 532, Charles E Shackford in home of Catherine Barter; digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 7 November 2016).
1880 United States Federal Census, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Cambridge, enumeration district (ED) Enumeration District No 431, Page No 29, 231 Broadway, dwelling 144, family No 323, Charles E Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 November 2016).
“Charles E. Shackford Dead.,” Kansas City Journal (Kansas City, Missouri), 2 July 1897; digital images, Library of Congress Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov : accessed 29 July 2013), Image provided by: State Historical Society of Missouri; Columbia, MO.
“Five brave Americans,” The Worthington (Worthington, Minnesota) Advance, 14 November 1889; digital images, Library of Congress (www.chroniclingamerica.loc.gov : accessed 6 August 2013).
“Five Brave Americans Were Recently Awarded Medals,” Semi-weekly Interior Journal (Stanford, Kentucky), 3 December 1889; digital images, Library of Congress Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 21 February 2014).
“Kittery,” Portsmouth Herald (Portsmouth, New Hampshrie), 14 November 1927; digital images, Newspaper Archive (http://access.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 28 May 2014).
Maine, , Charles E Shackford; “Maine, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862-1865,” database with digital images (some), FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org: accessed 14 September 2016).
Maine, Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, , Charles E Shackford m Lizzie R Kennedy, 1 January 1873; digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 25 June 2014).
Shackford Samuel Burnham, “Shackford Genealogy Manuscript,” 242 Charles Edwin Shackford; SG SHA 5, Folder (56) William Shackford, New England Historical and Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.
“United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934,” digital image, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 17 May 2014), Charles E Shackford, widow Lizzie R Shackford.
Copyright 2023 Joanne Shackford Parkes (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not copy this material and paste it elsewhere) – reworded first paragraph in April 2023
SHACKFORD Family History 