Corporal Wesley Wades
Cpl. Wesley Wades
Corporal Wesley Wade was born in Franklin County about 1843. There was an enslaver with the surname Wade in Franklin County who reported owning 100 persons in 1860, but it is not known if Wesley Wade was among them. Wesley Wade arrived in West Virginia sometime before 1864. Here he was recruited and enlisted with the Union Army on the promise of freedom in the town of Webster on July 7, 1864, committing for three years. He mustered in at Wheeling, WV the following week, and was ultimately sent, probably by train, to Washington DC in late July where began his service with the 45th USCT, Co. E. Military records described him as 21 years old, 5’ 6.5” tall, with black complexion, black eyes, and black hair. His occupation was recorded as laborer.
​
The 45th United States Colored Infantry was organized out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and included three other Franklin County-born soldiers, Samuel Smothers, Robert Atkins and James Monroe, all in different companies. The regiment saw action on battlefields in Virginia including Chaffin’s Farm, New Market Heights, Fort Harrison, Darbytown Road, Fair Oaks, Hatcher’s Run, Petersburg, and Appomattox. The 45th USCT marched in President Lincoln’s second inaugural parade. The regiment moved to Texas in May and June and was on duty at Edinburg on the Mexican Frontier until September 8. During this time Pvt Wesley Wade was promoted from private to corporal on July 21, 1865. He was stationed at Brownsville, Texas, until mustering out November 4, 1865. A medal of honor remains held for a descendant or other family member of Wesley Wade, but none has been identified living today.
Often the military paid a soldier’s way back to the point of enlistment, but soldiers didn’t always choose to take the offer. Wesley Wade’s name is listed in an Arkansas Freedmen’s Bureau record, along with two other Wades, as well as five with the surname of Bull. This document was titled Articles of Agreement from the State of Arkansas, Ashley County, dated November 27, 1865. It was a contract between seven freed persons (five men and two women) and an employer by the name of William S. Guice. They agreed to a sum of $900, plus housing, food, tools and livestock needed for sustenance in exchange for corn and cotton crops. Care in times of sickness was also provided (though medicine had to be purchased), and the women were to provide laundry service to all parties, including the employer’s family. The group of freedmen were also given land to cultivate garden crops for themselves. Additional responsibilities included maintenance of fencing and other tasks as per the will of the employer. The contract began on January 1 of 1866 and extended for the duration of that year.
In the 1870 Census, Wesley Wade, age 26, resided in Philadelphia, employed as a laborer. On June 18th,1872, Wesley Wade married Joanna Golden in Philadelphia. This is the first marriage for both of them. The marriage certificate identified the groom’s birthplace as Virginia and the bride’s birthplace as Delaware, previously a slave holding northern state.
​
The couple had no children, and Wesley died on Dec 10th, 1879, of heart disease. A death certificate incorrectly identified Philadelphia as his birthplace and stated that his parents were unknown. Wesley and Joanna’s residence at the time of his death was 504 Wagner Street, Philadelphia. He was buried at Lebanon Cemetery. This was a cemetery set aside for African Americans and 339 USCT Veterans were buried there in a reserved section.
In 1882, a journalist sparked a sensational trial with the discovery of body snatchers stealing corpses from Lebanon Cemetery for use as cadavers by medical students. Jefferson Medical College had been purchasing the bodies for $15 each for over nine years. Lebanon Cemetery was condemned in 1899, and the remaining bodies re-interred in 1902 at Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, PA.
​
Still living in Philadelphia, Joanna Wade applied for a widow’s pension in 1898. It does not appear to have been granted.
​
Contributors: Rebecca Steele, Sarah Plummer and Cathie Cummins