Canby - Edward Richard Sprigg - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

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Canby - Edward Richard Sprigg

Source: Evansville Daily Journal 18 Nov 1864 p 3
St. Louis, Nov 17 – An officer just from Memphis says information believed to be correct has been received there that Gen. Canby died from the effect of his recent wound while en route to New Orleans on board the gunboat Cricket.


Source: Seymour Indiana Times Thursday 1 Dec 1864 p 2

A steamer which left New Orleans on the afternoon of the 12th brings the intelligence that General Canby died at noon on that day. A dispatch to the same effect has been received at Moganza. We fear the report is true.  General Edward Rich Sprigg Canby was born in Kentucky in 1817; graduated at West Point in 1830; distinguished himself in the mexican War and served in AS Johnston's Utah Expedition in 1859-60.  When the rebellion broke out he was in New Mexico and very skillfully defended the Territory against the rebels. In March 1862, he was made Brigadier General of Volunteers and later promoted to a Major Generalship and to the command of the Department of Louisiana, where he received the wound which is sated to have occasioned his death. - kbz


Source: Richmond Weekly Palladium 1 Dec 1864 Thu p 2

A report reaches us that General Canby died from the effect of his wounds, at Morganzia on the 12th. It is probably true.


Note: He did not die then - see below articles


Source: Indianapolis News Wed 21 May 1873 p1

The Committee of Arrangements to take charge of the remains of General Canby met this morning at the office of General LKove at the call of the Chairman who announced that he had received a dispatch at a late hour last evening, stating that the remains of General Canby would reach this city at 6:46 this evening over the IB&W Road. The meeting was organized by appointed General Love Chairman and General Knefler Secretary. Major Hill announced that the LB&W Road had tendered the use of a special car to go to Crawfordsville to meet the remains of General Canby and accompany them to this city.  On motion of General SPooner, the following committee was appointed to accompany the remains from Crafordsville and who will leave this city at 4:50 this evening instead of 1:30 as word has been received that the train conveying the remains of General Canby was four hours late and will reach this city by a special at 9:30 this evening. General McGinnis, General Foster, General Chapman; Major Steele; General Spooner; Mr. Austin H. Brown; Capt. McIlvaine; Mayor (Major?) Mitchel; Major JB Clover; General Simonson; Colonel Markland and General LA Pelouze.  The following committee was announced to make all necessary arrangements for the reception of the body on its arrival at the depot; General Love; Coonel Farquahr; Major Hill; Fred Rush and General Knefler.

The following resolutions were offered by Col. Farquahr.
Resolved that a general invitaiton be and is hereby tendered to the City Council, Board of Trade and all organized associations and citizens of the city to participate in the obsequies of General Canby
Resolved that all organizations who will participate are requested to inform General Love, Chairman at the earliest oportunity.

All citizens who will furnish their carriage son the occasion of the funeral will please leave their names with General Love.

The present arrangements are to convey the body to the First Baptist Church where it will lay in state unless Mrs. Canby should request otherwise. The funeral services have been arranged to take place at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon but who will conduct the services will be decided upon after Mrs. Canby's wishes have been consulted. The meeting adjourned unti 9 o'clock tomorrow morning when all further arrangements in regard to pall bearers, etc will be decided upon. At noon today Gen. Love received the following telegrams:
Washington DC May 21 - Gen. John Love: Dispatch received; we started at 3 p.m. and will reach Indianapolis vis Cincinnati Thursday Night - WT Sherman General

Crawfordsville May 21 - Gen. John Love. Mayor and Council will meet your escort at cars and the College Faculty will send delegation to attend funeral also the Cadet Batalion will pay proper honors as train passes through their parade ground. The city bells will be tolled and minute guns fired during detention of train - Henry B. Carrington, Col. USA

Later - At 2:30 this afternoon General Passenger Agent Brown of the IB&W received a telegram stating that General Canby's remains had arrived at Peoria but the escort preferred to wait until regular train which will bring them to this city at 3:35 tomorrow morning.  The Reception Committee, accordingly will not be apt to leave for Crawfordsville until 8 this evening.


Source: Indianapolis Sentinel Sat May 10, 1873

The widow of Gen. Canby, though scarcely able to leave her bed has started to San Francisco from Portland, Oregon in order to accompany the remains of her husband, Gen. Canby to this city for burial. The time of her probably arrival cannot be now determined but it will be duly announced. Action should be taken once by the City Council and Board of Trade to give the cortege an appropriate escort and reception.


Source: Indianapolis Sentinel Sunday April 13, 1873 p 1

New York April 12 - The following is a portion of the Herald's special about the massacre of General Canby and the Peace Commissioners, dated Lava Beds April 11, 3 p.m.  Between 10 and 11 o'clock this morning the Peace Commissioners party comprising General Canby; AB Meacham; Dr. Thomas; Mr. Diar; Riddle - the interpreter and squaw and Bogus Charley and Boston Charley went out to the designated spot where they met Capt. Jack; John Schnochin; Black Jim; Shack Nasty Jim; Ellen's Man and Hawker Jim.  They had no guns with them, but each one carried a pistol at his belt.  This, however, was not much noted as in previous interviews they had their guns with them.  They sat down in a kind of broken circle and General Canby, Meacham and Dr. Thomas sat together, faced by Capt. Jack and Schonchin. Diar stood by Jack, holding his horse with Hawker JIm and Shack Nasty JIm to his left.  Meacham opened the talk and gave a history of what they wanted to do for them, after which General Canby and Dr. Thomas both talked for some time.  Capt Jack then talked in an apparently good serious strain and when he had finished stepped back to the rear near where Meacham's horse was hitched.  John Schonchin then began to talk and while he was speaking Diar heard a cap miss fire and looking around, saw Capt. Jack to his left with his pistol pointed at General Canby. THis was the signal for a general massacre and a dozen shots were fired inside of half a minute. Capt. Jack fired again on General Canby and the noble old gentleman ran on to the left but was speedily shot down and killed instanter. Meacham was shot at by Schonchin and wounded in the head. He tried to draw his derringer when two Indians ran up and knocked him down. Dr. Thomas was killed almost instantly by two pistol shots in the head.  Riddle ran off and it appears they did not fire at him, but they knocked his squaw down. Diar, RIddle and the squaw returned in safety to the camp.  About a hundred yards to the west of the place of meeting was found Mr. AB Meacham, badly wounded with a pistol shot over his left eye.  50 yards further on was the body of Rev. Dr. Thomas lying on his face and stripped to the waist. Life was extinct from pistol shot wounds in the head.  The body of General Canby was stripped of every vestige of clothing and lay about a 100 yards to the southward with two pistol shot wounds in the head.

NOTE: See also his biography on this site

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