George Harris Shreve

by Donna Swagerty Shreve

I finally took notice of this ancestor when I was researching various relatives’ reactions to the Civil War. George was only 17 when he enlisted and was exposed to some nasty battles. His father, Samuel Shreve had died in 1856 when George was only 15 years old. He was one of the youngest of ten surviving children of Samuel and Mary Ridgeway Stockton. When his father died, most of the family stayed in New Jersey. Somehow George moved to Philadelphia by 1860. 

Samuel Shreve established the town of Shreveville. By 1831 Samuel and his brother Jonathan bought a defunct saw mill and developed a cotton cloth manufacturing complex. For shipping purposes, in 1850, they had enlarged the land and canal to Mount Holly. They employed 106 men and 103 women. The village of Shreveville included a school, a store, a barn, and stables, smoke and slaughter houses. There were about 50 workers’ houses and the mansion. George was the first child of Samuel to be born in the mansion. That mansion is now known as the Smith mansion and is an historical building.

By 1854, after a nation wide depression, and the steam power being used instead of water-power, the business went into debt. Also both brothers were now in declining health. After Samuel’s and Jonathan’s deaths, which were a few months apart, the property was offered at a sheriff’s sale in order to satisfy creditors. Finally in 1865 the forgotten town was sold to Hezekiah B. Smith and Shreveville was renamed Smithville. Wikipedia sites that Benjamin Shreve, son of Samuel and older brother of George, sold the town to Hezekiah B. Smith. The Shreve mansion became the Smith mansion and is still standing today.

Most of the family stayed in New Jersey but George was one who moved to Philadelphia. In 1860 George was attending dance lessons and Cotillion Parties. When the Civil War broke out George felt the need to enlist. The army was divided into cavalry, artillery, and infantry. Cavalry was better duty as they usually were behind the battle lines attacking things such as depots or railroads. Union cavalry soldiers only carried sabers and later carbines. George became a bugler in Company L in the Anderson regiment. The Anderson Troop was an independent cavalry company that primarily was intended for escort and headquarters duty with General Robert Anderson in command of the Army of Ohio.

They traveled via first class passenger trains. George wrote to his sister in 1862 that he was invited to dinners by lovely young ladies and he was given goodies for his haversack. He talked about the soldiers in the Anderson Brigade being a higher social and moral caliber than even the officers in the Army. He was very pleased that his fellow soldiers came from such good homes.

This class distinction came into play when they began the Battle of Stone’s River from December 30 1862 to January 3, 1863. 700 men in the regiment refused orders to go into battle there. The main complaint was the poor leadership in the regiment. Company L in the Anderson regiment was an exception and only 4 refused but the rest of the company went into battle. Again in a letter home, George wrote to his sister that he was proud that his company had such a good showing. George mustered out early on February 20, 1863 by surgeon’s certificate. It did not mention any injuries he might have incurred.

By 1870 George became a principle owner in Kibbe, Chaffey Co. They were dry goods merchants and importers of men’s furnishings in Philadelphia. By 1872 they opened a new store at 71-73 Worth in New York City with Shreve added to the company name. George then moved to New York City to set up the new store.

Grace McJilton was introduced to George Shreve and they were married in 1875 when he was 35 and she was 23. They started their family in New York City and only two of the five children survived to adulthood. George involved himself socially in various clubs. There were membership cards in the Merchants’ Club, The Racquet and Tennis Club and the Southside Sportsmen’s Club.

George did quite well in the manufacturing business and they even had a patent for knitting stockings with wider ribs at the calf and narrower ribs at the ankle to conform to the leg better. Based on various census, George did well if you consider his addresses and the fact there were servants in the household.

The obit in the New York Times announced his funeral would take place at his residence at 110 W 74th. The paper also gave notice to the Philadelphia and Mount Holly papers to also announce his death. George is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx and he has been visited by present day Shreve descendants.

After flushing out some details of George Shreve I feel I have a better sense of the man. His own son would continue the career of manufacturing and lived a privileged life until his untimely death. His great-grandson, John Shreve, was a bugler in the Coast Guard band. George left a legacy that established roots in New York City for his  great-great-grandson Bradford Shreve. Bradford is not in the manufacturing business but can now feel some connection to the city that is so full of possibilities.

905 words

7/19/23

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