Edward Anthony

NEGAUNEE –The American Civil War took place from April 12, 1861 through June 1865.

There were 34 states in the Union at the start of the war. Eleven states seceded, declaring themselves as Confederate States of America. About 2.1 million Union soldiers fought against 1.1 million Confederate soldiers.

About 200,000 men were killed in action and about 400,000 died from other causes, namely diseases. Over 400,000 were wounded. The monetary cost of the war was $3.5 billion for the Union and the Confederacy $2 billion. Twenty eight men who had a connection with Negaunee participated in the Civil War.

None of them were Negaunee natives but the mines and forests were incentives for many of the veterans to come and seek fortunes here after the war. They were active in the Civil War veterans’s organization, The Grand Army of the Republic. (G.A.R.) One of their meeting places was at a home still located in the 300 block of Main Street.

Samuel Cary was one of these soldiers who found his way to Negaunee after the war. He was the only known African- American Civil War veteran who lived in Negaunee. He was born in Putnam, Ohio. His military records indicate that he was 26 years old in 1863. Cary enlisted in Newton, Massachusetts, in Company A, 5th Massachusetts Cavalry. This was a “colored” cavalry.

While the enlisted men were African – American, all officers were white. Cary enlisted as a private with a signing bonus of $325. Cary, like all black Union soldiers, faced a greater peril than white troops if captured by the Confederate Army.

The black troops were severely punished or killed. As a result President Lincoln issued an order for any mistreatment of black troops. The fact that Cary, as well as all other African-Americans enlisted in spite of danger tells of their courage and patriotism. Cary came to Negaunee shortly after mustering out and was working as a barber.

He married Elizabeth Tifft in Negaunee and lived on Clark Street. The census lists Elizabeth as white, and the “anti-miscegenation” laws forbidding black/white marriage were not repealed in Michigan until ten years later, so according to law their marriage was illegal.

Records indicate that Rev. James Frazee of the Methodist Episcopal Church performed the ceremony. Samuel Cary might have been a “light black” man and Rev. Frazee may not have known that Cary was a black man, or maybe he didn’t know about the law, or maybe he didn’t care. The marriage is recorded in the Marquette County courthouse. Cary died in 1898 from chronic nephritis, a kidney inflammation.

He is buried in the Negaunee cemetery. Samuel Cary’s death made front page news in the Iron Herald. This would have been unusual for a “colored “ man to have rated such an obituary. But his unique status as an African-American in an otherwise all white community would have been a factor. He was described as good-natured and generous to a fault. He owned a barber shop for a time on the corner of Iron and Silver Street.

He was a gambler and he bet his barber shop against $100 on the Fitsimmons-Maher championship fight. Fitzsimmons won the fight in 95 seconds of the first round but Cary had bet on Maher, thus losing his shop. He spent the last years of his life as a bartender for Henry Heisel in Ishpeming.

The Iron Herald description of Carey’s funeral: The funeral of Samuel Carey was on a Sunday afternoon with a large crowd from various parts of the county. The procession was headed by the “Old City Band” and made up with the G.A.R. and a long line of sleighs. The floral contributions were many and beautiful and well attested to the respect this poor colored man was held in the estimation of the community.

His wife survived him but was confined to an insane asylum in Traverse City for 12 years and transferred to the newly opened Newberry facility where she died in 1904.

Edward Anthony was another Civil War veteran who served in the Michigan Cavalry, Company B. Anthony was born in England and moved to Marquette in 1856. Edward Anthony is listed on Samuel Cary’s death certificate as the reporter of Samuel Cary’s death. Edward Anthony was a brakeman on the tram railroad between Marquette and the Carp River forge.

He enlisted when the regiment was first formed. Anthony was taken prisoner of the Confederacy. He was held for months. Anthony may have been fortunate to be captured as there were many casualties during this time. When he was discharged he first lived in Marquette and he moved to Negaunee and opened a harness shop.

He then went into a logging and lumbering business. In 1882 he went into partnership with A.D. Parker of New York and started the Negaunee Glucodine Works, manufacturing nitroglycerine and blasting powder for the local mines. Anthony was active in the Grand Army of The Republic organization serving as state commander. He was active in local politics serving as treasurer for both Negaunee city and Negaunee Township.

He served on the school board and mayor of the city. He was also on the county poor commission. He joined the Negaunee fire Department and served as chief. Alexander Maitland of Negaunee was lieutenant governor when Anthony was appointed by Governor Fred Warner to the state prison committee.

Anthony was married to Dorette Bey, a pioneer family of Marquette. They had three children. His funeral took place in their home on Lincoln Street. It was conducted by Rev. Thomas Foster of St. John’s Epicopal Church.

The flags at city hall and the fire station were flown at half staff in his honor and all city business was suspended during the hour of his funeral. He is buried in the Negaunee cemetery.