David Gifford Shumway

November 7, 1828 - December 25, 1892

David Gifford Shumway was the pioneer in Michigan of a thriving branch of the Shumway family which settled in beautiful West Michigan for a hundred years. His story takes in the experience of the American settler in the northwest which included the changes wrought by the Civil War and the settlement of Michigan in the later half of the nineteenth century. The A.A. Shumway Genealogy recounts that David was born in Chatham, New York, tenth of eleven children of Isaac and Mary Shumway (#1129) of Stamford and Phelps N.Y. He married Paulina Vanderhoof (long I, as in "Paul - eye -na"), daughter of Jacob Vanderhoof and Hannah Conger, on December 14, 1851. David and Paulina emigrated to Michigan in 1852, first establishing a farm in Macomb County. He had children Lelia Jane, Mary Eliza, Cora Estelle and Clara Belle before enlisting in Co. L, 8^th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry in February, 1862. His enlistment deserves some attention since David was 34 years of age at the time and had responsibilities at home.

In the winter of 1862, William Shumway, son of Philo and Gertrude (Tator) Shumway (#1194), visited his uncle in Michigan. William is not identified in the A.A.Shumway Genealogy, but his Mother Gertrude’s application for pension based upon William’s service clearly identifies him as her son, as does a letter to his commander by Philo asking for his release and a series of affidavits taken for the pension application. It appears that William was swept away with war fever while in Michigan and, on January 30, 1863 enlisted in Co. L, 8^th Michigan Cavalry at Mt. Clemens, MI. Some weeks later, David enlisted in the same unit. Although it is not wise to read into the facts, it is irresistible to conjecture that William actually came to Michigan to escape his father’s close attention and refusal to allow him enlist at the tender age of 16. It might be guessed that David felt badly enough about William’s enlisting while in his care that he followed him, enlisting on February 20, 1863 at Lenawee County, MI, possibly with the idea that he would try to remain close to William to safeguard him as best he could.

The unit was mustered in April and together they trained at Detroit. In July, 1863, the 8^th was shipped to Ohio where they participated in what William described in a letter home as "chasing Morgin the Gurrily Cheaf", the 8^th assisting in Morgan’s Raider’s pursuit across southern Ohio and defeat on the West Virginia border. In August, while the 8^th was encamped at Covington, KY, David was assigned to a foraging detail with a six mule wagon. Upon returning to camp, an accident occurred and David was dragged for nearly a mile until found. He was injured in the throat and stomach as a result of this accident, and hospitalized at Lebanon, KY. Ultimately, David was discharged for disability due to a resulting hiatal hernia which proved to be a problem to him for the remainder of his life. William remained with the unit until November, 1863, when he was captured while foraging (apparently an especially dangerous duty for we Shumways) near Knoxville, TN. William was imprisoned at Andersonville Prison, in Georgia, and died there on July 18, 1864. David and Paulina had their first son on December 7, 1864 and named him William Grant, my great grandfather. Gertrude was granted a survivor’s pension by establishing that William had been Philo’s help on the farm and had been needed in order to maintain her livelihood. Paulina, likewise, was able to establish a widow’s pension after David’s 1892 death since it was established that his war wounds were a contributing cause of his death: the hernia had never healed satisfactorily and periodically caused suffering that kept David from taking food.

After David returned to the Macomb farm, he found that he was unable to keep up farming due to his wounds. In 1870 he sold and moved the family to Schoolcraft Township, Kalamazoo County and attempted to make a living as a peddler. No doubt this rankled David, who had been raised on the farm and had farmed all his life. In 1875 he again moved the family, this time to Ionia County, some fifteen or twenty miles from brother John W.’s farm in Pewamo Twp and near to Paulina’s sister. I conjecture that David felt that John’s sons and his own growing sons (another son, Arthur, had been born to them on June 29, 1867) could help with farming adequately to move back onto the land. They leased, and later bought, land across the road from Ira Anway, who was related to a brother-in-law to Paulina. This is known to us as the "Shumway Farm on the Old Clinton Trail", though the land has passed to new owners some fifty years ago. David and Paulina would farm and reside here for the remainder of his days. Son William ultimately became an employee of the Pere Marquette Railroad, though he maintained the old farm and turned it over to his son John Gifford Shumway, who farmed it until the 1940's. Arthur remained in Arkansas when the brothers moved there in the 1890's for a period.

In December of 1892, David was again tormented by a worsening of his hernia. He took no food during these attacks and ultimately this led to his weakening and death on Christmas day. Paulina carried on after David’s death, spending time alternately with her daughters in Lake Odessa, Kalamazoo and Grand Haven, Michigan, and leasing the farm. Paulina died on January 17, 1908 in Lake Odessa and was buried next to David in Lakeside Cemetery, the resting place of what would ultimately be five generations of Shumways, including William and his son John Gifford. John Gifford became sexton of Lakeside Cemetery in 1949. David’s grave is marked by a fine obelisk, evidently placed by the children. It reads, as best as can be interpreted: SLEEP IN PEACE I will not forget thee/the past and the future/ be bonded together/by Love’s dearest chains ,Father/Not a link in the chain/but I’ll cherish and/ nurture till my spirit/need meets thee/when this body dies.

Hastings, MI 49058

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