Correspondence contained in the military record included several letters from O�Grady requesting leave because of illness; and, eventually, his letter of resignation from the Army. To back up his requests, letters and certificates from army medics and surgeons were included. It was a fascinating glimpse into the past as, Instead of envelopes, correspondence was contained within a paper sleeve upon which addresses and comments were scribbled. The addressee, and various persons in the chain of command, made notations or acknowledged receipt and forwarding of the contents. Copies of these were contained in the military records I received from NARA. Wartime maladies documented for John O�Grady included: �frequent and severe paroxysms of vertigo caused by a diseased condition of the brain�, �chronic diarrhea� and �retinitis�. John O�Grady�s request, written from the Officer�s Hospital No. 17, Nashville, Tennessee, was finally honored and he was released from service. Unfortunately, by the time the acceptance of his resignation was communicated to him, another year had passed and he was in even worse shape. To view correspondence in John's military record, please click HERE. Adobe Acrobat is required to view.
John O�Grady appears in the previously mentioned 1870 Census as living in the Hyde Park division, along with wife Bridget. It states �No Occupation� for John; but also shows considerable assets. His real estate is valued at $9,000, his personal estate at $800. These real estate holdings are considerable and further research is indicated. For a disabled veteran, the designation �no occupation� would be no surprise. Twenty years later in the 1890 Special Census of Veterans and Widows, the respondent is Bridget, as John has died during the previous ten years.
