Comments:

Mrs Murray was the wife of Private Henry Murray of Company G of the 1st United States Infantry Regiment.  Although the frontier army officially frowned on having married men in the ranks and refused to provide allowances for their families, many enlisted men did indeed have their wives and children with them on posts like Angel Island.   The old 1st Infantry traced its heritage back to 1784.  In 1886 the regiment was transferred to the Department of California.  At the time of Mrs. Murray's death the regiment's companies were stationed throughout the state, Company G was probably stationed on either Angel Island or Alcatraz.

Mr. Warren C. Sheldon of Suisun, California, a descendant of "Mrs. Murray," has graciously supplied the following:  Her maiden name was Ella Merriman and she was a native of Maine.  Ella married one William C. Sheldon on July 9, 1873 in Benecia, California and had three children with him: Ralph Merriman, b. 12/12/1874; Winfred Corydon, b. 9/14/1876; and Ella Mae, b. 8/6/1878.  When Ella Mae was still a young child her mother divorced William Sheldon and, taking Ella Mae with her, married again to Pvt. Henry Murray.  Henry Murray and Ella had an infant son named Charles F Murray (E424).