Moses A. Doyle, Civil War Soldier and Sandusky Mail Carrier

At Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery is this partially visible tombstone which honors the memory of Moses A. Doyle, a Civil War veteran and a former mail carrier for the Sandusky Post Office. According to one of his marriage records, Moses A. Doyle was born in Westchester, New York in 1848 to Andrew and Susan (Ryan) Doyle. While still a resident of the state of New York, Moses A. Doyle served in Company B of the Seventh United States Infantry. The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System lists his last rank as that of Sergeant. By 1870, according to the U.S. Census, Moses Doyle was age 23, and residing with his wife Candace and his infant daughter Amelia, in Sandusky Ohio. His occupation was listed as house carpenter. In the 1880 Census, Moses and Candace Doyle were the parents of four children, and Moses was still employed as a carpenter. By 1900, Moses A. Doyle was a mail carrier in Sandusky, Ohio. Moses stated that his parents had both been born in Ireland.

The Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953 Collection, at Family Search, holds a death record for Candace R. Doyle, who died on February 15, 1910. The record informs us that the parents of Candance Doyle were Simeon Galloway and Amelia (Fox) Galloway. Moses A. Doyle married secondly, Mrs. Eleanor Duncan. Eleanor passed away on March 1, 1924. After Eleanor's death, Moses A. Doyle married for a third time. His third wife was named Nettie Hughes. Sadly, Nettie died on May 11, 1935.

Moses A. Doyle died on December 13, 1936. A brief article which appeared in the Steubenville Herald Star of December 14, 1936, stated that Moses had been appointed as a letter carrier 52 years prior to 1936, and he was one of the first three letter carriers in Sandusky, Ohio. Moses A. Doyle survived the Civil War, outlived three wives, and he delivered mail to Sandusky residents in all types of weather. He lived a full life, and served his country and his community very well. Having been born to Irish immigrants, he probably endured prejudice against his Irish family ties at various times in his life. It was people like Moses A. Doyle who helped to help create the diverse population of Erie County, Ohio, which has long been considered to be typical of the "melting pot" characteristics of these United States.