Rives, Oran Alston

Summary

Father: Robert Edward Rives
Mother: Elizabeth Jane Farrish

Birth: 10 Dec 1838, Chatham County, North Carolina
Birth Source: Headstone

Death: 24 Apr 1883, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Death Source: Headstone, Obituary

Spouse1: Amelia Hess, m. 8 Mar 1867

Narrative

Children of Oran Alston Rives and Amelia Hess:

1. Oran Edwards Gerould Rives, b. 20 Aug 1868
2. Robert Hess Rives, d. young

From Reliques of the Rives:
Dr. Oran Alston Rives, the only one of the family born in the Confederate States who Is known to have fought in the Union ranks, was a native of Chatham county, North Carolina, where he was born in 1838. He was graduated from the New Orleans School of Medicine in 1860, later specializing in the diagnosis of diseases of the heart and lungs. When war broke out his father gave him a horse, outfitted him, and directed him to enlist in the Confederate Army. Instead, Dr. Rives returned the property given him by his father ; left Arkansas ; and was smuggled on board a boat on the Mississippi which took him to Mound City, Illinois, where he enlisted in the Union forces and was made Acting Assistant Surgeon aboard the U. S. S. Sawah. He married March 8, 1867, Amelia Hess (b. June 14, 1846, in Berks co. Pa., daughter of Benville and Susan (Noll) Hess), and, in the year of his marriage and upon the insistence of his wife, he resigned from the U. S. Navy and settled in Nequehoning, Pennsylvania, where he died April 24, 1882. Dr. Rives was active in the local temperance and prohibition movements, and was steward and exhorter in the Methodist Church. He was a Republican in politics and "had little communication with his brothers and sisters," having been alienated from them by the cause which he had espoused in 1861.

Reading Times, 27 Apr 1883
Death of Dr. Reives.
Dr. Reives, a former citizen of Pricetown, this county, died in Philadelphia, aged about 40 years. He was married to a daughter of Benneville Hess of Ruscombmanor township, and leaves several children. When a young man he was kicked by a horse, and was lame from that time until his death. The funeral will take place this afternoon, at one o'clock, at Pricetown. Rev. P. P. A. Hoffman, of this city, will officiate.

Note obituary states he died in Philadephia. Reliques claimed he died in Nequehoning township.

Sources

Birth:       Headstone, Pricetown Cemetery, Berks County, Pennsylvania
                   Edward Rives Family Bible
Death:      Headstone, Pricetown Cemetery, Berks County, Pennsylvania
                   Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915 (FamilySearch)
                   Reading Times, 27 Apr 1883

1880 Census:  Carbon County, Pennsylvania

Childs, James Rives. Reliques of the Rives, p247