CIVIL WAR PENSION FILES ~ How many do I have? How many do you have?

Sometimes we have to spend our days doing organization work, rather than research.  

That's what I did today.  I desperately needed to get my Civil War Pension files (what I've ordered and received) in order. These are all Union pension files.  I do have one Confederate soldier who was killed in action and I plan to try and locate a file for him.  But, the confederate files are hard to come by.

These are digital files in PDF format, so thankfully not a bunch of paper.

Since 2016 when I ordered my very first Civil War Pension file, to last month when I ordered my most recent - I have been captivated by them.  

They can contain copious quantities of information or hardly anything at all.  Most of the time, though, they are filled with information about that military ancestor, his family, his friends, his time in service, his health and so much more.

I've found Birth, Marriage and Death records/information and also letters. If you're really lucky there might be a photo of the soldier.  I'm told that only about 5% contain photos.  None of mine have, so far.

The smallest one I've received is 21 pages and the largest is 258 

That's quite a disparity.  Just for fun I totaled all the pages from all  pension files I have,  and they came to a whopping 2118 pages. 

HOW PENSION FILES DO I CURRENTLY HAVE?

22 

The big question - how many have I blogged about?

10 

That's just under half of the files I’ve received. Thus, my desire to create a spreadsheet and enter every file I have, when I ordered them, when I received them, how many pages they contain and whether or not I have written a blog post ..... yet.

My goal is to review and write about them over the next couple of years.  Don't worry, I've perused all of them.  Now I just need to really dig in and write.

There are many ways to order these records.  They are housed at the National Archives, mostly in Washington, D.C., but some are housed at other locations, like St. Louis.

Ordering directly from the Archives is not only expensive but can also take a very long time from order to receipt.

I've used 2 sources for my pension files.

Twisted Twigs and most recently, Gopher Records.

Both services got me what I'd asked for in a timely manner. 

I’d love to hear about your discoveries if you’ve ordered Civil War pension files.

If you’d like to see what a pension file looks like and read about the 10 pension files I’ve written about and the things I found inside them, click here – CIVIL WAR PENSION FILES  

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2022   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

MILITARY MONDAY~Civil War Pension File of Wilson Bowen Boggs 1819-1900

 

Page 1 of the pension file

Wilson Bowen BOGGS is my maternal 3^rd great granduncle.  He is the son of Andrew Elliot BOGGS and Hannah Jane BOWEN.

Born about 1819 in Gallia County, Ohio, he was the youngest of 9 children born to Andrew & Hannah.  Six boys and three girls, who all lived to adulthood.

Wilson’s older brother, William Allen BOGGS, is my 3^rd great grandfather.

Wilson went by his middle name of Bowen, according to nearly all records I’ve located.  I’ll refer to him by that name for the rest of this narrative.

I don’t find any of Bowen’s brothers serving during the Civil War.  And, in fact, Bowen would have been about 42 yrs old when he enlisted. 

He served in the Indiana Volunteers, as a Private in the 85^th Regiment, Company B.  Here is his Pension Card.

(Click on any image to enlarge it)

The pension file card for Bowen Boggs #125,177

When I review a pension file, I like to use a spreadsheet to keep track of the pages of the file that I think are important.  And, I take screen shots of those pages to add to my blog posts.  This helps when you go back to look at that pension file again at a later time.

My Excel spreadsheet for the pension file - please click on it to enlarge it, if you need to

As you can see we have uncovered quite a bit of good information about this ancestor/soldier. Here are some of those facts:

·       His address, the dates he applied for the pension and later the increase of pension, his physical description

·       A list of his injuries and various physician’s certificates

·       His children’s names and dates of birth

·       The date of his death

Below are the images of some of the pages described above.  I have made no improvements to these images so you can see what they look like after nearly 150 years in storage.  

How fortunate are we that these records have been saved?

 

On the left - a letter from Bowen Boggs to the Secretary of the Interior, dated 25 Sep 1899 and on the right, page 18 - a Physician's certificate outlining Bowen's health issues

On the left - page 72, with children's names & dates of birth and on the right page 114 the original invalid pension request May 1871

I collect signatures of my ancestors from any source I can find them - left is Bowen's son, John A. Boggs and on the right of course Bowen Boggs himself

If you are related to or connected to anyone in this blog post, please get in touch.  Let’s exchange information.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl
Copyright ©  2010-2022   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

FRIDAY FINDS ~ Hospital Register for Deaths of Volunteers in the Civil War–J.W. Frampton died 1864

I’ve located a Civil War hospital record for J. W. Frampton.  This record was located on Ancestry.com U.S., Registers of Deaths of Volunteers, 1861-1865  I’ve not seen these hospital registers before.  I was actually searching for records of another Frampton ancestor when I saw this one.



This record is indexed as J. H. Frampton.  I believe in looking at this record, and comparing the “H” and “W” written on it, that this is J.W. Frampton.

Name: J H Frampton
Death Date: 6 Jun 1864
Death Place: 2 Corps Field Hospital
Enlistment State: Pennsylvania
Rank: Private
Company: I
Regiment: 84 Penn Inft
Box Number: 49

Here is John's headstone from FindAGrave #40243488

Headstone for John W. Frampton and his brother Isaac - used with permission from Caz who placed the image on FindAGrave

This man died of a gunshot wound.  I have Framptons who originated in Pennsylvania and later moved to Ohio and Virginia/West Virginia.  Is this young man one of them?  At this point I don’t know.  Further research is needed.
 
Have you seen these hospital records before?  It seems like I’m always turning up new records.  Think how many are online that we don’t know about. Will we ever see them all?  I doubt it.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

MILITARY MONDAY ~ THE CIVIL WAR PENSION FILE OF GEORGE F. HALL–1837-1896

George F. Hall wearing his Union Army cap - used with permission of Brian White who owns the photo

George F. Hall, my husband’s great granduncle, was born 3 Sep 1837 in New Jersey, the oldest son of Reverend George Hall and Almira Rosette Hall.  He had four younger siblings; Cornelia B.R. Hall, Charles A. B. Hall, Thomas Cornelius Hall and Susan Emily Hall.  According to his father’s obituary there was a 6th child born to the couple, but I don’t know what became of that child, when he/she was born or anything else, at this time.

By the age of 14, George F. Hall and his parents and siblings were living in Smithfield, Madison, New York.  All records indicate that George stayed in New York the rest of his life.  In the census taken in 1860, just prior to the beginning of the Civil War, George was living in New York City with the Howe family.  He was 23 years old and no occupation is listed for him.  Also in the household with him were his siblings, Emily & Thomas.  I have a death date for his mother, Almira in 1858.  The whereabouts of his father, Reverend George Hall is unknown in 1860.

Now to George’s military service.  He enlisted before April 1862.  He would have been 25-26 yrs. old at the time.  He served in Company H 1st U.S. Sharpshooters and Company I, 14th Heavy Artillery, N.Y. Volunteers.  And was discharged 25 Jul 1865.

Not only did George serve, but so did his brother Thomas Cornelius Hall (who is my husband’s direct ancestor), his great grandfather.

 

To learn more about Thomas’ service and his pension file you can read my blog post CIVIL WAR PENSION FILE ~ Cora E. Hall widow of Thomas C. Hall ~ What gems does it contain?

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

Page 3 from his pension file

As I read through George’s pension file I learned that he experienced quite a bit of illness during his military service and that it continued for the rest of his life.  The entire pension file is focused on medical examinations and letters from George and others, trying to prove that he got sick in the service and remained so, which made him unable to perform manual labor.

Page 8 from his pension file

George applied for his Civil War pension in 30 Jun 1880.  You can find the pension index files on genealogy websites, such as Fold3, Ancestry.com.  These index cards then allow you to order the pension file.  The files vary a great deal in size and information contained.  I have some that are 50 pages long and others that are 225 pages.  The files can be ordered directly from NARA (National Archives) or from a third party.  I order mine from Twisted Twigs on Gnarled Branches Genealogy.  The turnaround is less expensive and quicker than what NARA can do. 

I make no guarantees nor do I make any remuneration from referral to Twisted Twigs.  The service has worked well for me.

 

Here is George’s index card, that got me started in seeking his file.

It seems that he contracted a fever, possibly Malaria and was taken sick in Yorktown, VA in April 1862.  In May of 1891 George was examined by a physician and said to be 5’ 10 1/2” tall, weight 124 pounds and 54 years old.  This physical description varies on some of the other examination records.  Was he 5’8, 5’9 or 5’10 1/2”? His statement to this physician is “I am totally disabled.”  He is also stated to have Dyspepsia (indigestion) and disease of the heart.

In Dec 1884 George was examined, yet again, and the doctor said “General appearance is unhealthy and very nervous, tremulous when he walks. Appears very much exhausted.  Exam of heart show no physical signs of heart disease.  In the opinion of this doctor he suffers from nervous exhaustion.” 

Throughout the pension file, one thing is clear.  George F. Hall is not a healthy man.  Although it states that prior to his service he was quite healthy and able.

There are several letters back and forth to the Commissioner of Pensions.  Not only from George himself, but one letter from a Lieutenant named William Worsley Winthorp.

 

Here’s the letter written to George F. Hall from Lt. Winthorp.  Dated 9 Aug 1862 from Carver Hospital in Washington, D.C.

I found out about Lt. Winthrop via a Facebook group for the 1st U. S. Sharpshooters.  I searched Facebook to see if there was a group for them.  It’s not uncommon to find specific pages devoted to units from any of our wars. You can find that Facebook group here Company H, 1st U.S. Sharpshooters.  I was unable to read the signature on the letter above and posted a query to see if someone in the group could read it.  Someone responded and told me it was William Worsley Winthorp.  As it turns out Lt. Winthorp, who later became a Captain, was well versed in Military Law and taught at West Point for a while.

Although there isn’t much in the way of family information in this particular file, there was mention of George being married in 1869 and moving to W. Stockholm, New York where he began practicing medicine.  He practiced something known as Botanic Medicine, according to a statement in his pension file.  I found this definition of Botanical Medicine

“Herbal medicine, also known as herbalism or botanical medicine, is a medical system based on the use of plants or plant extracts that may be eaten or applied to the skin.” 

However, his headstone is engraved with the word “surgeon.”  I wonder if I can find out more about George’s medical training?  When did he become a surgeon?

This is page 58 from George’s file.  A deposition from Gilbert Constable in Jun 1882. He states he had known George for 24 years, which would mean both before and after the Civil War.  He says George was able to do a “farmer’s work” and worked for Gilbert’s brother-in-law.

 

The last piece of information, important to my research, is the U.S. Pension Agency letter stating that the pension has been dropped due to the death of George F. Hall on 14 May 1896.  This date matches what I had located on his FindAGrave memorial.

One of the best finds I had in this journey with George, is finding his memorial on FindAGrave.com #81670494.  The memorial contained a photo of George in his uniform.  Being a thorough researcher, I wanted to find out how the person who posted the photo, knew this was George F. Hall.  I sent a message to Brian White who added the picture of George to his memorial.  I got a response almost immediately, not only granting permission to use the photo, but sending me an image of the back of it.  AND…..he sent me the beautiful ambrotype framed photo displayed at the beginning of this blog post.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  My sincere thanks to Brian.

Always remember, it never hurts to ask.  I can’t tell you how many positive responses I’ve received over the years.

Here’s the picture of George in his uniform and the back of that same photo.

George F. Hall in his Union Army uniform - used with permission of Brian White, who owns the photo

Back of the photo of George in his uniform - used with permission of Brian White who owns the photo

As to George’s life after the war.  I find he and Sarah in the 1870 census, living in Stockholm, St. Lawrence, New York (just like the statement in his pension record said).  There are no children listed with them.  He is 39 years old and his occupation is listed as “physician.”

In 1880 he and Sarah are in Brasher Falls, St. Lawrence, New York and living with them is a Florence E. Wilson, age 26.  Based on earlier census records, I believe Florence to be Sarah’s younger sister.  Again, George is listed as a Physician.

In the 1890 Veteran’s census schedule, George is listed as living in Brasher Falls, St. Lawrence, New York.  I’m always so grateful for the 1890 veteran’s schedule, because it can put our Civil War ancestors at a place in time.  With the loss of the majority of the 1890 U.S. Federal Population census to a fire, this can be very helpful.

George’s wife, Sarah died 20 Sep 1892.  I don’t have a death record for her.  If she died in New York, you know their records are difficult to obtain.  She is buried with George and you can find her memorial on FindAGrave #81670795.

George died 14 May 1896.  There is an obituary posted on his FindAGrave memorial.  I have looked long and hard on various newspaper sites and have not found this obituary.  I will continue to look for a copy of the actual newspaper article.  As with Sarah, I have not located a death record yet, either.

I do hope that George and Sarah lived a happy life together.  His obituary said he had “many friends, lived alone after Sarah’s death and lived an exemplary life with a Christian spirit.”

If you are related to anyone mentioned in this blog post, I’d love to hear from you.  Likewise, if you have any corrections or additions, please contact me.

FOR OTHER POSTS ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR AND PENSION FILES YOU MAY VISIT

Civil War Pension Files and Other Info

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

MILITARY MONDAY ~ Civil War Pension File for Corporal John E. Hunter (1842-1870)

John E. Hunter

Son of Rev. Isaac C. Hunter and Emily Gillen

I have been researching the Hunter family for 15 years.  During that time I was able to learn about 3 of the 5 children born to Rev. Isaac C. Hunter and his wife Emily Gillen.  Both John E. Hunter and his sister Martha remained a mystery. 

• Where did they go? 
• Did they live to adulthood? 
• Did they marry and if so to whom?
• When did they die and where are they buried?

Enter DNA testing.  I was contacted on October 12th this year, by a Hunter descendant  who matched me via Ancestry.  

“You came up as a DNA match for me . Would you be interested in linking family trees? I am related to Hunter & Frampton.”

Through this one contact I was able to obtain information about the life of my maternal 2nd great granduncle, John E. Hunter.

Thankfully he had one son who lived to pass on his genes.  You can read about this DNA discovery on my blog post When Contact from a DNA Cousin Leads to Great New Information

I learned that John E. Hunter enlisted in the Union Army, as a Private, on 2 Oct 1861, in Ohio.¹  He enlisted in Company H, Ohio 6th Cavalry Regiment.  He was mustered out on 28 Oct 1864.  I ordered his Civil War Pension File from Twisted Twigs on Gnarled Branches Genealogy.  Please click on the link to this website, found in the right hand column to learn more.

Here is what I learned from the pension file.

During his time of service he was both wounded and captured as a prisoner of war.

When I receive a pension file the first thing I do is save it to my computer under the appropriate surname and military file.  Once that is done I read through the entire file page by page.  Then at my next convenience I begin going through the pension file page by page and making notes of what I find and extracting the pages containing that information.

 

In this case Private Hunter’s file was 111 pages long.  Here are some of  the pages I extracted from the file.

TIP: You can read through these pension files several times and you will catch something you missed just about every time.  Today I realized I hadn’t caught the middle name of John E. Hunter – it’s Elwell.  AND…..even more important, the middle name of his wife, Lottie R. Miller.  Her middle name is READ.  I don’t have a maiden name for Lottie’s mother and this could be a lead.

Cover page and page 4 – I love seeing the old tattered pages such as the cover page.  On page four I’ve underlined important items such as where John was born, his age at discharge, his physical description – 5 ft. 6 1/2 inches, light complexion, blue eyes and dark hair, and his occupation – carpenter.  You can’t beat that for personal information on your ancestor.

 

Page 9 -  It’s a letter from John’s son, Heber Elwell Hunter. The letter was written to the Bureau of Pensions on 23 Jun 1935.  In it Heber is asking for a copy of the certificate of birth contained in the pension file.  He apparently needs it for an annuity insurance application.  He probably had no other record of his own birth.

Again I’ve underlined and indicated the items of interest on this page.  Private Hunter’s full name – John Elwell Hunter, Lottie’s full name, the exact date of birth of Heber E. Hunter – 12 Sep 1868 and the exact location of his birth – Louisville, Clay, Illinois.  Along with that you have Heber’s signature and his mailing address at this point in his life.

And page 63 – which is signed by Private Hunter’s widow Lottie and gives her exact date an place of birth.

 

Page 78 - This is a page giving reference to his being a prisoner of war and that he was wounded.

There were many affidavits/depositions given during the application process for a pension.  Many of these are from family members, long time friends, doctors or people who served with the soldier.  They can provide valuable information regarding relationships, living conditions, places of residence, medical conditions etc.  One other thing I like about these affidavits is the signatures of those deposed.  I enjoy collecting signatures of my ancestors.  Here are a few from this pension file.

Isaac C. Hunter - brother of John

Emma Seed - half sister of John

Lottie R. Hunter - widow of John

 It appears from statements made in his file, that John worked at various jobs after his military discharge. At one point he fell off of a building while doing work with his stepfather.  He worked as a clerk in a drug store for a short time and also apparently went to New Orleans, Louisiana to work for his brother Isaac Hunter, who was a Riverboat Captain.

He sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder while serving in the Army. This is said to have left him with a lot of pain and related issues such as asthma attacks and palpitations.

 

John E. Hunter died while staying at his brother’s home in Shreveport, Caddo, Louisiana on 15 Nov 1870.  His cause of death was listed as “acute fatal pneumonia.”  He was 28 years old at the time of his death.

Other than the birth of his son in 1868, it sure sounds like life was rough for this brave young man when he came home from the war.

Information in the pension file tells us that his widow who was only 24 years old when John died, never remarried.  She lived until 1922 and was 76 at the time of her death.  For 52 years she lived as the widow of her Civil War soldier.  I would sure love to have a photo of either one of these two ancestors.

If you believe you are related to anyone mentioned in this blog post, please contact me, I’d love to hear from you.

Sources: 1. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl 

Copyright ©  2010-2017 Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

MILITARY MONDAY ~ Sgt. Presley Lunsford - Killed in Action during the Civil War - 1864

Who was Presley Lunsford, this young man who gave his life in service to his country for a cause he believed in?

He was the second child of eight, born to Andrew Lunsford and Jane Gillialan/Gilliland.  An exact date for his birth cannot be determined, but it was about 1841 in Ohio. Presley Lunsford is my 1st cousin 4 times removed.

We first find Presley in the 1850 census living with his parents four siblings in Elizabeth, Lawrence Co., Ohio.  The surname Lunsford is often spelled Lunceford and varies from family to family and document to document.  Presley’s father is working as a Laborer.

Elizabeth Township is a small rural community.  In the 2000 census there were only 2,914 people living in Elizabeth.  I suspect it was much smaller back in the 1860’s.

In 1860, just a year prior to the beginning of the Civil War, Presley is single, 19 years old and living with his parents and all 7 of his siblings, still in Elizabeth, Lawrence Co., Ohio.  Both Presley and his father are working as Farm Hands.

On 12 Apr 1861 the War of the Rebellion as it was called then, the Civil War, as we call it now began.
 
Presley enlisted at Ironton, Ohio as a private on 28 Aug 1861, just four months after the war began.  Term of enlistment was 3 years.  He was in Company G, 2nd Regiment West Virginia Cavalry.  His description is given on this page in his muster roll.  He was 20 yrs. old, 5’ 7 1/2” tall, light complected, brown eyes, dark hair, born in Lawrence County, Ohio and his occupation was Farmer.  This same muster roll page states he was promoted to Sergeant on 31 Dec. 1862.  He just have been doing a good job for him to be promoted.

Here’s the image of that page along with the battles & commanders of the unit Presley Lunsford belonged to.  You may read more about this unit here 2nd West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry 

Click on any image in this post to enlarge it.

       

   
Presley got married during his time of service for the Union army.  On 12 Mar 1863 he married Martha Campbell at Kanawha, Cabell, West Virginia.  I wonder if they knew one another from his childhood or did they meet during his service?  There were no children born to this couple.  From statements in the file it appears that Martha was 18 years old when they married.

Here is a copy of a certified statement of the marriage, found inside the pension file.  This is just the kind of record you hope to find when you order pension files.  It may be the only evidence you find for marriages, especially during the turbulent times of the Civil War.

Sgt.Presley Lunsford was Killed in Action at Winchester, Virginia on 24 Jul 1864.  He was about 23 years old at the time of his death.  Here is the Casualty Sheet from his pension file.

 
Martha applied for and received a monthly pension of $8, in his name.  I expect it was difficult for a young woman to support herself in those days and even if she lived with family, every little bit would help.

Martha remarried to Thomas Saunders on 20 Oct 1865 and the pension payments were terminated.

Here are the notes I recorded as I read and re read this pension file.

                                CIVIL WAR PENSION FILE REVIEW
                                                   Presley Lunsford

Page                              Item of interest

3	Claim filed 10 Dec 1864 at Ironton, Lawrence, Ohio
4	Shows that Martha Lunsford is now Martha Saunders
6	Surgeon general’s report dated Jan 1868 verifying death of soldier
7	Widow’s Pension stating Presley Lunsford was a Private in Co G, 2nd W.VA Cavalry. Rate of pension is $8 a month commencing 25 Jul 1864, the date after the soldier’s death. List all dates pertinent such as enlistment, marriage and date of his death
8	Summary of Proof – states he was killed in action at Winchester, VA on 24 Jul 1864
11	Gives the date and place the soldier mustered into service – 28 Aug 1861 at Ironton, OH for a period of 3 years or during the war
14	Statement by Kanawha County Recorder in the state of West Virginia on 25 Nov 1864. States that he certifies to the marriage of Presley Lunsford and Martha Campbell on 12 Mar 1863 in said county by James Atkinson . License for the marriage was issued by said office on 9 Mar 1863.
15	Widow’s Claim for Pension – Martha Lunsford appeared before Court of Common Pleas and states she is 18 yrs. old and a resident of Aid Township in Lawrence County, Ohio. She is the widow of Presley Lunsford who was a Sergeant in Company G, commanded by Capt. Ankram in the 2nd Regiment of West Virginia Voluntary Cavalry commanded by Col. William Powell. That Presley Lunsford was killed near Winchester in the State of Virginia on 24 Jul 1864 in a fight with the Rebels. She also claims that she married Presley Lunsford in Kanawha Co, W. VA and that her name before marriage was Martha Campbell. And that no children were born to this couple. Her post office address is Ironton, Lawrence Co., Ohio.
16	Witnesses to Martha Lunsford’s statement were John McMahan and Henry Lunsford residents of Lawrence Co., Ohio. State that since the death of her husband Martha Lunsford has not remarried as of 17 Sep 1864.
18	Letter dated 14 Jun 1876 in Ironton, OH to Honorable J.A. ______, Commissioner of Pensions. This letter states that Martha Lunsford married Thomas Saunders 20 Oct 1865 and that her attorney Stephen P. Calvin died some six or seven years ago.
21	Letter from probate Judge Geo. W. Thompson of Lawrence Co., Ohio, dated 14 Jun 1876 stating that Martha Lunsford and Thomas Saunders were issued a marriage license on 19 Oct 1865 in said county. And, that they were united in marriage on 20 Oct 1865 by Jeptha Clark, Justice of the Peace.
25	Claimant’s answer to letter asking why she long neglected to prosecute her claim. States she lives far from town at Vernon Furnace in Lawrence Co., OH and has been married a second time for ten years and her name is now Sanders (note difference spelling here).

NOTE:  My system for reviewing these files has always been to record each page number and what I found on that page. I also extract that particular page from the PDF pension file and save it separately.

Some of these files can be over 200 pages long.  To think I will remember which page number contains which piece of information would be pointless.

I don’t have any idea where Presley’s final resting place is.  However, I have created a memorial for him on FindAGrave so that he is never forgotten. You may visit his memorial here.

While researching this family, I learned that Presley’s older brother, William H. Lunsford also served in the Union Army and survived the war.  I obtained an image of William from some of his descendants and use it here with their permission.  He too had dark hair and I wonder how much Presley may have looked like his older brother.

Photo of William H. Lunsford

If you have any additional information regarding this post, or are related to this family, please contact me.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

CIVIL WAR PENSION FILE FOR WILLIAM LUNSFORD - Presley's Uncle

My source for obtaining Civil War Pension Files is Twisted Twigs Genealogy.  There is a link to their home page in the right column of this blog.
 
Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl
Copyright ©  2010-2017 Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

SIBLING SATURDAY ~ Corp. John E. Hunter and his brother Isaac C. Hunter–Union and Confederate soldiers

I have come across the first instance in my family where brother opposed brother in the Civil War.  Much has been written in recent months about this subject.  But, I’ll stay out of the political debate and just report history as it related to my own family.

It all began when I requested and received the Civil War Pension File for my 2nd great granduncle John E. Hunter.  Until a few weeks ago I knew only an approximate birth year and place for John E. Hunter.  After contact with a cousin, via DNA, I have begun to fill out his life.  Please refer to my blog post here if you’d like to read about that cousin connection.

Another brother in that same family has been a mystery to me too.  All I had on Isaac C. Hunter was an approximate year of birth and place.

After receiving the pension file for Corp. John E. Hunter I learned the following.  That he had served with Company H, 6th Regiment, Ohio Cavalry from Oct 1861 until the end of his term of service in 1864.  During that time he had been taken prisoner of war for a short time and also sustained a gun shot wound to his left shoulder.

After his discharge from the service he married and had a son, but his shoulder continued to cause him pain and an inability to do any hard labor.  To try and improve his health he went to Shreveport, Louisiana where his brother Isaac C. Hunter was a River Boat Pilot.  John Hunter was, according to his brother’s deposition, able to work with him for a while on the river boat.  However, John became ill and ended up being treated by a physician while at Isaac’s home.
 
In reading Isaac’s deposition (see image below – click on it to enlarge it) I learned that they didn’t agree about the war and had “very little to say about it.”  That, of course, makes me want to know more.



Here is a close up of the section of the page outlined in red above.



Transcription from excerpt above – “He told me he was wounded in the U.S. Army, but said very little about it, we did not agree about the war, and had very little to say about it, I don’t know on what part of his person the wound was."

As I was able to conduct further research (and thanks to my cousin Amy) Isaac C. Hunter’s FindAGrave memorial was located. Memorial #7425900.  On the memorial you will see that Isaac aka Ike was a Private in the 1st Btn Co E Trans-Mississippi Confederate Cavalry C.S.A.  Isaac Hunter was also a member of Benevolent Association of Confederate Veterans.

NOTE:  I have no experience in looking for or finding Confederate records.  Now I get to learn something new.

It was quite obvious that these two brothers fought on opposite sides during the war.  I am still trying to find military records that would tell me more about Isaac Hunter’s service for the Confederate Army.

This is the first time I have found a member of my family who served in the Confederate Army.  It seems the majority of both mine and my husband’s family came to and stayed in the northern states.  You always read about brothers fighting against brothers, but I’d never heard of my own family on opposite sides. 

I have more information to share about these Hunter brothers, but I’ll save that for another post.

If you believe you are connected to this family, I’d love to hear from you.  Please get in touch with me.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl
Copyright ©  2010-2017 Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION