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Archiver > MO-CW > 2007-05 > 1180286703


From: "Margie" <>
Subject: Re: [MO-CW] question
Date: Sun, 27 May 2007 10:29:00 -0700
References: <474288.87316.qm@web50209.mail.re2.yahoo.com>


Judi and others who asked:

Well now, the 300 pages I received from the National Archives on the service record of John Obrien - and that is a very uncommon name and I am sure that there were several even in Missouri at the time - were much more than I ever imagined.

I am not surprised that many of you haven't received your records from the National Archives - listen to this and you may understand!

I hope that everyone else will tolerate me on this one --- John O'Brien was the first husband of my great grand aunt, Amanda Jane Hinton-O'Brien-LaMear. John served in the Union Army, died in 1875 of consumption (tuberculosis and a few other assorted lovely diseases which I won't go into right now). She applied for a pension and nothing came of it. Amanda had seven children to care for - so much for caring for the heroes and the families of those who serve their country. Amanda went to work as a housekeeper/cook for many of the neighbors, farming out her children as no one she worked for wanted all of the kids around.

She worked for Peter LaMear for about a year caring for his sick wife and his children. After her death, they married in 1879 (he served in the Confederate Army - lost a leg at Fort Pillow). Both husbands had developed consumption among other things they 'picked up' while in the services - like cholera and malaria and other diseases. Peter's consumption (Tuberculosis) was getting worse and this was the second time for her with a sick husband. She lost 4 children and her first husband to this disease - in Missouri, then after she married Peter, they lost their first child and now this woman who had to learn to be a strong woman, packed them all up (a sick husband and seven children in her combined family) and moved everyone to Colorado thinking the clear mountain air would help him. He died within a few month - in 1883. She reapplied for a penion on John's service and nothing happened again.

By 1898 she was desperate and her living children helped her reapply again. This time the Pension Office couldn't find any of his records (strange isn't it?) so she would have to send them all over again to the wonderful Pension Office in Wash. DC - get this: SHE had to send names and current addresses (just a few years later of course) of all the men he served with, the officers under which he served, the doctors who treated him, the hospitals in which he was treated, which medicines he was given (and by whom) and their outcome - oh and by the way, these papers all had to be certified and notarized. She complied to the best of her ability to everything they requested. And get this one ---- she had to prove her character was above reproach. HER character!!!! They obviously didn't appreciate this woman who kept bugging them - probably the first UPPITY woman!

Of course by now the number of pages was adding up from the depositions that were taken by the Washington representatives (of course THEY were paid to go from Washington to wherever the men were then. By the end of 1898 she finally received her pension of the whoppingly large sum of $8.00 per month. This came about after her final letter was sent. I send a copy of it, exactly as it was written by her.

Lake City, Colorado, May 30, 1898 (she was now aged 54)
Mr. Commissioner:

the testimony you call for I am unable to furnish as there is only one Doctor living today that treated my husband the soldier and that is Dr. Fisher whose testimony I have allready furnished that is to my knolledge.

Pardon me Mr. Commissioner if what I am going to say seems harsh. My oldest son, Thomas J. O'Brien I have given to the service of my country but not willingly. I have brought up that son without any help or aid from the Government. While it is supporting seemingly strong men, John H. O'Brien, my remaining son is not strong and never has been Robust but it falls to his lot to help me along as every one knows what a privates pay is. I need not expect any help from my oldest son while in the army and God only knows if I shall ever see him again for many wil never return and many wil (sic) come home broken down in health. did it ever occur to you Mr. Commissioner that the government (sic) should have each soldier examined when discharged by a thorough competent physician and a sertificit (sic) given the soldier stating his physical condition at time of discharg (sic) it would seem to me to aid the government in determining the worthy and unworthy Pensioners.

Mr. Commissioner I have worked hard to bring up my four children to woman and man Hood. I haven't got many years before me at most. I leave it to the dictates of your conscience whether I am entitled to my Widdow Hood Pension, but Please don't ask for any more evidence for I can furnish nothing more. Respectfully, Amanda J. LaMear.

Evidently that did it. She got her pension - now go away lady. She lived to be over 90 years old.

After reading these 300 pages (some pages are missing and incomplete) is it any wonder my anger began to fume and my high blood pressure was boiling? What could I do from this time and distance from Amanda? I begin the process to order grave markers for her husbands from the government which supplies free of charge - and they have been ordered and we are waiting for them to be delivered and placed in the cemeteries where both men are buried.

I am very skeptical that today our veterans will be treated any better.

Margie Hinton in California



> Peggy: I received my Civil War records from the National Archives in
> Wash. DC. Unfortunately, the price has just skyrocketted, but to the best
> of my knowledge, this is the way to get them.
>
> A google request for the National Archives - http://www.archives.gov/ -
> will lead you to a page with a downloadable form - SF 180. The number of
> pages vary - from a page or two up to the 300 pages I received.
>
> Margie

Wow, Margie, you're lucky. I've struck out twice with NARA. When I sent
for my dad's WWII records, I got the severance sheet which told me nothing I
didn't already know, and did NOT include what unit he was in, which is what
I was specifically after. The second time was when I sent for the Civil War
service record of my gg-grandfather's older brother, who died in the Dayton
Military Home (established in 1865 and now known as the Dayton VA Medical
Center), and was buried in Dayton National Cemetery. I included his date
and place of birth, the date and place of his death, and the unit I believed
he served with. He appears as a resident of the Home in the 1900 and 1910
censuses. NARA told me no record for such an individual existed.

As you can imagine, this makes me very cranky. I'm not even going to bother
with my Missouri Confederate relations.

Do you mind if I ask what was in your 300 pages? That's amazing!

Judi Hardin


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