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Archiver > NY-Military > 2003-05 > 1053528631


From: "Bradford Miter" <>
Subject: RE: [NY-Mil] 6th Heavy Artillery, Company D, Civil War
Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 10:50:42 -0400


Gary Welch wrote, in part -
>>The contents of pension files vary greatly. Some, particularly those
filed by a widow or other dependent, have a lot of genealogical data.
When the soldier filed himself there frequently isn't much genealogical
information because the veteran only needed to prove his service.<<

I found a real treasure trove in the widow's application from my
GrGrandmother. Her husband had dies in 1876, apparently from the ravages of
what may have been Hepatitis picked up while stationed in Virginia. When
she applied for a service connected disability death (in 1890 or so) it took
her several years and many affidavits to get the larger pension. All the
medical records for his Company had been destroyed in a fire. Finally, an
inspector did a large number of interviews and recommended the larger
pension which was granted retroactive.

The following is a synopsis I prepared from the information in the Pension
File, none of which was known to any living members of our family:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
George & Julia Gould History

I have been interested in learning more about my Gr Grandfather, George
GOULD, who was probably born in Troy, NY. My real interest began when I
inherited his dress sword from the Civil War. It is inscribed to 1st
Lt. George Gould from Co B., 2nd Regt. NY Volunteers, Jan 26, 1862 and
it sat on my closet shelf until this year when I started looking
further.

Some web searches led me to Civil War battle reports online at Cornell
University. I found some dispatches that commended his activities in
two battles before Richmond, VA in 1862-63, culminating with his
presence at the battle of Chancellorsville. This was just prior to
being discharged after a 2-year enlistment. The Col./Gen. who mentioned
him in the dispatches was Joseph B. CARR.

Then Ancestry.com put the images from the Civil War Pension applications
online and there I found an application from Julia D. GOULD, George's
widow. This was last Summer and I immediately sent off to the National
Archives for the documentation. It just arrived yesterday and I have a
small, but rich set of affidavits and other documentation. Prior to its
arrival I knew just a few facts about my grandmother, Carrie Gould
MITER, and her parents. Now I have a real sense of them as individuals.
It is amazing.

From the documents I found that George had married Julia D. Wilmer
shortly after being mustered out of the 2nd Regiment in May of 1863 in
Troy, NY. He went back to work at the job there he held before the war
but was unable to perform the physical work and had to quit after about
a year. In 1869 he appears to have packed up the family and moved out
to Seneca, Nemaha Co., Kansas. While there, my Grandmother was born in
1870. The next known event is a mention of George's appointment
(election?) as Clerk of District Court in Seneca for 1872-73 (I just
found this on the web today at a KS website). The next confirmed event
is the birth of his 3rd son, Clarence Wilmer Gould, on Oct 2, 1875.
Two other boys and a girl had been born by this time as well as my
grandmother.

Then comes the big blow! George dies on Jan 26, 1876 from chronic
diarrhea and lung/heart problems. Julia has at least four young
children still living and she packs up and takes the family back to
Troy, NY. There she has some relatives who may have assisted her but
according to one affidavit, she supports herself mainly by doing home
nursing. All of the three boys die leaving her with the two girls. In
1890 Congress passes an act which will give a pension to widow's of
veterans who have no support other than their own labor. Julia applies
almost at once and is granted a standard pension of $8 a month.

But, it takes more than a simple application to get a pension based on a
disability. It seems that George had contracted a Jaundice in 1862
while on duty and that his chronic diarrhea commenced at that time and
continued unabated until his death 14 years later. Proving it was
another matter. All the medical records for his regiment were destroyed
in a fire at Warrenton, VA in 1862 and the medical records
after that time had largely disappeared. How to prove it! It was not
until 1897 that a decent pension is finally approved, based on disability.

Well, Julia was obstinate and obtained a number of affidavits. One was
from his former employer who stated that George was in good health
before serving and that he was chronically ill after he returned, so
much so that he could no longer perform his work properly. Another
affidavit documented the records destruction. There are a couple of
fellow soldiers who attest to his illness during the war. A record is
found stating one officer from Co. B had reported sick around the time
of his illness, July 1862. His commanding officer attests to this and
a very sympathetic investigator mentions that George's sister is
Mary Carr, the wife of his commanding officer. So, it seems, George
was watched out for during the war by his brother-in-law,
Col. (later Genl.) Joseph B. Carr.

They track down George's physician in Colorado. He had attended him on
his deathbed in Seneca. He states that the, "cause of his death was
disease of the bowels and lungs, (Super?)induced by chronic diarrhea."
This and other statements are apparently not enough for the Pension
Board and finally a special examiner is appointed to investigate her
claim that George died from a service related illness. The examiner
does a very thorough job and in a 9-page report ends up recommending her
for the enhanced pension on July 2nd 1897. Julia commenced drawing a
$50/month pension from shortly thereafter until her death in 1926.

Brad Miter






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