I have been very lucky in discovering the records for several Civil War veterans in my family. I have written full accounts for two of my third great-grandfathers, Xerxes Knox and Isaac Spears Sanderlin. Below are simpler, basic stories about the rest of the Civil War veterans that I have records on. The information for each of these men comes directly from their pension papers. Some of the stories are pretty interesting and, at times, very entertaining as well.
Family Group Sheet for Orrin Cartwright
Orrin CARTWRIGHT served in the 17th Indiana Infantry and applied for invalid pension on app. #65050, cert. #388518 on April 3, 1865. On Oct. 24, 1894 his widow, Rachel applied for app. #603486. He was drafted into the 17th Regiment of Indiana Volunteers from the 9th Cong. Dist. of Indiana at La Porte, Indiana on September 20, 1864 to serve 1 year. On October 7, 1864 he was given furlough for 15 days to go to Marshall Co, Indiana and to return to Camp Carington, Indianapolis. On November 15, 1864 a Dr. P.T. BRADLY wrote a note from Walkerton, St. Joseph Co, Indiana stating that Orrin was sick with pneumonia and was on the mend and would soon be able to report back in person. According to a Army of the United States Certificate of Disability for Discharge, an army surgeon certifies that he: "finds him incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of top of first phalanx of index and middle finger from accidental incised wound acquired in line of his duty at Camp Carrington, Indiana, Dec. 25th 1864. Not able for field duty & not physically suitable for Veteran Reserve Corps. Disability one third." So Orrin's Civil War military career is very short-lived and it would seems as if he never left Indiana. He is drafted in September, is given furlough in October, has pneumonia in November and on Christmas day he is wounded, cutting off the top of 2 fingers, thus is dis-charged.
In one affidavit dated August 6, 1887, Orrin states that he had gone home on sick furlough before he was assigned to any company. When he returned to Indianapolis his regiment had already been sent to Nashville, Tennesee. So in place of being sent to the front, he was retained as a cook for barracks 17. On Christmas day 1864 he received the injury to his hand. In an affidavit dated October 1, 1887, Orrin states that "It would be impossible for me to furnish eye witness as to injury to right hand for the reason that the only person present at the time was Jacob WITT the man who did the injury though accident and I have no knowledge .... Jacob WITT is dead or alive, if alive I have no knowledge of his whereabouts. I have made dilligent inquiry and have been unable to ascertain anything about said Jacob WITT. Said Jacob WITT left soon after this accident and I have not heard from him since."
In a report by the Adjutant General's Office dated March 7, 1887, it was stated that the accident with his hand was treated by the regimental surgeon. It also states that "While serving in Co.--, 17th Reg't Ind. Vol. Inf. he was disabled by the loss of 1" phalanx of index and middle fingers of right hand caused by one Jacob WITT's cutting the same with an axe while chopping beef, accidentally at Camp Carrington, Indianapolis, Ind. December 1864."
In May 1887 per Orrin himself: "On Christmas day 1864 at Barricks No. 17 Camp Carrington Indianapolis, Indiana, while serving as Head cook and preparing supper I called on Jacob WITT assistant to help cut up the beef preparatory to cooking. Claimant was holding the shank and WITT struck across and chopped off the first joint of the index and 2nd finger of the right hand. Jacob WITT excused himself by stating that the axe handle had caught in his overcoat & which caused the accident. My hand was immediately dressed by the physician and surgeon at said Camp Carrington (name unknown) The bedrest at Camp Carrington continuing about two weeks. I was then sent to hospital at Soldier's Home Indianapolis, Indiana. I remained there about two or three months, when I was discharged for disability."
July 31, 1887 per William DAVIS: "I saw Orrin CARTWRIGHT shortly after the accident happened to his hand. I was coming to the baracks and I met him going to the doctors to get his fingers done up. I saw that his fingers were cut off of the right hand and the assistant cook told me as also this claiment that he cut them off with an ax while cutting up beef and doctor DAVIS one of the assistant surgeons dressed the wounds."
Aug. 4, 1887 per Levi HILL: "He came to me with his fingers newly done up and the two first fingers of his right hand were cut off and was caused by accident that he this claimant and his assistant were cutting up beef and that assistant was doing the cutting with an ax that said ax was caught in his clothes and caused a miss stroke cutting off claiments fingers as above stated."
Poor Orrin! Not only was he drafted, but then he was exposed to sickness and had a fellow soldier chop off two of his fingers! I doubt he had any fond memories regarding his short service in the army. However, I am sure that the pension came in very handy.
Family Group Sheet for Isaac Ingle
Isaac INGLE enlisted in Co. I 151st Regiment Indiana Infantry at Bourbon, Indiana on 23 January 1865 for 1 year service. He was mustered in at La Porte, Indiana as a Private on 03 February 1865. He applied for an invalid pension on app. #459560, cert. #304058 on 14 June 1882. In 1892 his widow, Sarah applied for app. #550517, cert. #369396. Per the Civil War pension papers, Isaac was 33 years old at the time of his enlistment in 1865 and he was born in Miami, Indiana. I know that the place is incorrect, he was born in Miami Co, Ohio. Birthdate could possibly be about 1830, 1831 or 1832 per various affidavits stating his age.
From Civil War pension papers, affidavit by Isaac dated June 14, 1883: "That while a member of the organization aforesaid, in the service and in the line of his duty, at or near a place called Nashville, State of Tenn., on or about the day of March 1865, from severe hardships and exposures from lying on the wet ground, frequently without shelter, a severe attack of inflammatory rheumatism was superinduced and brought on and has continued to disable him from that time up to the present time and in consequence thereof has not been able to support himself or family since his --- from the army and for the last ten years he has been almost wholly disqualified for manual labor, not been able to --- this."
On June 28, 1865, Isaac is shown on the rolls as "Sick in hospital at Nashville, Tennessee with remittent fever". On August 25, 1865, he is shown on the rolls as "Sent to hospital at Nashville, Tennessee with intermittent fever"
From March 18, 1885: Aaron BURNS and George W. BURNS, have known Isaac for 25 years from 1860 to present. "Immediately up his return from the army they became near neighbors and met and were with him quite often and have so continued from that date to the present time (1885). Upon his return from the army he was afflicted with rheumatism in his legs, extending up his right side and into right arm. He was so badly afflicted as to be laid up in bed, and has most of the time been incapacitated from doing physical labor, and is now crippled from said disease and troubled with it. Have intimate personal knowledge."
The BURNS connection: In Isaac INGLE's Civil War pension papers there are several letters and affidavits signed by various people named Burns. They attest to his being healthy before entering the army and after his return from the army they state he was crippled with severe rheumatism and couldn't support himself or his family. Isaac's mother's maiden name is Catherine BURNS. I believe that these BURNS men are sons of one of Catherine's brothers, thus first cousins to Isaac. I am currently working on this line of information.
It seems that Isaac's military career was short-lived due to illness. I would doubt that he ever made it to an actual battle or was ever involved in any sort of military exercise. His isn't necessarily the most exciting story, but his pension papers have led me to finding his mother's family. So in that sense, Isaac has done me a great service!
Family Group Sheet for Enoch Wilson Sanderlin
On 03 September 1864, Enoch Wilson SANDERLIN enlisted in Co. B, 179th Ohio Infantry at Crestline, Ohio. After his regiment was organized they moved to Nashville, Tennessee and was placed on duty at that post. The 179th Ohio was present at the battle of Nashville on December 15th & 16th, 1864. The regiment remained on duty at Nashville until it was mustered out on June 17, 1865. While in the line of duty, on about 15 December 1864, Enoch contracted a severe cold from exposure while in charge of rebel prisoners in taking them to Louisville, Kentucky. According to the pension papers,"the cold settled on his lungs and also seriously affected his liver from the effects of which he became jaundiced. Said disease afterwards developed into a severe form of diarrhea which became chronic and from the effects of which he has never recovered." Enoch spent a lot of time in the hospital from about January 1865 until 07 June 1865, when he was honorably discharged at Tripler U.S. Hospital, in Columbus, Ohio. On 14 December 1876 he applied for invalid pension, app#228760, cert#177008. He was described as a railroad worker & farmer; 5'7" tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes, and black hair.
After his wife died in Michigan, Enoch moved to Marysville, Washington to live with two of his daughters. According to the pension papers he was unable to care for himself. His son-in-law, Stephen Terry, took care of all the burial arrangements when Enoch passed away. All of the family members who lived in Washington are buried in the Marysville cemetery. It was quite a coincidence to find that I had an ancestor buried so close to where I live. My aunt and I visited Enoch's grave last summer. Since most of my ancestors are from the mid-west I don't ever have the opportunity to go roaming through cemeteries as most genealogists do. It was nice to be able to pay my respects to one of the ancestors that I have come to know so well through my research.
Family Group Sheet for Francis Marion Sanderlin
On 15 September 1862, Francis Marion SANDERLIN enlisted in Co. K, 81st Ohio Infantry at Galion, Ohio. Francis joined his regiment too late to have participated in the battle at Shiloh, Tennessee. During the Battle for Atlanta in July 1864, Francis was in a hospital at Rome, Georgia. The pension papers don't mention what illness kept him in the hospital during the entire summer of 1864. It is also unclear whether he was with his regiment for the famed "March to the Sea" with General Sherman in December of 1864. It would appear to us that Francis was in all the right places, but never actually participated in anything historically famous. He was honorably discharged at Louisville, Kentucky on 13 July 1865. On 02 September 1897 he applied for a Civil War invalid pension, app#1197.349, cert#1019367, filed from Oregon. There were a couple of other interesting stories found in Francis' pension papers as follows:
A reply to a question that came up regarding his pension application:
"That he cut himself with a 10 pound broad ax while hewing out some barn timbers at 1 1/2 miles west of Gallion, Crawford Co, Ohio, in the spring of 1874, that he cut himself on the left foot across the instep, severing all the instep cords, it was caused by the point of the ax striking a beach knot and glancing off, an unforseened circumstance, and was not caused by any fault or negligance on his the claiments part, for he was attending strictly to business and being strictly sober as he was not and is not a drinking man."
Per an affidavit dated Dec. 29, 1909 by Isaac Shumaker in Crawford Co, Ohio, he states that he knew Francis from the fall of 1862 through 1880 and that he was a good soldier always ready for duty. He also states that for part of the time Francis lived there he preached the gospel. Another affidavit that same day signed by J.H. Eby stated that Francis had been a preacher in the Methodist Church for part of the time in Ohio. An affidavit signed by Francis himself on April 8, 1909 states that he had preached the gospel for 38 years, "practically without pay".
It sounds to me as if Francis had a very interesting life. I am not sure how he ended up in Oregon, but I bet it makes for an interesting story!
Family Group Sheet for Thomas Jefferson Sanderlin
On 25 August 1861 Thomas Jefferson SANDERLIN enlisted in Co. I, 38th Reg't Ohio Infantry as a Private, commanded by Captain M.R. Brailey. On 10 September 1861 he was mustered into the army at Nicholasville, Kentucky. He died on 16 January 1862 in service at Somerset, Kentucky shortly after joining the Union Army. The cause of death was listed in his pension papers as "Camp Fever" and also as "Typhoid fever & camp diarrhea". He was described as a farmer, 5'9" tall, with black hair, black eyes, and a dark complexion. There was no mention of what type of military exercises that Thomas would have participated in. I believe that he just hadn't been in the army long enough before his death. He left behind a wife with 7 young children and 8 older children by a previous marriage. Three of his sons from his first marriage joined the army after their father died. Thomas' wife, Hannah and some of his younger children all applied for his pension. Because of this, the documentation in his pension file was very lengthy and full of many genealogical gems.
When I first read about Thomas Jefferson SANDERLIN joining the army at 49 years of age I thought he must have been very patriotic or else a little crazy. Then when I realized that he left behind a wife with seven young children I was really a little miffed at him! I often wonder if Hannah was happy about her husband going off to war, leaving her to care for all those children and then never coming back. She remarried soon after and I don't doubt that she had a very hard time making a go of it.
Family Group Sheet for Phillip Benjamin Walterhouse
On 19 August 1861, Phillip Benjamin WALTERHOUSE enlisted in Co. B, 38th Ohio Reg't Vol. at Napoleon, Henry Co, Ohio. On 06 December 1861, while stationed at Somerset, Kentucky, he was working as a teamster when he was injured by a horse that was running away. On 18 April 1862 he was discharged as unfit for duty at Clifton, Tennessee with injuries to the spine, hip & ribs. On 5 Oct 1865, he filed for invalid pension, app# 91682. At this time an examining surgeon's certificate indicated that the injury was temporary. The pension was never paid upon and was marked "Abandoned by Attorney". There were indications that the appropriate parties had not heard from Phillip, also known as "Buck" Walterhouse in several years and so closed the pension file. From the records regarding his four marriages and large number of children, I have the feeling that he never stayed put in one place for very long and was probably not a very reliable person.
[Copyright © 1996-2011 Cyndi Ingle Howells. All rights reserved.]
Orrin Cartwright
My fourth great-uncleIsaac Ingle
My third great-uncle
January 31, 1883 Michael BURNS, age 64 & Emanuel BURNS, age 39, living at Burr Oak flats, Marshall County, Indiana, neighbors of Isaac for 10 years before enlistment.
March 11, 1885, Aaron BURNS, age 35 & George W. BURNS, age 30, both of Burr Oak, Marshall Co, Indiana, stated that they were acquainted with Isaac, being near neighbors, he having resided a portion of said time on their father's farm and nearly all the time in their immediate neighborhood.
November 7, 1885, Joseph BURNS, witnessed a declaration, Burr Oak, Marshall Co, Indiana. Enoch Wilson Sanderlin
My fourth great-uncleFrancis Marion Sanderlin
My fourth great-uncleThomas Jefferson Sanderlin
Father of Isaac Spears Sanderlin, Enoch Wilson Sanderlin & Francis Marion Sanderlin and my fourth great-grandfatherPhillip Benjamin Walterhouse
Father-in-law to Isaac Spears Sanderlin and my fourth great-grandfather
How To Order Military & Pension Records for Union Civil War Veterans from the National Archives
Cyndi's Family Tree
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