My Family in the Civil War, Part Sixteen: Aftermath

This is the sixteenth in a series on my Civil War ancestors

In these last few posts, I've looked at what effect the Civil War had on just one couple in my family tree. Edward Windsor Moore and Susannah Bryant Moore sent four sons to war. Two died in service, one of disease contracted while serving, and the fourth continued on in the military and moved hundreds of miles away.  The death of their youngest son, Bartlett Cofin Moore, whom they depended on to care for them as they aged, affected the course of the rest of their lives.

Graves of Edward and Susannah Moore from findagrave.com

The Moores had seven sons in total. Two died as children. Bartlett died in the war before having a family of his own. My ancestor, William Bryant Moore, died at age 20 having fathered only one child. This line of Moores comes down to one surviving male, my uncle Bill, who has no children.

Of the other Moore boys, I can trace down to only one other male line. Edward Windsor Moore Jr., who died at the battle of Vicksburg, had a son by the same name. The last record I can find of him is when he received his inheritance from his grandfather Edward Moore's estate in 1890. I have been able to trace no further and do not know if he married and had children.  If he didn't, the Moore line coming down from Edward and Susannah is extinct.

Of course, Edward and Susannah's daughters and granddaughters married and produced many descendants. But the war took its toll on them as well. Six sons-in-law served in the Civil War; one, William Smith Hawhee, died after being wounded at Stone River.  The other five survived: Isaac Newton Breeden, Richard A. Spaulding, Enoch E. Inman, Leonidas Ross Grigsby, and Trusten B. Wilson.

Edward and Susannah lost one grandson that I know of in the war, Edward Windsor Breeden. He contracted measles and died after his return from fighting.

I also traced several nephews of Edward and Susannah Moore affected by the war. Four men died: John A. Moore, Joseph H. Moore, Thomas Tillery, and Thomas Coulter Moore. Two others fought and returned home: Solomon Moore and William Davis Moore.

I'm sure there is more to be uncovered about this family, but I'll end my report on them here. It is reported on the Civil War Trust website that 620,000 men died in the Civil War. Until the Vietnam War, that was more than the number of men lost in all other wars combined. Even now, the total of all other wars stands at about 644,000.  If your family lived in America during the Civil War, it most certainly affected them in some way. Find out how and tell their stories.

My Family in the Civil War, Part Fifteen: "In view of the great age of the parents, I suggest special action."

This is the fifteenth in a series on my Civil War ancestors

Susannah Moore filed her original claim for a dependent mother's pension in 1880. Nearly four years later, this initial claim was denied on the grounds that her husband owned sufficient property to support her. It was referred for special examination.

On March 9, 1885, special examiner V. H. Whitman began looking into the matter, visiting Orleans, Indiana to meet with all the deponents in the case. By March 25th, Mr. Whitman had collected all he needed and sat down to write his report. And write he did. It took him 20 handwritten pages to summarize the case.  He concluded his report with this paragraph:

Conclusion of Special Examiner in Case of Susannah Moore

"I am of the opinion that the claim is a meritorious one and I recommend its admission. In view of the great age of the parents I suggest special action.

                                                                                       Repectfully

                                                                                       V. H. Whitman

                                                                                       Special Examiner"

Mr. Whitman must have pushed the right buttons.  Less than one month from the writing of this letter,  April 23rd, 1885, a certificate was issued to Susannah Moore, granting her a pension in the amount of $8 per month, commencing March 28th, 1865. 

Pension folder sleeve for Susannah Moore's papers

The file does not specifically state it, but I believe she must have been paid in arrears for the prior 20 years. Eight dollars a month for 12 months, times 20 years, yields $1,920. I certainly hope it was the case that she received a check for this amount. 

Her husband Edward Moore passed away one year later, on August 15th, 1886. Susannah continued to receive the $8 per month until her death nearly six years later, on March 12, 1891.

My final post on this family will discuss the far-reaching web of effects the Civil War had on the Moores.

My Family in the Civil War, Part Fourteen: "The Infirmity of Age is Upon Him, Yet a Well Preserved Man"

This is the fourteenth in a series on my Civil War ancestors

As part of the requirements to qualify for a mother's pension, Susannah Moore had to show she had no means of support other than what her deceased son Bartlett would have given her. She had already answered questions about her other children, but it had to be shown that her husband was unable to properly provide for her.

To prove this, no less than 13 people testified about Edward Moore's health. The testimonies paint a vivid picture of Edward in his later years, one I would never have gotten otherwise.

The most medically descriptive is, of course, the official surgeon's examination. This was performed by Dr. John A. Ritter. Dr. Ritter had served in the Indiana 49th in Company G, the same unit as Edward's sons, Edward Jr., Christopher, and Bartlett, and two of his daughters' husbands, Isaac Breeden and Richard Spaulding. He was most likely the one who treated these men for illness and wounds while in service.

Dr. John A. Ritter
Photo contributed to the Slices of Orange County Facebook group
by Gerald W. Ritter

Dr. Ritter's examination took place on May 1, 1883. Dr. Ritter was in his early 60s by then. He writes:

"I find chronic inflammation of each leg extending from the feet two thirds to the knee, dark, livid, indurated ulceration with scabs. He says legs become often denuded so he is confined to his room five or six weeks at a time. Occupation farmer. Says he has not been able to plow for 20 years, this inflammation has been on him 35 or 40 years. He is 79 years old. The infirmity of age is upon him, yet a well preserved man of his age. Have known him 30 or 35 years but was not aware of his condition as regards his disability in the legs. He also has palpitations of the heart. A man of good habbits [sic]."

Punctuation added for clarity.

Twelve other people described Edward's physical condition as they saw it.

• Susannah Moore: "varicose veins"
• Leonidas R. Grigsby: "sore legs", "swollen, purple"
• Harrison Morgan: "trouble walking, pain in his neck", "couldn't stoop or plow"
• Elizabeth Wilson: "something like colic", "trouble with legs"
• Bennet Grigsby: "frequent attacks of bilious colic", "complained of legs"
• Mary Grigsby: "legs have troubled him"
• Peter Newton: "he could knock about and do some light work but couldn't do a hard days work at all"
• Hance Wilson: "complained of his legs"
• William D. Moore: "his general health was tolerable good, but he had a bad leg (right one I think), it presented a very dark swollen appearance and he walked lame"
• Columbus Brown: "sore legs", "heart trouble", "leg swells up, very dark colored and some sores on it"
• Jeruel Leonard: "some disease in one of his legs"
• Richard Lingle, M.D. (Edward's physician):  "stomach trouble, heart and kidney disease, and bronchial trouble. Varicose ulcers on one leg, I think the right"

Dr. Richard Lingle stated he had been Edward Moore's doctor since July 1878, and had visited him 75 times (by March of 1885). That works out to almost once a month. He noted that Edward only owed him for one visit and two prescriptions, that he had been treating him this month.

When Bartlett Moore died, his father was 62 and his mother 60. Edward already had the ulcers on his legs and difficulty plowing his farm. They fully expected Bartlett to run the farm and care for them, and by all testimony Bartlett planned on this as well. The Civil War truly broke this family down.

ADDENDUM:

Thanks to modern technology, you can see just what Edward's legs looked like. Do NOT watch this if you are squeamish about medical pictures.

https://youtu.be/nYt12EK_cFY

My Family in the Civil War, Part Thirteen: A Tale of Two Properties

This the the thirteenth in a series on my Civil War ancestors

Signature of Edward W. Moore from pension deposition

On March 24th, 1885, Susannah's husband Edward W. Moore gave his deposition. He stated his age, 82, and past occupations of farming and preaching. I am certain the special examiner already had the answers to every question he posed to Edward before hand. Edward probably knew this as well going into the interview. Some of his answers are a little guarded, a little cagey, but never false I am sure. As with Susannah, I'll let Edward speak for himself.

Q: How much real estate did you own in 1864?
A: I think about 300 acres, 90 of which was cleared; worth about $4.00 an acre. The balance was in lumber and not worth any more per acre.

Q: How much personal property had you in '64?
A: Only about $200 worth.

Q: What was the value of your buildings in 1864?
A: About $250.

Q: What else had you then?
A: Nothing else.

Q: Did you in 1865 purchase any more real estate or acquire any?
A: No sir.

Q: Did you an 1866 acquire any land?
A: I don't remember. I was fool enough to attend delinquent tax sales and buy some at times but lost money at it.

I love that line. And he probably knew full well what he had done but heck, he was 82. Forgive an old man his imperfect memory! "Uncle Neddy" is definitely on my list of ancestors I wish I could meet.

Q: How much real estate had you in 1867-8?
A: About as I had in 1864.

Q: How much personal property had you in 1867?
A: Not over $250 worth.

Q: You were assessed for $640 worth.

I imagine a little pause here, maybe a deep breath. I think getting the pension might ride on the following answers and explanations.

A: Well. I had some money because I had mortgaged my place. I also had been guardian of three grandchildren and had $600 of their money for which I had mortgaged my place. 

Q: How did you happen to be assessed for so much in 1869--70--71--74?
A: Well in 1869 I exchanged my place in French Lick Township for this place here and the purchaser didn't get his deed recorded and didn't pay tax on either property. Both places were in my name and taxed to me. When we traded he was to lift the mortgage of $600 as part of the trade. He failed to pay it and I got the place back by paying it and paying some $600 costs. 

Q: How did you lose money when you still had this Orleans property?
A: Well I about held my own.

Q: Then for a few years you owned both pieces of property.
A: Yes sir.

Q: Then the assessment record is about correct, isn't it?
A: Pretty near.

I could almost hear the examiner's "A-HA!" when he got Edward to admit that.

So, we might wonder why Edward Moore didn't attend more closely to the land transaction? Why didn't he make sure the deed and mortgage were taken care of?  Mostly likely because he wasn't there.

Booklet printed in 1870, available on the Kansas Memory website

In 1869 Edward Moore moved to Kansas, along with the families of his son Columbus Moore and those of his twin girls, Mary Catherine Grigsby and Elizabeth Jane Wilson. Looking at these events in total now, I can see that Edward traded the farm for a small place in town because he knew that he, along with all his children that could be of assistance to him, were moving over 500 miles away. He most likely trusted the buyer's word that all would be done according to their agreement.

While in Kansas, Edward and Susannah's son Christopher Columbus Moore died at the age of 31 on June 12th, 1871, leaving two little girls. He died from consumption which he had contracted during his Civil War service.  An uncited manuscript I have says this: "It is said that his wife Susannah didn't like Kansas and said she wanted to go back to Indiana to die; her husband's reaction was that they would go back to Indiana to live. And live they did, another 15 and 20 years, in Orleans, where they are buried."

After their return, the mortgage holder sued, and the French Lick property was foreclosed. Edward paid the $600 to get the land back, plus he had all the lawyer fees and court costs to pay. It appears from the pension file that the property was then purchased from Edward by Leonidas Grigsby, his son-in-law. The Grigsbys and Wilsons had returned to Indiana as well, but the widow and children of Christopher Columbus Moore remained out west.

My Family in the Civil War, Part Twelve: "All of my boys died in the army for their country."

This is the 12th in a series on my Civil War ancestors

Deposition of Susannah Moore

On September 24th, 1884, special examiner Grafton Tyler interviewed Susannah Moore to begin the investigation of her claim for pension. For the most part, I'm going to leave it in her own words, jumping in with extra information where needed.

Q: Are you the mother of Bartlett C. Moore late Bugler Co. I 38th Ind Infy?
A: Yes sir.

Q: How old was your son Bartlett C. Moore when he enlisted?
A: Going on 16 years of age. He was born Sepr 26th 1848 here in Orange County Indiana. He died March 27 1865 in a Hospital in Chattanooga Tenn of chronic diarrhea.

Q: For what do you ask a pension?
A: For the loss of my son Bartlett C. Moore who was my dependence when he went into the Army. He was under age when he enlisted, was not married, and therefore he left no widow or children. My husband Edward W. Moore was not able to support me he could hardly support himself. He was sixty years of age at that time, is now 82 years of the 17th of October 1884. He was in bad health, was laid up with varicose veins in both legs part of the time and we had already sent three sons to the army leaving Bartlett to work on the farm.  

The three sons referred to here are Edward, Christopher, and David.

    After Bartlett went to the Army we rented the farm but it was so poor we got but little for us, not enough to support us. Myself, husband and two of my daughters were all of the family. The rent of the farm was a portion of the crop. I do not know how much it was. There was some 300 acres in the farm. I have no idea what that was worth. It was a worn out old place. There was probably some 70 or 80 acres cleared, the balance was all woods. The income from this place was all we had & I know we just barely made a living.
    My husband sold all of this farm for $1,820, so this farm was all my husband ever had at any time, and I never had any property. My husband's farm was assessed higher than it really was worth in 1864, and all the years we owned it our personal property was just the same way. We had this old furniture, 15 or 20 hogs, one cow and a yearling, 2 horses, wagon and farming implements worth no where near what they were assessed at. 

There is extensive documentation in the file of what Edward Moore was taxed during the 1860s and 70s.

    Part of my husbands property he had to take for mortgages and for us to live on and fix up this house we now live in. This house cost us in a trade $1200. The farm was traded for the house and $600 in money but we only got this house really as the mortgage was not lifted on the farm and it all went in the courts and lawyers. All we have is this little house.

I'll go into greater detail on this in a later post, but the Moores traded their 300 acres on Moores Ridge for a small property in the town of Orleans. Part of the deed stipulated that the purchaser of the farm was to pay off a mortgage of $592, which she failed to do. The property went into foreclosure and a lawsuit was filed. 

    We have one son in Washington D.C. but he has never given us one cent or worked for us since he was 17 years of age. I lost three sons in the army.

The son she refers to here is David Bryant Moore. I can't help but sense some bitterness in her statement. I looked into David a bit, and found he enlisted in the Civil War as a sergeant on August 17th, 1862 and mustered out as a major. He then served with General Custer in the Indian wars. He moved to Washington, D.C. where he married and had three daughters, one dying in infancy. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery. It seems he went on to be quite successful. From an unpublished family history I found this description of David: "As a young man, he was a prime favorite with his nieces and cousins in Franklin County, Kansas. One of them remembered him as 'the handsomest man in the world, tall and slender with coal black eyes and hair.' "  I can't help but wonder what caused the rift between him and his parents.

Obituary of David Bryant Moore found on newspapers.com

Q: Did your son Bartlett C. Moore ever send you money while in the Army?
A: No sir. He was never paid anything while in the Army. The understanding was when he left home he would send me money regularly, but he never got any himself & therefore could not send any.
    When he went into the Army he had a horse and he told us to sell it and use the money which we did. Got $60 for it. We really needed this sixty dollars and it would have been very hard for us to have got along without this help. Our two girls were in no condition to assist us and they never have. After Bartlett died, we got from the government some $400, our boy's bounty and the pay due him from the time he enlisted until he died.

The thought of them selling their boy's horse to make ends meet seems so sad. But the reality of caring for and feeding a horse in the condition they were in makes it seem like a necessary and prudent choice.

    

My husband went to Chattanooga Tenn also to Vicksburg Tenn [sic] and brought two of our dead boys home, & then to Missouri for another & he died after getting home. All army [of my] boys died in the army for their country.

I hadn't really thought about how the fallen soldiers made it home for burial. I knew Edward and Bartlett Moore were buried at Moores Ridge Cemetery, I'd seen the graves. But how did they get there?  I found a very general article at the Encyclopedia of Death and Dying website explaining that families would often make the trip to retrieve the bodies themselves, or pay someone to do it for them. Now we know that Edward Moore, with his varicose veins and other ailments, made the trip himself to "bring his dead boys home."

Q: Wasn't your husband fully able to support you without the help of your son Bartlett C. Moore in 1864?
A: No sir, he was not. We had the farm but what good was that without help to work it.
[Some questions omitted here]
Q: What is your husbands income at this time?
A: Nothing whatever. We have a little garden that we sell the truck from, about three acres & this little house is all we have. We sell the little we raise in the garden to keep us alive. You can see how we live and what we have tis all we have, but we are thankfull.

I'm making a trip to the Orange County, Indiana courthouse soon. I hope to find the address of Edward and Susannah Moore's property in Orleans and see if it is still standing.

Q: Do you understand you have the privilege of being present in person or by atty during this special examination of your case?
A: Yes sir.
Q: Do you desire to be present and will you be present?
A: I desire to leave it entirely to the government. I will give you the names of persons I desire you to see for me.
                                                                                                     her
                                                                                     Susannah  X  Moore
                                                                                                    mark

Susannah seemed to trust in the truth of her story and expected it to stand. At age 80 she had seen more loss than any mother should ever know. 

My Family in the Civil War, Part Eleven: "I died like a soldier, all quiet and bold."

This is the 11th in a series on my Civil War ancestors

Gravestone of Bartlett Moore, image from findagrave

"I was but a boy

But sixteen years old

Yet I died like a soldier

All quiet and bold."

Deposition of William D. Moore, nephew and neighbor of Susannah and Edward Moore

Q: "Please state your military service."
A: "I enlisted in August 1861 as Corpl [?] "I" 38th Ind. and was commissioned Capt of said company in September 1864 and was mustered out July 1865."

Q: "Was Bartlett Moore in your company?"
A: "Yes sir. He came to us February 12, 1864."

Q: "Did he contract any disability in the service?"
A: "Well sometime after he came to us he was taken sick, to the best of my recollection, with diarrhea and was with the surgeon. I detailed him there and not long after he was sent to Chattanooga Tenn and afterwards died, as I believe of diarrhea."

Captain William Davis Moore was the son of Edward's older brother John. When war broke out, he was 27 years old, with a wife and three small children. His wife died the following year, possibly in childbirth.

A newspaper clipping shares a letter William wrote home to his parents. The "Uncle Neddy" he mentions is our Edward Moore. It was a popular nickname for him. As with all images on this blog, click on the clipping to enlarge it.

Unidentified newspaper clipping,
letter from William D. Moore to his parents

The "Josie" in the letter is William's younger brother Joseph. Joseph H. Moore died 12 days later and lies in rest at Moores Ridge Cemetery. He was 22 years old.

My Family in the Civil War, Part Ten: Entry into War

This is the tenth in a series on my Civil War ancestors

The 1850s passed fairly quietly for Edward and Susannah Moore. After the death of their son William Bryant in 1851, they also lost their 10 year old son Joseph Danner Moore in 1854. I do not know the cause of his death.

Daughter Martha married Richard Spaulding  in 1852.  Their now oldest son Edward married Richard's little sister Clorinda Spaulding in 1856.  Several grandchildren were being born.  By 1860, the family at home was getting smaller.

1860 Federal Census Orange County, Indiana

The parents were now approaching 60. Their daughter Clarissa was married the next year. Christopher got married later in 1860. By this time, the Moores had grown their farm to about 300 acres, 80 of which was cleared.

On April 12, 1861, the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Answering the call for volunteers, the oldest Moore boys enlisted together on November 2 of that year. Edward and Christopher both joined Company G of the Indiana 49th Infantry.  At the same time, two of their sisters' husbands joined the same unit. They were all married with children by this time. The following summer, David signed up with the Indiana 16th Infantry.

This left the farm to be run by Edward and Susannah, both aged about 60, the twin girls Elizabeth and Mary, aged 15, and the youngest boy Bartlett, who was only 13.

The first blow to the immediate family came on July 19, 1863. Edward died of wounds he received in battle at Jackson, Mississippi eight days before.  Edward's first lieutenant, Thomas Buskirk, testified that he saw Edward receive his wound, and was with him when he died.

Testimony of Thomas Buskirk regarding death of Edward Moore

I found a very detailed post about the battles of Jackson on the Mississippians in the Confederate Army blog, and recommend it if you want to know more.

Reports came in to Orange County of their many boys that died of wounds and disease during this awful time. Recruitment continued for volunteers, and a draft was also initiated. As the war dragged on, more men were needed to replace those lost. 

Soldiers were supposed to be 18 to serve.  This rule was bent over time, particularly for musicians.  Musicians were needed to run camp. They sounded times to rise, eat, go to bed, and everything in between. Though musician was considered a non-combat position, they were absolutely necessary on the field as they were the only sounds that could be heard over the musket and cannon fire. Generals used them to direct the men as to what they should be doing. 

On February 16, 1864, Bartlett Cofin Moore, youngest child of Edward and Susannah, enlisted as a bugler in Company I of the 38th Indiana Infantry. He had seen brothers, brothers-in-law, uncles, cousins, and neighbors go off to fight. The urge to do his part was probably great. He was 15 years and five months old. 

Unidentified Union Bugler, image found at Library of Congress

My Family in the Civil War, Part Nine: "He died very suddenly."

This is the ninth in a series on my Civil War ancestors

By 1838, the Moore family had 40 acres of land and six children ages 14 to one. A year after purchasing their land, Edward and Susannah had another son, Christopher Columbus. This family is found in the 1840 census, with both parents and all seven children.

1840 Federal Census Orange County, Indiana

Each person is represented by a tick mark in a column showing their age and sex. There are three small boys, Edward, four girls, and Susannah.

The 1840s were eventful for the family. I only have record of births, deaths, and marriages from this decade. Their son David Bryant Moore was born in 1841. Just two years later, their oldest daughter Sarah got married. Son Joseph Danner Moore was born in 1844. 

Edward's mother Pheriba (wouldn't I like to know her maiden name!) passed away in 1845, aged 76. His father followed her in 1848; he was 78. They both died in Parke County, Indiana, and are presumed to be buried in the old section of the Mt. Moriah Cemetery there. I visited this cemetery many years ago and there were stones stacked against trees and lying on the ground, many of them broken.

In the years between losing his parents, Edward and Susannah had twin girls in 1846 named Mary Catherine and Elizabeth Jane. The girls were apparently healthy as they both lived to adulthood. I'd like to point out that Susannah was just short of her 42nd birthday when she delivered twins!  Later that year daughter Barbara married.  The decade was rounded out by the birth of their final son, Bartlett Coffin Moore in 1848. He was named after a local man, possibly a teacher at the time, who went on to become a respected minister.  Shortly after Bartlett's birth, oldest son William Bryant Moore married Mary Ellen Carroll.

So by the 1850 census, here's how the family looked:

1850 Federal Census Orange County, Indiana

Both parents were approaching 50, basically subsistence farming. They had buried one son and married off their three oldest children, but still had plenty of help to make the farm work. The tick marks on the right indicate that four of their children attended school within the last year.  Later documents indicate Edward was educated, but that Susannah could not read or write. 

Though it has little to do with the Civil War, I'd like to share what I know about my ancestor William Bryant Moore. He was the oldest surviving son of Edward and Susannah.  He was born on July 5th, 1830, in Orange County, Indiana. At age 18, he married Mary Ellen Carroll, a girl of 15. By 1850, they were living in the town of Paoli with my great-great grandfather, William Braddock Moore:

1850 Federal Census Orange County, Indiana

William's occupation is given as "house joiner." From Wikipedia, "A joiner usually produces items such as interior and exterior doors, windows, stairs, tables, bookshelves, cabinets, furniture, etc."  

This census was written October 24th, 1850. In less than three months, William Bryant Moore was dead at the age of 20.  For several years I wondered what had happened to him.  I visited my great-uncle Ed Moore in 1993, a fellow family historian entering the early stages of Alzheimers.  I asked him if he knew what had happened. He told me that his mother had related to him that William was painting in the upper floor of the newly constructed Orange County courthouse, and was found dead. Later, I was told of a clipping from the newspaper at that time, and recently was able to make of copy of that:

American Eagle of Paoli newspaper, January 1851

To finish out this chapter of the story, William's wife Mary Ellen, a widow at 17, went on to remarry Henry Pierce Breeden. They had five children together, and Mary died in 1862 at 29. Henry, who had enlisted in the Civil War, died less than two months later of pneumonia in an Indianapolis hospital. This tragic family left six small orphans behind. 

If you find a cause of death for an ancestor and aren't sure what it means, I highly recommend a visit to Rudy's List of Archaic Medical Terms. 

As far as I know, William Bryant Moore was my shortest-lived ancestor. I think about how, if this one small link had broken, I wouldn't be here. 

Photo taken by Vonda Heverly in 1992 at Moore's Ridge Cemetery

My Family in the Civil War, Part Eight: Edward and Susannah Moore and Plotting Land Records

This is the eighth in a series on my Civil War ancestors

Edward Windsor and Susannah Bryant Moore

I will share a few search tips today, along with the family info.

Edward and Susannah were married in Orange County, Indiana September 4, 1823 by John Moore, a Justice of the Peace. This was probably Edward's older brother, who also settled in Orange County.

Orange County, Indiana Marriage Records

I don't know their exact whereabouts before 1838. They were in Orange County up until then except for a brief visit to Illinois where other family had gone. It appears they liked Orange County better and came back.

On September 1, 1838, Edward Windsor Moore (and this is the only time I can recall him spelling out the Windsor) purchased 40 acres of land. 

Edward Moore Land Patent 1838

I found this document on Ancestry, but you can search land records free on the Bureau of Land Management's site, General Land Office Records. I typed in Moore, Edward, Indiana, and Orange County. It gave me a list of properties fitting these criteria. By clicking on the icon next to mine, I could view this exact same document at no charge.

Handwritten into the form is the property description. Happily, Indiana uses the Township and Range system.  It looks like a lot of mumbo jumbo, but if you parse it out, you can go look at this property as it appears today on Google Earth. Want to see it, or some property your ancestors owned?

First, have your property description handy. Then go to this site, Earth Point. This is another free site. Down the menu bar on the left, in the section called Township & Range, click on Search by Description. Fill in all the drop-down menu choices there, then click Fly To On Google Earth. (By the way, Google Earth is also free, and can be lots of fun to mess around with.) I'll show you what I got for Edward's land description. First, a general overview showing his 40 acres in purple. The town of French Lick is nearby to get your bearings.

Edward Moore's 40 acres  at T1N R2W Section 14

Now to zoom in a little.

Edward Moore's 40 acres zoomed in

And finally, I wanted to see where this property was in relation to Moore's Ridge Church and Cemetery. I typed "Moores Ridge Cemetery" into Google Earth and got this picture.

Edward Moore's 40 acres relative to Moore's Ridge Cemetery

The property is outlined in purple. The church is the little yellow symbol near the bottom right. You might see the church, and the cemetery stretches out to the east of it. I am related in some way to nearly every person there. Susannah's grandmother is believed to the first person buried there.

Grave of Sarah Barbara Thrush Alspaugh Crout at Moore's Ridge Cemetery

And how did I get these pictures? When you are satisfied with what you have on the screen in Google Earth, go to the File menu, down to Save, then select Save Image. It will put a little .jpg on your computer for you. Tada!

I've spent a lot of time with using the land records here, so let me briefly describe the Moore family when they got this land. Edward was nearly 36, Susannah 34. They had six children living with them on their farm, including Sarah age 14, Barbara age 10, William Bryant age 8 (my ancestor), Martha age 6, Edward age 4, and Clarissa age 1.  They had already buried their firstborn son, John. He had died in 1832 at age 6. I learned from the pension file that they pretty much lived on what the farm produced with little extra to sell, like many families at that time.

More on the family before the war next time.

My Family in the Civil War, Part Seven: Edward and Susannah Moore, Beginnings

This is the seventh in a series on my Civil War ancestors.

Edward Windsor and Susannah Bryant Moore

On my recent genealogy road trip, I was primarily researching family on my father's side. However, I had recently discovered the existence of the Civil War pension file of Susannah Moore. She applied for a mother's pension, the first I'd ever heard of. I put this one at the top of my list to secure at the National Archives.

Index to Civil War Pension Files for Bartlett C. Moore, see source 1 below

What I learned from this file, along with my other research, is a story I have to tell before I can even begin to work on my father's material.

This is the story of Edward and Susannah Bryant Moore, my great great great great grandparents. It concerns mostly the last half of their lives, but I'll outline what I know about their earlier years today.

Edward Windsor Moore was born October 17th 1802 in Guilford County, North Carolina to Edward W. and Pheriba Moore, the sixth of nine known children.  At this time, the Indiana Territory had recently been carved out of the Northwest Territory. 

Sometime before 1812 (when the father Edward appears on a militia list in Harrison County, Indiana Territory) the Moore family moved, along with several other North Carolina families, to the area that would later be called Orange County, Indiana.  They lived for some time at Moore Fort, which was a log block house surrounded by a deep ditch. Just inside the ditch was a row of posts set into the ground pointing out over the ditch.  There were still some Indians in the area, and sometimes early settlers would have to shelter at this and other forts nearby. 

Edward W. Moore, the father, received a land grant in 1816 for 80 acres. He and Pheriba lived there until they sold the property in 1833. They moved to Illinois for a time where some of their other children had gone, then on to Parke County, Indiana, where they lived out the remainder of their lives. Their story is for another day though.

Edward Windsor Moore married Susannah Bryant on September 24th, 1823. He was almost 21, and she was 19. She was born July 25th, 1804, the daughter of William Bryant and Barbara Alspaugh. The Bryants came to Orange County from Lincoln County, Kentucky. 

Like any diligent genealogist, I'd found all the census records for the Moores. I recorded the names and birthdates for all their 13 children from a family Bible transcript. I knew Edward was a Methodist minister in Orleans, Indiana. I also knew that he and Susannah had lost some sons in the Civil War. I thought I had a pretty good picture of them in my mind's eye. A nice old preacher and his wife, probably fairly well off living out their days in town in Orleans after farming in their early years.

What I found in the pension file painted a far different picture.

Next post I will discuss Edward and Susanna's life before the Civil War.

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Sources:
1. National Archives and Records Administration. U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Original data: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T288, 546 rolls.
2. "History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington Counties Indiana"

Back in the Saddle Again, Via My Genealogy Road Trip

It's been over a year since I blogged about genealogy. At least, that's how it looks. I've been actively researching all this past year and have written at least 50 posts...in my mind.

Last fall, I attended a family reunion and connected with a cousin who shares my love of our family's history. I showed her what photos I had of the family on Google drive. She inherited her grandmother's (my uncle's wife) collection of photos, which she promised to share with me in the future.

A few months ago, I decided to take a trip over spring break to do some research, something I hadn't done in over a decade.  On a whim, I invited my cousin to join me, and was delighted when she said she could.

Now, this trip created enough material for a year or two of posts, which I will get to eventually. We traveled six days, over 1200 miles, through seven states. We visited cemeteries, courthouses, libraries and geocaches. We photographed and photocopied hundreds of documents which will take months to go through.

But the most amazing find of all? It was only 30 minutes from my house the whole time. I'd even seen it before but didn't know what I was looking at.

Vaughn Hilyard age 4

This is my grandfather and namesake, Vaughn Hilyard. He's four years old. I've got dozens of wonderful pictures of him. This one is nice because it's probably one of him at his youngest. He's the little boy in the banner picture for this blog.

But look on the wall behind him. Wonder who that could be? Let's flip the picture over.

Vaughn Hilyard age 4 reverse

I know it's hard to see. Let me help you. The bottom reads "Vaughn Hilyard 4 years old." Now what's that at the top? Tilt it a little...there it is: "Grandpa Hilyards picture."

Friends and family, I want to introduce you to Vaughn's grandfather, and my great-great grandfather, Thomas Hilyard. I wrote about his time in the Civil War,  He died in 1882 from tuberculosis he contracted while serving in the war. I had abandoned all hope of ever seeing a picture of him, but there it is, the size of a postage stamp and clearly labeled by my wonderful great grandmother. Here's a better look:

Thomas Hilyard  1840+1882
Grandfather of Vaughn Hilyard

My cousin had this picture in her box of photos she inherited from her grandmother. I'd even seen it on her Ancestry page. But on the last night of our journey, at a hotel in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, the county where Thomas's great-grandfather settled, I realized what I was looking at. It might have been the best find of all.

I hope to share more from our trip soon.

My Family in the Civil War, Part Six: William Henry Harrison Reck

This is the sixth in a series on my Civil War ancestors.

William Henry Harrison Reck, 69th Regiment Ohio Infanty, Company D and 19th Regiment Veterans Reserve Corps Company G

Harrison Reck began an application for pension in 1891. He claimed he was disabled by rheumatism, a shoulder injury, and weak eyes. His physical exam noted he was 5'7" and weighed 138 lbs. at age 55. The rheumatism and weak eyes, he claimed, began during his time in service and increased in severity over time. In fact, by today's standards, Harrison was legally blind. From the doctor's description, this is probably not due to any injury he received but rather progressive myopia. The surgeon's report in 1901 noted Harrison used a cane because his vision was so poor.

The shoulder injury is documented carefully. Harrison was riding a horse on September 3rd, 1889, and was thrown, dislocating his shoulder. Though this had nothing to do with his service, it was considered in his pension application.

Squire Hathaway, a close neighbor of the Recks, testified: "I know that said claimant has been suffering severely with Rheumatism, at various times he would be confined to his house from 2 to 3 & some times 4 weeks at a time."

John Clapper, a young carpenter, had this to say: "[I] have worked on buildings in his immediate neighborhood & worked as a carpenter on the building of a ..school(?).. of which said Wm. H. Reck was serving as Building Committee...& know that he was suffering from what he said was Rheumatism to such an extent that at times when we would want directions I would have to go and see him as he was unable to come out although the building was in less distance than 1/4 of a mile from his house."

I admire that even though he was nearly blind and so crippled by back pain he couldn't get out of bed at times, Harrison Reck continued to serve on committees and oversee building projects. He wanted to stay busy and connected to his community.

William Harrison and Catharine (Murphy) Reck

Harrison and Catharine Reck had seven children. They lost their son Charles in an accident in 1893. They, along with four of their adult children--David, John, Martha, and Perry, made a big move to California sometime in the early 1900s. My great-grandmother Jennie and her sister Angie stayed behind in the midwest.

I will leave you with some excerpts from a letter Catharine wrote to her daughter Jennie, my great-grandmother back in Indiana after the death of Harrison. The letter is dated December 14, 1909, a month after Harrison's death.

"Dear Daughter Jennie, Marion and Family, I will write you a few lines to let you know how we are. Martha and I are keeping house together. I have about 50 chickens young and old together. Martha is packing lemons today and expects to pack oranges after the first of January. We both have pretty good health. We have nice weather now, after the rain everything is green and seems like summer, or spring rather where the grass starts to grow, just before the trees put out their blossoms. Next month the wild flowers will be blooming.

"I want to tell you more about Pap’s sickness and death. I don’t know how much Martha told you. I didn’t think she would tell you all. He suffered awfully for a year, first one thing and another getting wrong with him. As soon as one disease let up, he was stricken with some else. He had that cough only worse like he always had. His heart was awful weak. He had dropsy in his legs and it left them and went to his stomach a couple of weeks before he died. He had between 2-3 gallons of water in his stomach. He had to take a teaspoon of cream of tartar and 2 of salts three times a day. Then he had brights disease, his kidneys would not work anymore. He got out of bed on Saturday after laying up for nearly a month. He sat out on the front porch. Then he stayed up and was able to walk outside. 

"But on Wednesday night he got to feeling bad about 10 o’clock and again morning his left side was paralyzed and had a hemorrhage in the right side of his head. He kept on getting paralyzed a little at a time till Friday morning he could not move anywhere. He would not talk nor open his eyes. He only coughed and strangled and choked. He could not take a drop of water from Friday till Sunday morning about 10 o’clock when he died. He went just like blowing out a candle. He looked so nice after suffering so hard. He had a lovely smile on his face. He took sacrament about 2 weeks before he died and told the preacher he was ready to go. He wanted to see you so bad. One night when he realized he was never to get well again, he cried like a child and said he wanted to see you and Angie once more. But you can see him again in a better world. He has passed through what we all have to do sooner or later. He is resting in a nice spot in Olivewood Cemetery. I waited on him day and night when he needed attention and he didn’t seem to want anyone else. But toward the last, John & Dave & Perry stayed constantly by his side. John seemed to stand it the best, and done more about him, he was a helpless as a child...

"I send you my love and best wishes to all. From your loving mother, Catherine Reck"

I love that line, "He went just like blowing out a candle." My heart breaks for the father and daughters that didn't get to see each other at the end, but Harrision was surrounded by his other four children and wife, caring for him until the last.

Harrison and Catharine are buried in Olivewood Cemetery in Riverside, California. I was able to locate their graves while living in nearby San Bernardino in the early 1990s.

William and Catharine Reck graves, Olivewood Cemetery, Riverside, California

This ends my direct ancestors' involvement in the Civil War. I may do posts on brothers and sons of my ancestors who also fought, at a later time. Thank you for reading along.

My Family in the Civil War, Part Five: William Henry Harrison Reck

This is the fifth in a series on my Civil War ancestors.

William Henry Harrison Reck, 69th Regiment Ohio Infanty, Company D and 19th Regiment Veterans Reserve Corps Company G

William H. Reck, one of my great-great grandfathers on my dad's side, was born in Darke County, Ohio on January 29, 1837. He was the son of Samuel Reck and Mary Ann McCune. His father had been married previously, though little is known of that marriage. When William was 10, his mother died at the age of 30, having borne four children. Samuel remarried seven months later to Margaret Alice Miller, who was only 11 years older than her stepson William. Samuel and Margaret also had four children.

I don't know for sure, but I think William went by his middle name. In the 1850 census he is listed as "Hansen" and in the 1880 he is "Harrison."  From here on, I choose to call him Harrison. The Reck family is one that's had a lot of research done on it by others so I haven't delved into the records a lot myself. This is one of the few lines that I have going back to the "Old Country." Harrison's great-grandfather Christian Reck Jr. and great-great grandfather Christian Reck Sr. immigrated from the Palatinate region of Germany and settled in Pennsylvania.

William Harrison and Catharine (Murphy) Reck, estimated about 1860

This photo was taken from a tintype

Harrison married Catharine Murphy on January 6, 1859 in Darke County, Ohio. Catharine was the oldest of 13 children born to William Henry and Mary (Sipe) Murphy. She was born October 3, 1838. Both the Recks and the Murphys seem to have been well educated, able to write well, and by the census records their children attended school. Their daughter Sarah Jane (my great-grandmother), and Sarah Jane's daughter Alys (my grandmother) were both trained as school teachers. The family wrote letters, a few of which I possess copies of, and many photographs exist.

Harrison enlisted as a private in Company D of the 69th Ohio Volunteer Infantry on October 21, 1861. Catharine had just given birth 23 days before to their second son, and had a two year old to care for as well.  The 69th began its journey the following February, traveling by train to Camp Chase in Columbus, then in April to Nashville, Tennessee. Here they performed guard duty for several months. This duty did involve a skirmish with General John Hunt Morgan and his raiding cavalry at Gallatin, Tennessee; the same General Morgan that John H. Anderson trailed through Indiana the following year.

The first major battle the 69th participated in was Stones River. This seems to be a little-known battle, but it involved  over 76,000 men and decided the fate of middle Tennessee. One third of these men were wounded, died, taken prisoner, or reported missing.  The two armies met on the banks of the Stones River on December 30th, 1862. The Confederates attacked at dawn on New Year's Eve: a cold, foggy, wet morning, and six hours of savage fighting ensued. The North was badly injured, but refused to retreat and reformed, receiving reinforcements on January 2nd. With this assistance, they took the victory and secured middle Tennessee for the North.

Stones River produced battle locations called "The Slaughter Pen" and "Hell's Half-Acre." If you want some detailed reading, I recommend The Civil War Trust's article "New Year's Hell." For a lighter version, try their battle summary, "Stones River."

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

On March 24, 1864, Harrison Reck was transferred to Company G of the 19th Regiment Veterans Reserve Corps. I had never heard of this Corps before, and learned that it was organized into two classes. The first was for men who were partly disabled but whose terms were not yet expired. They were still able to handle a musket and do some marching, and did some hospital, guard, cooking, and provost duty. The second class was for men who had been discharged due to disability but could still do light duty and wanted to serve further. Harrison fell into the first class. His civil war military record notes he was absent sick in hospital in June 1863, then transferred to the invalid corps on February 29, 1864 (which was later named the Veteran's Reserve Corps.)  

The Veterans Reserve Corps had a special uniform which included a sky-blue coat to match the regular army pants. I found the page "A study of Enlisted Invalid Corps jackets 1863-1866" by Christopher Daley an interesting read on the history of the invalid jacket, and contains some further information on what disabilities were permitted and which were not in the corps.

Harrison was discharged at Elmira, New York, on December 22, 1864. This leads me to wonder if he might have served at the infamous prison there. Further research is needed into this.

There is much more to Harrison's story, but I'll leave that for the next post.

My Family in the Civil War, Part Four: Ansel Wilson

This is the fourth in a series on my Civil War ancestors.

Ansel Wilson, 17th Regiment Kentucky Infanty, Company C (continued)

Ansel Wilson deserted.

From his military file, on a card labelled "Descriptive List of Deserters," it reads: "This man deserted from the 4th Div. Army of the Ohio, of which he was at the time Wagon Master. Has rec'd no Bounty. He has drawn clothing to the amt of $34.45."

In researching desertion during the Civil War, I found an informative explanation on the teachinghistory.org website. It's really too long to quote, so take a minute to look it over. The gist is, there were many deserters on both sides. For the union, about one in five men were absent without leave at some time. Though it was a crime punishable by death, this action was rarely taken; only 147 men were executed for desertion. The referenced article states that President Lincoln offered general amnesty to 125,000 men in March of 1863.

In his pension file, this statement is made: "This man deserted on or about Nov. 9, 1862, and returned on or about June 19, 1863. As he was subsequently restored to duty by S.O. [special order] No 9...dated October 26, 1863, without trial, but upon conditions which appear to have be complied with (so far as not waived by the Government) the charge of desertion no longer stands against him. The record of the fact that he was absent in desertion from on or about November 9, 1862, to on or about June 19, 1863, can not, however, be expunged."

Looking at the muster rolls, they show Ansel returned to his company on January 20, 1863, but was then absent again from April 30th to June 19th. He remained in active service until his discharge 1865.

[I'd like to point out that Ansel left one very pregnant Cinderella behind when he returned to duty. Amanda Florida Wilson was born July 29, 1863.]

Shortly after initially returning to duty that January, Ansel was injured.  From his application for pension, while "in the line of duty as wagoner at Chattanooga, in the State of Tennessee on or about February 1863, he was run over by a Government wagon loaded with corn which injured him in the spine and left hip; also being taken with Rheumatism (sciatic) while in the line of duty at Shell Mound in Tennessee. This occurred about April 1863." It is noted he was treated in the hospital in Chattanooga, and that he was totally disabled from his work as a farmer. This declaration was made in 1886 when Ansel was 51.

Chattanooga, Tennessee. View of the front and side of Crutchfield House, post headquarters and hospital during the Civil War, and railroad depot. - 1862

Possibly the hospital Ansel was treated in

Image found at tnsos.org

The application details his marriages and lists his 13 surviving children with their birthdates. 

I ordered Ansel's files through the mail many years ago. While the copies I received contain a lot of information, I suspect I did not receive the complete file. Conspicuous in their absence are doctors' statements and remarks on the extent of his disability from close acquaintances. There are also no eyewitness accounts of the injury as I've seen in other files. The file does reference hospital records. Perhaps since he was treated in hospital, other accounts were not necessary but I would like to double-check the entire file at some point.

In "Kentucky Genealogy and Biography" vol. 3, edited by Thomas W. Westerfield and published in 1885, is a biographical sketch of Ansel Wilson. It mentions his Civil War service, his biographical info, and ends with this paragraph: "Mr. Wilson is a successful farmer, having 571 acres of productive and well-improved land in good condition and a high state of cultivation. He is also engaged in distilling. Mr. Wilson has worked his way up from a small beginning to a comfortable competency. He is a member of the Christian Church and a stanch Democrat."  No doubt with his war injury, he was assisted in all this by his sons.

Cinderella McIntyre Wilson

Cinderella passed away December 5th, 1904 at 66 years old. Ansel married a third time to Mary A. Strasburger on November 6th, 1908. He was 74, she was 43, and it was her first marriage.  She gave birth to a son on February 13, 1912 and they named him Ansel Strasburger Wilson.  When the baby was just eight months old, Ansel Wilson passed away at the age of 78 years and four days of heart trouble and bronchitis.