The Civil War Pension Papers of Owen Young of Schuyler County

Several months ago, I wrote about Gilmer Young, who died in the Battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri during the Civil War.  Recently, I stumbled upon the pension papers of his brother, Owen Young, who also served his country during the Civil War.  Unfortunately, Owen, like his brother Gilmer, did not return home alive.  He passed away in a military hospital camp in Brownsville, Texas.

Owen's  pension packet consists of about 34 pages. There are some very good pieces of information about Owen and his family in this packet.  www.Fold3.com has many pension packets digitized on their website.

What can you find in a pension packet?  Well, for one thing, if a soldier was married, there would be some proof of that marriage in the packet contents.  Here's the certificate of marriage for Owen and his wife, Mandana Blodget, along with a certification from the Clerk of the County, which was officiated by Peter Vance, J.P. of Schuyler County :

certification of  marriage for Owen Young WC122477 Page 11 Civil War Widows Pensions at Fold3.com

State of Illinois Marriage Certificate included in the pension packet for Owen Young, Fold3.com

There is a statement from the commanding officer of Owen Young's unit, Company K, 28th Illinois Volunteers.  It was written at the Army offices in St. Louis, Missouri, stating the circumstances of Private Young's illness and death.  Apparently he suffered from Flux and Typhoid, which was hindered by his home sickness.....being hospitalized in the military hospital in Texas where he eventually passed away....

Page 21 Owen Young, Civil War Widows Pension File, Fold3.com

There is also a short note from the Surgeon General that testifies that Owen Young, of the Illinois Volunteers,  passed away on the 29th of August, 1865 in Brownsville, Texas, of Flux and Typhoid.

War Department, Surgeon General, Owen Young Civil War Pension File, page 8, Fold3.com

additional note from the Adjutant General's Office, Washington, D.C., 1866, states that Owen died on Sept. 1.

Paging further into the packet contents, I find notes about the only surviving heirs to Owen Young...two children.  What happened to his wife, Mandana?  She passed away in1866, less than a year after her husband, Owen, left this earth.  So sad.  So, what happens to the children?  Well, apparently their grandfather, Harvey Blodget (father of Mandana) assumed responsibility for the tots.  He was appointed the guardian for the children.  Read on to see what papers had to be filed for these children to receive some monetary assistance from their father's military pension....

Declaration of Minor Children for Pension, filed by Harvey Blodget, Owen Young Civil War Pension file, page 5

Now this is even more interesting....note that Harvey states that Owen died in August of 1865, which has already been established, and further states that his wife is no longer living....but added in the lines "again married George Whitehead in March 1866" and she died on the 17th of June, 1866.  She probably never received a widow's pension....maybe she applied, but instead was remarried.  How sad that she died only months after being married to Mr. Whitehead.  

A statement from Dr. Benjamin Walton accounts  for his assistance with the birth of her children, Lovina and Thomas B. Young, and that he is aware of the death of Owen, and the appointment of Harvey Blodget as the guardian of the children.

The children are identified as being the only legitimate offspring of Owen, and their vital information is stated as follows : Lovina Young,  born on the 13th day of March 1858, and Thomas B. Young, born on the 24th day of October 1860, Harvey also concurs that the parents of these children were married on the 3rd of April 1857 in Schuyler County, by Peter Vance, JP.  He also replied that he did not aid or abet the rebellion of the United States.  Two witnesses, John Phelps and Hiram Geer, signed off on the document as being "intimate acquaintances for the last ten years"  of Owen Young, the deceased soldier, and know of no other children belonging to him.

Claim for Minor Pension, Owen Young Civil War Pension File, page 3, Fold3.com

I am not sure why Quincy is hand written at the top of the page, but perhaps that was the closest Army Pension office at the time.  Nevertheless, the children were approved for support from their father's pension.  Lovina Young and Thomas B. Young were to receive Two Dollars per month, until they each reach the age of 16 years.  Lovina's benefit will last her until March 12 of 1874.  Thomas B. will collect his benefit until October 23 of 1876.  The above document restates all of the evidence previously submitted to support the claim for pension assistance.  Harvey Blodget will be issued the usual Eight Dollars per month, covering Sept. 2, 1865 until October 23, 1876, as was the common widow's claim amount, and the children's pension would also be paid out to Harvey, commencing July 23, 1866,  so that he may look after his grandchildren until their 16th birthdays.  

Well, there you  have it.  Quite a story, sad as it is.  A father goes to war, gets ill while in  the service of his country, and dies.  His widow, left with two children ages 7 years and 5 years, remarries just 6 months later, and then she dies three months after that.  Her two school-aged children are taken in by their grandfather.  He applies for the pension benefits of his son-in-law to support the children.  Pension benefits only last until the 16th birthday of each child.  Hopefully they lived happily with their grandfather.  And, hopefully, they heard of their father's bravery and sacrifice during the Civil War, which took the lives of so many husbands and fathers.  

I think I will do a bit more research, and find out what Lovina and Thomas did with their lives.  

Meanwhile, if you have any family members that were participants in the Civil War, I hope that I have inspired you to look into their service and pension files.  Discover the family stories that aren't told in vital records alone. 

Using Linkpendium to Reach Your Research Goals

Linkpendium (www.linkpendium.com)  is one of those websites that clusters many links of research sources. It will help to find information to plug those holes of missing information in your family trees.

At first look, the Linkpendium home page appears to be very generic.  You might even be a bit skeptical, as there are no flashy designs or exotic colors in its design.  Don't let that fool you.  Look on...  It boldly states that it covers over 10 million genealogy links.  Is that enough for you? Or, do you need more?

Every state in the United States has it's own link, with sub-links that take you even farther into your research.  There are statewide links, county links and even some city/town links.  Further on, you'll see links to Church records, Cemeteries, Bible records, Newspapers, Directories, Court Records, etc.  The list is quite extensive.  

I will tell you that it does NOT contain every research link that you could ever need. There is a note at the end of most compiled link pages....Please, add your favorite Website(s) to this page!
yes, you can add a link to the list!!! How neat is that?  A collaborative effort!  

Linkpendium Logo

Researching in European records?  No problem if your interests include the United Kingdom and Ireland.  There are over 10 thousand links to resources in England, Ireland, The Isle of Man, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, etc.  Once again there are specific links for each parish and county, and also for directories, vital, church, court and institution records.  

Lastly there are links to Surnames, worldwide.  I took the leap...and looked up the link to my maiden name : Bognar.....very Hungarian.  There I find many links regarding the surname : findagrave, wikitree, Rootsweb message boards, gazetteers, maps and newspapers.  Wow.  I will have to do some clicking on some of these to see what has been posted by others on the boards and trees, and also find out the distribution of the family name.  It appears there are mentions of the name in their lists of Indiana, Illinois and Ohio newspapers, too.  

1918 St. Louis City Directory, Bognar listings
found from the link to www.Fold3.com

As with the other pages, on the bottom you can click and add a link for a surname database.  If you have a website that is dedicated to your family/family name, don't hesitate to add it to the surname list of links.  It just might steer someone to your family site and you could make a connection to a cousin with additional information that you can't get anywhere else.  

Have I convinced you to visit Linkpendium?  Try it out, and pass on the goodies that you might collect.

Finding a Home of Ancestors in Lincoln, Nebraska with Today's Technology

Today I checked a family tree that I had listed on my Ancestry.com, www.ancestry.com,  member page.  A "shaking leaf" was hovering over the name my husband's great grandmother, Lizzie Hessler Reif.  My heart always leaps when I see one of those leaves, even though I have conditioned myself to keep calm, because most of the time the referenced information does not belong to my specific family member.  Hate when that happens.

I took a deep breath and clicked my way to the hint that Ancestry.com thought should be attached to Lizzie.  Well, this time they were correct.  It referenced a listing in the Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska City Directory of 1929.

1929 R. L. Polk & Co., Lincoln City Directory,  page 444

So, I see that the home address was listed as 3093 Vine, and Lizzie was correctly noted as the widow of H. J. (Henry Jacob Reif).  Now that I have an address, I can use today's technology to find the location of this house.  I used Zillow.com, www.zillow.com,  to find the location by typing in the address on the home search page.  The location of the home quickly appeared on my computer screen.  This address is on a corner lot.

http://www.zillow.com/homes/3093-Vine-Street,-Lincoln-NE_rb/

I noticed that the home was currently not for sale, but the statistics of the home were available, including the number of bedrooms, number of baths, square footage of the home and the lot, and it's current value (according to Zillow statistics).  

On the right side of the page, a general information box repeats the same information, but lists the date that the home was built....1910.  OK, now this is getting interesting.  

I clicked on the "County Website" link and was able to view the current information from the Lancaster County Assessor / Register of Deeds.  There is a GIS tab to view the current photo of the home:

3093 Vine Street, Lincoln, Lancaster, Nebraska as of 2014

close up of the home address, 3093 Vine Street

Wonderful! What a great looking house.  But, I wonder what it looked like in years past.  After all, it was built in 1910, and I'm sure that it didn't always look this good.  Let's see what I can find by reviewing more information from the County Assessors website.  

Property image dated 2005 - 9 - 7

So this is what it looked like in 2005, before the latest improvements were made to the property.  The owner did a fine job of rehabbing this home, and should be very proud of their efforts.  

The property was last sold in 2009, and the County Assessor has posted the recent sales history of the property.

http://orion.lancaster.ne.gov/appraisal/publicaccess/PropertyDetail.aspx?PropertyNumber=1719302001000

By selecting the instrument numerals by sales date, you will be able to see the details of the sales, from both 2009 and 2005, which include the names of Grantors and Grantees.  I won't post those on this blog, due to my personal feelings about privacy, but they are a matter of public record and can be viewed by the public, free of charge from the Lancaster Assessor report. In addition, the Lancaster County Treasurer has posted the tax payments for this parcel by the owners since 1998, and can be viewed at http://lincoln.ne.gov/aspx/cnty/cto/property.aspx?vParcel=17-19-302-001-000.  I guess you can't hide anything anymore.  

A property status sheet is included by the County Assessor, which shows a history of building permits and inspections for this property :

http://orion.lancaster.ne.gov/Appraisal/PublicAccess/PropertyDataSheet.aspx?PropertyID=90570&PropertyOwnerID=469654&NodeID=11

All of this information about the home of Lizzie Hessler Reif, which started from a shaking leaf on the family tree from Ancestry.com has given me a glimpse into the neighborhood of this woman who was the great grandmother of my husband.  Hmmm. I wonder what he will think when I show him what I've uncovered for his family tree.  

Lesson : check each shaking leaf.  And, take what you have to the unlimited resources on the Internet.  You just might uncover some really neat stuff.  

What is FamilySearch Wiki and Will it Help My Research Problems?

You may have heard about Wikipedia ( http://www.wikipedia.org/ )....a free on-line encyclopedia where topics can be searched using a wide variety of international languages.  FamilySearch has a similar learning webpage entitled FamilySearch Wiki ( https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Main_Page ).

 FamilySearch Wiki answers the question, What is the Wiki ?

 The Wiki is about finding records that may have been generated about your ancestors and the places in which the records might be found. It is a vast record depository of the paper trail that people leave behind long after they are gone. The Wiki has records from the United States as well as from 244 countries.  Here you will be able to find documents such as census records, marriage records, birth records and death records and much more. Probate documents are often very informative and may help you in your search.  There is an extensive list of United States military records on the wiki .    

Search by place or topic by clicking on a map, as seen below:

OR learn how to search your family history, simply by choosing from the many research helps offered, from getting suggestions about organizing your family history, choosing a database to file your family facts or learn about basic research principles to keep you on track.

Using the Wiki Tools, you can view many articles written regarding online library catalogs, international websites, and internet repositories, just to name a few topics.  

Most importantly, there are links to contact research help specialists at FamilySearch.  I have never contacted them....yet.  But, sometime in the future if I am unable to break down a brick wall in my research, I just might take advantage of these specialists.  I suggest that you do, too.

You can also share your information and suggestions regarding research in a particular topic or country.  Adding your own "user page" could help to keep yourself more organized, too,  There are Talk Pages to share your ideas, or communicate with a specific user.  Sign up for a Watch List, and be notified when new content has been added to topics that interest you.  Browse the WikiProjects lists and join one if you'd like, or establish a new one yourself.  Submit an article regarding a particular topic in which you have expertise, or add to the content of articles already featured. 

Ever have trouble with geographic places with the same name?  The category "Ambiguous Place Names"     (https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Category:Ambiguous_place_names) can be a big help for you.  I searched for the location "Georgia".  The result made me pleasantly satisfied :

Georgia may refer to:

• Georgia (country), formerly Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) 1921-1991; and Democratic Republic of Georgia 1918-1921.
• Georgia (state), a state in the southern United States, and formerly one of the British colonies in North America.

Georgia may also refer to other local jurisdictions:

• Georgia, Lawrence, Indiana, United States
• Georgia, Cherry, Nebraska, United States
• Georgia, Franklin, Vermont, United States
• East Georgia, Franklin, Vermont, United States
• New Georgia, Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea and Australia
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, in the South Atlantic Ocean near the Falkland Islands near Argentina
• Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada

And, of course there is the wonderful topic : Family History For Beginners

From evaluating the family history that you know, to starting the research for the information that you want to know....this is the ultimate in self-learning, step-by-step instructions to get you started in your quest to find your ancestors and their life stories.  Learn how to properly document and cite the sources of your research results. And, don't forget to review the genealogy and legal terminology categories.  It helps to know what you're talking about, right?  

I can go on, and on, about FamilySearch Wiki.  But, I won't be able to cover everything in this blog.  Try it yourself, and see what you can learn, and maybe contribute, to this FREE resource.  It's just waiting for you to experience the fascinating world of learning.

Using Naturalization Records For Your Family Research

Naturalization is the process by which an alien becomes an American Citizen, as stated by the National Archives www.archives.gov/research/naturalization

The Naturalization Papers are just one of the many resources anyone can use to find out more about their ancestors.  The first Naturalization Act was passed on 26 March 1790.  "Free White" persons over 21 years of age could be granted citizenship if they lived in this country  for at least 2 years, and had to be a residing in the state of which they are applying from for 1 year.  Of course, they had to be of good moral character and take the Oath of Allegiance.  Just about any court could enact an application of citizenship.  Wives and children, under the age of 21, would be granted citizenship if the Husband/Father were to become a citizen of the U.S.A.

Stricter requirements were enacted in the revision of the Naturalization Act in 1795.  Residency in this nation was required for a minimum of 5 years, with one of those years being in the state of which the application took place.  The first papers for application, known as the Declaration of Intent, were to be filed at least 3 years before the final papers, known as the Petition for Citizenship, was filed.  "Free White Males" over 21 years of age could apply.  Besides the Oath of Allegiance, the petitioner had to renounce allegiance to any foreign government.

In 1922, women  who were over 21 were able to become citizens on their own, without the need for a husband or father.

In the Fourteenth Amendment of 1868, all African Americans were granted citizenship.  American Indians, in 1924, were considered citizens, without the need to serve in the ranks of the military or marriage to white citizens.  Territories were granted citizenship through laws and/or treaties, which include Texas, Arizona, Hawaii, Louisiana, Florida and Alaska.

Census records after 1870, asked each person whether they were an alien, a naturalized citizen, or if they had filed their Declaration of Intent, if they were born in a foreign country.  The year of immigration is listed on the census of 1900 and 1910.  The 1920 census lists the year of naturalization.  Also, the census of 1940 mentions the year of naturalization, if the person were foreign born.

1910 St. Louis City, Missouri, Federal Census
Note that several persons, including Tony Busalacchi,  are listed in column 17 as Alien (AL), and one Bernard Freidman was listed as Papers Applied (PA), meaning that he had filed his first  papers, the Declaration of Intent

Follow your ancestors through the census years to get a clue as to when they may have applied for U.S. Citizenship.  The persons in the census above had not applied their papers, except for Mr. Friedman, by 1910.

1920 St. Louis City, Missouri, Federal Census
Note that Tony Busalacchi is now listed in column 13 as Papers Applied (PA), meaning that he had filed his Declaration of Intent sometime between 1910 and 1920.

Any U.S. Naturalization records created after September of 1906 were copied and sent to the INS, and one copy was kept in the court where the person had applied.  Federal court applications are kept in the National Archive Regional offices. Check www.archives.gov/locations/ to find the office location that your ancestors papers may have been kept. You can order these record copies online.

Declaration of Intent for Tony Busalaki,of St. Louis, Missouri
date October 1912

This Declaration of Intent, "First Papers", belongs to Tony Busalaki, a first cousin of the Tony Busalacchi mentioned in the census sheets mentioned previously. Notice the change in the spelling of the surname.   Note the wealth of information about this man.  His age, occupation, description of his color, complexion, height and weight, town of origin, date of birth, address, name of ship and port from which it left, note of renounce of allegiance to the King of Italy, place and date of arrival, and his signature and date.  NOTE:  not all of the information on the Declaration of Intent is true.  Take the information as clues.  The name of the ship, date of arrival, date of birth, etc. may not be true, but it is as true as he may have believed at that time.  Immigrants did not have to supply a certified birth certificate, nor did they have to show proof of the date of arrival or name of the ship.  Persons from the INS did check ship manifests to see if they could find persons applying for citizenship.  

Prior to 1906, the search for the Naturalization papers may be more difficult.  Many people may have applied their Declarations of Intent soon after arriving in America, so it would not be uncommon to see those papers filed near their port of entry.  New York, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, or other port of entry would be a likely place to look for those first papers.  Not everyone filed their papers in a federal court.  They could have filed in a county or a large city civil courthouse.  Hopefully, the indexes for your ancestors papers were filmed, and you will be able to at least find them on an index card that will guide you to when and where the papers were filed.  

The older records of Naturalization may not hold much information regarding your ancestor.

1867 U. S. Naturalization Index Card  for George Adam Reif of Stephenson County, Illinois

Above, the Naturalization Card for George Reif , shows that he applied for his citizenship in April of 1867 in the Circuit Court of Stephenson County, Illinois.  This card does not have all of his information, but note that it does give the location of the certificate record : Vol. B. Pg. 62.  A trip to the courthouse in Stephenson County, with a copy of this card, should get me to the right location to view the copy of the certificate for George Reif....my husbands great great grandfather.  This card was listed in the :

U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project)

found on Ancestry www.ancestry.com

Index for the Naturalization in St. Louis, Missouri; 1821-1906, St. Louis Genealogical Society
for Antonio Pitti, of Italy, in the Circuit Court of St. Louis

The St. Louis Genealogical Society, www.stlgs.org  has an online index for the Naturalizations that occurred in St. Louis, Missouri.  Above, the indexed information for Antonio Pitti, of Italy, in the Circuit Court of St. Louis, is found under the ID and Volume location.  A contact at the Circuit Court would be able to assist in getting a copy of this person's documentation.  As stated on the website :

  The original naturalization records are available on film at the Missouri State Archives, St. Louis County Library, State Archives, the Family History Library, St. Louis Public Library, and the Office of the Circuit Clerk, City of St. Louis, Missouri.

In searching for your ancestors' Naturalization and Citizenship papers, be sure to search

Familysearch.org - all free records, all the time.  Many documents have been digitized, and can be found online, or you can view the images on microfilm at your local LDS library or local library.  Don't forget to contact county courts, circuit courts and even criminal courts.

Many  WWI draftees and enlisted men were encouraged to become citizens.  Even later, 

when WWII involved the United States, residents were encouraged to become citizens and/or register as aliens.  These registrations can be found in the regional National Archives.  

The Family Black Sheep Records

Once in a while you may came across some person in your research that suddenly disappears from the census, directories and other resources.  What happened to them?  Well, if they were easily confused by the local laws, or maybe were lured into some activities that brought them to the dark side of life.  You know who I am talking about, don't you?  Yes, it's those black sheep in the family.  Usually just a misunderstanding, or a consequence of hanging around with the wrong folks,  that ends up with someone staying a while in the local jail or state prison.  So how do you find out if there are really there?

First you might want to do a quick search of the local newspapers to see if they are mentioned on the police blotter pages, or similar articles.  Otherwise, you might want to visit certain databases to see if they are included in a roster of jail residents.Court records may include naturalization papers, probate records, guardian cases and coroner inquest reports.  Let's look at a listing for the state of Illinois, put together by the Illinois State Genealogical Society :

History of the Illinois Court System ,  found just from a Google search, can direct you to lots of background on the judicial system in the State.  There is a terrific timeline, calendars and schedules of courts, court forms, lists of court interpreters, court reporter transcripts, court facilities information, lists of judges, attorneys and mediators, court rules and additional websites.

Black Sheep Ancestors   http://blacksheepancestors.com/  This is a great website to search court records, prison records, execution records, asylum records and biographies of famous criminals from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.

Illinois County Courthouse Directory  http://www.genealogy.com/00000242.html  Address and location list of all county clerk and recorder offices.

National Archives - Great Lakes  http://www.archives.gov/chicago/holdings/subjects.html
A wide variety of information on court records and state attorney records

IRAD Databases - Court Databases  www.cyberdriveillinois.com  criminal court records, court proceedings, jail registers.

Don't forget to check the US Federal Census indexes for the state prisons.  I found a cousin in the 1930 Census of the State Prison of Missouri in Jefferson City.  You never know who you might find.