Using Civil War Pension Files, Part I : The case of Ernst C. Reif - Part I

Recently I received the full pension files for two Civil War soldiers, and I have never been so 

excited to read the information that has been revealed to me.  Outstanding!

The pension files belong to a great great uncle of my husband who served as a volunteer in the 

Union Army, and an African American Civil War Veteran who served one year in the USCT.  

These were both obtained from the company Twisted Twigs on Gnarled 

Branches, twistedtwigsgenealogy.com.  

US Flag of 1861, public domain photo, www.images.google.com

19 April 1908 c. 147 35 Stat. 64

An Act To increase the pension of widows, minor children, and so forth, of deceased soldiers and sailors of the late civil war, the war with Mexico, the various Indian wars, and so forth, and to grant a pension to certain widows of the deceased soldiers and sailors of the late civil war. www.genealogy-quest.com

In the days of the Civil War, the Pension Office was overseen and part of the Department of the Interior (now oversees the National Parks Service), and the Veterans Administration of today was not formed until much later.

This is the story of veteran Ernst (Ernest) C. Reif of Forreston, Ogle County, Illinois.

Ernst Christian Reif arrived in the United States in 1854, along with his father, stepmother, and some younger siblings.  Being the oldest of the brood, I suspect he had to help his father with the support of this Reif family.  They settled in northern Illinois, the county of Ogle, later moving to Stephenson. Ernst was a carpenter by trade, as well as his father, George Reif.

Ernst enlisted into the Union ranks in 1861 upon the opening of the Civil War.  He served in the 34th Illinois Infantry, where he was wounded at the Battle of Stone River, near Nashville, Tennessee, on 31 December 1862.  He was shot through the thigh and had become so lame that he could not walk without a crutch.  Having been taken prisoner, and later recuperating in a Union hospital, he was discharged in June of 1863. He returned back to Forreston, Illinois and his betrothed, Catherine Foy.

This is where the story of the pension begins for Ernst Reif.  According to his pension papers, he was wounded and taken prisoner.  Having been exchanged with other prisoners, he was able to be tended to and then sent home upon his discharge.  The Examining Surgeon's Report states that he was discharged from Louisville, Kentucky. Later, in August of 1867, he would die from the effects of this permanent damage from the gunshot wound to his leg. One document from the surgeon states that he was subsequently promoted to 1st Lient. This is the only reference to this promotion.

He was admitted to General Hospital 21 in Nashville, Tennessee, (most likely Cumberland hospital, but not proven yet) 13 Feb, 1863. His wound was described as : "gunshot of left thigh, ball entered anterior inner face of thigh, 2 inches below groin, just internal of sartorious, part directly backwards and outwards, behind and internal to femur, and out  on posterior face of thigh, below gluteus maximus, through belly of biceps. Some contraction and adhesion of parts injured.  Cannot straighten the limb at knee, Walks on toes of injured limb."

Signed by the examining surgeon, 12 June 1863, Louisville, Kentucky. Many Union soldiers, sick and wounded, were treated at one of the several Nashville military hospitals, before being transferred to Louisville for further treatment.

Ernst was transferred to Louisville from Nashville in April of 1863, to General Hospital 7.  This is where he was cared for until June of that year, and was sent home with a certificate of disability and eligible for an invalid pension. Hospital 7, also known as Brown  General Hospital, built by the Union Army in Louisville, the largest of six general military hospitals in Louisville.

To be continued.....

What's So Special About Following Newsletters and Blogs?

Post box, www.photomorgue.com

Why Follow Blogs and Newsletters for Genealogy?

Do you read many blogs and newsletters from individuals and associations?  No?  You should!!!

Online newsletters can tell you about things that you ordinarily would not know about.  Wouldn't you like to know when someone has published a book on the subject that you have been wondering about? What about finding a new database that just might have the information you have been needing to break down a brick wall in your research? These are just a few things that you will benefit from when you subscribe to newsletters and follow blogs.

Just a few of the many newsletter and blogs to check out:

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, by Richard Eastman.  Specific to genealogy, Richard tells you about all that is new in the world of genealogy research.  And, if he misses something, just send him a line and he will look into what you have suggested for his mailing.  Check it out at http://blog.eogn.com/ 

Genealogy Today, has articles, search tools and database links to the newest sites for online data sources.  There is also a Marketplace, Memberships and Database listing on their home page.  See what its all about at www.genealogytoday.com

Ancestry's Genealogy Newsletter, a portal to the Learning Center, www.ancestry.com/learn/, lets you follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Ancestry Blog in just a click away.  It also has links to tips, census and record information, new additions to the Ancestry community of databases, and an opportunity to subscribe.

GenealogyBlog, www.genealogyblog.com, is available as a free daily online magazine. It has a catagory search list on the home page so that you can find just the topic that you'd like to read about.  And there are so many topics listed.  I can't imagine what is not listed there, because it covers everything, and I mean everything.  Try this out.  You just might find something that you have been wondering about, or learn about a new topic.  Endless possibilities.

Geneabloggers, headed by Thomas MacEntee, and, Cyndi's List, have great collections of blogs related to history and genealogy.  Sit back, and click away.

Do you have some favorite Newsletters and Blogs that you follow?  Tell us about them, and share what you learn from them, and why you follow them.  Thanks in advance for your replies.

Genealogy OnLine : How to Get Started

Getting Started in Genealogy ONLINE, W. Dollarhide, 2007 reprint, www.genealogical.com

So you want to do some family research?  Where do you start?  Right here, is a good beginning place.

William Dollarhide has been writing some of the best books on research.  This is one of our favorites.
If you are looking for a how-to book that is easy to read, right to the point and not too cumbersome, then this is the book for you.

At just about 64 pages (including master forms for family data, pedigree and family group sheets), this publication has all that you need to start your journey. Just be careful.  This journey will never end.  You have been warned.  Once you get bitten by the genealogy bug, you are hooked for quite a while.

Mr. Dollarhide starts from the beginning...with yourself, your immediate family and extended family.  Conducting interviews is the first step to get the oral history started.  Then there is the task of getting first hand documents (or secondary copies of first hand documents) to back up all the stories that you have been told.  Death records and death certificates can certainly start the collection of information that you will need.  And, using the Federal and State Census records to track the locations and persons in your family is an essential step.

The Family History Library Catalog has a nice, and easy, search engine to see what has been copied, and or documented.  Don't forget,,,,it's FREE.

The author goes on to announce how nice it is to be able to search for book titles on the Internet.  We think so, too, since AncestorStuff.com is a place that we like to start (we own the company)!  Lots to choose from, and we offer help in finding just the right publications for you, whether we carry it in our catalog, or not. Books are great!

Further into this book, the search for those special websites that seem to offer the pot-o-gold is discussed.  Every little bit of information helps, so don't turn you nose up at any site.  Bookmark those that seem promising.  Some websites are  lineage-linked, and others are sponsored by software companies, archives, libraries, cemeteries, societies and organizations.

There are several resource centers located across the United States.  Search those out, and plan field trips or family vacations and make a visit...even though the kids will roll their eyes.  Get them involved in the search, and add an award to the kid who finds the best bit of information.

When all else fails, you get too tired, or just don't have the time to do the search and legwork, contact a professional researcher.  Or, subscribe to the many genealogy magazines, newsletters and blogs. Many are listed in this book.

Finally, browse the top twenty Reference Books for Genealogists, of which AncestorStuff.com  has many listed in our catalog.

Document...Document...Document every piece of information you collect.  The Master Forms sheets at the end of this book, kindly provided by William Dollarhide, are just what you need.  Make copies, keeping data and images stored online, in a cloud, and yes, paper is good, too.

You can get a copy of Getting Started in Genealogy ONLINE, at http://www.ancestorstuff.com/computer-getting-started-in-genealogy-online-dollarhide.html
and purchase at a 15% discounted price.  Looking for a nice gift for someone who wants to dabble in the hobby of genealogy and family history?  This is a very good, and affordable, idea.

Thanks for reading, and HAPPY HUNTING

Fannie, Black Lab Mix and History Buff Mutt

It's Showtime : Ancestors in the Entertainment Business

Lights    Camera    ACTION

Do you have any family members that were employed in the entertainment or broadcast business?

It might be interesting to learn about them and their professions.  There are several ways to look up what they might have been up to.

My Uncle Bennie....Horse Trainer, Circus Actor, Western Film Stuntman

images.google.com; public  domain,  accessed 20 June 2016

As little kids, our mother often told us of our Uncle Bennie, who worked in Los Angeles in Western genre films.  I never met the man, but my siblings had.  I only saw photos of him.  After years of hearing about our cowboy relative, I decided to find out a little about him and his career.

Aunt Ethel, wife of Uncle Bennie, often called our home to let us know what films Bennie would be appearing in, and later her son, Carl, also took up the "reins" and followed in his father's footsteps.  He also appeared in films and television shows.

Visiting Aunt Ethel when I was a teenager, I asked her how she and Uncle Bennie met.  She said that she and her brother left their home when teenagers and toured the country in a traveling Wild West Circus Show.  They were from Montana, and had lots of experience around horses.  When the show appeared in the town where Bennie lived, he went to see the performances.  His eyes met hers, Her eyes met his, and "the rest is history", she said.  They traveled with the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show.

The family that Uncle Bennie came from was very involved in Italian fruit marketing.  Obviously he did not go into this business like his father and siblings.  I looked into the 1911 old phone books and found Bennie listed, living with his parents and siblings, but he was listed as "theatrical" at the age of 19.  The rest of his male siblings were listed as fruit dealers.

Bennie married Ethel, had their son, Carl, in 1916, and at WWI he registered with the draft.  His draft card states that he was employed a performer with the Ringling Bros. Circus.

Several family photos were produced by various persons showing Bennie with western star Tom Mix, who appeared in westerns, most of which were silent films, from 1909-1935.

Many newspaper articles, most of which were from the early 1950s, made mention of Bennie and his touring of the nation in traveling western shows.  Also, there were mentions of his training of movie stars in the western movie business. He was very adept in lassos, knife throwing, hatchet throwing, horse  whip tricks and shooting performances.

He was mentioned as a personal assistant to Will Rogers as a chauffeur, and a very good friend of Will Rogers, Jr.

In his obituary of 1955, it states, "a famed western showman, a long time western film  horse trainer and stuntman, close friend of the late Will Rogers, a double for many famous stars in western films, owner of a ranch formerly owned by Will Rogers, Jr., and appeared  on the television show "You Asked For It" where he performed a knife-throwing act with his wife and partner, Ethel."

There was so much more found in newspapers and ephemera regarding Uncle Bennie.  Too much stuff to mention here. But, at least I found several ways to learn about him, and now you can research your Entertainer Ancestor, too.

from the collection of Mrs. Louis Busalaki Stepler, 1917-2002.

World War II : D Day Research

Do you have relatives or friends that participated in the D Day operations in Europe during World War II?

There have been many viewpoints written about this epic day in history.  So many died on the beaches during this unprecedented invasion. And, yet, so many were fortunate to survive.  For them, it was a memory that I am sure they never wanted to repeat.

There are some great publications written by many of these survivors.  And, many researchers are now able to find information about the behind the scenes actions since many of the files have become declassified. One of these books is written by Kenneth H. Garn, The Secret D-Day, 2004.

www.heritagebooks.com, available for sale through www.ancestorstuff.com

The author was part of a defense platoon in Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion of the 531st Engineer Shore Regiment.  He unravels the truth behind the D-Day invasion.

This book is highly recommended for those who enjoy reading first hand accounts of war.

AncestorStuff.com sells at a discount off of list price, and is giving FREE SHIPPING to customers when they buy 3 Military Catalog items until June 13.  You might want to take advantage of this offer.  It would be a good savings to anyone.

Researching Ancestors While Reading Biographies and Historical Accounts

Not very many people are so lucky as to have ancestors with published biographies on the shelves of every library in town.  In fact, not too many people have ancestors mentioned in history books. I should know....I've been researching our families since 2002.  Seems like yesterday when I picked up an old photo in a relative's box of belongings and wondered...Who are these people, and why do I look like them?

And so you start to wonder a bit about family of long ago, those that you have never met.
But that is where life gets interesting.  It's time to do some investigative reading.

Looking into the lives of our ancestors, we need to pick out every place that they lived, every school that they attended, the churches that they visited on Sundays with family and any military and occupational experiences they had.

Look at all the possibilities that you have to gather more information into their lives.  Research the schools that they attended.  Google books on their churches.  Find histories written about the towns, villages, counties and townships in which they lived.  Research the  history of the military units in which they served.  Find the places of employment and read about the history of the company or corporation.

Besides reading books on all of the above, search for news articles in newspapers and periodicals that may have stories about those schools, churches, companies, etc.  Your ancestors probably knew many of the people who are named in all of these sources.  Now you know a little more about your ancestor.

AncestorStuff.com is a good place to start.  Our newly purchased company has gone through quite a change in the past 60 days.  Redecorated website, blogs, social media....yes it's all been a lot of work.  But we are not done with the changes yet.  We will begin to write newsletters to our subscribers FREE of charge on a monthly basis.  If interested, go to our website, www.ancestorstuff.com, and sign up for the newsletter...we will send you a FREE 15 Generation Chart (two-sided) when you leave your address on the subscriber sheet.

AncestorStuff.com

Website is new and improved...ready to take your orders
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