Samuel Brown and Sarah Francis Craven
While in the service, the poor sanitation and
poor food brought on severe, persistent diarrhea. This led to the development
of ‘piles’ (inflamed hemorrhoids). Mathias would suffer from these for the rest
of his life.[57]
Robertson appeared before the Court as
Administrator one last time in November 1875 to file his final report regarding
Samuel’s estate. He noted that he had $185.14 on hand and that there were
outstanding creditors owed $201.33. This left the estate owing him $16.19. With
over a year having passed since Samuel’s death and no outstanding debts due to
the estate, the Administrator was finally discharged by the Court, with the
Clerk ordered to reimburse him the $16.19 on behalf of the estate.[58]
Once again, Sarah did not immediately file applications for Pensions for
herself and for her Minor children. As will be seen, she will take these
actions but only just before her life was cut short. Perhaps she believed that
her new marriage was going to bring such improvement to her financial health that
the Pensions would be of no account. Perhaps she was simply overwhelmed by the
responsibilities of so many children to raise, feed and clothe. We simply do
not know.
At least three children were born to Mathias
and Sarah. Their first was a daughter, Lana. She was born in 1876.[59]
John Robertson appeared before the Perry County Circuit Court during the May 1876 Term to provide a further report regarding his duties on behalf of the minor Franklin Nelson children. As the estate had been ‘distributed to his wards’ when he last appeared before the Court, Robertson continued to report disbursements on a child-by-child basis. George W.’s account began with a total of $123.10. Robertson had paid out $11.77, leaving a balance of $111.33. John H.’s account began with a total of $423.87. Robertson had paid out $48.21, leaving a balance of $375.66. Leonora’s account began with a total of $461.03. Robertson had paid out $69.74, leaving a balance of $391.29. The Court next noted that Mary F. had died. Robertson had filed a receipt from Mary’s mother, Sarah Nelson Brown, for $82.63, the money that would have been due to Mary.[60]
On March 5, 1877, young Emily Brown, just 4-1/2 years old, died. A son of Mathias and Sarah, Lewis, arrived in 1878.[61]
On May 28, 1878, Robertson returned to the Circuit Court to file an interim report regarding the Nelson children. First, Robertson noted that he had $122.05 on hand for the account of George W. He provided the Court a receipt from George for the full amount since, as he reported, George had come of age. Accordingly, Robertson asked the Court to be discharged from his Guardianship for this[57] Mathias
Beard’s record states, “Unassigned Company”. Microfilm M540, roll 5. The 33rd IN
Infantry has a website (http://33rdindiana.org/). When mustering out, he
received $35.85 for clothing. He is said to have been born in Adyeville in
Perry County, IN (also in Clark Township) on August 25, 1832; however, his
mustering out record says he was born in Spencer County, IN. He died on March
6, 1896, in Altoga, Dubois Co., IN. The color of Mathias’ hair is based on a
note posted on Ancestry.com by his great-grandson, Roy Davis. The family
preserved a lock of Mathias’ hair after his death. That memento has been passed
down to Davis.
[58] Probate
Order Book 3, page 304, Perry County IN, November 16, 1875. The Order Book for
this final action has been overwritten by two notes regarding what seems to be
minor additional settlements. The text is written at right angles to the
original report and dated October 25, 1876. I have been unable to decipher the
text and its full meaning.
[59]
Lana Beard was born in 1876, in Perry Co., IN. Her husband died after 18 years
of marriage. She was living in Butler Co., MO, in 1910.
[60]
Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 3, 1871-1878, May Term, 1876, page
343.
[61]
Lewis Beard was born in 1878 in Perry Co., IN. I have been unable to find
further mention of him.
Page -12-
individual. He then reported having $389.74 on
hand for the account of John H. Having made disbursements totaling $166.85, he
was left with a new balance of $222.89. He then reported having $583.96 on hand
for the account of Leonora. Having made disbursements totaling $80.81,
Robertson was left with a new balance of $503.15. The court noted that the
balances had risen to the point that Robertson’s original $1,000 bond was no
longer sufficient for the case and directed him to secure a $1,500 bond. The
matter was continued until the next report.[62]
On August 26, 1878, Robertson appeared before the Perry Co. Circuit Court to
report that he had secured the $1,500 bond as directed in order to remain in
his role as Guardian for the Nelsons. The matter was continued until the next
report.[63]
1880s
On May 6, 1880, Guardian Robertson appeared for the final time in his role on behalf of the Nelson children. On behalf of John Nelson, he reported that he had $236.26 on hand. As John had reached age 21, Robertson had paid John in full and asked for the relationship to be severed. He further reported that he had $534.33 in hand on behalf of Leonora Nelson. He reported that she had recently married William L. Kellems, who was above age 21. Accordingly, he had disbursed the money into their hands and provided a signed receipt for the Court. Having satisfied all directives of the Court on behalf of the Nelson children, the Guardianship was declared settled and stricken from the docket.[64]
Then on May 1st or 2nd, 1881, the Beards had their last child, Robert.[65] Mathias and Sarah continued to live in Clark Township through the mid-1880s. Sometime thereafter, the family moved just north to Mentor Township in southeast Dubois Co.
On November 20, 1882, nine years after his death, Samuel Brown’s estate was finally settled. Henry Ludwig, Trustee, acting on behalf of the Court, reported that he had set aside the property allowed by law as exempt, then sold other assets so that all debts might be paid. He reported that there were no other property or assets remaining and that no further claims had come forth. He therefore requested that he be discharged from his duties. The Court accepted this as the Final Report and discharged Ludwig accordingly.[66]
As Mathias Beard’s health declined, he filed for an Invalid Pension via application number 673536. Upon review, it was approved, and he was issued a pension certificate, number 694284.[67] He began receiving $6 per month on September 26, 1888.[68] Beginning in 1889, the pension file includes medical reports that provide detailed insight into Mathias’ misery and clearly show his life slipping from his grasp. The first, at age 55, was conducted by a three-man board of doctors in May of 1889. They found him with a resting heart rate of 104 (144 after mild exercise) and his respiratory rate was 22, both clear signs of distress. He had diarrhea attacks every two weeks that lasted from three to ten days. During such attacks, he had from three to twenty stools per day. His ‘piles’ (hemorrhoids) had dropped
[62]
Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 3, 1871-1878, May Term, 1876, page
505.
[63]
Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 3, 1871-1878, August 26, 1876, page
526.
[64]
Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 4, 1879-1885, May 6, 1880, page
128.
[65]
Robert Beard was born on May 1, 1881, in Dubois Co, IN. In 1900, Beard lived
with Henry and Alice Schroeder in Louisville, KY. Robert married Bertha
E. Bird (born in 1866 in IN) on February 13, 1902 (Pike Co. – IN Marriage
Records 1859-1905, Book: 10; Page 424). In both 1910 and 1920 he was in
Hazelton, Gibson Co., IN. In 1930 he was in Knox Co., IN. He died in 1960 and was
buried in the Hazel Cemetery in Gibson Co., IN, north of Evansville.
[66]
Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 4, 1879-1885, November 20, 1882,
page 316.
[67]
The award of a pension was big news for the aging Civil War veterans. The
Indianapolis Journal carried a statewide listing of new recipients on page 7 of
the January 13, 1892, issue that listed Mathias.
[68]
Pension records
Page -13-
(a euphemism for extending outside of the
body). Such a condition results in extreme sensitivity, pain, and bleeding. In
typical 19th-century country-doctor language, the piles were compared in size
to large hazelnuts. The doctor noted that his heart showed signs of some
enlargement.
Mathias’ failing health must have imposed a serious
financial strain on the family for about the same time Sarah belatedly filed
for a Widow's Pension for Samuel Brown’s service. Her application was number
383970, dated November 19, 1888. On May 21, 1889, she also applied for a Minor's
Pension for 21 or 22-year-old Alonzo, file number 395848. As Alonzo was 21 or
22 years old by this time, and not eligible, she may have been trying to obtain
retroactive benefits and overcome her tardiness.[69]
Trying to merge and raise several distinct families, while adding children of
their own, was complicated enough without the burden of multiple legal filings
and the search for those who could provide supporting affidavits.[70]
Affidavits and certifications went from IN to Washington. Rejections, questions,
and occasional approvals flowed back to IN. One of the first responses was the
denial of a Minor's Pension for Alonzo, as he was past his age of majority and
thus no longer eligible.
1890s
The decade began on an ominous note for the Beards
as their last child, Robert, contracted typhoid fever during the summer of
1890. By August, he was on death’s door but somehow made a full recovery.[71]
On June 4, 1892, Mathias submitted a request for an increase of his pension. It
was denied. Mathias again met with the three-man board in October that year. Mathias
complained of pain in the stomach and bowels, dizziness, and fluttering of the
heart. The doctors observed that his tongue was coated and fissured. They found
his joints very stiff, and his back muscles atrophied. They noted a heart arrhythmia
and stated that intermittently it beat in an abnormally violent manner. They
concluded that the inflammation resulting from his chronic rheumatism had
resulted in heart disease.
While Mathias struggled to just stay alive, Sarah learned that her application for Samuel Brown’s Widows Pension was definitively denied by the Pension Bureau on October 30, 1894. She had run out of appeals.
On January 19, 1895, with his health getting more complicated by the day, Mathias again filed a request for an increase of his pension. He noted that the intestinal symptoms were worse and that his heart was now affected. This time, on June 5, 1895, after a relatively quick review, it was approved. On that day, he had again met with the three-man board of doctors. From that point forward, he received $8 per month. While this eased his finances, his health was at a crisis stage. The doctors found that his bowels were prolapsed, his piles enlarged, and that he suffered from ‘smothering spells’. His resting heart rate was up to 130, 135 when standing, and an astounding 170 after slight exercise. In a note dated September 1, 1900, Dr W.A. Hermanni described Mathias’ last months. He stated that the bouts of diarrhea had begun to alternate with periods of constipation and that he had developed a
[69]
Sarah did not make an application for benefits on behalf of Samuel Brown
(Junior), who was 3-4 years younger than Alonzo. The reason for this is not
clear but it may have been that he had already married Bell Grant and
was thus no longer deemed a minor.
[70]
Sarah, or her lawyer, did a credible job tracking down veterans who had known
Samuel in the 1st Cav and even a few who had known Mathias in the 33rd
Inf. Locals who had known or treated the men were also asked to provide
affidavits. When Samuel’s doctor died after the war, they worked with his daughter to obtain his office ledger, which confirmed the number of times Samuel had sought treatment.
[71] Huntingburgh
Argus, August 8, 1890, page 2.
Page -14-
granulated liver.[72]
Beard had one of his ten-day ‘spells’ after which the doctor believed that his
colon, weakened by the prolonged diarrhea, became perforated. This immediately
produced chills, violent shaking, delirium, and convulsions. This final stage
lasted from four to six weeks. He died on March 6, 1896, at age 63.[73]
This time, on March 24, 1896, Sarah promptly filed for a Widows Pension. It
became case number 630539.
According to family tradition, Sarah Beard and
her stepdaughter Alice E. Beard (born in about 1866 to Mathias and Lavina
Hensley Beard) did not get along. Following some dispute, Alice left home,
telling Sarah as she departed, "I
hope you die with your boots on."[74]
Later, on November 6, 1896, word came to Sarah that one of her sons was sick
and that she should come at once. She left her house in the dark, and while
crossing the railroad near the town of Mentor, in Dubois Co., IN, her foot got
caught in the tracks. Because she was wearing high button shoes, she couldn't
get her foot loose and was hit by a train and died.[75]
These details differ from the story that appeared in the Huntingburgh Argus.[76]
There it is said that Sarah was starting out to cross the tracks to get a
bucket of water. Her daughter claimed that she warned Sarah that the train was
due but to no avail. Sarah walked along the rails and appeared not to have
heard the train. She was struck and died in a few hours in spite of the care
given by Dr W. R. McMahan. Sarah was 61. Sarah’s application for Mathias’ Widow's
Pension seems to have been speedily rejected upon receipt of the news of her
death.[77]
On
May 17, 1897, the Dubois Probate Court approved Fidel J. Morganroth as the
legal Guardian of young Robert Beard.[78]
Morganroth’s application for Robert’s Minor's Pension was assigned case number
655699.[79]
1900s
Morganroth returned to the Court on March 25, 1890, stating that he had attempted to secure a Minors Pension for his ward but that it had yet to be granted. His report was accepted with the directive to return to Court with an update. Morganroth noted that his ward had no property, no money, and no
[72]
Hepatic granulomas are small abnormal clumps of cells that form in response to
the existence of widespread inflammation, which may be a reaction to a
medication or to an infection.
[73] Huntingburgh
Argus, March 13, 1896, page 3.
[74]
The meaning of this idiom has changed over time. At one point, at least in some
cultures, it meant to die while still engaged in your task. That expression had
somewhat of a positive spin. However, according to Oxford’s Dictionary of
Idioms, it was “used in the late 19th century of deaths of cowboys and others
in the American West who were killed in gun battles or hanged”. It seems that
this latter sentiment was being expressed.
[75]
The story of the conflict between Sarah and her stepdaughter Alice (Alice Emma
Beard, 1871-1944) is according to an oral tradition passed down through Alice’s
family. Alice would go on to marry Henry Schroeder. The story was passed to
me by Alice’s grandson, Roy Davis, through Ancestry.com.
[76]
The Huntingburgh Argus, Huntingburg, IN, Friday, November 13, 1896, Page 3.
[77] This
appears in the combined Brown/Nelson/Beard pension file, retrieved through
Samuel Brown’s record.
[78] Probate
Court Order Book 15, Dubois Co., IN. page 381, recorded May 17, 1897. Morganroth
appears in the census records as a farmer. Articles in the local newspapers
indicate that he ran a saloon, an establishment that occasionally brought him
into conflict with the Courts for violations of his liquor license. Guardians
did not have to be lawyers. They were sometimes just neighbors who stepped in
to help and would be there. In the various cases involving these families, the Guardians
did sometimes retain a lawyer, usually Noah Moser of Loogootee, IN. A note on
an index card, dated 1901, indicates that Morganroth had been appointed due to
the death of the prior Guardian. Presumably, that would have been John
Robertson.
[79] U.S.,
Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 for Mathias
Beard.
Page -15-
assets
of any other kind. The Court was told that Robert had relocated to Bristow (in
nearby Perry Co.) where others in the family had a home.[80]
Pension
certificate 515107 was subsequently awarded to Robert on October 8, 1901.[81]
Finally, in 1902, Morganroth filed a final settlement report of the
Guardianship with the Court and requested that he be released from his
assignment. The report noted that he was in possession of $168.70 from Mathias’
Minor's Pension. He then listed six individuals or entities who were owed
money:
1. Notary Public - $2.10
2. Dr W. A. Hermany (Mathias’
physician from Altoga) - $7.50
3. Fidel Morganroth –
$2.72
4. (illegible) Clerk –
$5.95
5. Guardian, for services
- $6.00
6. Traylor and Traylor (attorneys)
– $5.00
Thus, the total expenses were $29.10, leaving a
balance of $139.53 for Robert Beard. Morganroth reported that this had been
paid to Beard and provided a receipt for the Court. He noted that Beard reached
his majority on May 1, 1902. The Court accepted his report and ordered that the
Guardianship end.[82]
End Notes and
References
- While mention has
been made of some property, no review of deeds in Spencer, Perry and
DuBois Counties has been conducted. This is a potential area for research.
- Charles
Weatherholt - It is interesting to note that a Charles Weatherholt, age 7,
is living with the newlyweds(Samuel and Mary Polk Brown) in 1850; the
Weatherholt name is one of the oldest and most prominent in Perry Co. With
Mary 22, it is not likely that this is a child from a previous marriage. At
this time, Charles’ connection is not clear. Much earlier in 1816, while
future United States President Abraham Lincoln was seven years old, the
Thomas Lincoln family spent a few weeks neighboring Breckinridge Co.
across the Ohio in KY. Local residents gave them a cow for milk. A few
weeks later, the Lincolns left KY by crossing the Ohio River at
Cloverport, KY to the township of Tobin in Perry Co., IN. They crossed on
a ferry operated by Jacob Weatherholt, perhaps an ancestor of the young
Charles who would be born 27 years later. By the 1860 census, Charles
Weatherholt, 16, lived just two farms from the Browns. He worked as a
laborer for Uriah Weatherholt. Charles enlisted in the 144th IN
Infantry in Indianapolis near the close of the war. The unit was
officially mustered into service on March 6, 1865. He apparently died of
disease on March 7th. He was buried in Tobinsport, Perry Co.,
IN, in the Lamb Cemetery.
- The
1850 Perry Co., IN census lists three Brown families in the Tobin township
in Perry Co.
- Samuel,
born 1823 in IN, page 399b
- Crawford,
born 1819 in VA, page 398
- William,
born 1823 in IN, page 402
Nothing definite can be determined from
this search. William could be a twin of Samuel (same birth year), a relative,
or just another Brown. Crawford could be an older brother, a relative, or just
another Brown. There are a number of other Browns in the county outside of the
Tobin township. One of the pioneer settlers in the area was a Samuel Brown from
VA, so there are many Browns.
[1]
Probate Court Order Book 17, Dubois Co., IN., pages 181-182, recorded April 2, 1900.
[2] This
appears in the combined Brown/Nelson/Beard pension file, retrieved through
Samuel Brown’s record.
[3]
Probate Court Order Book 18, Dubois Co., IN., pages 323 and 324, recorded May
20, 1902.
Page -16-
1. 4. Alonzo Brown – Son of Samuel Brown and Sarah Francis Craven Nelson. According to the Browning Genealogy Project http://browning.evcpl.lib.in.us/ Alonzo died Wednesday, November 18, 1942, in Evansville. His address was listed as 1909 Pennsylvania. He was survived by his wife, Amanda, son James of Richmore (sic), CA, daughter Mrs. Laura Hill of “LA”, a half-brother Robert “Berd” of Hazelton, IN, and one grandchild. The Schaefer Funeral Home was in charge.
5.James Leroy – Son of Alonzo Brown. Noticed that James registered for the WWI draft from the Indiana Reformatory in Jeffersonville. He was noted as medium height and build with gray eyes and brown hair. This record stated his birth date as January 27th, 1893, rather than September, with his place of birth listed as Mentor. Interestingly, he noted that he served for one year in the Army Artillery. One newspaper article listed him as a deserter. A bit more searching found that he’d been sentenced for 2-14 years for robbery of a clothing store. When Police surrounded his home, he dove out a window to escape, landing in a snowdrift, wearing only his underwear. Police found that he had a hideaway under his floor, accessible via a trap door that was well stocked with food. It seemingly had been used for previous disappearances to evade the Police. He was listed as “at home” in the 1930 and 1940 census. In 1940, the family was living at 1817 W. Pennsylvania Ave. Lon was shown as “unable to work”. James was still in IN in 1942 when he had to register for the WWII draft.
18 6. 1850 Perry Co., IN census, Tobin Township
|
Name |
Age |
Born |
Comments |
|
Samuel
Brown |
27 |
IN |
laborer,
$75 real estate, born IN, cannot read or write |
|
Mary |
22 |
IN |
|
|
Charles
Weatherholt |
7 |
IN |
|
|
Name |
Age |
Born |
Comments |
|
Samuel
Brown |
33 |
born
IN |
real
estate $275, personal property $250 |
|
Mary |
32 |
born
IN |
|
|
Mary
J. |
8 |
born
IN |
in
school within the last year |
|
Pretina |
|
born
IN |
|
|
James
H. |
|
born
IN |
|
|
Nancy |
|
born
IN |
|
|
Name |
Age |
Born |
Comments |
|
Franklin
Nelson |
27 |
born
KY |
laborer |
|
Sarah |
25 |
born
IN |
|
|
George
W., |
1856 |
born
IN |
|
|
John
H., |
1859 |
born
IN |
|
- Mathias Beard
|
Name |
Age |
Born |
Comments |
|
Samuel
Brown |
47 |
born
IN |
farmer |
|
Sarah |
37 |
born
IN |
keeping
house |
|
Nancy
J |
19 |
born
IN |
|
|
Pretina |
15 |
born
IN |
|
|
James |
13 |
born
IN |
|
|
Nancy |
11 |
born
IN |
|
|
Williams |
7 |
born
IN |
|
|
Oliver |
5 |
born
IN |
|
|
Alonzo |
3 |
born
IN |
|
|
Samuel |
1
month |
born
IN |
|
|
George
Nelson |
14 |
born
IN |
farm
laborer |
|
John |
11 |
born
IN |
|
|
Leonora |
8 |
born
IN |
|
|
Mary |
7 |
born
IN |
|
|
Name |
Age |
Born |
Comments |
|
Mathias
Beard |
37 |
IN |
Farmer,
$1200 real estate, $250 personal estate |
|
Lavina |
39 |
IN |
|
|
William |
10 |
IN |
|
|
Mary |
8 |
IN |
|
|
Isaac, |
5 |
IN |
|
|
Allice
E., |
4 |
IN |
|
|
Martha
E |
1 |
IN |
|
|
James
H. van Winkle |
19 |
IN |
farm
laborer, |
|
Edward
van Winkle |
14 |
IN |
farm
laborer |
|
Emerine
Jackson |
30 |
IN |
|
|
Name |
Age |
Born |
Comments |
|
Mathias
Beard |
49 |
IN |
farmer |
|
Sarah
F., |
44 |
IN |
housekeeper |
|
William |
20 |
IN |
work
on farm |
|
Mary |
18 |
IN |
|
|
Isaac |
17 |
IN |
|
|
Allice |
14 |
IN |
|
|
Martha
E |
11 |
IN |
|
|
Nancy
K |
9 |
IN |
|
|
Lana |
4 |
IN |
|
|
Lowis, |
2 |
IN |
|
|
Oliver
Brown |
14 |
IN |
|
|
Alonzo |
12 |
IN |
|
|
Samuel |
10 |
IN |
|
13.
Look
at Newspapers.com for all IN papers ‘1st IN Cavalry’ for the
pertinent time
Page -18-
Mathias Beard
Kent
W. Brown
9806 Frost Creek Drive
Ooltewah, TN 37363
