William Alexander Ferguson and Rachel Jones
Page -1-
Early Life
William Alexander "Tobias" Ferguson was born in Butler
Co., KY in 1839.[1]
Tobe, as he was to be known, was the oldest son and the second of nine children
born to Moses and Malinda Ferguson.[2]
Moses, born in North Carolina, married his TN bride in Sumner Co. in her home
state in 1832. The couple then moved to Butler Co. sometime between 1833 and
1839, where Moses worked as a ferry keeper and a farmer.
Little
is known of Tobe's early life. The 1850 census records that the 10-year-old lad
was in school. However, exposure to the 3 "Rs" seems not to have
achieved its desired effect since in later life Tobe either states multiple times
that he cannot read or write. At other times, the evidence is that he is unable
to sign documents and must affix his 'X'.[3]
Nancy E. Jones (b. 1841) was one of three girls and two boys known to
have been born into the family of Philip Jones and his wife, Nancy Decker
Jones. The Joneses seem to have lived in both Edmonson Co., KY and Grayson Co.,
KY in the early 1840s. Sometime after 1846, Nancy Decker Jones died. In 1848, Philip
remarried a 32-year-old KY woman named Elizabeth Salling.[4] During the 1850s, the Jones family moved to Butler Co.,
where Elizabeth also died.[5] The Jones children quickly got a new stepmother as Phillip
married a woman 17-years his junior, Annie. Between the two women, three
children were born during the decade, the first two before Nancy E.’s
departure: Ditto, (a boy) in about 1851, Mary E. in about 1855, and Eluisa in
1859.
Marriages,
the War and Illness
On March 8, 1857, an 18-year-old, Tobe married 17-year-old
Nancy E. Jones. It was the first marriage for both.[6]
They were married at Tobe's father's home by Allen Cory, with her father
[1] Establishing
his year of birth is tough. His marriage license, dated June 1860, listed him as
22, fixing his birth as 1838 or even 1837. According to the 1860 census (taken
after June since he and Rachel were recorded as "married") he was
only 21, making his birth 1839 or maybe 1838. His birth year, deduced from a
December 1861 military muster roll which shows him as 21, would be 1840 or 1839
(the latter only if he was born in late December). The 1850 census lists him as
10 years old, placing his birth in 1839 or 1840. I have chosen 1839 since it
seems to be a happy medium.
[2] By
far, the most difficult part of this research has resulted from the confusion
surrounding Tobe’s name. He seems to have been known generally as Tobe or
Tobias, got married as William A. and once as William F. Fortunately, the
government was as confused as I was and thus, at least two affidavits comment
on his early life and name. See Ben F. Morris' and Alonzo Neel’s comments in
his pension file.
[3]
Examples include his marriage licenses and his correspondence with the War
Department.
[4] Edmonson
Co., KY marriage book 1, page 98. Phillip Jones Jr. to Elizabeth Salling. The
marriage bond is dated April 12, 1848. This record is interesting in that it
states that Phillip is a Jr.
[5]
Over a very brief span of time, ancestors will live in Edmundson, Grayson, and
Butler Counties. This doesn’t mean that much actual movement took place The
three counties form a crude triangle, with each sharing borders with the other
two. Subsequent generations will migrate just northward into Ohio County.
[6]
Nancy’s birth location is per page 1 of the index to the 1857 Butler Co., KY.
Marriage Records. William A. Ferguson to Nancy Jones, Butler Co., KY, marriage
records, Book A, page 114, two sheets. Two versions of this document exist. The
original, as microfilmed in the KY State Archives in Frankfort, KY, and the
certified copy as provided to the War Department as part of Rachel’s Survivor’s
Pension application. The 1859 Butler Co. death records also stipulate Grayson
Co. as her place of birth.
Page -2-
and
Lewis Felty serving as witnesses. Little happiness was to come to Tobe from
this union, for on February 22, 1859, Nancy died of a heart condition.[7]
There were no children from that marriage. By 1860 Tobe had found a new bride,
Rachel Jones, age 20, Nancy's older sister.[8]
The wedding, which was to have taken place at the bride's home (also in
Butler Co.) on June 24th, instead occurred on the 23rd at
his father’s home. James Howard performed the service for the couple.
Tobe
continued farming to support his new bride. Since the Tobias Ferguson family
appeared immediately after Moses and Malinda in the 1860 census, it may be that
they worked adjacent fields or Tobe may have even worked for his father.[9]
Rachel, meanwhile, worked as a seamstress to supplement their income, which
(given their $50 estimated worth in the 1860 census) seems to have been meager.
Rachel
quickly became pregnant and on May 5, 1861, gave birth to Margaret Elizabeth, the
first of six children to bless their marriage.[10]
Only a few months of normal family life were to be had by the young couple and
their firstborn.
With
the outbreak of the Civil War in the Green River counties in the fall of 1861,
Tobe and his younger brothers Timothy V. and James M. went to war.[11]
They signed up on September 10th for a three-year stint with a
regiment of men from Butler, Muhlenberg, Warren, and Edmonson counties that was
organized by Colonel Pierce Butler Hawkins for the state of KY. Their outfit
was subsequently mustered into Federal service as the 11th Regiment
of the KY Voluntary Infantry on December 9th at Camp Calhoun along
the Green River in McLean Co., KY. Privates Tobias, James, and Timothy Ferguson
were assigned to Company C.[12]
While Timothy and James served until December 1864 and saw duty at Shiloh,
Perryville, Stones River, Knoxville, Kennesaw, and Atlanta, Tobe's stay would
be far shorter.
Inexplicably, the raw recruits were thrust into action in late December. The 3rd KY Cavalry had been sent to scout the area around South Carrollton, KY, twenty miles to the south. According to one account, the 11th seems to have accompanied the 3rd KY to South Carrollton. As the 3rd KY was returning to Calhoun, they came under attack by a larger force of Confederate Cavalry under the leadership of Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest. The infantry executed an evening march from their encampment
[7] Butler
Co., KY, death records, 1859.
[8] Marriage
license and certificate, William F. Ferguson to Rachel (Butler Co., marriage
records, Book 2, page 439, two sheets). Tobe’s middle initial is mistakenly
listed as ‘F’. We know this is the proper record as Rachel makes this document part
of her Widow's Pension application. Rachel gives her age as 22 on the marriage
certificate. However, given the birth date on her tombstone (October 29, 1839),
her age would have only been 20. I have used the tombstone date. Such is the
frustration of research. The switch in the location of the wedding is another
source of speculation about tension between strong-willed Rachel and her new
(and just slightly older) stepmother, Annie. Rachel’s parent’s names appear on
her death certificate, Rachel Jones Ferguson, Directory of Births and Deaths, KY
State Board of Health, Volume 44, certificate 21562. KY, one page.
[9]
Neither Tobe nor Moses appears in the 1860 agricultural census for Butler Co.
[10]
Margaret Elizabeth Ferguson, born on May 5, 1861. She later married Warren
Stephens. They were living in Beaver Dam in 1927 when Rachel died. Rachel
referred to her as "Elizabeth".
[11] Timothy
V. Ferguson's pension record, 11th Regiment of the KY Voluntary
Infantry, Company C.
[12] Military
records, William Tobias Ferguson, 11th Regiment of the KY Voluntary Infantry,
Company C, 37 sheets. There are two index cards (by which the clerks kept track
of the muster roll cards, personal papers, and any medical papers on file).
While the cards normally contain only data taken during the war, much has been
added from 1872 and 1873 to clarify the erroneous desertion charge.
Page -3-
at South Carrollton and engaged the rebels in a skirmish
at the town of Sacramento, KY. Casualties on both sides were light. During
their withdrawal, forces under Colonel Forrest burned most of the bridges in
the area to limit pursuit. The infantry returned to Calhoun via steamboat.[13]
In that day before vaccinations and common knowledge regarding bacteria, diseases spread like wildfire in the camps of both armies as men who had lived in relative isolation were thrown together. In the end, as many men died of the measles, mumps, poor sanitation, etc. as did from bullets, shells, and bayonet.[14] Childhood diseases (measles, mumps, etc.) were the most virulent during the early part of the war, with so-called "camp diseases" (malaria, dysentery) becoming more prevalent in the latter stages as the veteran corps built immunities that were not present in the fall of 1861. Having suffered from the measles and extreme cold with many others at Calhoun, Tobe had a bout with pneumonia.[15] At some time during his ordeal, suffering from the early stages of consumption, back aches and headaches, Tobe visited the regimental field hospital and received treatment from a Butler Co. physician, Robert B. Morehead.[16] On January 12, 1862, Tobe was confined to Ward 2, and on the 16th he was in Ward 1. No diagnosis was recorded for either visit, but in both cases Quinine (strength twelve grains, about 780 mg) was prescribed one dose every three hours. In those days, quinine was one of the few effective drugs available to the army and was viewed as a "wonder drug". Aside from malarial fever (for which it was singularly effective), it was also prescribed for lung infection, rheumatism, neuralgia, dyspepsia, diarrhea, and venereal disease. Later in the war it was to be issued daily in some regiments as a preventative medicine. On Tobe's first visit, two grains (130 mg) of Ipecac were also administered; one dose to be taken every three hours. Ipecac was (and still is) used to induce vomiting in the case of poisoning or where parasitic infection was suspected, and the doctor wished to "purge" the patient.[17] Given the medications involved, it would appear that Tobe was probably feverish and subject to bouts of vomiting or diarrhea in addition to the symptoms mentioned above. The vomiting and diarrhea, if they existed, were likely the result of a general debilitation rather than a "camp disease" such as malaria, the latter having not been mentioned in his medical record. All this treatment was to no avail, and Tobias, having seen only light skirmishing in December and January, was given a pass by his commander and sent back to Butler Co. in January 1862 to recover.[18]
[13]
The action at Sacramento was minor, though it has been styled as the ‘Battle of
Sacramento’ by local community leadership. For years, the engagement was
celebrated with a re-enactment. This has recently ceased. Scant detail exists
regarding the 11th KY’s role in the engagement. See History of
the 11 KY Volunteer Regiment – Union Army, William Wilson, 2017, 2nd
edition, page 29.
[14] Compendium of the War of Rebellion, Dyer
Publishing Company, Des Moines, Iowa, 1908, page 1202. Regimental records state
that during the war the 11th lost two officers and 45 enlisted men
in combat. Three officers and 214 men were lost to disease.
[15] Disease in the Civil War; Natural Biological
Warfare in 1861-1865, Paul E. Steiner, Published by Charles C. Thomas,
Springfield, IL, 1968, pages 12-18. According to History of the 11th
KY Volunteer Regiment – Union Army (cited above), 64 men of the 11th
would die of camp diseases at Calhoun, predominantly pneumonia and typhoid
fever.
[16]
Morehead was a physician in Butler County, before, during, and after the war.
The 11th KY elected him as their Assistant Surgeon at the outbreak
of the war, but he declined. He first treated Tobe in the hospital at Camp
Calhoun. He returned to Butler County and again treated Tobe after his return.
[17] Medicines for the Union Army, American
Institute of the History of Pharmacy, Madison, WI, pages 2, 6061. After Tobe
returned to Butler County, the "sophisticated" medicines were no
longer available. In 1864, having been diagnosed as having "chronic
bronchitis, the secondary effects of measles contracted in camp", a
routine of cod liver oil and whiskey was prescribed.
[18] There is a discrepancy regarding the date of his return to Butler County. The date on the muster roll of April to August 1862 indicates that he returned home December 25, 1861, whereas the note from the Adjutant General's Office in his pension file cites regimental field hospital records indicating his presence and recording medication administered to him during the month of January 1862. The latter has been assumed to be correct. The ‘light skirmishing comment is based on Union Regiments of KY, Courier Journal Job Printing Company, Louisville, 1897, pages 380-389 and Reports of Brig. General Thomas L Crittenden, USA, Calhoun, KY, December 29 and 30, 1861, and January 3, 1862, Brig. Gen Charles Clark, CSA, Hopkinsville, KY, January 8, 1862 and Col. Nathan B. Forrest, CSA, Hopkinsville, KY, December 30, 1861, War of the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 7, pages 249-250
Page -4-
In return for his services (and ultimately his health), the state of KY paid him
the grand sum of thirteen dollars.[19]
Sending
Tobe back home was typical of army practice early in the war. Commanders
assumed, rightly so, that men would recover quicker under the care they would
receive in a warm, clean home, under the watchful eye of a wife or mother, than
they ever would in the dirty cold of an army field hospital. Tobe, in a
much-weakened condition, could not walk or ride the 45 miles to Butler Co., but
had to be taken by comrades in a wagon.[20]
Rather than going to his home, the men took Tobe directly to an Ohio Co.
physician named John J. Siegler. There Tobe remained for two to three weeks,
sometimes appearing to be near death. Eventually, he recovered sufficiently to
return to his home.
Men
dispatched to their homes this way were required to periodically present
themselves to a local physician, who would report to the army on their
progress. Tobe continued to see Dr. Siegler in this manner until the latter
died. The army also assumed, wrongly, that the sick men would return to the
front line with the same willingness which they had displayed when enlisting in
1861. But after six months to a year into the war, the memory of the euphoria
associated with the recruiting speeches and brass bands of 1861 had less impact
than the more recent memory of air filled with lead. As a consequence, many a
man found a sympathetic family physician to declare him "unfit for
duty". The practice of sending a man home to recover soon stopped.
In
August 1862, Tobe again saw Dr. Morehead, who reported that he found, "...him (Tobe) unable to render
military service. He is threatened with tuberculosis, has colliquative sweats;
very much debilitated; cough and c = think he will hardly be able for military
duty again for some time, if ever". The passage of time had provided
the sad confirmation that Tobias was genuinely ill. Thus, unable to work, Tobe
and Rachel were forced to live for some time with his father.
Despite his illness, the young couple was able to expand their family.[21] On January 25, 1863, James Alexander was born.[22] Tobe was bedridden, still unable to work a year after his return from the army. In 1863, with no sign of improvement and his old outfit encamped in nearby Bowling Green, KY, an application was made for his discharge. While the all-important paperwork was making its way either
[19] Tobe only received $13 from the State of KY for his services in direct pay, but in reviewing expenses on his behalf, the War Department noted that he had also been issued $17.64 in clothing.
[20] C.
T. Porter's affidavit in the Widows Pension file stated that Tobe was brought
home in a 'sleigh' rather than a wagon.
[21] It
is interesting here to speculate about Rachel’s relationship with her stepmother,
C. Annie Jones. When filing for the survivor’s pension for herself and the
children, she was required to itemize the children and document who was in
attendance for each birth. For all births except that of James Alexander, only
women are listed. For James’ birth, Rachel says that "Phillip Jones and
his wife attended". Phillip Jones was her father; the reference to
"his wife" may indicate that Rachel and Annie were not on the best of
terms.
[22] James
Alexander Ferguson, born on January 25, 1863; died on July 16, 1954. First
marriage was to Virginia Brownlowe Reynolds on December 30, 1883. Second
marriage was to Eunice Ellums Southard on March 23, 1935.
Page -5-
to or from Tobe, Rebel Cavalry under John Hunt Morgan
and his Raiders tore up the rail lines and may have destroyed the subject
communication.[23]
A False Charge
The
Army seems to have taken Tobe's "failure to respond" to its
correspondence as an indication of indifference to duty or even outright enmity
to the Union. Ignoring the multitude of doctors' certificates and the
eyewitness accounts of his condition by his commanding officer and comrades,
Tobe was mistakenly classified as a deserter rather than discharged. His new
status first appears on the September-October 1864 Muster and may have been at
least partly attributable to the destruction of the Regimental records by the
enemy during an engagement at Pulaski, TN on November 23, 1864. It is not known
when Tobe became aware of his reclassification. Brothers Timothy V. and James
M. mention the charge in a letter that they wrote home around that time but
assure Tobe that “we put them straight”.[24]
Their assurances to Tobe and statements to their officers were of no avail. It
is quite possible that he first learned this when his brothers returned from
the war in December 1864. The frustration of the still bedridden soldier can
hardly be imagined.
Though
unable to do heavy work, Tobe was able to pick up small jobs from time to time
as his condition permitted. In 1865, Dr. Morehead arranged for him to make wood
lathing.[25]
Dr. Morehead had the timber sawn and delivered to the homebound Tobe, who then
"rived" the boards to get the desired size and shape.
Late
in 1864 or early 1865, Tobe moved from the extreme northern part of Butler Co.
to a 60-acre farm at the junction of the Green River and Indian Camp Creek. In
an effort to raise a little more money, Tobe and Rachel leased the mineral
rights on their land to Larkin J. Proctor and Co. of nearby Edmonson Co. The
lease was for a period of thirty years, and the Fergusons were to receive ten
percent of the minerals discovered, though it is unknown if any were ever
found.[26]
As
if poverty and the probable shame and anger of the desertion charge were not
enough, the worst may have occurred in 1865 when the young couple lost a son,
Thomas E., born on June 4th that year.[27]
Things may have appeared to be improving when in early 1867 Tobe's health began
to return. For the first time in five years he was free of his bed and was able
to stop seeing Dr. Morehead. As a result, he worked in the logging business and
returned to farming.[28]
A son, Clark T. was born on May 28, 1867, and a daughter, Laurie Belle, on July
7, 1869.[29]
[23]
See Alonzo Neel's affidavit statements in Tobe’s pension file.
[24]
The full text of the brief letter appears in the Notes.
[25]
Lathing consists of thin strips of wood which are placed horizontally over wall
studs and serve as the base for the application of plaster. The use of lathing
continued until the development of sheetrock.
[26] Butler
Co., KY, Deed Book L, pages 413 and 414. The Fergusons had purchased this
property from a Robert Austen. Since they had told the 1860 census taker that
they owned no property, it must be assumed that the acquisition had occurred
during the interval. At this time, it is not clear as to how the land was
disposed of (C. T. Porter’s affidavit seems to imply that by 1870, they were
renting land and may therefore have sold the 60-acre tract).
[27] Thomas
E. Ferguson, born June 4, 1865.
[28]
William Day’s affidavit in the Widows Pension file stated that Tobe was working
timber and farming.
[29] Clark
T. Ferguson, born on May 28, 1867; died on February 1, 1889. Laurie (or Laura)
Belle Ferguson, born on July 7, 1869. Laurie married D. L. Stokes. They were
living in Johnson City, Illinois, in 1927 when Rachel died.
Page -6-
By
the time the 1870 census was taken, the family was living in the Brooklyn post
office district, still probably in Aberdeen, next door to Tobe's 25-year-old
brother, James M., and his wife, Nancy.[30]
Tobe was still attempting to farm, renting land owned by a Mr. Moore.[31]
Rachel (mistakenly listed as "Rebecca") was reported as "keeping
house" rather than "sewing". Given the four children under nine
years of age, her "retirement" is not surprising. The 1870
non-population census (commonly called the agricultural census) provides some
insight into Tobe’s farming operation during this window of reasonable health.[32]
The census had operated differently than the population census, so the family
was reported as being in agricultural Precinct #2, and physically in the Sugar
Grove Post Office District. His brother James M. Ferguson appeared just a few lines
above Tobe. The couple had 30 acres under cultivation and another 50 acres that
were wooded. The cash value of the farm was $500, and Tobe (identified by his
given name ‘William’) had $20 worth of farm implements and machinery. He had
three horses, 1 milk cow, two other cattle, eight sheep, and six hogs. The
value of the livestock was $200. Over the last year, the farm had produced 30
bushels of winter wheat, 200 bushels of Indian corn, 50 bushels of oats, 500
pounds of tobacco, 12 pounds of wool, 2 bushels of peas and beans, 10 bushels
of Irish potatoes, 7 bushels of sweet potatoes, 50 pounds of butter, and 10
gallons of molasses. Tobe had produced $15 worth of forest products, and $20 of
home-manufactured goods. He had slaughtered $100 worth of livestock over the
past year. The total estimated value of all farm production was $250. A survey
of the surrounding Butler Co. farms shows Tobe’s to be of average size and
productivity. Sadly, his days of sound health and productivity were not to
last.
Their
final child, Lena C., was born on September 2, 1871.[33]
She was destined to know little of her father.
Because
of his bad health and the absence of fellow officers, Tobe had put off starting
the paperwork to have his status changed. However, in 1872, with his health
failing, Tobe could wait no longer. Affidavits were obtained from fellow soldiers,
and Tobe engaged an attorney in DC to file the papers. It may have been at this
time that the seriousness of the charge of desertion became apparent. At stake
was not only his name, but also the crucial survivors' pension for Rachel and
the children.
Tobe
seems to have had little trouble getting friends and comrades to file
affidavits on his behalf. His military file includes statements from the
following.
- C. G. Neel - He was originally the Orderly Sergeant of Company C of the 11th KY at the time that Tobe was discharged and later became the Captain. As Orderly Sergeant, he received the affidavits from Tobe’s doctor and saw him at his home in 1862 and 1863. Neel said that when he was Captain in 1863, the application for a discharge for Tobe was made. Neel also reported that he had been in contact with the officer in charge during the time that Tobe was listed as a deserter, and that it was now concluded that a mistake had been made. He stated that Tobe was discharged
[30]
Brooklyn is a small community in Butler Co., located 10 miles northeast of
Morgantown on Welchs Creek.
[31] C.
T. Porter's affidavit in the Widows Pension file stated that Tobe was renting
land and farming. This implies that they have sold their 60 acres since 1865.
[32] U.S.,
Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880, 1870 data, Butler
Co., KY, Sugar Grove Post Office District, page 5. The Sugar Grove community is
in northern Butler Co., along Sugar Grove Road (highway 1083) just west of US
231. Located along Sugar Grove Road is the Ferguson-Graham Cemetery. It
contains many Ferguson graves dating back into the mid-1800s.
[33] Lena
Catherine Ferguson, born on September 2, 1871. Lena married W.T. Taylor. They
were living in Beaver Dam in 1927 when Rachel died. Rachel spelled her name
'Leina' on one occasion. The lady who had assisted with her birth was Leina
Neil (or Neel).
Page -7-
from South
Carrollton, KY. South Carrollton is just north of Central City in Muhlenberg
Co.
·
W.
L. Rogers, Sr - Ohio Co. resident who had observed Tobe at Dr. Siegler’s.
·
Jacob
H. Leach - An Ohio Co. man who administered the estate of Dr. Siegler. He had
personally seen Tobe at Siegler’s and was aware that Tobe had an account with
the Doctor.
·
N.C.
Flowers - A Butler Co. resident who was originally an Ensign and later an
Orderly Sergeant in the 11th KY, Company C. He had enlisted the same day as
Tobe and had seen him at his home in 1863.
·
Timothy
V. Ferguson – Timothy was Tobe's younger brother and also a Butler Co. resident
who served in the same company. He had visited Tobe in 1862, in the spring of
1863, and finally in August 1863. According to the Compendium of the War of
Rebellion, Dyer Publishing Company, Des Moines, Iowa, 1908, the unit was in
Louisville, KY, and then at Perryville, KY in the fall of 1862, and then
stationed in Bowling Green, KY from January through May of 1863 and in Glasgow,
KY from July through September. This explains his multiple trips home and the
visits by numerous other soldiers and officers.
·
Abraham
A. Frizzell - A fellow Private in the 11th KY from Butler Co. who served in Co.
D. Frizzell also mentions that Tobe was true to his colors and that he had two
brothers who served throughout the war. Abe married Tobe's sister, Hannah
Elizabeth.
·
Dr.
Robert B. Morehead - He was a physician in Butler Co., both before and after
the war. The 11th KY elected him as their Assistant Surgeon at the outbreak of
the war, but he declined. He returned to Butler Co. and treated Tobe there
starting in February 1864. His description was that Tobe had chronic
bronchitis, a secondary result of the measles. Tobe’s medication consisted of
cod liver oil and whiskey.
·
William
C. Rogers - An elderly resident of Aberdeen in Butler Co. Rogers had known Tobe
for several years prior to the war and was present at Dr. Siegler’s when Tobe
was brought in from Calhoun.
Tobe's Death and Restoration
As
time passed, it became apparent that he had developed the second stage of
consumption, what we today call tuberculosis. This was frequently the last stop
on the path which began with a bout with measles in camp followed by pneumonia
and its consequent lung damage. He also continued to complain of head and back
aches. Still, Tobe tried to work. He got a job in Ohio Co. at a coal bank. He
did not last long and soon returned home, out of his head from illness. The 33
or 34-year-old veteran died on February 4, 1873, near Morgantown in Butler Co.[34]
The attending physician, Dr. J. N. Howard, determined the official cause of
death to have been tuberculosis meningitis. Since he had lived in or near the
town of Aberdeen, it is likely that the burial took place there.[35]
[34] On
Rachel's application for a Widow's Pension, she states that Tobe died February
4, 1872. This appears to be off by one year, since Tobe makes a deposition in
December of 1872 as a part of the process to have the desertion charge removed.
The attending physician at his death, Dr J. N. Howard, attests that the death
occurred in 1873. While the 4th is the day most commonly cited, at
least two affidavits (that of Alonzo Neel and James M. Ferguson) and some of
the Bureau of Pensions’ records list February 11th. The attending
physician, Dr. Howard, recalled Tobe as having expired on about the 30th
or 31st of January.
[35] It
is only speculation, but perhaps Rachel laid him to rest next to her sister and
his first wife, Nancy.
No comments:
Post a Comment