Widow's Pension of September 13, 1909

These Widow's Pension forms are from the Civil War Pension File of my paternal third great-grandfather.  It was filed by my third great-grandmother over five years after his death.  Both forms contain the same information, but one has a crossed out note on it.  Maybe that is why they rewrote the form.

At the time of this filing, she was living at 1201 East Chelton Avenue in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  This address is different than the one she shared with my third great-grandfather.  I believe she went to live with one of her daughters after the death of her husband.

My third great-grandfather qualified for a Civil War Pension because he served in the Union Army for a short time at the end of the war.  He enlisted, at age 33, as a private in Company I of the 215 Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on April 8, 1865 and was honorably discharged on July 31, 1865.

He first applied for his pension on September 2, 1890.  At the time of his death in 1904, he was receiving $12 a month.  My third great-grandmother had to file papers to continue getting the pension as his widow.

My third great-grandparents were married on December 31, 1854, the only marriage for both, and had been married for over 51 years at the time of my third great-grandfather's death.

The recognized attorney on this form is a W.V. Sickel, the same attorney that represented my third great-grandfather in many of his Civil War Pension legal filings.

Declaration for Widow's Pension on April 24, 1908

This Declaration for Widow's Pension is found in the Civil War Pension File of my paternal third great-grandfather.  It was filed on April 24, 1908 by my third great-grandmother in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  At the time of the filing, she was 74 years old and living at 1201 East Chelton Avenue in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.

In the years prior to his death, my third great-grandfather was receiving a Civil War Pension from the United States Government.  He qualified for the pension by serving in Company I in the 215 Regiment of the Pennsylvania Infantry Volunteers of the Union Army for a short time at the end of the Civil War.  He was honorably discharged on July 31, 1865.

After my third great-grandfather's death on April 30, 1904, my third great-grandmother had to file to continue to receive his pension.  The two had been married for over 51 years.

This form contains great information for family history research.  First, my third great-grandmother's maiden name, Alexander.  And second, a wedding date and place - December 31, 1854 in Philadelphia.  It even lists the name of the reverend who married them, Reverend Francis.

My third great-grandmother used the same lawyer that her husband used numerous times in the legal filings of his Civil War Pension, a W.V. Sickel of Philadelphia.

The address of 1416 South 15th Street has been crossed out.  That is the home that my third great-grandparents shared.  In its place is 1201 East Chelton Avenue.  At some point after her husband's death, she moved in with one of her daughters.

The two witnesses for this form are two of her daughters, Lovey M. Henderson and Anna L. Odgers.

Index Sheet #3

This index sheet is found in the Civil War Pension File of my paternal third great-grandfather.  It contains one item - the declaration for a Widow's Pension by my third great-grandmother.  It was filed on April 25, 1908.

My third great-grandfather qualified for a Civil War Pension because he served in the Union Army in company I of the 215 Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry for a short time at the end of the war.

No. 806945

This Civil War Application was filed on 25 April 1908 by my third great-grandmother, who had been a widow for nearly four years.  She was now living at 1201 East Chelten Avenue in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It appears she had moved about 11 miles away from where she and my third great-grandfather had lived, 1416 South 15th Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This document states the facts that my third great-grandfather was in Company I of the 215 Pennsylvania Infantry and he died at Norristown, Pennsylvania on 30 April 1904.  It also lists that there were two other previous claim numbers.

The note on here seems to state that the attorney representing my third great-grandmother, a Mr. W. V. Sickel, was contacted to find out if she agreed to abandon her former June Act Claim.  That would have been the Act of June 27, 1890.  It was an act that was signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison.  At that time, she was entitled to $8 a month.  The Act of April 19, 1908 was also an act that increased the pension of widows and minor children of soldiers of the Civil War and other wars.  It looks like my third great-grandmother was filing for an increase in the monthly amount she received from the United States Government, being a widow of a Civil War veteran.

Act of June 27, 1890

On June 27, 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed into law The Dependent and Disability Pension Act.  According to this act, my paternal third great-grandmother, as a widow, was entitled to $8 a month ($220.86 today), because my third great-grandfather had served at least 90 days in the Union Army during the Civil War and was honorably discharged from service.

My third great-grandfather served in Company I of the 215 Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.  The 215 Regiment was organized at Philadelphia in April 1865, the end of the Civil War.  They did their duty in Delaware and at Fort Delaware.  My three-times great-grandfather was discharged on 31 July 1865.  I am looking forward to learning more about his time at Fort Delaware, a place I have visited a few times.