Mansfield – McConnell – Lake: NY Civil War Soldiers

These families were neighbors in Ulster County, NY and variously connected by marriage. Jointly they made an immense contribution to the union’s efforts in the Civil War.

Simon McConnell and Charles Mansfield were the oldest volunteers of this group. They both joined Company D, NY 156^th Infantry along with Charles’ sons Josiah and Isaac. Sadly, both the fathers died from the effects of uncontrollable dysentery in 1863 leaving wives and young children at home. They were buried in Louisiana where they died.

Simon’s sons Edgar and Carmile McConnell both joined the NY 56^th infantry and son Alexander joined the 1^st Cavalry. Both the McConnell family and the Mansfield family married into the Lake family. Alex McConnell married Sarah Jane Lake, sister of Reuben who married Charles Mansfield’s daughter Sarah Ann. Many veteran brothers-in-law!

The young men fought in various units and some lived long lives, others not so long.

LAKE                           Unit                                Died

Francis            Co D, NY 4^th Cavalry              1867 at 21

Reuben           Co F, NY 127^th Inf                   1897 at 52

McCONNELL

Carmile           Co F, NY 56^th Inf                     1895 at 50

Alexander      Co D, NY 1^st Cavalry              1898 at 55

Edgar              Co F, NY 56^th Inf                     1925 at 85

MANSFIELD

Isaac               Co D, NY 156^th Inf                  1910 at 65

Josiah              Co D, NY 156^th Inf                 1935 at 89

What Killed Them? VUL SCLOPET

Cause of death for confederate soldier Russell Comfort:

 

At first I was not sure if it was all one word or an abbreviation.  Luckily the military website Fold3 published this explanation:

Vulnus sclopetarium is a wound inflicted by a gunshot. Other similar spellings found included: vulnus sclopeticum (defined as multiple flesh wounds), vuluus sclopet, vul sclopeticum, viel sclopet, and vulius sclopet.

Should You order a Civil War Pension File?

I would certainly say YES -- IF the soldier or his widow and children are important for your research. They are expensive ($80) and can vary in size enormously depending on the soldier's situation and whether they were injured or killed. 

I ordered the file for one of my ancestors earlier this month and received the DVD with scanned images through the mail in 10 days !! WOW.  The NARA website advises that requests will be fulfilled in 42+ days.

This particular file was much smaller than 2 others I ordered previously since this soldier died only months after his enlistment.  However, it provided good evidence for his wife's maiden name and confirmed the birth dates of 3 minor children, and documented the death of his widow. Those items were worth quite a bit to me.

I should mention that the file for soldiers who survived, but were injured and claimed disability can be much larger and very rich with information:  affadavits from friends and associates before and after the war detailing the work they did, their physical capabilites (and diminishments), where they lived, marriage date & place, birth dates of family members, detailed medical exam records with blood pressure, weight, changes in health status. The file may or may not also include information about where and how the soldier served. For one of my soldiers, I learned that he was illiterate through statements from his letter writer/reader.

It's up to you -- but for selected individuals in my family history quest they are essential.  

NY Town Clerk Register for Civil War = GOLD MINE

When Ancestry published these records a year or so ago, I found a few of them very helpful .. and some, not really helpful at all. It depended on the clerk in each village and how fully or carefully they completed the registration entries.

I had great success confirming that my ancestor James McDole of Ulster County had, in fact, been born in Northern Ireland (as suspected). Then I had great disappointment in the Delaware County registers that listed little more than name and company for many enlisting villagers.

Today I found detailed records for the village of Rushford, Allegany County. There had been confusion over the wives and sons of Norman Beecher. These CW records confirm that his oldest son Lyman was born to Norman and wife #1, Ann George and that other sons, including Chester, were born to his second wife, Lois George (Ann's sister).

If you had New York Civil War ancestors, be sure to check these records -- the local clerk may have recorded these details for your family too.

New Evidence that I had the wrong parents for James W Clark of Delhi, NY

In my earliest efforts to piece together the family of Dr Adam Clark and his wife Harriet Watson of Albany County, NY, I made quite a few assumptions. They had married about 1820 and their numerous children were born between 1821 and 1843 prior to the establishment of government birth records. Several of their sons had Watson as a middle name and some had moved to Delhi in Delaware County. When I found a James W Clark, born 1829, living in Delhi, I initially wondered if he was another of their sons. James was a farmer in Delhi married to Elizabeth Bailey, the father of quite a few children, and a veteran of the Civil War. 

As time goes on more and more resources become available, providing the opportunity to check early life events more carefully. Especially helpful are smaller local newspapers, many of which are being digitized. For the era prior to government vital records, a newspaper report can be important. I have been spending time and effort searching those newly-available newspaper records for verification and documentation of many family members.  However, that is not how I discovered my error.

Remembering Civil War Ancestors

 
women were involved too !

Henrietta Peckham Colt

 Wisconsin Soldiers' Aid

Her nephew George Williams Peckham 1845-1914

     Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, 1^st Reg, Co B

A Civil War Pension File Can Reveal Family Stories

At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to pay the fee for the Civil War Pension File of Reuben Lake who served with the New York 127^th Infantry.   Then I heard the family tale that he’d been a prisoner at Andersonville who weighed 65 pounds when released and his wife Sarah went to transport him home.  Now that sounded intriguing … BUT be wary of family tales !

James McDole: His Revealing Civil War Registration Record

 In 2011 Ancestry.com published additional Civil War records to its collection including “New York Town Clerks’ Registers of Men Who Servedin the Civil War”.

Some of the information gathered included: date of birth, place of birth, father’s name, mother’s MAIDEN NAME, marital status, previous occupation, bounty received, if any.  Interesting that the bounty amounts seemed to range from $50 to $900.

Not all town registrars were thorough, many were incomplete, some were rather illegible and some clerks could not spell ! (occupations:  laiborer, taylor, etc).  I have the CW pension file of one of my ancestors, so I know he enlisted in Ulster County, NY but he is not found in these registers.  However,  I really lucked out on my ancestor James McDole.