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| Affidavit of William Ferguson for Pension Jan 12, 1891 |
William submitted his first pension application on Jan 12, 1891. Prior to 1890 the federal pension system for Union soldiers had evolved from something that provided for disabled soldiers and widows and children of those who died in service. Pension laws established during the war were modified between 1861 and 1874 to provide for medical screenings and included disability that arose subsequent to the war. Awards were first made up to $8 per month, and increased up to a maximum of $31.25 per month by 1874. Partial disability resulted in partial pension payments, sometimes for a little as $1. In 1890 the Disability Pension Act allowed veterans to make claims for pensions even if their disability was unrelated to military service. This required the Pension Bureau to establish a system to verify claims for pensions through examination of doctors certificates, affidavits from employers, and neighbors, as well as statements from fellow veterans and service record reviews. By 1891, the Pension Bureau employed over 2000 men and women in Washington to review and process claims. [1]
When William submitted his first claim in 1891, he listed a disability due to a tumor on his left leg that he said was the result of an injury received during the Civil War battle at Hatcher's Run, VA[2]. This battle took place from Feb 5 to 7, 1865, and was part of the siege of Petersburg. Over the next few months of 1891, the Pension Department received confirmation from the War Department that William had indeed been present during that battle[3], and an affidavit from a surgeon that he indeed had a disability due to a tumor on his leg. The surgeon declared that he was eligible for 6/18 disability under the then existing pension law [4].
In 1900 William and his family were living at 106 Neilson Street in New Brunswick, near the Raritan River. William is described as a boatman. Living with them were their sons Andrew and Charles. Andrew was not employed and Charles was employed as a carriage painter. Also living with them were William's nephew Phillip, a fish dealer, his wife Julia, their daughter Lizzie, and Clara Ferguson described as a daughter-in-law, but born in 1845 (making her older than William) and Clara's daughter Bertha May, aged 10[5].
In 1902 William submitted another application related to "ruptures" that he claimed were the result of an accident that had occurred in 1895 when he was working on repairs to a trolley line in Milltown, NJ, and a pole fell on him. This was corroborated by several affidavits from those who were working with him at the time of the accident, as well as James H. Ferguson, his employer, who declared that due to the "ruptures" William was unable fully to perform manual labor[6]. The examining surgeon allowed a $10 pension[7].
In 1907 Congress passed the Service and Pension Act, which granted pensions to all veterans over the age of 62. Between 1908 and 1920 the rates were increased based on age and length of service[8]. In March 1907, William applied for the increased pension due to age, but as I explained in the last post, he couldn't prove that he was 62[9]. In May 1908, he was granted a pension of $12 based on his age at enlistment[10].
By the May 1910 census William, Catherine, Andrew, and Charles were living at 20 Schurerman Street[11]. William is listed as a driver for a street cleaning company. Andrew had not married and worked as a tire maker in a tire factory. Charles worked as a coal shoveler in a coal yard. Charles had married Julia McCann in about 1904, and fathered a daughter Sadie. He listed himself as married for the past five years in the 1910 census, but had only lived with his wife and family for a short time.
Catherine died on February 25, 1913 [12] and was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in New Brunswick. William's pension action record indicates that his pension was increased from $19 to $22.50 per month in May 1916, when he reached age 70, and again to $32 from June 10, 1918[13].
William died on March 21, 1919 of chronic nephritis and cardiac problems. According to the statement for reimbursement provided to the Pension Bureau by his son Charles and his doctor, he was hospitalized at St Peters hospital for a week in early March, and after that he was cared for at home by his daughter, Mrs. Anne Vorhees. He had no estate except for some clothes. He left two insurance policies, one for Charles in the amount of $72.72, and one for Anne in the amount of $36.60, which had cost $0.35 and $0.15 per week respectively[14]. He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery on March 27. His funeral expenses were $248.00, to include the casket, embalming, the hearse with horses, and five limousines[15]. The Pension Bureau approved reimbursement of $57.60.[16]
1. Peter David Blanck and Michael Millender "Before Disability Civil Rights: Civil War Pensions and the Politics of Disability in America" Alabama Law Review, Vol 52, No 1, Fall 2000. pp 1-9.
2. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson, Private, Company I, 8th New Jersey Volunteers; Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Veterans Who Served in the Army and Navy Mainly in the Civil War and the War with Spain ("Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates"), 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. Affidavit of claimant for Invalid Pension January 12, 1891.
3. War Department Record and Pension Division, Summary of service, March 11, 1891. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB.
4. Surgeon's Certificate, Mar 25, 1891. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB.
5. Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2004) www.ancesrty.com, Database online .Year: 1900; Census Place: New Brunswick Ward 3, Middlesex, New Jersey; Roll: T623_984; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 40.
6. General Affidavit May 29 1902, W. Fredrick Stevens, Additional Evidence May 22, 1902, George Gamble, General Affidavit June 9 1902 James Chaplin, Affidavit Jan 14, 1902 James H. Ferguson. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB.
7. Surgeon's Certificate Oct 17, 1906. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB.
8. Blank and Millender. op.cit.
9. Letter, Acting commissioner to William Ferguson. January 9, 1908. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB.
10. Pension Action Record. 1891-1912. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB..
11. Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2006) www.ancesrty.com, Database online .Year: 1910; Census Place: New Brunswick Ward 3, Middlesex, New Jersey; Roll: T624_898; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 137. Image 857.
12. Application for Reimbursement. April 24, 1919. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB.
13. Invalid Pension Record card. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB.
14. Application for Reimbursement, April 24, 1919. op. cit.
15. Invoice. W.H. Quackenboss, Dr. Furnishing Undertaker and Embalmer. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB. Burial of William Ferguson, April 24, 1919.
16. Record of Reimbursement, May 17, 1919. Soldier's Certificate No. 725160, William Ferguson Private, company I 8th NJ Vol. Civil War and Later Survivor's Certificates. RG 15, NAB. 17, 1919.
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