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SUMMARY OF PENSION DOCUMENTS FROM NATIONAL ARCHIVES, WASHINGTON, D. C.
LIST OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE FILING OF REQUEST FOR WIDOW'S PENSION BY
LUCINDA EDWARDS AND ALSO APPLICATIONS FOR OBTAINING PENSION FOR FRANCIS MARION
FERRIS BY ADOPTIVE MOTHER SARAH C. FERRIS.
THESE ARE IN ORDER BY DATE AND NUMBERED "EXHIBITS I THROUGH XIII", NOTING ANY
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN EACH.
EXHIBIT I .... Dated 13 February 1863
Page I Application for Widow's Pension
Page 2 Certification from Smith Horton, Justice of the Peace, that he
married William Henry Edwards and Lucinda Roberts 26 June 1859
at Rock Creek, Nemaha County, Kansas Territory. There is no
Rock Creek in Nemaha County now. There is a Rock Creek in Jack-
son County directly south. Perhaps at one time Nemaha County was
much larger and what is now Jackson Co. was part of it.
Page 3...Formal application.of Lucinda Edwards for pension
States her age on this date as 24. Therefore her birth year
would be 1839.
Enlistment date of William Edwards in Iowa Volunteers given
as 26 January 1862.
Date of death 30 March 1862 ... cause "sickness."
Lucinda Edwards still living in Salem, Iowa at this time.
Page 4...Declaration by Lucinda Edwards that she was the wife of
William Edwards and mother of Francis Marion Edwards.
NOTE....This original application was filed by attorneys Parker &
Edwards of Davenport, Iowa. Could the "Edwards" have been a
relative?
EXHIBIT II..Dated 14 February 1863
Deposition by Reuben F. Joy (or Jay) and Richard Spurrier
attesting to their acquaintance with Lucinda Edwards. Given
at Salem, Iowa.
EXHIBIT III Dated March 1863 and 1863 and 21 December 1863
Request for certification of death of William Edwards.
Certificate showing payment of $8.00 is to be paid to Lucinda
Edwards retroactive to 28 March 1862.
Attorneys are now Palmer and Brennan of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
which probably indicates that Lucinda Edwards has left Salem,
Iowa and living in Mt. Pleasant.
EXHIBIT IV Dated 2 April 1862..From Adjutant General's Office
Acknowledgement of application for pension
Gives date of William Edwards' enlistment as 19 December 1861
Cause of death..lung fever.
EXHIBIT V Dated 13 May 1863 and I June 1863
Copy of Smith Horton's statement of marriage of Lucinda and
William Edwards by William Wells, Clerk of County Court of
Nemaha County, Kansas.
States that a fire in the courthouse in Seneca, Nemaha Co.
Kansas in 1860 destroyed all records. Seneca is located about
50 miles from Rock Creek and probably was the county seat.
EXHIBIT VI .... Dated 27 November 1863 ... Widow's Declaration for Pension
This gives Lucinda's age as 20 ... not 24 ... and would have made
her birth year 1843 and have her marrying at 16.
By this time she is definitely living in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.
William Edwards' enlistment date given as 20 December 1861.
Death date ... 27 March 1862. Cause of death "pneumonia and
typhoid".
This document was witnessed by William Edwards' father
Joseph A. Edwards and Sarah Jane Williford. Both listed as
residents of Mt. Pleasant.
EXHIBIT VII ... Dated 10 December 1863
Record of proof submitted for entitlement of Lucinda
Edwards to receive pension.
Lucinda to receive $8.00 per month.
Enlistment date of William Edwards..19 December 1861 and
death from "lung fever" 28 March 1862
Power of Attorney to Palmer and Brennan of Mt. Pleasant.
EXHIBIT VIII..Dated 11 July 1865
Copy of marriage record of Lucinda Edwards and Asbury Kindel
31 January 1864 attested to by John B. Dryer, County Judge,
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
EXHIBIT IX Dated 22 May 1865
This appoints Sarah C. Ferris as Guardian of Francis
Marion Ferris.
EXHIBIT X Dated 10 July 1865
Page 1 Application for Pension to be paid to Sarah C. Ferris as
Guardian of Francis Marion Ferris by reason of his adoption
by her.
Date of death of William Edwards 27 March 1862 ... cause,
"chronic diarrhea".
This documents states that William and Lucinda were married
in Brown County, Kansas. There is no Rock Creek in Brown
County either. But it is the next county directly east of
Nemaha and probably part of it in 1859. (Kansas did not be-
come a state until 1861.)
Page 2 Statement of witnesses to Sarah Ferris' signature who were
Charles N. McDowell and Reuban Allen.
Page 3 Declaration by Lucinda Edwards Kindel that she has no claim
on the pension for her son Francis Marion Ferris. Assume
she would have had to forfeit this upon her re-marriage.
EXHIBIT XI Dated 3 January (or July?) 1866. Claim for Minor's Pension
filed by Sarah C. Ferris.
A pension of $8.00 per month to be paid on behalf of
Francis Marion Ferris from 1 February 1864 and ending
17 May 1876 at age 16.
EXHIBIT XII..Dated 30 April 1874 ... Application for increase of pension
for Francis Marion Ferris.
EXHIBIT XIII...Dated (1) 13 September 1865, (2) 14 May 1874, (3) 11 January
1866.
13 September...request for confirmation of death of Wm.
Edwards.
14 May.... certificate showing payment of additional $2.00
per month to Francis Ferris.
11 January .... Certificate of payment of $8.00 per month
by the Fairfield Agency to Yancy & Drayer of Mt. Pleasant,
Iowa
Nancy L. Underwood
March 1993
[Note from Byron: Nancy's nephew, Daniel Hooton Jr. is a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and works at the
Pentagon. He found the documents which are described in the above notes by Nancy.]