The topic for this week is "Non-Population" and Amy encourages us to write about an ancestor who is found in a different kind of census schedule than the regular Population Census. I am very lucky to have found Nancy (Hart) Clark, widow of Amos B. Clark in the "1890 Special Schedule - Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, and Widows, Etc.".
This Special "Non-Population" census is described in the heading as, "Persons who served in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps of the United States during the War of the Rebellion (who are survivors) and widows of such persons...". This census not only names the U. S. veterans of the civil war, but also lists where they are currently living (including the State, County, Precinct/District and Post Office), their Rank, Company, Regiment or Vessel, Dates of Enlistment and Discharge, and Length of Service. And for the widows, it tells if the deceased veteran incurred a disability during the war and even the cause of death! It also gives the House Number and Family Number from the regular 1890 Population Census (if it still existed), so the information can be coordinated! So, this enumeration is a very significant source of genealogical information about those Union soldiers.
Nancy, widow of Amos B. Clark, is found above on line 5, House Number 155 and Family Number 168 of the Population Census, in the 7th Judicial Precinct, Ellis County, Texas. It states that Amos had been a Private in Company C, of the Illinois 111th (Infantry) and that he had enlisted in August 1862 and was Discharged in July 1865, having served 2 years and 10 months. Further, it states that the nearest Post Office is Red Oak. In conclusion, it states that Amos B. Clark contracted Camp Diarea (sic) and that he "died from the same".
So, this rather obscure Non-Population Census gives us a great deal of information about Amos B. Clark and his wife, Nancy. But for me, that is just the jumping off point for digging even further to corroborate or challenge this information, and answer some of the questions that arise from these facts. Two of which are, "when and where did Amos die?" and "when, how and why did Nancy travel to Texas?"!
The original 1890 census was almost completely destroyed in a fire and the associated water damage. See this very interesting article for more details of the loss of this vital census: https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1996/spring/1890-census-1.html. So, we can get no further information from the year 1890.
Since we know that Amos was a Union Veteran, I was able to find 3 records of Pension Application.
These first two are summary cards list the dates, Application Numbers and Certificate Numbers for actual Applications for Pension. They state that Amos applied for a pension December 23, 1878 using Application Number 264197, and Certificate Number 383739 was issued. Then, on January 11, 1884, Nancy filed for the widow's pension from Texas using Application Number 312013, and Certificate 244832 was issued. The form below also states the 1878 information.
So, we can conclude from these forms that Amos was still alive in 1878, but it does not give any information about where he was living at that time. The 1884 Widow's Application states Nancy is widowed and living in Texas. So, the next logical source for information is the 1880 census. Amos B., Nancy and four children are found in Johnsonville, Wayne County, Illinois.
In this census, Amos is 58 years old, a cradlemaker, born in Pennsylvania; Nancy is 53, keeping house, born in Ohio; Jennie is 21, born in Virginia; Dora is 16, born in Illinois; A. Bateman (Jr) is 14, born in Illinois; and Lena is 11, disabled and born in Illinois. So, that narrows down Amos's death to 1880-1890. I was able to find the death date from the records of "Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans" (middle right column), and learned that Amos died January 24, 1881.
After contacting a researcher in Wayne County who actually went to the cemetery and took a photo of the grave, I was able to learn that Amos was buried in Warren, AKA New Church Cemetery, Orchardville, Wayne County, Illinois. Orchardville is very near Johnsonville, where Amos lived in 1870 and 1880 and Zenia (Post Office), which is named on the Military record.
It is interesting to note that Amos's parents, Abraham and Letitia (Williams) Clark, were living in Washington County, Ohio and both died in 1882, after their son, Amos. I have not been able to find (yet) the actual date that Nancy moved from Illinois to Texas, but we can conclude that it was between June 1880 (Illinois census date) and 1884 (the Texas Pension Application date).
I am Very Lucky to have found a Newspaper Article from a Wayne County Newspaper, the Press, that is an open letter to the citizens of Wayne County, Illinois from Zachary Taylor Clark (Amos and Nancy's oldest living child and my 2nd great-grandfather) with a few more clues!
"Newspaper Article / Red Oak, Texas, Dec. 7, 1893
Having once been a resident of Wayne, I write you a short letter for Non-resident issue.
I came to Texas in the fall of '72. At that time there was only one railroad in the state, and I came through in a wagon, being six weeks on the road. Since settling here I have followed farming, and have succeeded fairly well.
My father, A. B. Clark, died in '81 at Johnsonville, Illinois, my mother and family coming here where they now live. I have two brothers, Bateman and Fran, and two sisters, Jennie and Lena. Lena is attending the Institute for the Blind, at Austin, Texas, where she is receiving medical treatment and educational instruction.
My wife's father, Thomas Reed, came to Texas in '70, where he lived until '81, the time of his death.
A great number of the former residents of Wayne are to-day scattered over the fertile fields of Texas, honorable citizens of the "Lone Star", or reposing under the sod in some lonely graveyard. Beneath I give a few names of former residents of Wayne: Nathan Renfro, dead; Nancy Renfro, dead; Amos Renfro, living; Moses Renfro, living; Jahalen Murphy, living; Gran Murphy, living; Joe Murphy, dead; Sarah Murphy, dead; Jake Murphy, living in Missouri. With best wishes to the Press and its readers, I am. Z. T. Clark"
So, it appears that Nancy and her four younger children, moved to Texas after 1881, when Amos died, and that Z. T. and Fran already lived in Texas. Nancy died in Ellis County on January 5, 1896 and is buried in Red Oak Cemetery, Red Oak, Texas.
As usual, there is much more to the story of Amos B and Nancy (Hart) Clark, but we'll wait for another time for that!
"Til Next Time!
#52Ancestors
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Source Citation: Year: 1890; Census Place: Precinct 7, Ellis, Texas; Roll: 100; Page: 1;
Enumeration District: 173. Description: Township : Precinct 7.
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1890 Veterans Schedules [database on-line].
Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
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Nancy, widow of Amos B. Clark, is found above on line 5, House Number 155 and Family Number 168 of the Population Census, in the 7th Judicial Precinct, Ellis County, Texas. It states that Amos had been a Private in Company C, of the Illinois 111th (Infantry) and that he had enlisted in August 1862 and was Discharged in July 1865, having served 2 years and 10 months. Further, it states that the nearest Post Office is Red Oak. In conclusion, it states that Amos B. Clark contracted Camp Diarea (sic) and that he "died from the same".
So, this rather obscure Non-Population Census gives us a great deal of information about Amos B. Clark and his wife, Nancy. But for me, that is just the jumping off point for digging even further to corroborate or challenge this information, and answer some of the questions that arise from these facts. Two of which are, "when and where did Amos die?" and "when, how and why did Nancy travel to Texas?"!
The original 1890 census was almost completely destroyed in a fire and the associated water damage. See this very interesting article for more details of the loss of this vital census: https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1996/spring/1890-census-1.html. So, we can get no further information from the year 1890.
Since we know that Amos was a Union Veteran, I was able to find 3 records of Pension Application.
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Source Citation: Description: Name Range : Clamor, Engracio--Clark, Hiland. Source Information: National Archives and Records Administration. U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Original data: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T288, 546 rolls.
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Content Source: The National Archives, Publication Number:
T289; Publication Title: Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who
Served Between 1861 and 1900. Publisher: NARA, National Archives Catalog ID:
2588825; National Archives Catalog Title: Organization Index to Pension Files
of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900, compiled 1949 - 1949, documenting
the period 1861 – 1942; Record Group: 15. Short Description: NARA T289. Pension
applications for service in the US Army between 1861 and 1900, grouped
according to the units in which the veterans served.
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These first two are summary cards list the dates, Application Numbers and Certificate Numbers for actual Applications for Pension. They state that Amos applied for a pension December 23, 1878 using Application Number 264197, and Certificate Number 383739 was issued. Then, on January 11, 1884, Nancy filed for the widow's pension from Texas using Application Number 312013, and Certificate 244832 was issued. The form below also states the 1878 information.
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| http://www.fold3.com/image/313104379/ |
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| Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Johnsonville, Wayne, Illinois; Roll: 257; Page: 28B; Enumeration District: 136. Ancestry.com |
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| Source Citation: The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Record Group Number: 92; Series Number: M1845. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1861-1904 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Card Records of Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, ca. 1879-ca. 1903; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1845, 22 rolls); Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Record Group 92; National Archives, Washington, D.C. |
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| Photos taken by Mr/Ms Morrall, Wayne County, Illinois |
I am Very Lucky to have found a Newspaper Article from a Wayne County Newspaper, the Press, that is an open letter to the citizens of Wayne County, Illinois from Zachary Taylor Clark (Amos and Nancy's oldest living child and my 2nd great-grandfather) with a few more clues!
"Newspaper Article / Red Oak, Texas, Dec. 7, 1893
Having once been a resident of Wayne, I write you a short letter for Non-resident issue.
I came to Texas in the fall of '72. At that time there was only one railroad in the state, and I came through in a wagon, being six weeks on the road. Since settling here I have followed farming, and have succeeded fairly well.
My father, A. B. Clark, died in '81 at Johnsonville, Illinois, my mother and family coming here where they now live. I have two brothers, Bateman and Fran, and two sisters, Jennie and Lena. Lena is attending the Institute for the Blind, at Austin, Texas, where she is receiving medical treatment and educational instruction.
My wife's father, Thomas Reed, came to Texas in '70, where he lived until '81, the time of his death.
A great number of the former residents of Wayne are to-day scattered over the fertile fields of Texas, honorable citizens of the "Lone Star", or reposing under the sod in some lonely graveyard. Beneath I give a few names of former residents of Wayne: Nathan Renfro, dead; Nancy Renfro, dead; Amos Renfro, living; Moses Renfro, living; Jahalen Murphy, living; Gran Murphy, living; Joe Murphy, dead; Sarah Murphy, dead; Jake Murphy, living in Missouri. With best wishes to the Press and its readers, I am. Z. T. Clark"
So, it appears that Nancy and her four younger children, moved to Texas after 1881, when Amos died, and that Z. T. and Fran already lived in Texas. Nancy died in Ellis County on January 5, 1896 and is buried in Red Oak Cemetery, Red Oak, Texas.
As usual, there is much more to the story of Amos B and Nancy (Hart) Clark, but we'll wait for another time for that!
"Til Next Time!
#52Ancestors
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