Contributed for use in the Bedford County, PA, USGenWeb Archives by Mary Cessna  Copyright.  All rights reserved.
 

Index to the

CIVIL WAR PENSION FILE

 of

 GEORGE W. CESSNA

 PA Volunteer 76^th Regiment

Company “E”

Military Service, Sept 1861- June 1863

Pension File is available at Blair County Genealogical Society

and

Pioneer Historical Society of Bedford County, Inc. Library

Grave of George W. Cessna and Elizabeth McMonigal Cessna

Fairview Cemetery, Sec H-59

Altoona, Blair Co, PA

Table of Contents

Card File of George W Cessna, Civil War Veterans 1861-1866

PA Digital State Archives

Facts found in the File

Marriage to Elizabeth Diehl in 1861 in Bedford Co, PA (just before his enlistment)

Enlisted 21 Sept 1861 at Bedford, PA in 76^th Regiment, PA Volunteers (by Captain Henry Rice) at age 21

Mustered into Company “E” of the 76^th Regiment (“Keystone Zouaves”), PA Volunteers on 9 Oct 1861

Injured 1 August 1862 at Hilton Head, South Carolina during a review of the troops for General Hunter. It was reported by different soldiers who were interviewed that it was “awful hot” and that the parade area was an abandoned campground with occasional large, deep holes. Cessna was said to be a “fellow who kept everything he got” and as a result, had a heavy knapsack which he carried on the parade ground. Cessna “ruptured himself” after falling into one of these holes. Some men were taken to the hospital after the parade for treatment of heatstroke.

Disability Discharge on 2 June 1863 at Botany Bay Island, South Carolina with stated reason, “chronic diarrhea, has been unfit for duty for the last eight months” (No mention of a hernia was on the disability discharge form, a fact which would cause George W Cessna to battle with the government for 13 years before his pension was finally granted.)

Death of 1^st wife, Elizabeth Diehl Cessna on 3 May 1870 in Juniata, Bedford Co, PA

Marriage of Elizabeth McMonigal of Logan Township, Blair Co to George W Cessna of Altoona in Altoona, Blair Co, PA by A. Carl Whitman, Minister of the Gospel in the Reformed Church on 24 Nov 1872

Physical description in 1872 - Age 32, height 5 foot 6 inches, complexion dark, hair brown, eyes hazel

First Pension Application filed on 28 April 1873, rejected

Re-filed Pension Application in 1879, rejected

Re-filed Pension Application in Dec 1884, granted in Jan 1886. George W Cessna was paid $4.00 per month retroactively to June 1863 and $8.00 per month from April 1884

Occupations: Hired himself out to local Bedford farmers before and after the Civil War until 1869; “Striker” in Blacksmith’s shop 1866-1867; rented one of the Bortz farms in Juniata township from 1869-70; Carpenter from about 1870-1882, worked at building cars in the PRR shops in Altoona from 1872-1880; Agent for a copying house 1883; Chief of Police of Tyrone, Blair Co, PA, 1884

Residences: Bedford Co until 1870, left for Altoona, Blair Co in 1870 after death of his 1^st wife, Elizabeth Diehl. Moved to Tyrone in 1882 and then to Warrior’s Mark, Huntingdon Co around 1883; Lived in Ohio for 3 months during 1883. Moved back to Tyrone, where he became police chief around 1884; Family living in Tipton, Blair Co from at least 1892 to the time of his death in 1898.

Filed for Pension Increase on 31 October 1896. Granted an increase to $10.00 per month, retroactive to December of 1891

Committed to PA State Lunatic Asylum on 27 July 1898 for senile dementia

Died 14 Oct 1898 in PA State Lunatic Asylum, Harrisburg, PA

Cause of Death – Exhaustion due to senile dementia

Buried 16 Oct 1898 at the expense of Blair County due to the impoverished circumstances of his widow, (Note from M. Cessna- George w Cessna’s Grave is in Section H-59, Fairview Cemetery, Altoona, Blair Co, PA. Source- Fairview Cemetery Records.)

Surviving Family: wife, Elizabeth J McMonigal and 5 minor children (Note from M. Cessna- George and Elizabeth had 2 other surviving children- Margaret A, b around 1875 and Edgar B, b around 1878. Source- 1880 Federal census, PA, Blair Co, City of Altoona, ED 158, pg 35)

            Albert Clair Cessna, b 27 June 1885

            Leroy Cessna, b 7 March 1887

            Emma Bridge Cessna, b  9 Feb 1889

            Edith Myrea Cessna, b 22 Jan 1892

            Jacob S Cessna, b 26 Aug 1894

Widow’s Pension granted to Elizabeth J Cessna on 16 Jan 1899

Death of Elizabeth McMonigal Cessna of tuberculosis of lungs on 2 Feb 1908

S.S. McMonigle (uncle) of 2722 West Chestnut Ave in Altoona, PA is appointed guardian of Jacob S. Cessna at Hollidaysburg, Blair Co Orphans’ Court on 19 Feb 1908

Orphan’s pension granted to Jacob S Cessna, age 14, on 16 April 1908

Index A: Names of those making declarations, statements and depositions

(chronological order or in pension examiner’s order)

Pg 4, Cessna, George W, declaration on 17 Dec 1872

Pg 8, Withers, M A, MD, deposition on 24 April 1873

Pg 9, Whittlesey, William W, examiner’s summary on 16 Jan 1874

Pg 13, Pennsyl, Philip H, MD, deposition on 28 Feb 1873

Pg 15, Withers, M A, MD, follow-up statement on 28 Nov 1873

Pg 18, Slayman, George W, deposition on 19 Feb 1875

Pg 19, Kipple, Andrew, deposition 19 Feb 1875

Pg 20, Burket, Isaac, deposition on 20 Feb 1875

Pg 21, Devore, James C, deposition on 20 Feb 1875

Pg 22, Pennsyl, P H, MD, deposition on 20 Feb 1875

Pg 23, Smith, Levi, deposition on 27 Feb 1875

Pg 24, Withers, M A, MD, deposition on 27 Feb 1875

Pg 26, Corkhill, W H, special examiner’s statement in 1875

Pg 32, Findley, William M, Examining surgeon’s statement on 6 Oct 1879

Pg 34, Cessna, George W, affidavit on 13 Oct 1879

Pg 36, Hodgsen, V M, special examiner’s statement on 28 Feb 1885

Pg 53, Cessna, George W, statement on 1 Dec 1884

Pg 65, Pensyl, Phillip H, deposition on 13 Feb 1885

Pg 70, Klahre, Theodore M, deposition on 13 Feb 1885

Pg 73, Leary, James M, deposition on 14 Feb 1885

Pg 78, Diehl, Solomon F, deposition 11 Feb 1885

Pg 81, Smith, Seth S, deposition on 14 Feb 1885

Pg 83, Diehl, Henry P, deposition on 23 Feb 1885

Pg 86, Pensyl, John W, deposition on 23 Feb 1885

Pg 89, Koontz, Josiah, deposition on 23 Feb 1885

Pg 92, Cessna John H, deposition on 21 Feb 1885

Pg 95, Elliott, D Stewart, deposition on 13 Feb 1885

Pg 98, Stoudnour, Jacob, deposition on 14 Feb 1885

Pg 103, Burkett, Henry, deposition on 19 Feb 1885

Pg 106, Smith, Levi, deposition on 11 Feb 1885

Pg 117, Smith, Rueben, deposition on 23 Feb 1885

Pg 120, Hern, Henry, deposition on 19 Feb 1885

Pg 123, Bortz, William F, deposition on 19 Feb 1885

Pg 126, Hern, George W, deposition 26 Feb 1885

Pg 129, Slayman, George W, deposition on 3 Dec 1884

Pg 132, Kipple, Andrew, deposition on 4 Dec 1884

Pg 135, Roush, Justis R, deposition on 5 Dec 1884

Pg 138, Hostler, Jacob F, deposition on 5 Dec 1884

Pg 141, Burket, John B, deposition on 5 Dec 1884

Pg 144, Cessna, George W, claimant’s statement on 28 Feb 1885

Pg 146, Perkins, D W, special examiner’s statement on 11 May 1885

Pg 149, Miller, Clement R, deposition on 6 May 1885

Pg 152, MacCarthy, Charles H, special examiner’s statement on 27June 1885

Pg 157, Withers, M A, MD, deposition on 26 June 1885

Pg 165, Rucker, V D, Adjutant General’s office, statement on 17 Dec 1885

Pg 169, Cessna, George W, Declaration for increase of pension on 18 Oct 1890

Pg 174, Cessna, George W, Declaration for Increase of pension on 16 Feb 1893

Pg 177, Cessna, George W, Declaration for Increase of Pension on 24 Oct 1896

Pg 180, Bell, Martin, Commitment Orders on 19 July 1898

Pg 184, Whitmen, A Carl, affidavit on 3 Sept 1898

Pg 186, Wolfgang, William, affidavit on 6 Sept 1898

Pg 186, Weight, George, deposition on 6 Sept 1898

Pg 188, Cessna, Elizabeth J, affidavit on 6 Sept 1898

Pg 190, Hartman, J L, Blair Co Prothonotary testimony on 27 Sept 1898

Pg 191, Smith, A, Justice of the Peace testimony on 28 Sept 1898

Pg 193, Cessna, Elizabeth J, Declaration for Widow’s Pension on 18 Oct 1898

Pg 195, Myers, Catherine A, affidavit on 24 Oct 1898

Pg 197, Cessna, Elizabeth J, Widow’s Application for Accrued Pension on 27 Oct 1898

Pg 199, Piper, Mary E, affidavit on 28 Oct 1898

Pg 201, Little, Nancy, affidavit on 29 Oct 1898

Pg 201, Earnest, Julia A, affidavit on 29 Oct 1898

Pg 203, Hayes, R H, MD, Physician’s statement on 31 Oct 1898

Pg 205, Stonebraker, Winfield, affidavit on 31 Oct 1898

Pg 205, Smith, W Scott, affidavit on 31 Oct 1898

Pg 207, Brown, Annie L, affidavit on 3 Nov 1898

Pg 209, Trimble, Maggie Burket, affidavit on 4 Nov 1898

Pg 211, Beyer, Susan, affidavit on 4 Nov 1898

Pg 213, Weight, George (Tipton), affidavit on 7 Nov 1898

Pg 215, Cessna, Elizabeth J, affidavit on 25 Nov 1898

Pg 217, Cessna, John H, affidavit on 26 Nov 1898

Pg 219, Weight, George (Snyder Township), affidavit on 23 Dec 1898

Pg 219, Bateman, Parker, affidavit on 23 Dec 1898

Pg 221, Orth, H L, MD, Certification of death on 9 Jan 1899

Pg 226, McMonigle, SS, Declaration on 20 Feb 1908

Pg 233, McMonigal, William, affidavit on 25 March 1909

Pg 233, Weidley, F E, affidavit on 25 March 1909

Index B: Additional Names mentioned within the depositions

Pg 6, Rickel, William Alexander, character witness, brother-in-law of George w Cessna

Pg 6, Rickel, Mary, character witness, sister of George W Cessna

Pg 9, Rawlins, J H, attorney for George W Cessna

Pg 12 Keely, E, MD, surgeon for 76^th PA Regiment. Responsible for disability recommendations. He signed Cessna’s disability discharge papers. He was accused by military authorities of selling discharges to soldiers. (a fact which complicated George W Cessna’s pension claim)

Pg 54 Ray, William, “messmate” of George W Cessna on Hilton Head, SC in August 1862

Pg 54 Eckels, Frank & John, brothers and “messmates” of George W Cessna on Hilton Head, SC in August 1862

Pg 54 Rollins, Isaiah, “messmate” of George W Cessna on Hilton Head, SC in August 1862

Pg 56 Rogers, Henry, a “crazy man” of Company “E” whom George W Cessna escorted to Beaufort, SC where they were both discharged in June 1863

Pg 59 Diehl, Elias, father-in-law of George’s deceased wife. Living in Cumberland, MD in 1884

Pg 76 Flegle, Simon, soldier discharged around same time as George W Cessna

Pg 76 Gates, Joseph, soldier discharged around the same time as George W Cessna

Pg 76 Fink, John, soldier discharged around the same time as George W Cessna

Pg 85 Pinckington, a Sergeant stationed at Hilton Head, SC, fell from a bridge over a creek on the same day as George W Cessna’s injury in August 1862

Pg 99 Snave, Warren, a member of 76^th PA regiment, Company “E” and referred to as a “relation” of George W Cessna. He was reported to know of the fall and injury to Cessna

Pg 207 McClellan, Mrs., the midwife at the birth of Edith Cessna on 22 Jan 1892

Index C: Alphabetical List of Surnames

Indexed by Mary Cessna.