CIVIL WAR PENSION EXTRACT

 

Corporal,
Company F,
19th Maryland  Infantry, also known as 19th U.S. Colored Infantry

                                 Photo taken Aug 2001


ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM THE PENSION RECORDS:

Enlisted (under the name of Allen Murray)  (differing dates given in the pension records):

ca. Dec 1862, enrolled.
bet. 01-15 Jan 1863, mustered in at Benedict, Charles Co, VA.
01 Jan 1864, enrolled at Denton, Caroline Co, MD.

Honorably discharged:   15 Jan 1867, mustered out at Federal Hill, Baltimore, MD.

Residence during pension record period:  Cheswold, Kent Co, DE

Date of birth:  25 Nov 1842 at Potter's Landing, Caroline Co, MD

Date of death:  13 Feb 1929 at (blank)

Married to: Rebecca Jemson on 06 Mar 1870 at Dover, Kent Co, DE
Her date of birth: (blank)
at: (blank)
Her date of death: (blank)
at: (blank)

Children, according to the pension records:

Anna Reed, b. 20 Aug 1870
Rosey Reed, b. 21 May 1872
Harriet Reed, b. 07 Apr 1874
William Reed, b. 27 Jul 1875
Effie Reed, b. 19 Nov 1877
John Reed, b. 17 Jan 1879
Arthur Reed, b. 18 Jan 1881
Harvey Reed, b. 18 May 1883
Walter Reed, b. 18 Mar 1885
James Reed, b. 30 Mar 1887
Harry Reed, b. 27 Apr 1889 (dec'd by Mar 1915)
Louis Reed, b. 10 Nov 1890 (dec'd by Mar 1915)
Helen Reed, b. 03 May 1892

Explanation for name-change given in an affidavit signed by Allen in Sep of 1905:

"He served in Co. F. 19th Reg't. U.S.C.T. under the name of Allen Murray. When he enlisted he went under his father's name, his father's name being Thomas Murray, his mother being Rosetta Murray by marriage.  The reason why he took the name of Reed was because that was his father's father's name was Reed, his father being a base born child took the name of his mother which was Reed.  He, the affiant, therefore, when he returned from the War took the name of his father because he was going by that name, Thomas Reed, instead of Thomas Murray."

Among the affiants / witnesses for Allen Murray / Reed:  Caleb Boggs


OTHER ITEMS PERTAINING TO ALLEN MURRAY/REED NOT FROM THE PENSION RECORDS:

On the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington DC, Allen's name is displayed on Plaque B-36.

Index search page http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm -- then,

Type in given & surname = Allen Murray
Choose Union
Type in number of unit = 19
("State" not needed for this query)
Click on "Submit Query"
Click on Allen's name to pull up his detailed soldier record
Click on Regiment number to pull up a brief history of the regiment

Allen is buried in Fork Branch Cemetery, Kent Co, DE

There were no widow's pension documents among the pension records, therefore it can be assumed that Rebecca died prior to Allen.

Middle names / initials (or full first names) of the children are as follows:

(Anna Reed)
Rosetta "Rosie"/"Rosey" Reed
(Harriet Reed)
William Henry Reed
Effilinda "Effie" Reed
John Allen Reed  (stated by another source as being John Addison Reed)
Arthur Garfield Reed
Harvey A. Reed
Walter A. Reed
James Leslie "Les" Reed
Harry E. Reed
Louis A. Reed
Helen R. Reed

One of the sons seems to have had the nickname "Dasey" Reed--perhaps Walter.

Other spellings of Allen's wife's Rebecca's maiden name include:  Jemson, Gemson, Jensen and Simpson.

It has been said by some of Allen's descendants that his full name was JOHN Allen Reed, but there is nothing in the pension records to give any indication of his first name being anything other than ALLEN (especially given the circumstances of all the extra explanation needed to clarify his last name being Reed rather than Murray).  His death certificate also reads only "Allen Reed."


QUERY ITEMS:

1.  Does anyone have the death date of Allen's wife, Rebecca?  It had been given by Betty & Ray Terry (per the family Bible belonging to Effilinda "Effie" Reed Carney) as 13 Feb 1929, but this is ALLEN'S death date, per the pension records (and per his death certificate).  It seems that Allen's death date was mistakenly written into the Bible's as Rebecca's.  (Of course, there is the possibility that they both died on the same date, but this seems unlikely since only the ONE death date--for Rebecca--was written into the Bible.  There was no entry for Allen.  If both had died on the same day, it would be expected that the Bible inscriber would have entered them both).  Also, Allen's death certificate listed him as a widower, so Rebecca must have died prior to him.

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To view some of the other Civil War pension extractions, as well as an explanatory note, please see the following page of the Mitsawokett site:

http://nativeamericansofdelawarestate.com/MilitaryService/DelmarvaAreaCivilWarPensions.htm

(Once on the page, scroll down below the Index to see the Overview).

Please let me know if anyone has any questions: John C. Carter