CIVIL WAR PENSION EXTRACT

 

Enlisted: Discharged: Mustered Out: Mustered Out: Re-enlisted: Discharged:

24 Feb 1864, Johnson Co, IN (according to one record): 16 Feb 1866 (according to another record): 28 Jun 1866, Nashville, TN (according to another record): 28 Jun 1866, Indianapolis, IN to date 16 Feb 1866) 28 May 1867, Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co, IN 28 May 1870, NY

David's residences as noted in the pension records:

Tipton Co, IN	(for one year "since leaving the service")
Henry Co, IN	(for "the remainder" after the one year in Tipton Co, up until at least 16 Dec 1880)
Newcastle, Henry Co, IN	(as of 16 Dec 1880)
Rogersville, Henry Co, IN	(as of 16 Jan 1886)
Windfall, Tipton Co, IN	(as of 16 Nov 1888)
National Military Home, Dayton, Montgomery Co, OH	(as of 14 Jan 1889)
Windfall, Tipton Co, IN	(as of 23 Apr 1889)
National Military Home, Dayton, Montgomery Co, OH	(as of 08 Apr 1890)
National Military Home, Dayton, Montgomery Co, OH	(as of 04 Apr 1892)
Lewis Creek, Shelby Co, IN	(as of 18 Apr 1893)
Shelbyville, Shelby Co, IN	(as of 17 Apr 1894)
Columbus, Bartholomew Co, IN	(as of 04 Jul 1894)
Nat'l Home for Disabled Veteran Soldiers, Marion Branch, Grant Co, IN:	02 Jul 1895 - Admitted to hospital 06 Aug 1897 - Transferred to convalescent ward 13 Dec 1897 - Returned to hospital 15 Mar 1899 - Still in hospital (still in) National Military Home, Grant Co, IN (as of 14 Jan 1901)

David Durham's personal data:

Date of birth: ca. Oct 1833 (see note 1 at bottom)

at: Hamilton Co, OH, according to his enlistment record from 28 May 1867 (see note 2 at bottom) at: "King" [sic] County, Delaware, according to another record in his pension files, dated 15 May 1901**

Date of death: 26 Jun 1902 at [not given] (see note 3 at bottom)

Married to: never married

Children: none

Among the affiants / witnesses for David:

John Durham, age 59 as of 26 Feb 1887, of Windfall, Tipton Co, IN [brother of David Durham]

[Note: John Durham signed his affidavit with a mark ("X") while all of David's affidavits were signed with his name. David also wrote several letters himself, the copies of which are in the pension records. So, unlike his apparently-illiterate brother John, David was literate].

OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE:

(48) as being 5 ft., 7 1/2 in. tall, with dark complexion, dark hair & blue grey eyes. (16 Dec 1880) (52) as being 5 ft., 8 in. tall, with dark complexion, and weight being 160 pounds. (09 Nov 1881) (61) as being 5 ft., 7 in. tall, with dark complexion, dark hair, and blue eyes. (05 Feb 1886) (69) as being 5 ft., 6 in. tall, with light complexion, white-brown hair, blue eyes, 139 pounds. (15 May 1901)

Among David's many ailments are the military-incurred injuries described as follows:

From one of David's affidavits:

"That at or near Gallatin, Tenn. about May 5, 1864 while on route from Louisville, Ky. to Nashville, Tenn. the train collided with another, killing and wounding many, that he received an injury to the left side, resulting in curvature of spine and disease of spine and heart, was treated in Hospital at Gallatin, Tenn. about six weeks, thence to convalescent camp at Decatur, Alabama. "Also that while a member of Co 'E' 5 U.S. Arty. and stationed at Fort Barrancas, Fla. about June 1868, while dismounting guns for shipment to Fortress Monroe, Va. he incurred rupture of right side by being crushed by a gun, and was treated for same in Hospt. at same Fort."

From the affidavit of fellow veteran Wilkinson C. LaRue:

"That I was a member of the above named Co. and Regt. and remember that while the regiment was being transferred from Louisville, Ky. to Nashville, Tenn, on or about the 5th day of May 1864 our train collided with another which caused a serious wreck, which injured several of the regt. and that David Durham was one of the number that was seriously injured. I remember that I helped to get him out of the wreck and that his left side was injured and some of his ribs broken, also his right arm and his chest was badly injured, that we all thought he would die and wrote to his relatives to that effect.-- "That he and the rest of the injured were taken to the Hospital at Gallatin, Tenn. on a special train sent from that place on purpose to convey them. That said claimant was left at Gallatin, Tenn. and the Regt. went on to Nashville, Tenn. where he joined us after some time, that he was unable to do duty and up to the time we went to and left Pulaski he was still complaining of his injuries that he was placed in the hospital while we were at Pulaski and that our Co. went [illegible]. That after we fell back to Nashville, Tenn. he was sent to the Hospital and we left him there when we were ordered to Vicksburg in Feb. 1865, that he was still unable for duty, and that I did not see him again until after the war in 1866."

From another of David's affidavits:

"That while a member of the organization aforesaid, in the service and in the line of his duty, at Fort Barrancas, State of Florida, on or about the __ day of June 1868, while dismounting some large guns preparatory to shipping them to Fortress Monroe claimant was in front of the gun about to be let down the inclined plane, used in such work, and by some means the 'chock' under the wheel became removed and the gun ran against the claimant and the pressure was so great as to seriously injure the claimant, causing from the great strain a hernia or rupture on the right side, and strained all over the body, bruised, and sore.--

"That claimant was sent to the Post Hospital at Barrancas and remained there under treatment for some months for said injury."

From another of David's affidavits:

"The claimant above described alleges that at Fort Barrancas, Fla. In June 1868, while dismounting large guns for shipment to Fort Monroe, one large gun was disarranged and said gun escaping from the inclined plane ran against him and the pressure being very great, he was seriously injured causing a great strain or hernia of right side. The record shows that claimant was treated at said time for hernia. From the tone of the enclosed letter from Capt. J. R. [Brincker], 5 Arty, it appears that he may be able to throw some light on this man's claim."

Captain John R. Brincker's/Brinckle's statement, as reported in an affidavit:

"Capt. Jno. R. [Brinckle], 5th Art, reported: 'I was on duty with Batty. "E," 5th Art, at Barrancas, Fla, from Apr. '66 to Mar. '69.
Sometime between said dates, probably in 1868, I was present in Ft. Barrancas, Fla. when 1st Lt. Frederick Robinson, 5th Art, in charge of detachment, was running some 32 Pdr. guns for shipment. A gun was suspended on a sling cart, and an attempt was made to run it through the sally-port--the incline being very steep--, without other check than the strength of the men--, the cart and gun descended with great violence, and the men were, some of them, thrown down and injured. I do not remember the names of any of the men engaged in the work, nor the nature of their injuries. I had no control over the men connected with the work. I was simply passing at the time, and the very unusual method of moving guns, and its result, attracted my attention, and fixed it in my memory.'"

OTHER ITEMS PERTAINING TO DAVID DURHAM, NOT FROM THE PENSION RECORDS:

NOTE 1: David's birth date: 03 Sep 1832, per info received from Joseph Romeo, received in turn from Laura Durham, based on David's age as given on his headstone: Aged 69 y, 9 m, 23 d

NOTE 2: David's place of birth: Although one record gives his place of birth as Hamilton County, Ohio, this was likely either an error or some deflection on David's part to seem to be from the same general mid-west area rather than back east. As noted above, another record in his pension files states that he was born in "King" County, Delaware, an apparent corruption of Kent County, DE. As Joseph Romeo has noted, David's having been born in Delaware is further substantiated by his death record, census records, as well as his father Elisha Durham, Sr's will, which lists sons Elisha Jr, John, and David with an apparent middle name "West" which was more likely meant to indicate they had moved "out west."

NOTE 3: David's place of death: National Home for Disabled Veteran Soldiers, Marion Branch, Grant Co, IN, per copy of David's death record, courtesy of Joseph Romeo.

David's place of burial: Union Civil Cemetery (aka Forks of the Cross Cemetery), near Phlox, Howard Co, IN, per info received from Joseph Romeo, in turn from Laura Durham. See photos of headstone, above.

Regimental History

David Durham's data

QUERY ITEMS:

Does anyone know of the existence of a photo of David Durham?

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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://www.mitsawokett.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