Archive:Civil War Pension File, Marcellus Whitney
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Civil War Pension File of Marcellus Whitney
Widow: Mary Ann Whitney
Widow Applic. # 953605 Cert. # 715165
National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
The parents of Marcellus were Amos and Mary Whitney of Thorndike, Maine. If anyone has any knowledge of how this family connects to the Whitneys, I would appreciate knowing it.
Private, Co. B, 14th Maine Infantry Regiment
Marcellus Whitney enlisted in the U.S. Army 20 December 1861 at Augusta, Maine. He was discharged 19 May 1862 at Thorndike, Maine. According to the death certificate in the file, Marcellus was a farmer, born in Thorndike, Maine. He died in Unity, Maine 17 November 1910. His age at death was 71 years, 5 months, 13 days (calculated birth date is 4 June 1839). The cause of death was mitral insufficiency, and the death certificate was signed by C.M. Whitney, MD.
The certificate of marriage in the file was from the City of Lowell, Massachusetts. Both parties in the marriage were residents of Lowell at the time of marriage. Marcellus Whitney was a white male, age 21, occupation Pressman, birthplace Thorndike, Maine, parents Amos and Mary Whitney. This was his first marriage. Mary Nichols was a white female age 21, born in Lowell, Massachusetts, parents Charles and Elizabeth Sharples. This was her second marriage. They were married in Lowell 24 May 1860 by J. C. Abbott, Esq.
Mary Nichols had been previously married to George H. Nichols at Lowell, Massachusetts. The death certificate for George H. Nichols, born Lowell, MA says he died 13 October 1857 at age 18 years, 3 months, 17 days. His parents were Jacob and A. A. Nichols, and he resided at Charles Street, Lowell. He died of typhoid fever, and is buried at No. 1 Yard, Lowell, MA.
Medical examinations in the file reveal Marcellus to be 5 feet 7 ½ inches tall, light complexion, brown eyes. He received his pension as a result of an attack of diphtheria that he suffered while on guard duty at Augusta, Maine in January of 1862. He actually suffered two attacks of diphtheria in the service. As a result of the diphtheria, Marcellus suffered partial paralysis (with numbness of the limbs), and disease of the lungs and throat (occasional coughing up of blood). Marcellus never left the State of Maine while in the army.
In the three years before enlistment, Marcellus had worked in Lowell, MA. For a short period he worked in a machine shop, then he became a pressman in a tailor shop in Lowell for about 18 months. Then he removed back to Thorndike, where he bought a farm. He worked the farm for a year before enlisting in the army.
After discharge from the army, Marcellus moved in with his father in Thorndike, and was unable to work for about a year. He then owned a store in Thorndike for a year, but sold the store and moved back in with his father. In 1872, he bought a small farm in Unity, Maine, where he lived for about a year. He then removed back to Lowell, MA, where he worked in a tailor shop once again. After a year and a half, in 1874 he moved back to Unity to his farm, where he remained ever since.
The four children of Marcellus and Mary Whitney who were living on 4 June 1898 were:
- Helen Maud Whitney, born 8 December 1862
- Kate Whitney, born 17 January 1870
- Jessie Elizabeth Whitney, born 30 August 1872
- Harry Jacob Whitney, born 27 December 1876
Three physicians named Whitney were listed in the file as having cared for Marcellus at one time or another: Marcellus' brother, B. B. Whitney, MD, C. M. Whitney, MD, and J. C. (Joseph Clement?) Whitney, MD.
Mary (Sharlpes Nichols) Whitney died in Unity, Maine 5 January 1916.
Copyright © 2006, Kenneth L. Whitney and the Whitney Research Group