Archive:Civil War Pension File, Charles A. Whitney
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Civil War Pension File of Charles A. Whitney
Widow: Mellie Whitney
Widow Applic. # 334882 Cert. # 251699
National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
He is identified as Charles A.8 Whitney (George7, Samuel6, Asa5, Nathan4, Nathaniel3, Benjamin2, John1).
Private, Co. G, 2nd Maine Infantry & Co. E, 20th Maine Infantry
Charles A. Whitney, a resident of Etna, Penobscot Co., Maine, enlisted at Bangor, Maine on 17 March 1862 in Company G., 2nd Maine Infantry Regiment. On 27 May 1863, he was transferred to Company E, 20th Maine Infantry Regiment. He was discharged 30 March 1864 at Rappahannock, Virginia.
In June of 1862, while on duty at Yorktown, Virginia, Charles suffered an attack of chronic diarrhea and fever. It was diagnosed as typhoid fever in a medical report in the file. A declaration from the Surgeon General's Office dated 27 August 1886 states that Charles was admitted to Hygeia General Hospital at Fort Monroe, Virginia on 29 June 1862, and was transferred to New York on 12 July 1862. There he was treated at the Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, and was returned to duty 16 September 1862.
Charles declares that he was employed as a laborer at Etna, Maine, and he has been a laborer since his return from the war. Charles filed a declaration for an invalid pension on 17 January 1881. He claims that the typhoid fever resulted in heart disease, which has disabled him from manual labor. An examining physician's certificate describes Charles at that time as 5 feet, 10 ½ inches tall; 163.5 lbs.; dark complexion; age 45. There is an affidavit in the file from E. W. Dyer, Town Clerk of Etna, Maine stating that Charles died 19 October 1885 of softening of the brain.
Mellie Whitney, widow of Charles submitted a Declaration for Pension dated 16 January 1886. She states that she is 37 years old, and married Charles at Etna, Maine on 24 November 1866. They were married by Daniel McMaster. Her maiden name was Mellie Smith. She states that Charles died 19 October 1885 from softening of the brain caused by sunstroke suffered at or near Yorktown, Virginia on or about May or June of 1862. On a Secondary Proof of Marriage declaration, she states that there is no public record of the marriage, and that the party who performed the marriage died soon after they were married. She also declares the birth of one child: Ralph H. Whitney, born 20 September 1869. Mellie received a pension commencing 20 October 1885 of $12.00 per month from 19 March 1886. Mellie was receiving $25.00 per month when she died 28 December 1918.
Copyright © 2006, Kenneth L. Whitney and the Whitney Research Group
