Archive:Civil War Pension File, James Irish Whitney

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Civil War Pension File of James Irish Whitney
Widow: Susan E. Whitney
Widow Applic. # 436041 Cert. # 335625
National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.

He is identified as James Irish⁷ Whitney (William⁶, Stephen⁵, Isaac⁴, Nathaniel³, Benjamin², John¹).

Sergeant, Company E, 8th Maine Infantry Regiment

On 13 May 1890 from Worcester Co., Massachusetts James I. Whitney signed a Declaration for Original Invalid Pension. On 10 September 1862 he enrolled in Company E, of the 8th Regiment of Maine Volunteer Infantry commanded by Lt. William Campbell. He was discharged at Richmond, Virginia on 12 June 1865. His personal description is: 48 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall, light complexion, dark hair, and dark eyes.

While in the service and in the line of his duty at Newhart, North Carolina on or about 1 April 1863 he contracted chills and fever with general malarial poisoning, resulting in disease of the heart from which he still suffers. He was treated in hospital at Beaufort, North Carolina.

Since leaving the service he has resided in the towns of Milford, Massachusetts and Rutland, Vermont. His occupation has been that of a marketman. Prior to his entry into the service he was of sound physical health and had been a mechanic by occupation. He is now totally disabled from obtaining his subsistence by manual labor by reason of his injuries suffered in his service to his country. He resides at 16 Church Street in Milford, Massachusetts. The Declaration is witnessed by Clarence H. Woodbury and Sarah Thwing.

There is in the file a certified copy of the death record of James I. Whitney. He died at Milford, Worcester Co., Massachusetts on 5 June 1890 of Endocarditis Chronica Deformeus. The record is certified by John T. McLaughlin, Town Clerk.

On 10 July 1890 from Worcester Co., Massachusetts, Susan E. Whitney, widow of James I. Whitney, signed a Declaration for Widow's Pension. She is 42 years old and a resident of Milford, Worcester Co., Massachusetts. She was married to James I. Whitney on 28 February 1867 at Hopedale, Mass., by Rev. Adin Ballou. She has not remarried, and the soldier left no children under the age of sixteen. The Declaration is witnessed by Anna T. Whitney and Thomas Kiernahan.

There is a certified copy of the record of the marriage of James Irish Whitney and Susan Eudora Thwing in the file. They were married in Milford, Massachusetts on 28 February 1867 by Adin Ballou, Minister of the Gospel. The record is certified by John T. McLaughlin, Town Clerk.

Susan Whitney applied for in increase in benefits on 25 June 1917. She testifies that she is 69 years and 11 months old, having been born 26 July 1847 at Hopedale (then Milford), Massachusetts.

Susan Whitney was last paid $25.00 to 4 December 1918, and was dropped from the pension roll because of her death on 21 December 1918.

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Copyright © 2006, Kenneth L. Whitney and the Whitney Research Group