New McFadden mystery: Charles McFadden

Margaret McFadden (abt 1840-1905) listed the family members in her statement to her parents (Edward (abt 1804-1887) and Alice Collum  (abt 1804-1886) McFadden) application for John McFadden’s (abt 1842-1863) Civil War pension application that they had another brother, Charles (?-?), that I was unaware of. 

Margaret McFadden applicant, sister of John McFadden, late (?) Co. K, 36^th Reg, Ohio 2. Deceased. That she has lived near her father since I was married over 12 years. I am his only daughter (applicants). There was three of my brothers, Charles, John & Dennis (abt. 1847-1924). Charles went to Utah before the war of 1861 – not heard from him for over 12 years & we suppose he is dead. Dennis is living but away from home since before the war of 1861 and did not since contribute any support to father and mother. John was a good boy & man to provide for and help father and mother, he contributed to their support by his labor and earnings before the war and lived with them until he enlisted into the service which he was killed.

Alice Collum McFadden, John’s mother stated essentially the same thing. The one thing she added was that Charles was in the army when he left.

…Dennis, John and Margaret; (?) Charles left before the late rebellion, went to Utah, I have not heard from him since he left when he was with army going to Utah. I suppose him dead…

 So far I have not found anything to indicate if Charles enlisted or if any Ohio units went to Utah before 1861. I have also not found any leads on a Charles McFadden in Utah during and after the Civil War. Right now, this is the only mention of him I have found and I am not sure of the best way to proceed. Unfortunately, this pension file also mentions that the McFadden’s house burned and with it pictures and letters from John and likely information on the rest of the family.

Compiled service record, John McFadden, Pvt., Co. K, 36th Reg, Ohio 2; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the adjutant General’s Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Sadness of a thin letter

I have been trying to find additional information on Edward McFadden (abt 1804-abt 1887) and Alice Collum (abt 1804-1886) my maternal great great grandparents. In the 1860 and 1870 census they are living in Vinton County, Ohio. Both were born in Ireland and according to their son John’s Civil War pension application they were married there before immigrating.

My great grandfather Dennis McFadden (abt. 1874-1924) and my grandmother Ruth McFadden Webb (1905-1984) were practicing Catholics, so I believe that Edward and Alice were as well. I wrote to the Diocese of Columbus Catholic Record Society so that they could search their records for the McFaddens.

I was hoping for at least a death or burial record but unfortunately they were not able to find anything on this McFadden family. When I went to the mailbox and saw the very thin envelope, I knew that they hadn't found anything.

Not sure what my next step will be, but I am finding it difficult to get any of my ancestors back to Europe.

Dennis Mcfadden 1865-1886: The Missing Years

About three or four years ago I submitted a request to the NARA for my great grandfather Dennis Cornelius McFadden’s (1847-1924) Civil War pension application file. A couple of months later I received a reply stating that they did not have the file.

Next I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Veterans Administration for the pension file. A little later I received a reply that they did not have it at their location and would forward the request to another office. A while after that I received another letter saying the same thing, and then again.

I had given up hope of getting the file but then one day almost three years later it showed up in my mailbox. I was thrilled to finally have it and it has helped fill in a few gaps

Shortly after turning 18 Dennis enlisted in the United States Army in Portsmouth, Ohio on 18 July 1863.[1]  He was paid $25.00 out of a promised total of $100.00 for joining the army. He served as a private in the First Ohio Heavy Artillery, Company E.[2]  Between 14 December 1863 until February 1864 Dennis was absent with leave.[3]  His military pension file does not address this absence so it’s still a mystery[4].

Dennis mustered out of the army on 25 July 1865 at Knoxville, Tennessee.  It is currently unknown where he went and what he did immediately after the war.  According to the Declaration for Pension[5] after his service he moved to Vinton County, Ohio. Then in 1867 he moved to Washington County, Pennsylvania and remained there up to 1900.

The next time Dennis appears in the public record is 1 February 1886 in his Application and Statement of Marriage to Lizzie (Elizabeth) Neuland.  At this time both are residents of Coal Center, Washington County, Pennsylvania.[6]

So far I have been unable to locate Dennis after leaving the service and up to his marriage in 1886. I have sent a research request for the Catholic diocese for the area and am hoping they will have something in their files concerning Dennis. After that, I hopefully will be able to visit Vinton County, Ohio and Washington County, Pennsylvania and do some research there.

---

[1] Compiled service record, Dennis McFadden, Pvt., Co. E, Ohio First Heavy Artillery; Carded Records, Volunteer Organizations, Civil War; Records of the adjutant General’s Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Dennis C. McFadden (Pvt., Co. E, 1^st Ohio Heavy Artillery., Civil War) pension no. X.C. 956,627, certificate no. 1095,474; service of Dennis McFadden; Case Files of Pension Applications…, 1905-1949; Civil War Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

[5] Dennis C. McFadden Civil War Pension no. X.C. 956,627, NA-Washington.

[6] “Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950” index and images, Family Search (https://familysearch.org/pal/MM9.1.1/VF34-RCD : accessed 8 February 2013), Dennis McFadden and Lizzie Newland, 1886.

52 Ancestors- Week 17- John McFadden (?-1863)

John McFadden is possibly the brother of my great grandfather Dennis Cornelius McFadden (1847-1924).  Family legend has it that they left Ireland during the Potato Famine but so far I have been unable to determine exactly when they left Ireland and where in the US they arrived.  It appears they settled in Ohio and there is one promising family that I have been looking into.

Both brothers enlisted in the army at the start of the Civil War  in Ohio and fought for the Union.  There is a John McFadden who served in Company K, 36^th Ohio Infantry.  This John was wounded at the battle of Mission Ridge, Tennessee on 25 November 1863 and died on the 26.  He is buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery in Tennessee. 

A widows pension was filled out by Johns parents, Edward and Alice McFadden.  Alice applied on 29 December 1874 and Edward filed on 25 March 1887.  So far the pension file has not been located in the FamilySearch, Ancestry.com or Fold3 databases.  My next step is to contact the NARA.  Hopefully I will have better luck getting his pension files than I did with the file for his brother Dennis. 

 

The names of Edward and Alice do appear on Dennis McFadden's death certificate from 1924. 

 

And Edward Vincent McFadden, son of Dennis, stated that his father lived in the state of Ohio for a time on his passport application in 1919.

 

Both John and Dennis appear in the 1860 census for Vinton County, Ohio with their presumed parents Edward and Alice. 

Edward and Alice also appear in the 1870 census for Vinton County, Ohio.

 

I believe that Edward and Alice from the 1860 and 1870 censuses are the same, but I have yet to find anything that indicates they are indeed the parents of the John and Dennis I am researching. 

So far, I have been unable to locate any additional information on Edward and Alice after the pension application.  My next steps will be to look for probate and tax records in Vinton County.  Also, I plan to search local newspapers and hopefully find an obituary or some other bits of information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

52 Ancestors- Week 13-Edward McFadden

Blogger Amy Johnson Crow has created a challenge, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Each week the object is to post about a specific ancestor.

I have been bad about posting lately, but hopefully can get going on this again.

Also, apparently I skipped #13.

 

Edward McFadden (?-?)

Edward McFadden is the father of my maternal great grandfather Dennis Cornelius McFadden.  His wife was Alice Collum and both are believed to have been born in Ireland.

This is pretty much all that is known about Edward. 

There are two family legends concerning Edward and the McFadden family and how they came to America. 

One story has it that Edward died during the potato famine in Ireland.  Alice was no longer able to care for the children, so Dennis and his brother John walked to one of the Irish ports and sailed for America.  After arriving they settled in Ohio with a sister who possibly married a Ferry.

The second story indicates that Edward and Alice at some point immigrated to America and settled in Ohio.  It is unknown if Dennis and John came with their parents or if family members came over at different times.

Possible candidates for Edward and Alice McFadden show up in the 1860 US Census for Clinton, Vinton County, Ohio.  So far, I have been unable to prove or disprove if this is the correct family.

Edward McFadden - 56 - day laborer - (birthplace) Ireland

Alice - 56 - (birthplace) Ireland

John - 18 - day laborer - (birthplace) Ireland

Dennis -16 - day laborer - (birthplace) Ireland

Peter McAndre - 30 - day laborer - (birthplace) Ireland 

William Ocallaghan - 38 - teacher - - (birthplace) Ireland

Edward and Alice are next mentioned on Application and Statement for Marriage License for Dennis and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Neuland in 1886.

The parents of Dennis are not named but are listed as "residents of the State of Ohio"

In 1919 Edward Vincent McFadden (1889-1977) a son of Dennis and Elizabeth applied for a passport to travel to Europe after World War I.  In it, he lists the places his father had lived up to that point. It also says that he immigrated to the US in 1852.

States Dennis had live in the US for 67 uninterrupted years at "Coal Center, Roscoe, Monongahela & Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania).   Also lived in State of Ohio."

Finally, the death certificate for Dennis, names his parents as Edward McFadden and Alice Collum.  Both are also said to have been born in Ireland.  The informant was Cornelius McFadden (1903-1977), ninth child of Dennis and Elizabeth.


Allegheny County, Pennsylvania-1924

So far, I have been unable to locate any possible candidates Edward, Alice or Dennis in the immigration records. I'm hoping if I can focus on Ohio, something may turn up.


Sources:

1860 U.S. census, Vinton County, Ohio, population schedule, Clinton Township, p. 63 (penned), dwelling 453, family 441, Edward McFadden; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 February 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm publication M635 roll 1046.

Washington County, Pennsylvania, “marriage license no. 133,” Dennis McFadden-Lizzie Newland, 18 February 1886; digital images,  Family Search (https://familysearch.org/pal/MM9.1.1/VF34-RCD : accessed 8 February 2013).; Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, death certificate no. 11973 (1924), Dennis C. McFadden; Department of Health, Pennsylvania

Edward  V. McFadden passport application, 10 April 1919; U.S. Passport Applications, 1979-1915; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, death certificate no. 11973 (1924), Dennis C. McFadden; Department of Health, Pennsylvania.

52 Ancestors-Week #4-Margaret McFadden Ferry

Margaret McFadden (1845-1905) was the sister of my great grandfather Dennis McFadden (1847-1924).  According to family stories, when Dennis and his brother John arrived in America circa 1852, they stayed with a sister who was already living in Ohio.  She was also said to have been married to a man named Dennis or Daniel Ferry.

No information so far has been discovered about her life in Ireland, her immigration and her eventual residence in Ohio.  The earliest record of her so far comes from several newspaper notices published at the time of her death in 1905.



Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, 1905 Sep 30

                                               Dangerously Ill                                                                                                          
                                              Mrs. Margaret Ferry is lying danger-
                                              ously ill at the home of her daughter,
                                              Mrs. Herman Schildhauer, of Bucking
                                              ham street.
 



Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, 1905 Oct 7

                                                      Mrs. Margaret Ferry
                                                   Mrs. Margaret Ferry died at the
                                                home of her daughter, Mrs. Herman
                                                Schildhauer, No. 349 Buckingham
                                                street, Saturday.   The deceased was
                                                aged 60 years and leaves three sons
                                                and two daughters and one brother
                                                besides a circle of friends.   Funeral
                                                services will be conducted at St. Fran-
                                                cis de Sales church Monday at nine
                                                o'clock  and the remains will be laid
                                                to rest in the Cedar Hill cemetery.
                                                
Here is her Find A Grave memorial at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newark Ohio. 



 

                                                                   CARD OF THANKS
                                                    We wish to express our most sin-
                                                 cere thanks to our friends, relatives
                                                 and kind neighbors for the many acts
                                                 of kindness and sympathy shown us in
                                                 our sad bereavement in the loss of our
                                                 rearly (sic) beloved mother, Margaret Mer-
                                                 ry.  We wish to thank the employees of
                                                 the B & O machine shop, the Royal
                                                 Neighbors of America, and Neighbors
                                                 for their floral offerings.  Mr. and Mrs.
                                                 Herman Schildhauer.
                                                                                       


Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, 1905 Nov 25

      
                                                                      Wills Probated
                                                  The wills of Margaret Ferry, de-
                                                  ceased of Newark, and Jacob Benner,
                                                  deceased. of Hartford, have been ad-
                                                  mitted to probate.                          



Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, 1906 Apr 11

                                                                      Probate Court
                                                  ...Margaret Schildhauer has been ap-
                                                  pointed executrix of the last will and
                                                  testimony of Margaret Ferry, de-
                                                  ceased, of this city.   Bond, $2000(?).

                                              ADMINISTRATORS DOCKET
                           No. 1505 Estate of Margaret Ferry      late of Newark
                           Licking County, Ohio (Decedent died,    Oct. 7th 1905
                           Margaret Schildhauer  Executrix  P.O. Address, Newark Ohio         

With this I was able to order the probate records for Margaret Ferry.  I have not transcribed the full document yet, but I have pulled out some key information that will help me continue my search into this line.

Her probate file states that she died on 1905 Oct 7 in Licking County, Ohio.  It also includes a transcription of her will which names several family members, their relationship to Margaret and where they lived at the time, if known:

1. Margaret Schildhuaer, daughter, Newark, Ohio, 349 Buckingham
2. Daniel Ferry, brother, Crooksville, Ohio
3. Dennis Ferry, brother, unknown.
4. Katie Ferry, sister, unknown, Portsmouth, Ohio, where last heard of.

 The link between Margaret Ferry and Dennis McFadden is indirectly supported by this notice published in 1919:

 

Evening Independent, Massillon, Ohio, 1919 Oct 1

                                             Mr. and Mrs. Dennis McFadden
                                          of Pittsburg returned this afternoon
                                          after visiting their niece, Mrs. Her-
                                          man Schildhauer, of West Charles
                                          street.




Sources:

Cousin Kathleen, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth, letter, 2 January 1997, sharing unsourced and uncited genealogical information on Dennis McFadden; Personal Correspondence, 1997; McFadden Family; McFadden File; privately held by Daniel Sample, [ADDRESS WITHHELD], Stafford, Texas.

Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, NewpaperARCHIVE.com

Evening Independent, Massillon, Ohio, NewspaperARCHIVE.com.