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.

J. McFadden (1844-1863)

Co K 36th Ohio. Killed at the battle of Mission Ridge, Tenn., Nov. 25, 1863. -Ohio Roster Roll of Honor.

John McFadden (abt  1844-1863)

I recently received the pension file filled out by his parents after his death and all the names, dates and locations do add up so I am as certain as can be that this is the brother of my great grandfather Dennis McFadden (1847-1924).

Unfortunately I do not have any photographs of my known ancestors in their military uniforms.  According to the pension file filled out by John's parents, after his death their house burned and with it all photographs, letters and the like.  They should have, as I have to remind myself, back things up on an external hard drive and store it at another location!

I do have a few pictures of Navy seamen and a soldier from the WWI area but so far I haven't been able to identify them.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday's Obituary-John McFadden

From the Charleroi Mail 20 July 1909,  Charleroi, Pennsylvania

     The body of John McFadden aged 22 years of Roscoe, who was drowned in the Monongahela river at Duquesne  yesterday morning, was brought home last evening and the funeral will be held at 2 o'clock Thursday afternoon from the Roscoe Catholic church.  The interment will be in Calvary cemetery, Charleroi.  The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis McFadden, three brothers and three sisters survive.
     McFadden was employed by his uncle.  At 2:30 o'clock he left to take the numbers of several cars in a train, and a flat boat.  He was not see (sic) since that.  The body was recovered at about 11 o'clock yesterday.