What happened to Charles McFadden

 The McFadden family is giving me plenty of mysteries to look into. My great grandfather, Dennis McFadden (1842-1924) came from Ireland as best I can estimate sometime in the 1850s and settled in Ohio.

The 1860 US census for Clinton Township, Vinton County, Ohio shows him in the likely home of his parents Edward and Alice McFadden. Also in the home is his brother John and two boarders.

In the 1870 US census Edward and Alice are still in Vinton County with a boarder listed on the following page. John was killed in the Civil War at the battle of Mission Ridge in Tennessee on Nov 25, 1863.

Dennis has not been located in the 1870 census. 

John's parents applied for his Civil War pension. In her statement, Margaret Ferry states that she is the daughter of Edward and Alice McFadden and is the wife of Manus Ferry. 

She says that she is the their only daughter and that she has three brothers. 

   Charles, John & Dennis

 – 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 in which he was killed 

Alice McFadden also made a statement, and it is virtually the same as Margaret's except she added regarding Charles that she has not heard from him since he left when he was with army going to Utah. 

It sounds like Charles may have either just left  or he enlisted in the army and his unit headed off to Utah in 1861.  

So far, I have not found a good candidate for either option.

______________________________

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.

Trying to find immigration records for Dennis McFadden (1847-1924)

 Dennis McFadden first appeared in the US in the 1860 US census in Clinton, Vinton County, Ohio.[1] According to the census, Dennis (16) lived with his parents Edward and Alice (both 56) and his brother John (18). I don’t know if they arrived at the same time or staggered their immigration but by 1860 they were all in Ohio.

1860 US Census-Clinton, Vinton County, Ohio

  The 1900[2] and 1920[3] US census has Dennis’ year of immigrated as 1850. Both records indicate he was naturalized and the 1920 census has the date of naturalization as 1865. The 1910[4] US Census had the date as 1848 and his naturalization date as 1865.

1900 US Census-Washinton County, Pennsylvania

1920 US Census-Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

1910 US Census-Washington County, Pennsylvania

On 10 April 1919 Edward Vincent McFadden son of Dennis in his passport application stated that Dennis immigrated on or about 1852 and that he sailed from the Port of Londonderry, Ireland.[5] The passport also states that there are “no naturalization papers, but a discharge from U.S. Army dated July 25, 1865.”

1919 Passport Application-Edward Vincent McFadden

I have the service record[6] and pension applications for both Dennis[7] and John[8] but unfortunately none mention anything about their immigration or naturalization in the US. 

I checked Irish Passenger Lists, 1847-1871[9] and the Pennsylvania, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1800-1962[10] on Ancestry.com and while they have several Dennis, Edward and John McFadden’s listed I cannot tell if any are the ones I am looking for. 

I was hoping that at least one of the four names (Edward, Alice, John and Dennis) might have turned up in the immigration record. I have been focused on Philadelphia as the port of arrival since they ended up in Ohio by 1860. Emigration documentation is spotty for Ireland before 1890, I'll focus my sights on other possible ports of arrival for now.

---

[1] 1860 U.S. census, Vinton County, Ohio, population schedule, Clinton Township, p. 63 (penned), dwelling 453, family 441, Dennis McFadden; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestrylibrary.com) : accessed 5 February 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm publication  M635 roll 1046.

[2] 1900 U.S. census, Washington County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 110, 42B (stamped), sheet number 7(penned), dwelling 137, family 139, David Davis; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 5 February 2013); citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 1493.

[3] 1920 U. S. census, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 624, 4A (written), dwelling 57, family 65, Dennis McFadden; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.library.com: accessed 5 February 2013); citing National Archives microfilm publication T625, roll 1523.

[4] 1910 U.S. census, Washington County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 0228, 17A (written), dwelling 151, family 167, Dennis McFadden: digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 5 February 2013); citing National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll 1427.

[5] Edward Vincent McFadden, 10 April 1919; Passport Application; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 759; Volume #: Roll 0759 - Certificates: 78250-78499, 29 Apr 1919-30 Apr 1919.

[6] 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.

[7] Dennis C. McFadden (Pvt., Co. E, 1st 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.

[8] 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.

[9] Brian Mitchell, Irish Passenger Lists, 1847-1871 : Lists of Passengers Sailing from Londonderry to America on Ships of the J. & J. Cooke Line and the McCorkell Line (Baltimore: Genealogical Publication Company, 1988).

[10] Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1800-1962 [database on-line].

 

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.