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.

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[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.

Whatever happened to Horace McGinley

Horace McGinley (1902-1944) Married Annie Tull (1903-1976) sometime between 1920 and 1930. According to the 1930[i] US Census for Pulaski County, Arkansas Annie was living in the household of her parents with a child Dan McGinley (1928-1996). Then in the 1940[ii] census she was still in her parent’s household and her marital status was divorced. So far I have not found anything regarding their marriage or divorce. Horace seems to have disappeared shortly after the divorce.

The first appearance of Horace is in the 1910[iii] US Census for Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. There is a listing for a Horace McGinley (8 years old) and a Lily McGinley (5 years old). They are living in the Little Rock Children’s Home on 920 McGowan St. Their birthplace is Arkansas and the parent’s is Unknown.

In the 1920[iv] Census for Badgett, Pulaski County, Arkansas Horace (age 18) and Lily (age 15) are now living with their widowed mother Hattie. Another son Connell (age 21) and a grandson to Hattie, Stafford Warren (age 6) are also in the household. Tom and Elizabeth Sutton are two roomers and so far I haven’t found any evidence about a deeper relationship.

Horace next appears in the 1926[v] city directory for Little Rock. He is living with his spouse Annie. So far, this is the only record that lists the two together. The 1935[vi] Little Rock city directory has Horace living alone. 

 

Horace then disappears from the historical record until he shows up in the Texas Death Index[vii]. It has him in Polk County, Texas and his date of death as 28 (or 23) May 1944.

His death certificate[viii] has his age as approximately 42, which is the right age for Arkansas Horace according to the earlier records. He is listed as being married but no spouse or parent’s names are included on the certificate.

This is all I have found so far on Horace McGinley. My next task is to determine if the man who died in Texas is the same one who married and divorced in Arkansas. My current focus will be on finding their divorce record, his possible second marriage and any will or probate information. Then I will focus on Dan and Anna Grace and hopefully they can lead me to discover what happened to Horace McGinley.

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[i] 1930 U.S. census, Pulaski County, Arkansas, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 60-1, sheet number 7A (penned), dwelling 140, family 144, Annie McGinly; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 8 October 2016); citing National Archives microfilm publication T626, roll 2667.

[ii]1940 U.S. census, Pulaski County, Arkansas, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 60-1, sheet number 7A (penned), dwelling blank, family 133, Annie McGinley; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 8 October 2016); citing National Archives microfilm publication T62, roll 166.

 

[iii] 1910 U.S. census, Pulaski County, Arkansas, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 111, 144 (stamped), sheet number 11A (penned), dwelling 920, family 227, Horace McGinley; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 8 October 2016); citing National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll 62.

[iv] 1920 U.S. census, Pulaski County, Arkansas, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 107, sheet number 1B (penned), dwelling blank, family 15, Horace McGinley; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 8 October 2016); citing National Archives microfilm publication T625, roll 78.

[v] R. L. Polk & Co.’s Little Rock and North Little Rock Directory, 1926; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 8 October 2016); citing U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995. (Little Rock, Arkansas: R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers), 358, “McGinley, Horace.”

[vi] R. L. Polk & Co.’s Little Rock and North Little Rock Directory, 1935; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestrylibrary.com : accessed 8 October 2016); citing U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995. (Little Rock, Arkansas: R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers), 351, “McGinley, Horace.”

[vii] Texas, “Texas Death Index, 1903-2000,” Database. Ancestry.com. (http://ancestry.com : accessed 8 October 2016), entry for Horace McGinley, Polk County 28 May 1944.

[viii] Polk County, Texas, death certificate no. 24748 (1944), Horace McGinley; Department of Health, Pennsylvania.

Another photo with an old car

Clyde Lee Webb (1898-1987) and Ruth Eileen McFadden (1905-1985).

The license plate is a little blurry, but it looks like it reads Ohio-1937. They were married in November 1937.

Ruth had some cousins in Stark County, Ohio, so I am guessing this may be one of their cars. I'll have to see if Ohio has license plate records from back then.