NATIONAL ARCHIVES PENSION APPLICATION of REBECCA BUCHER, MOTHER OF JOHN BUCHER, COMPANY "K" 7th REGIMENT W. Va. INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------- BUCHER, JOHN, Private, Company "K", 7th Regiment W. Va. Infantry Volunteers ("The Bloody Seventh"). Enrolled 1 Nov 1861 at Sistersville, at age 20, for 3 years. Contracted measles and was admitted 9 Dec 1861 to General Hospital, Grafton, Taylor County, W. Va. Died of encephalitis 26 Feb 1862 (death also reported to Tyler Co.). Death Certificate gives Ohio County as place of birth. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- DECLARATION FOR AN ORIGINAL PENSION OF A MOTHER State of West Va. County of Wetzel, ss: On this 15th day of April A.D. 1886 personally appeared before me James W. Newman Clerk of the Circuit Court, the same being a court of record within and for the county and state aforesaid REBECCA BUCHER a resident of New Martins- ville County of Wetzel in the state of W.Va. aged 70 years, who,being duly sworn according to law, makes the following declaration in order to obtain the pension provided by Acts of Congress granting pensions to dependent mothers; That she is the widow of THOMAS BUCHER, and Mother of JOHN BUCHER who enlisted under the name of JOHN BUCHER at ---- on the --- day of A.D. 1861 in Co. K, 7 Regiment West Va Vol, Inf. in the war of 1861 who died at Grafton West Va from EFFECTS OF CATCHING COLD ON THE MEASLES & CONGESTION OF THE BRAIN on the 26th day of Feby 1862, that said son JOHN BUCHER left neither widow nor child under sixteen years of age surviving, that she was mainly dependent upon said son for support, that her husband, the aforesaid THOMAS BUCHER aged 69 years at date of death and died on July 16th 1878 and his widow REBECCA BUCHER has not remarried. That there were surviving at the date of said son's death his brothers and sisters, who were under sixteen years of age, as follows: Mortimor Bucher 16 born Nov 3rd 1846 Jefferson Bucher 13 born May 14th 1849 P. L. Bucher 7 born April 9th 1855 That she has not heretofore received or applied for a pension, that she has not aided or abetted the rebellion, that she hereby appoints P. J. Lockwood of Washington, D.C. her attorney to prosecute the above claim, that her residence is New Martinsville County of Wetzel and State of West Virginia and that her Post Office address is New Martinsville, Wetzel Co, WVa. Rebecca (her X mark) Bucher Attest: J. N. Coulter & M. C. Dunlap -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 338.528 War Department, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, Aug 24, 1887 Respectfully returned to the Commissioenr of Pensions. JOHN BUCHER, a PRIVATE of Company "K" 7th Regiment Va. (Sub. W.Va.) Volunteers, was enrolled on the 1st day of November, 1861, at Sistersville Va. (for 3 years) "Was admitted to General Hospital Grafton WVa. Dec 9th 1861, with Meningitis, and died of that disease Feb 26th 1862." Age at enlistment 20 years. R. C. Drum, Adjutant General --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Treasury Department Second Auditors Office Washington, Feb 8, 1888 Respectfully returned to the Hon. Commissioner of Pensions. In the case of JOHN BUCHER, late Private, Co. K, 7 W.Va. Vols., $200, Bounty, Act July 22, 1861, and July 28, 1866, and arrears of pay to include Feb 26, 1862, were allowed REBECCA BUCHER, mother, by Treasury Certificates, 641.079 and 641.078, April 30, 1880. In application executed Aug. 22, 1879, Rebecca Bucher, the mother, states that her son died unmarried leaving no wife nor child and that THOMAS BUCHER, the father of the soldier died on or about July 16, 1878. Claimant is identified by J. Edger Boyers and Nathaniel T. Riggs, who swear to the relationship of claimant with soldier, soldier's celibacy and death of father. In an affidavit executed Aug 22, 1879 Nathaniel T. Riggs and J. Edgar Boyers swear that Thomas Bucher the father of the soldier and the husband of Rebecca Bucher, died July 16, 1878. Filed with the claim is the Certificate of the Clerk of Court of Tyler Co. W.Va., by which it appears that Thomas Bucher, the husband of Rebecca Bucher, died in Tyler Co., W.Va., July 16, 1878. Wm. A. Day Auditor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GENERAL AFFIDAVIT (5 March 1888) State of WEST VA. County of WETZEL ss: In claim No. 338 528 of REBECCA BUCHER of Co. K of the 7 Regt. of W. Va. Vols. Personally appeared before the undersigned authority, duly authorized to administer oaths within and for said County, REBECCA BUCHER aged 72 years, whose P.O. Address is NEW MARTINSVILLE County of WETZEL State of WEST VA well-known to me to be reputable and credible and who being duly sworn, declares in relation to this claim as follows: Says that her actual residence and postoffice address in 1861 and each year thereafter was KIDWELL, TYLER COUNTY up to and including the year 1878, at which time affiant came to New Martinsville Wetzel County West Va and New Martinsville Wetzel Co has been her post office address since the year 1878, and that names and ages and relationship of all members of her family in 1861 is as follows: Amanda Bucher 24 years old George S. Bucher 22 years old John Bucher 20 years old Christ Ann Bucher 18 years old Frederick Bucher 16 years old Mortimer C. Bucher 15 years old Jefferson T. Bucher 13 years old P. L. Bucher 6 years old All of the above are sons and dauters of affiant, affiant says that her husband on July 16" 1878 died and that from 1861 up to his death he was not able to support affiant for the following reason, that said affiants husband SOLD HIS FARM ON OR ABOUT 1861 AND WHICH INVOLVED HIM IN A LAW SUIT AND WHAT LITTLE AFFIANT'S HUSBAND COULD GET WAS CONSUMED IN DEFENDING OR PROSECUTING SAID SUIT AND LEFT HER TO DO THE BEST SHE COULD SO FAR AS HER SUPPORT WAS CONCERNED and she says that since 1878 she has been living with her children staying short time with each as she can. Affiant further declares he has no interest in this claim nor its prosecution. Rebecca (her X mark) Bucher Attest E. B. Snodgrass J. W. Newman -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State of West Virginia County of Wetzel ss (7 Apr 1888) In claim No. 338528 of REBECCA BUCHER, Mother of JOHN, of Co K, of 7 Regt of W.Va. Vols. Personally appeared before the undersigned duly authorized to Administer oaths within and for said county Peter Youst and Joshua S. Wilson whose post office is Kidwell County of TYLER State of West virginia who being duly sworn, states in relation to said claim as follows, Affiant PETER YOUST says that THOMAS BUCHER the husband of REBECCA BUCHER and father of JOHN BUCHER was FOUND DEAD A SHORT DISTANCE FROM HIS PLACE OF RESIDENCE ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF JULY 1878. Affiant says he knows this fact of his own knowledge he affiant being present at the Coroner's inquest that was held over his body and that he was a near neighbor of said Bucher. Affiant JOSHUA S. WILSON says that THOMAS BUCHER the husband of REBECCA BUCHER and father of JOHN BUCHER was found DEAD A SHORT DISTANCE FROM HIS PLACE OF RESIDENCE ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF JULY 1878. Affiant says he knows this fact by personal knowledge he affiant being one of the Jurors who set at the Coroner's Inquest held over the body. Peter (his X mark) Youst (Mark attested to by Lewis Bucher) Joshua S. Wilson (NOTE: Another affidavit, given by M. C. Bucher (son of Thomas) states: "The Docket of Justice Weekley containing the record of the Coroner's Inquest of Thomas Bucher Dec'd was destroyed by fire... the records of the said county (Tyler) did not contain any record of the Coroner's Inquest.") -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GENERAL AFFIDAVIT (3 May 1888) State of West Va. County of WETZEL ss: In claim No. 338.528 of REBECCA BUCHER of Co K of the 7 Regt. of W.Va. Vols. Personally appeared before the undersigned duly authorized to adminsiter oaths within and for said County JOHN RABEL aged 62 years whose P.O. is NEW MARTINSVILLE County of WETZEL State of W.Va., who being duly sworn, states that in relation to said claim as follows to-wit; That he was acquainted with THOMAS BUCHER the father of JOHN BUCHER dec'd and husband of REBECCA BUCHER and that he knew said THOMAS BUCHER in the year 1861 said THOMAS BUCHER was then about 52 years of age and his occupation was nothing from which he could support his family and from his occupation he derived no income and for the year 1862 his occupation and income was same as year 1861, affiant says that the said THOMAS BUCHER had sold his real estate and from said sale BECAME INVOLVED IN A LAW SUIT OR SUITS and that in the year 1861 he had considerable personal property which grew out of said sale and the real estate so sold was a part of a large survey, and when he became so involved in the law suits as above stated that he was occupied the msot of his time in surveying the adjoining tracts of land to the one he has so sold in trying to get the proper cauls? and distance of the land formerly owned by him & in this way squandered all of his property so far as affiant knows, and further says that he would sometimes take what little his wife and children could accumulate and sell it to pay attys fee costs & expenses of suits, and further says that REBECCA BUCHER was left to provide the best she could for herself & children and says that he has lived about one & one half miles from Thomas Bucher & family since 1861 up to the death of said Thomas Bucher which was in year 1878. John Rabel ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPENDENT-RELATIVE (Pensioner Dropped) U. S. Pension Agency, Washington, DC June 18, 1896 Hon. D. J. Murphy Commissioner of Pensions Sir: I hereby report that the name of REBECCA BUCHER Mother of JOHN BUCHER, who was a pensioner on the rolls of this Agency, under Certificate No. 253406, and who was last paid at $12, to September 4, 1895, has been dropped because of DEATH OCT 18, 1895. Very Respectfully, S. S. Ninson?, Pension Agent