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SAMUEL MERRIFIELD, Companies "A" & "G"


NATIONAL ARCHIVES PENSION FILE
(partial)

Transcribed by Laurie Birks Dean.


Marriage

Samuel Merrifield and Mrs. Elizabeth Phillips were married by me at Springhill Furnace, Fayette Co., Pa., August Nineteenth, Eighteen hundred and fifty four.

Hugh O'Rosborough
Presbyterian Minister


Jan. 30, 1890
State of West Virginia,
County of Monongalia, to wit:

Father's name: Sam'l Merrifield
Father's occupation: Carpenter
Father's residence: Monongalia Co.
Mother's name: Elizabeth Merrifield
Name of person giving information: Father, S. Merrifield

Date of Birth: July 18, 1855
Name of Child: Sylvanius Merrifield
Sex: Male
Place of Birth: Morgantown

Date of Birth: December 20, 1856
Name of Child: (Then not yet named)
Sex: Male
Place of Birth: Monongalia Co.

Date of Birth: December, 1858
Name of Child: Nelson Merrifield
Sex: Male
Place of Birth: Monongalia County


Army of the United States.
Certificate of Disability For Discharge.

Samuel Merrifield, a private of Captain Charles H. Capeharts Company, (A) of the First Regiment of United States Volunteers was enlisted by Capt. J. Lowry McGee of the First Regiment of Virginia Volunteers at Morgantown, Virginia, on the eighteenth day of July, 1861, to served three years; he was born in Monongalia county in the State of Virginia is:

forty-nine years of age,
six feet high,
Dark complexion,
Hazel eyes,
Black hair,
Occupation when enlisted a Carpenter.

During the last two months said soldier has been unfit for duty, the disease of the said Samuel Merrifield, was cased by rupture in the charge at the battle of Romney, Va., on the 26th of October, 1861.

Station: Balls Cross, Ronas (?), Va.
Date: Sept. 5th, 1861

Capt. Chas. H. Capehart
Commanding Company.

I certify that I have carefully examined the said Samuel Merrifield, Private of Captain Chas. H. Capehart's Company,and find him incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of Inguinal Hernia - which was received about the Twenty Sixth of October 1861 - which disqualifies him for Cavalry Service. He was too old & debilitated when recruited to endure Cavalry Service. He may be disabled one-fourth of his time by the Hernia.

Henry Capehart
Surgeon

Discharged, this First day of November 1862, at Washington, D. C.,
N. P. Richmond
Lt. Col., Commanding the Regiment


A Declaration for Original Pension of an Invalid

State of West Virginia
County of Marion}SS.
     On this Twenty-second day of January, on thousand eight hundred and seventy three personally appeared before me Robert B. Salt (?) Clerk of the Circuit Court of said Co. the same being a Court of Record within and for the county and State aforesaid, Samuel Merrifield aged fifty-nine years, a resident of Palatine in the County of Marion, State of West Virginia, who, being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical Samuel Merrifield, who enlisted in Captain Charles H. Capehart's Company A, First Regiment Virginia Cavalry Brigade, on the 18th day of July 1861, and was honorably discharged at Washington, D. C., on the first day of November, 1862; that his personal description is as follows:

Age: forty-nine years;
Height, six feet;
Complexion, Dark;
Hair, Black;
Eyes, Hazel;

that while in the service aforesaid, and in the line of duty, he received the following disability, to wit:

Strangulated Hernia - was examined by Surgeon Capehart at Cedar Creek, Va. and from then to Washington, D. C. and from Washington to Wheeling, Va. and was an inmate of - Hospital at the last named place and was discharged by Surgeon's certificate of disability at Washington, D. C. The rupture was received in the Battle of Romney, Va. in 1861, while making Cavalry charge.

That since leaving the said service, this applicant has resided in Marion County, in the State of West Virginia, and his occupation has been.......; that prior to his entry into the service above-named, he was a man of good, sound, physical health, being when enrolled, a Carpenter that now he is wholly disabled from obtaining his subsistence from manual labor in consequence of his above-named injuries received in the service of the United States; that he makes this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the invalid pension roll of the United States by reason of the disabilities above stated; that he hereby appoints Charles C. Zucker of Washington, D. C. his Attorney to prosecute his claim; that he has not received nor applied for a pension; that his Post Office is at Palastine, County of Marion, State of West Virginia; that his domicile or place of abode is as above.

Samuel (X) Merrifield

Lee R. Abbott
(Attest)


Declaration of a Widow For An Original Pension

State of West Virginia
County of Marion}SS:
     On this 25 day of February one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, personally appeared before me John B. Crane, Clerk of the County Court the same being a Court of Record within and for the county and State aforesaid, Elizabeth Merrifield, aged about 54 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 widows: That she is the widow of Samuel Merrifield, who enlisted under the name of Samuel Merrifield, at Morgantown, W. Va. on the 18th day of July, 1861, in Co. A, 1st Reg't. Va. Cavy. Vols. on the war of 1861, who died from Rupture on the 18 day of May, 1878, who bore at the time of his death the rank of not in service in ....... that she was married under the name of Elizabeth Phillip to said Samuel Merrifield on the 6th day of August, 1854 by William McClare at Spring Hill, Pa., there being no legal barrier to such marriage: that neither she and her husband had been previously married. The said Samuel Merrifield was previously married to Elizabeth Watts who died on the ....day of ....18...and the said Elizabeth Merrifield was previously married to Oreb Phillips who died in ....the....day of...., 1851. The said Samuel died on the 18th of May, 1878 as aforesaid. that she has to the present date remained his widow: that the following are the names and dates of birth of all his legitimate children yet surviving who were under sixteen years of age at the father's death, to wit:

Sylvania, born June 26th, 1855
Wallas, born Dec. 24th, 1856
Nelson, born Dec. 25th, 1857
Samuel, born Apr. 1, 1861
George, born Oct. 18, 1864

That she has not abandoned the support of any one of his children, but that they are still under her care or maintenance. Sylvester is now married is not under claimant's care now.

That her post office address is Paltine, Marion Co., W. Va.

Elizabeth (X) Merrifield

Clarence L. Smith
Jacob D. McGee
(Attest)


General Affidavit.
     In the matter of Pension No. 242,518 Act June 27, 1890 of Elizabeth wid. of Sam'l Merrifield of Co. A - 1st W. Va. Cav.
     On this 20th day of March, 1893, personally appeared before me, a Notary Public in and for the aforesaid County, duly authorized to administer oaths, Elizabeth Merrifield aged 65 years, a resident of Palatine in the County of Marion and State of West Virginia whose post office address is Palatine, Marion Co., West Va., and J. A. Jamison aged....years, a resident of Fairmont in the County of Marion and State of West Virginia whose post office address is Fairmont, Marion Co., W. Va. well known to me to be reputable and entitlted to credit, and who, being duly sworn, declares each for himself, in relation to aforesaid case as follows:

1. Elizabeth Merrifield under oath states that she is the claimant in the above entitled claim. That I have no income or other means of support than my own labor and am unable to labor and am depending for support upon my son, George Merrifield, who is 28 years of age. I am unable to labor on account of physical disability having been sick for 3 or 4 years a good deal of the time here under the care of a Physician. My physician is Dr. J. A. Jamison. My property consists of $75 in bank the residue from the sale of my home, and I have some household furniture from which I derive no income, my son is not legally cause for my support.

Elizabeth (X) Merrifield

P. G. Stealey (?)
E. P. Pople (?)

2. J. A. Jamison
     This is to certify that I have known the above named claimant for some 2 or 3 years and have seen her quite frequently during that time. Since I have known her, she has been physically unable to do her house work, to do herself justice, also during that time, she was once at least dangerously ill with acute Plemitis and other chronic troubles with which she is still afflicted. Would consider her wholly unable to perform any physical labor whatever.

J. A. Jamison, M. D.
(Signature of Affiant)


State of West Virginia, County of Marion, SS:
     I, Charles E. Manley, Clerk of the County Court, of Marion County and State aforesaid, do hereby certify that, as such Clerk, I am the legal custodian of the public records of births and deaths in my said county, and that the "Register of Deaths" in my said office shows that Samuel Merrifield, a white male citizen of said county, died in Marion County, West Virginia, on the 7th day of May, 1877, that the cause of his death was dropsy; his occupation, when living, that of a carpenter; and age at time of death 67 years; and that information of his death was given by B. F. Shaver, Superintendent.
     Given under my hand the seal of my said Court this 10th day of May, 1897.
Chas. E. Manley, Clerk County
Court Marion Co., W.V.


General Affidavit.
State of West Virginia, County of Marion, SS:
     In the matter of Pension Claim, No. 242,518, of Elizabeth Merrifield, widow of Samuel Merrifield, late of Co. A 1st Reg. W. Va. Cav. Vols.
     On this 19th day of July 1897, personally appeared before me, a Notary Public in and for the aforesaid county, duly authorized to administer oaths, Rebecca Fisher aged 57 years, a resident of Fairmont, in the County of Marion, and State of W. Va., whose Post Office address is Fairmont, in the County of Marion, and State of W. Va., well know to me to be reputable and entitled to credit, and who, being sworn, declared in relation to the aforesaid case as follows:

That Samuel Merrifield the soldier who died about 1877 was married previous to his marriage to the applicant, Elizabeth Merrifield & his former wife's name was Miss Watts but that she died some time before the war, at Morgantown, W. Va. and previous to his marriage to the applicant. I was personally acquainted with Samuel Merrifield's former wife during her life time lived at Morgantown, W. Va. when she died, have distinct recollection of her death.

Rebecca Fisher
(Signature of Affiant)


Declaration For Widow's Pension.

State of West Virginia, County of Marion, SS.
     On this 19 day of July one thousand eight hundred and ninety....personally appeared before me D. S. Helmick a Notary Public within and for the County and State aforesaid Elizabeth Merrifield aged 65 years, a resident of the Town of Palatine, county of Marion, State of West Virginia, who, being duly sworn according to law, declares that she is a widow of Samuel Merrifield, who enlisted under the name of ....on the....day of .....,18..., in Co. A 1st Reg't. Va. Cav'l. and served at least ninety days in the late war of rebellion, who was honorably discharged Nov. 1st, 1862 and died May 7,'77 that she was married under the name of Elizabeth Jones to said Samuel Merrifield on the 6th day of Aug., 1854, by Rev. Roosberry at Springhill, Pa. there being no legal barrier to said marriage: both had been previously married, that she has not remarried since the death of said Samuel Merrifield that she is without other means of support than her daily labor; that names and dates of birth of all children now living under sixteen years of age of the soldier are as follows:

Samuel Merrifield, born May 22, 1864;
George Merrifield, born Sept. 10, 1866.

That she has heretofore applied for pension, and the number of her application is 242,518.

Elizabeth (X) Merrifield

Belle Helmick
Mollie Clayton
(Attest)


Claimant's Affidavit.

State of West Virginia, County of Marion, SS:

     In the matter of Pension Claim, No. 242,518 of Elizabeth Merrifield widow of Samuel Merrifield, late of Co. A, 1st Reg. West Virginia Cavalry Vols.
     On this 10th day of February 1898, personally appeared before me, a Notary Public in and for the aforesaid county, duly authorized to administer oaths, Elizabeth Merrifield, aged 61 years, the applicant in the above-entitled claim for pension, a resident of Watron, in the county of Marion, and State of W. Va., whose Post Office address is Watron, Marion County, W. Va., well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit, and who, being sworn, declared in relation to aforesaid case as follows:

That she was not assessed with any real estate or other property for 1890, 1891 and 1892 for the reason that the transfer had not been made on the County Assessors books for these years. That she did not own any property in any year after 1892.

That she was compelled to sell her property to liquidate debts contracted for her support. That the property sold in July 1892 was paid for partly with money received from accrued pension due my husband Samuel Merrifield and partly from my son who was killed on the rail road.

Elizabeth (X) Merrifield

M. E. (?) Keefe
E. Connor (?)
(Two persons who can write, sign here.)


Deposition B
Case of Elizabeth Merrifield, No. 242, 518

     On this 14 day of Oct. 1898, at Palatine, county of Marion State of W. Va., before me, W. E. Clapp, a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions , personally appeared George T. Barthlow, who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says:
     I am 63 years of age; my post-office address is Palatine, W. Va., am a stonemason by trade.
     I know this claimant very well. She is much older than I am. She must be at least between seventy-five and eighty years of age. I knew her last husband, Samuel Merrifield and recalled seeing her first husband whose name was Phillips. I lived at Laurel Iron Works, Monongalia Co. and she lived about six miles from said place at Duncan Old Iron Works, known as Spring Hill Iron Works. I was but a lad ten or eleven years old when she returned home to her folks, and reported herself, a widow, that her husband Obed Phillips was dead, and I reckon he was for he was a man who exposed himself a great deal and was a hard drinker. He worked in the Spring Hill Iron Works. When she came back home she had a girl the child of Phillips and hers, which was about two years old. That girl to the best of my knowledge lived not a long time since, near Dunbar, Fayette Co., Pa. and was unmarried. She was to homely in appearance to get married. It has been two long now to give a personal description of Phillips. I just remember seeing this man, and remember that he was a very homely man, I suppose that he was a man probably 24 or 25 years of age. He was not a native of that part of the country, and Phillips may not have been his right name, I don't know, I don't know where he was from, and all I know as to what became, of him is, that Mrs. Merrifield when she came home said he was dead. She then staid unmarried about four years as near as Ican recollect. It may have been longer, she was home a while, then went to Morgantown, W. Va. and worked in Wallace's Hotel a while, before she married Merrifield. I cannot be certain as to how long she remained a widow before she married the second time. She has not remarried since Merrifield's death. She has no property now is a renter. Has no income at all is dependant upon her son, George. Have fully understood and comprehended the questions asked and my answers have been correctly recorded in this deposition.

George T. Barthlow
(Deponent)

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 14 day of Oct., 1898, and I certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing.

W. E. Clapp
(Special Examiner)


Grafton, W. Va.
Oct. 14, 1898
Hon. H. Clay Evans
Commissioner of Pensions.
Washington, D. C.

Sir:
     I have the honor to return herewith the papers in Orig. Widow Claim 242,518 Elizabeth Merrifield alleged widow of Samuel Merrifield late Pvt. Co. A - 1 W. Va. Vol. Cavy.
     P. O. Address Watson, Marion Co., W. Va.
     This claim was referred to the S. E. Division for investigation as to legal widowhood, and dependence, as per Act. June 27", 1890, and came to me for initial examination. I served notice by letter upon ? the claimant and her attorney, Wm. Gray, Palatine, W. Va. He did not know what had become of her, and had to hunt her up. He called upon me at the Hotel where I was stopping, and advised me that he knew nothing about the claim, as it was one that Cap't. Shisler of Fairmont, W. Va. had been tinkering with until he got discouraged and had within a year turned over to him by power of attorney, and that he could render me no assistance in its investigation. I have never yet struck a really meritorious claim, without complications, in which Wm. Gray was the attorney.
     I located the claimant about three miles out from Fairmont, W. Va. at New England Mines, near Watson, Fairmont, W. Va.
     She is densely ignorant - and illiterate, and very old much older than she stated she was on her statement to me. I fully explained her rights in the matter, in the presence of two of her sons, by the soldier, and she declined to be present during the taking of testimony in my territory, or of notice of any further examination.
     The statement herewith is the best I could obtain even with the aid of her sons. She did not deny for a minute that she was previously married to one Oreb Phillips in Monongalia Co., W. Va. I tried in every way to get dates and further data without success. I had visited Laurel Iron Works P. O. on Tuesday, of this week, and having the claim with me, and knowing that she was raised in that locality, I made inquiry of a number of people, who remembered the prior marriage but knew nothing as to the prior history of Oreb Phillips, the man she married, or could state as to whether he was dead or not. All they knew was that he deserted her as soon as the Works shut down about the year 1850, and had never been seen or heard of in that locality. This information tallies with that given by the claimant in her statement to me.

(Transcriber note: Missing page 5)

to a man named Phillips some years prior, came to work for him in his Hotel about the year 1852, and was then a woman of good reputation, and one of the best all-around workers he had ever employed. She was a grass (?) widow then, as he understood it. He never knew or saw her first husband whose name was Phillips. Did not know where he came from or where he went to after he left this claimant. The claimant was about 25 to 28 years of age when she came to work for him, which would maker her birth come in 1824 or 1827, and be now 71 to 74 years of age. She was working for him when she married Sam'l. Merrifield, and had a little girl probably five or six years old when she married Merrifield.
     That Merrifield did not like the child and on one occasion pushed it against the stove buring its face, and he Wallace took it over Cheat River to its grand parents, and that is the last time he ever saw the child. Does not know whether Phillips died before she married Merrifield or not.
     This claimant says that the child by Phillips is still alive, somewhere near New Haven, Fayette Co., Pa. but where she cannot say as she has not heard from her for about six years. She is unmarried and probably about 50 years of age, and might know something as to what became of her father. Certain it is that this is the only clue. The old people with two exceptions who lived near claimant when she was Oreb Phillips' wife, are dead and I interviewed them, and as I stated could give me no information relative to the matter. I am certain that further data as to what became of Phillips and whether or not he died prior to claimant's marriage to Merrifield, cannot be ascertained in my territory. No divorce was ever granted either party in Monongalia Co., W. Va.
     Interviewed Charles Merrifield, soldier's oldest son by his first wife and he said he knew nothing about this woman as the first wife's children never approved of the marriage and never recognized or spoke to her.
     This woman is certainly dependent within the meaning of the law, as she is as poor as a church mouse (so to speak) and entirely dependent upon her single son, George, for her support.
     Org. Afft. James W. Jones her uncle is dead.
     I do not place much stock in the claimant's statement that Phillips came from Baltimore, Md., and neither does her sons. She is densely ignorant, and it was with difficulty that I could make her understand my questions, and it was only with the aid of her sons that I do so to the extent indicated by the statement herewith. As an only chance to ascertain what became of Oreb Phillips, I recommend that the claim be sent to the speical examiner having Fayette Co., Pa. in his territory to search for the daughter Elizabeth Phillips, see claimant's statement, and deposition of George T. Bartholow.

Very respectfully,
W. E. Clapp
Special Examiner


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