The Short Story of Captain Charles Wesley Chapman

I often research people in my own genealogy with much interest.  I also often research their family members that aren't in my direct line, since they also lead sometimes to wonderful pieces of information about my own lines.

But I also research people who aren't in my line at all.  Sometimes, I do that kind of research for others as a pay it forward or on a freelance basis.  Sometimes, I do it because the person may have had an impression on those in my lines.

This is the story of one such person.  This is the story of Captain Charles Wesley Chapman.

I have no relationship to the man.  I never had.  But his story fascinates me because, well, he is the namesake of one of my ancestors.  He rubbed shoulders with another.  And he died leaving no heirs and no one to tell his story.  So I have taken it upon myself to try to learn, at the very least, a little about the man.  

Photo of Charles W. Chapman, taken from the book Under the Red Patch (between pages 152-153)
Source: Internet Archive

Charles Wesley Chapman was born around the year 1838 in Pennsylvania to William Chapman, a immigrant from Ireland, and Maria Dunlop of Chester County, Pennsylvania.  He had at least three older brothers, James, William, and Joseph, and possibly one sister named Ann.  

Not much is known about his early life, at least not that I could uncover doing my typical research.  But what is known is that he lived in the Third Ward of Pittsburgh when the 1850 census was enumerated.  Also in the household were his parents William and Maria, and . William worked at a glass house.  Also enumerated were 23-year-old James, 22-year-old William, and 18-year-old Joseph (which were likely Charles' elder brothers, and a 25-year-old woman named Nancy Armstrong.  It's the only census I found where Charles was listed with his parents, as he was not in residence in 1860 with them.  There are a few candidates for Charles in the 1860 Federal Census Enumeration, but I did not have as much time to devote to research as I would have liked, so I did not take the time to chase them all down to figure out which one was the correct Charles.  

In 1861, Charles was living in Lawrenceville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, boarding at a residence on Chestnut Street near North.  He was listed in the local directory as working in the oil business, but that career was short lived due to the outbreak of the Civil War.

Chapman started his military service actually with the Pittsburgh City Guards, which became the 12th regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers.  He was the third sergeant of the City Guards under Alexander Hays.  When the City Guards were then re-organized into companies on the Twelfth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Charles became the 2nd Sergeant of Company K.  This regiment mustered in 25 April 1861.

Because at the time, the Union had thought the war would be over soon, the men were only enlisted to three month terms.  The Pennsylvania Twelfth Regiment was tasked with the protection of the rebuilt Northern Central railroad running from Harrisburg to Baltimore, with Charles' company stationed at the headquarters in Cockeysville.  While most of the regiment were not able to drill, being scattered along the line, company K was able to be drilled regularly and soon became veteran soldiers.  They were mustered out of service after three months at Harrisburg on 5 August 1861.  Most of the men then re-enlisted for three years, including Charles.  

On 23 September 1861, he was appointed the captain of Company K of the newly formed Sixty-Third Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, known as the "Hays' Guards." *I wrote a history on the company years ago available in my HubPages articles.*

On 5 March 1862, a reconnoitering party of one hundred men, led by Lt-Col Morgan, was being guided by a man by the name of Williams towards the direction of the Occoquan River near Pohick Church in Virginia.  A detachment of Texan Rangers passed by in the night, which the party thought was another scouting party.  When the party realized their mistake, they gave chase, but the Texans had already hid themselves in the bushes and ambushed the party as they came.  Captain Chapman, Quartermaster James M. Lysle and Private Moore were in the front of the party and were killed instantly.  Another private was shot in the arm (which later had to be amputated).  The rest of the party was able to rout the Texans and gave chase, but the Texans evaded capture.

According to the eyewitness account of John Rudolph Marti, a sergeant in Company A, Chapman was struck by a ball under his left eye.  The bullet went through his head and came out by the collar of his coat, killing him instantly.  Lysle was shot through the arm in such as way that the bullet went through his chest and he lived about ten minutes.  Moore was shot in the chest and survived almost half an hour.  

Sgt. Marti also wrote that Chapman was one of the best officers in the entire regiment and that his company in particular really loved him.  Joe Hoopes, a private in Company C, also echoed that sentiment when he wrote to his family that some of the best men in their regiment were lost that night.

Alexander Hays, the commander of the Sixty-Third Regiment, wrote a letter to his wife dated 10 March 1862.  He had this to say:

 "You have heard of a tiger robbed of its whelps, and you can imagine what species of tiger I represent. I have not scolded anyone -- the fault is to egregious to be within my jurisdiction, and I am patiently awaiting the action of higher authority....... The bodies were forwarded on the 7th to Pittsburgh. Before leaving, all were borne to the church tent, and I never knew the Doctor (Marks) more eloquent." ~  Transcription in Gilbert Adams Hays' book Under the Red Patch: Story of the Sixty Third Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1864, pages 417-418

After the memorial service from the regiment, Charles' body was sent via train to Pittsburgh and arrived the next day, which was a Sunday. After an afternoon service at the Chapman residence in Lawrenceville,  Charles was buried in Allegheny Cemetery in section 25, lot 74, grave 1.

He had never married nor had any issue.  He died at 24 years of age.

His elderly parents, who had been subsisting on what Charles could send them from his Army pay, were bereaved.  William Chapman, Charles' father, was an invalid and had been for ten years, unable to make a living.  

Maria Dunlop Chapman, at the age of 65, applied for a mother's pension on 8 June 1865 from the couple's home in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania.  Some of my readers may wonder why it took her over three years to file for the pension.  First off, the act allowing her to even apply for the pension in the first place was not passed by Congress until 14 July 1862.  One provision in that act allowed for dependent mothers to be entitled to receive the full pension of a son killed in the line of duty or died from the result of wound received or disease contracted while in service as a result of the line of duty provided that the soldier did not have a wife or children.

However, fees had to be paid while applying for pensions, most often by pension attorneys who often charged $10 for each application.  It also cost $5 to file the application with the government, $1.50 per affidavit, and $1.50 for surgeon's exams (which William had to be subjected to because he had to prove he was totally disabled).  If Maria and William Chapman were dependent on Charles while he was in the Army, they likely had to wait until either they could scrape the money together to pay the fees or have someone pay it for them. 

On 12 July 1865, she was approved to receive $20 per month.  I imagine the pension the couple received helped their situation immensely.   William Chapman died 12 December 1867 and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery.  Maria survived both her youngest son and her husband, passing away from chronic bronchitis on Forty-Second Street in the 17th Ward of Pittsburgh on 11 December 1870.  She was buried with her husband in Allegheny Cemetery.

But the legacy of the young captain of company K of the 63rd Pennsylvania Volunteers lived on.  I'm not sure how many young men were named after the beloved captain, but I am quite sure that one of Chapman's fellow soldiers DID name his son for his fallen comrade.

One of the sergeants in company K was a man by the name of John Devender Wood.  On 24 May 1875, John's youngest son was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania.  John decided to name the newborn Charles Wesley Chapman Wood, after his fallen friend.  That young newborn was my father's grandfather, named for a soldier who paid the ultimate price in the American Civil War.

Sources used:

Additional Evidence in the Mother's Army Pension for Maria Chapman, filed 8 June 1865 ; Photocopy provided by NARA in the pension file for Charles W. Chapman, pension application number 81254, certificate number 51280; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); Records Relating to Pension and Bounty-Land Claims 1773-1942, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15; 2,807 rolls, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Ancestry.com, "1850 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 May 2022), Entry for Charles W. Chapman in household of William Chapman, Year: 1850, Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 3 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 745, and Page: 141a; citing Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Bates, Samuel P. History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865: prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, 5 Volumes (Harrisburg: B. Singerly, State Printer, 1869), volumes 1 and 2 referenced.

Civil War Pittsburgh, "Night of March 5, 1862,"Facebook, 6 March 2022 (https://www.facebook.com/civilwarpittsburgh/ : accessed 27 May 2022).

"Died - Maria Chapman," death notice, The Pittsburgh Daily Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 13 December 1870, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 29 May 2022).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1861-1862 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1861), 51, "Chapman Charles W., oil business, bds Chestnut, n North, L(awrenceville)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 May 2022).

Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 27 May 2022), memorial page for Charles Wesley Chapman, Find A Grave Memorial # 122224413, citing Allegheny Cemetery (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), memorial created by KBStewart, photograph by DGG.

Gorman, Kathleen L."Civil War Pensions: History of the Union Federal and Confederate State pension systems," Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech, Essential Civil War Curriculum, 2021 (https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/civil-war-pensions.html : accessed 4 March 2021).

Hays, Gilbert Adams. Under the Red Patch: Story of the Sixty Third Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1864 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Sixty-Third Pennsylvania Volunteers Regimental Association, 1908).

Historical Data Systems, comp., "U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 May 2022), Entry for Charles Wesley Chapman, co K, 63rd Pennsylvania; Historical Data Systems, Inc.; Duxbury, MA 02331; American Civil War Research Database; citing data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA.

"How Capt. Chapman and Lieut. Lysle Were Killed," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 10 March 1862, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 29 June 2017).

"The Klled at Pohick," The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 8 March 1862, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 27 May 2022).

"Letter from John Rudolph Marti, Sergeant, Co. A, Camp Johnson, Near Alexandria, March 10, 1862," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 17 March 1862, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 27 March 2022).

Mother's Army Pension Application for Maria Chapman, mother of Capt. Charles W. Chapman, filed 8 June 1865; Photocopy provided by NARA in the pension file for Charles W. Chapman, pension application number 81254, certificate number 51280; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); Records Relating to Pension and Bounty-Land Claims 1773-1942, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15; 2,807 rolls, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 May 2022), Entry for William A Chapman, died 28 Dec 1907, cn 122336; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Parents names and places of birth referenced.

"Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Cemetery Records, 1845 - 1960," database online, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 27 May 2022), Entry for Charles W Chapman, buried 10 Mar 1862; citing Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh.

"Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Cemetery Records, 1845 - 1960," database online, FamilySearch, Entry for Wm Chapman, buried 19 Dec 1867.

"Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh City Deaths, 1870-1905," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 27 May 2022), Entry for Maria Chapman, 11 Dec 1870, FHL microfilm 505,816.; citing Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 May 2022), Entry for Chas. W. Chapman, died 1862, Pennsylvania State Archives; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Civil War Veterans` Card File, 1861-1866; Series Number: 19.12; citing Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1777–2012. Digital Images, 3–5. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau of Archives and History. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Remains Arrived," The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 10 March 1862, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 29 May 2022).

"Remains Coming," The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 8 March 1862, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 27 May 2022).

Rothbard, Murray N. "Beginning the Welfare State: Civil War Veteran's Pensions," The Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, 22:1 (Spring 2019): 68-81

U. S. Congress, The Statutes at Large, Treaties and Proclamations of the United States of America, vols. 1-18 (Little, Brown and Company: Boston, 1789–1875), 12: 566-569, 14 July 1862, "An Act to grant Pensions," 165

James Fielding: The House on Norwood Avenue

This is the sixth blog post in a series on James Fielding, one of my more fascinating ancestors. After his early life, his stint in the Civil War, having to change his profession, his police officer days, and his involvement in the GAR, this was the next logical step.  This is the story of the house in which he resided on Norwood Avenue.

For most of the latter part of his life, James Fielding lived in a house on Norwood Avenue, in what was once the Tenth Ward of Allegheny City.  Many documents in his Civil War pension file reference this house and its addresses, so this address quickly became a focal point for some of my research.

It should be noted that the Tenth Ward of Allegheny City appears to have had a few names in the time the Fieldings resided there.  The neighborhood they lived in was probably Perry South.  It is now in the 26th Ward of Pittsburgh, but I will get to that point in a few paragraphs.

Even though James lived in the house, ownership of the property, according to the deed of sale from 20 August 1896, was listed as his wife, Mrs. Sarah V. Fielding.  Sarah bought the lot, which was lot number 54, from Robert W. Bissell for a mere $450.  She was later charged $20 for sewer improvements and repairs to the street in April of 1900 per an official notice advertised in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The 1902 Allegheny City Atlas from G. M. Hopkins and Company also proves Sarah's ownership of the lot by listing "Mrs. S. V. Fielding" as the owner of the lot.

The family was enumerated at the house on the 1900 census, listed incorrectly with the surname Feilding.  James and Sarah were listed without occupations in an owned, but mortgaged home with their sons and youngest daughter.  James H. was 37 and a laborer, Eddie Mc. was 24 and helper at a foundry, and son Marcus was age 21 with no occupation listed, but did attended school for 10 months.  Daughter Birdie was listed as Beatrice B. and aged 19.  Her occupation was listed as a helper at home.

*Side note here - this is NOT the only time my paternal great-grandmother Birdie Boggs Fielding was listed as Beatrice in a marriage document for one of her children.... but that's a story for another day.*

James was listed at living at this residence on 23 April 1901 when he signed consent papers for his daughter Birdie to marry Charles Wesley Chapman Wood.  Birdie also listed this address as hers on her application for a marriage license.  The couple was married at this residence on the same day as well.

Consent of James Fielding in the marriage of his daughter, Birdie, to Charles W. C. Wood, 23 April 1901, citing Allegheny County Marriage Licenses, ln 13279.  Copy provided by Allegheny County Department of Court Records (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

James' son Edward listed 54 Norwood as his place of residence in marriage to Annie Cremians, which took place 8 January 1902.  The marriage ended in divorce five years later.

In 1903, this was mentioned in The Pittsburgh Post: "Mrs. James L McGurk, who has been visiting Mrs. James Fielding, No. 54 Norwood avenue, returned home last Saturday, after a lengthy stay."  Mrs. James McGurk was probably a widowed woman by the name of Mary Hooks McGurk, who was born in 1867 in Ireland, but this has not been proven.  She is the most likely candidate though.

The Invalid Claim for Increase for James Fielding filed 9 June 1903 lists this address as his place of residence as does the Invalid Claim for Increase for James Fielding filed 14 December 1904 and the Additional Evidence and General Affidavit in the matter of James Fielding, claimant, filed 24 April 1905.

Around this time, the city of Pittsburgh (which spelled its name as Pittsburg at the time... the H wasn't added until 1911) was looking to expand again, having already absorbed East Birmingham, Birmingham and a number of other neighbors.  They looked to consolidate Allegheny City into their city, citing that Allegheny City needed the annexation because it was corrupt and the university in Allegheny City needed room to grow.  

There were of course, a number of other reasons too, but this blog post would be long and boring if I laid them all out, so I won't.

The members of the Fielding family were just a few of the 145,000 that lost their identity as Allegheny City residents when Pittsburgh's efforts to annex the city came to fruition on 7 December 1907.  While most of the residents of Allegheny City were very opposed to the annexation, they lost in a vote and later, in a Supreme Court decision.  

I am inclined to think that, given the fact that most of my ancestors' children claimed to be proud North Siders for the rest of their lives, that most of them were opposed to this annexation.  But their feelings on the matter, aside form a few family stories from my grandmother and cousins, are lost to time and history.

Names of streets in the former Allegheny City were changed because many were duplicated in the more populous Pittsburgh.  Whenever possible, the new street names of the newest part of Pittsburgh did begin with the same first letter to assist the transition.  It wasn't until 1911 when the entire process was completed.

I bring this up because, while the name of the street upon which the Fieldings lived never changed (unlike a number of others in my paternal ancestry), the house NUMBER did change.  The numbering system was also updated.  So while they stayed in the same house, which was lot number 54 in the development, the house number was changed to 2704.  Since the process took years, there is some overlap in address information on the house on Norwood.

James' wife Sarah died during the annexation process.  On 4 October 1907, she died in the house, which was listed as 2704 Norwood, 10th Ward of Allegheny City.  Her cause of death was apoplexy contributed by senile debility, or rather a stroke caused by old age (though she was only 68 years old at the time).  At the time of her death, she was a member of the Thomas Armstrong Council, number 92, of the Daughters of Liberty. She was a founding member of the council, which was a nativist group looking to limit immigration.  According to newspaper accounts from October of 1892, the council got its start then.  James was the informant on her death certificate.

Another thing happened in 1907 while the annexation process was going on and Sarah was in her last days.  The Pension Act of 1907 was passed 6 February 1907 and allowed for Civil War soldiers to collect a pension for old age.  In James' case, he was allowed to collect a pension of $15 per month because by 1907, he was 70.  He had to file a new claim to get the old age pension, since he was already receiving money for his disabilities from the war. 

Act of Feb. 6, 1907 Pension Card for James Fielding provided in the pension file for James Fielding from NARA sent to Kelley Wood-Davis 29 Jan 2020 by Deidre Erin Denton, genealogist

After having a number of denied claims for pension increases over the years since he was making the maximum allowed monthly pension as it was, James, of course, applied for a new claim.  The application for increase was filed on 14 Sept 1907, his 70th birthday, while he living at the house on Norwood Drive, though the address was still 54 Norwood on the application.  His witnesses of character for that pension application were James C. McIntyre, who lived at 1315 Penna Avenue and knew James Fielding for 35 years, and Phillip McDonough, who lived at 3124 Brighton Road and knew James Fielding for 20 years.  This increase was granted on 31 December 1907 and continued for a few years until the next pension act, in 1912, increased his monthly sum yet again.

James continued to live in the house himself, which I assume reverted to his ownership when Sarah died.  But in January of 1909, he moved to the Central Branch Home for Disabled Veterans in Dayton, Ohio.  This was the same home in which Jacob Bupp, my hangman's ropemaking ancestor, lived.  

But four of his children continued to live in the home.  Daughter Nellie was a widow and had two young children who likely lived with her.  Son James H. was disabled and blind.  Son Marcus was a bachelor and son Edward was just coming out of a divorce at the time.  The children lived there as late as 1925, per a plat book from that year.  There was a great deal of correspondence in James Fielding's pension file that dealt with the house after James' death, but that's another blog post for another time.

Sources Used:

Act of Feb. 6, 1907 Pension Card for James Fielding, certificate number 11390, Co. E, 155 Pennsylvania Infantry; Scanned copy provided in the pension file for James Fielding from NARA sent to Kelley Wood-Davis 29 Jan 2020 by Deidre Erin Denton, genealogist; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); Records Relating to Pension and Bounty-Land Claims 1773-1942, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15; 2,807 rolls, National Archives

Act of February 6, 1907, present claim for James Fielding, certificate number 11390, private, company E, 155 PA Vol. Inf.; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Additional Evidence and General Affidavit in the matter of James Fielding, claimant, filed 24 April 1905; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 954: 46, Robert W. Bissell to Sarah V. Fielding, recorded 6 November 1896; FHL microfilm 1531620.

Brief for Reopening for Claimant James Fielding, Private, Company E of 55 Pa Vol Inf (Rejected 22 January 1903); citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Brodt, Zach. "Record #12 - 1911 Pittsburgh Directory," University of Pittsburgh, Archives & Manuscripts @ Pitt, 22 May 2014 (https://pittarchives.tumblr.com/post/86495928408/record-12-1911-pittsburgh-directory : accessed 16 December 2021), information on the merger of Allegheny City.

Charles W. C. Wood and Birdie B. Fielding Marriage License and Certificate, (23 April 1901), Allegheny County Marriage Licenses: File Number 13279; Department of Court Records, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania.

"Death Record," obituary, The Pittsburgh Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 7 October 1906, Page 6; Mrs. Sarah V. Fielding; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 31 July 2016).

Hopkins, G. M. Real estate plat-book of the city of Allegheny: Wards 9-11, 14 and 15, Volume 2 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: G.M. Hopkins & Co., 1902); digital image, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 29 January 2021), plate 9, viewed property of Mrs. S. V. Fielding.

Hopkins, G. M. Real estate plat-book of the city of Pittsburgh: Wards 23-24, 26 and Part of 22 and 25 (Volume 4, revised 1939) (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: G.M. Hopkins & Co., 1925); digital image, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 16 December 2021), page 23, Perry South, viewed 2704 Norwood Avenue, owned by "J. E. Fielding et al."

Increase for Invalid Pension for James Fielding cert. no.11390, rejected 22 Jan 1903; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Invalid Claim for Increase for James Fielding, Co E 155 Regiment of Pa Inf Volunteers, cn 11390, filed 1 July 1902; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Invalid Claim for Increase for James Fielding, Co E, 155 Regiment Pa Inf Volunteers, no 11390, filed 9 June 1903; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Invalid Claim for Increase for James Fielding, co E, 155 Regiment of the Pa Inf, claim number 11390, filed 14 December 1904; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Jones, Diana Nelson. "The day the City of Allegheny disappeared: Pittsburgh gobbles smaller neighbor as Alleghenians vote 'no' but to no avail," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 9 December 2007; online archives (https://www.post-gazette.com/ : accessed 16 December 2021); https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2007/12/09/The-day-the-City-of-Allegheny-disappeared/stories/200712090229.

Miles, Lisa. Resurrecting Allegheny City: The Land, Structures & People of Pittsburgh's North Side (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: L. A. Miles, 2007.

"Notice of Sarah Fielding's death," death notice, The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 6 October 1907, Page 32; online images, Google News (https://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 31 July 2016).

"Official," official notice, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 17 April 1900, Page 7; Petition for Damages, costs and expenses of the improvement of a sewer on Norwood Avenue. Sarah V. Fielding was charged $20; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 27 July 2016).

"Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 13 July 2020), Entry for Edward McD. Fielding and Annie Cremians, 8 Jan 1902, referencing Allegheny County marriages, v. 57, page 782, ln D-19845; citing various county courthouses, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 July 2016), Entry for Sarah V. Fielding; died 4 October 1907; Certificate number: 95518; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1898 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1898), 376, "Fielding James, 54 Norwood av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1899 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1899), 445, "Fielding James, agt, 54 Norwood av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, Univerity of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1900 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1900), 432, "Fielding James H, lab, Norwood av n Hawkins av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1901 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1901), 472, "Fielding James agt 54 Norwood av A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1902 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1902), 506, "Fielding James agt 54 Norwood av Allegheny"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1903 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1903), 596, "Fielding James lab Norwood and Hawkins av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1904 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1904), 575, "Fielding James H lab 54 Norwood av A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1905 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1905), 530, "Fielding James H agt 2704 Norwood av A(llegheny); digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1906 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1906), 591, "Fielding James, 2704 Norwood, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1907 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1907), 606, "Fielding Jas, 2704 Norwood, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Pittsburgh directory, 1908 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1908), 554, "Fielding Jas, 2704 Norwood, A(llegheny); digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 27 July 2016).

Rooney, Dan and Carol Peterson, Allegheny City: A History of Pittsburgh's North Side (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Universityof Pittsburgh Press, 2013), 130-144.

Sarah V. Fielding entry, Allegheny City Registration of Deaths, volume 15: page 95, Allegheny County City County Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"Society in Pittsburgh and Allegheny City," The Pittsburgh Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 20 September 1903, 10; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 July 2020).

Soldier's Application for Increase of Pension for James Fielding, filed 14 Sept 1907; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Surgeon's Certificate for in the case of James Fielding Co E, 155 Reg't Pa Inf, Applicant for Increase pension number 11390, filed 8 Feb 1899; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Surgeon's Certificate for in the case of James Fielding Co E, 155 Reg't Pa Inf, Applicant for Increase pension number 11390, filed 29 Oct 1902; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Surgeon's Certificate for in the case of James Fielding Co E, 155 Reg't Pa Inf, Applicant for Increase pension number 11390, filed 7 Oct 1903; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Surgeon's Certificate for in the case of James Fielding Co E, 155 Reg't Pa Inf, Applicant for Increase pension number 11390, filed 28 Feb 1905; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

James Fielding: The Grand Army of the Republic and the 1890s

This is the fifth blog post in a series on James Fielding, one of my more fascinating ancestors. After his early life, his stint in the Civil War, having to change his profession, and his police officer days, he changed careers yet again, this time becoming a chiropodist.  During this time period, he was also heavily involved in the Grand Army of the Republic.

First, let's dig a little into the history of the Grand Army of the Republic, because it was a fascinating secret society in its heyday.

The Grand Army of the Republic was organized and chartered first in Illinois in 1866.  It was the brainchild of a enlisted Army surgeon by the name of Benjamin Franklin Stephenson.  By 1890, it had reached its peak with over half a million members in over 8,000 posts, including five presidents.  

Three objectives were the basis for organization; fraternity, charity and loyalty .  They had local meetings and "camp-fires" that were actually pretty popular.  There were annual state and national meetings, called encampments in which railroads had special trains and discounts and tents were set up so that veterans could relieve their war days. There was a special fund for needy veterans, widows and orphans.  Through the GAR, soldier's homes were set up.  The Civil War was significant in reuniting a divided nation and the GAR helped raise funds for memorials and memories to remind people of this.  

To become a member of the GAR, one had to have been honorably discharged from one of the branches of the US military between April of 1861 and December of 1865.  He could not have been part of the Confederacy and he had to apply to his local post, where the post decided his membership by vote.  The posts were organized similar to Masonic lodges, with similar rituals.

Members wore a double breasted coat that was dark blue with bronze buttons and had gold cord.  They also wore a bronze star badge on their lapels so that they could be easily identified as a member of the GAR.  They referred to their brothers as "comrades" and held votes for post positions.

James Fielding was a member of GAR Post #3, also known as the Gen Alex. Hays Post.  Alexander Hays was a general who started out in the Civil War as the colonel of the 63rd Pennsylvania Regiment and was promoted a few times through the course of the war before his death on 5 May 1864 in the Battle of the Wilderness.  (The 63rd Pennsylvania Regiment was the regiment John D. Wood served in that I wrote a history of long ago. His son Charles married Birdie Fielding, James' youngest daughter.)

Photograph of Brig. Gen. Alexander Hays that was taken sometime between 1860 and 1864. Photograph source: Library of Congress

As the GAR grew, so did its focus from being just a fraternal organization to a political one.  As the GAR grew, so did the idea that the organization could present demands upon legislators.  Pension bills became a point in which the GAR lobbied hard.  In fact, because President Grover Cleveland vetoed a comprehensive pension bill that Congress enacted in 1887, he lost the 1888 election because G.A.R. members pushed the pension rhetoric into the polls, helping to elect Benjamin Harrison as president instead.   

It is not known when James first joined Post #3 of the Grand Army of the Republic, but on 9 January 1888, he was elected as inside guard in the post.  He may have joined the GAR because of the pension issue, as several claims he made to increase his pension were rejected before he was elected an officer in the post.  

James Fielding was working as a chiropodist at the time he was elected officer.  Chiropodists worked on feet, removing ingrown toenails, calluses, and corns.  Sometimes they plied their wares as street traders, but by the time of James Fielding's tenure as a chiropodist, many had established offices.  In 1888, James had an office at 543 Wood and in 1889, he had an office at 811 Penn Avenue, which appears to have been an office building of sorts in Pittsburgh, per searches of the newspapers of the day.  He appeared to have this job off and on until 1898, per city directories.  Interestingly enough, he took out an advertisement right under his listing in the 1891 Pittsburgh area directories that read: 

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1891/1892 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1891), 318, "Fielding Jas, chiropodist, 7 Jackson, A(llegheny)" Source: Historic Pittsburgh

On 21 April 1888, James filed a Re-Rating Arrears and Increase of Pension claim stating he needed his pension corrected because his rate of pension of $4 a month was "unjustly low and disproportionate to the degree of his disability."  John Burke and Samuel Moore, both of Pittsburgh, were his witnesses, and P. J. Lockwood was his attorney.  A notation on the front of the claim stated "Claimant objects to being sent to the board before which he was last examined." On 3 April 1889 the pension was increased to $12 per month, as this was the first successful claim.  

This coincided with the Grand Army of the Republic's biggest victory in politics, as President Harrison signed into law the Pension Act of 1890, which allowed any and all persons who had served ninety days in service in one of the branches of the United States military during the Civil War, were honorably discharged,  never part of the Confederacy, and who were suffering from some sort of disability that incapacitated them from manual labor to receive funds from the United States.  The pension was to be at least six dollars a month, but not exceeding twelve dollars a month.  It was also the first time in the history of United States pension acts that the soldier or sailor's rank was not considered.

On 1 Dec 1890, James was elected as officer of the guard to Post #3.  Though the post was in the city of Pittsburgh at the time, James was still living in Allegheny City, where he resided at 7 Jackson Street.  This was the address listed on his daughter Emma's marriage license application in December 1890 when she married William McKim.

In December 1894, the GAR ran this about him in The Pittsburgh Press "Comrade James Fielding, Post 3's old warhorse, had returned from Williamsport and will reside permanently in this city.  As usual, he will have charge of the annual distribution of Christmas turkeys to the widows of the Post."

The reason for his relocation to Williamsport lies in his Appeal for Reconsideration that was received 8 August 1892 which states: "...he believes injustice has been done him.  He feels that the Allegheny Board must be prejudiced against him.  He respectfully requests that he may be ordered to Washington D.C. for reexamination at the time of the GAR Encampment, or the Williamsport, Pa."  On 15 February 1893, James was examined again by doctors, this time in Williamsport.  The physicians felt he was entitled to a pension increase for both his dislocated shoulder and for his bayonet wound.  But he never received those pension increases due to the Pension Act of 1890.  

For whatever reason, James returned to Allegheny City and took up his duties as a comrade of Post 3 again.  He resided on Leland Avenue, where wife Sarah was charged $21.11 cents for sewer repairs in December of 1898.  It is very likely that while James moved to Williamsport for a period of about a year, his family stayed in Allegheny City.

In September of 1895, Louisville in Kentucky became the first city south of the Mason-Dixon line to host the annual Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic.  It was the largest convention ever in the city. 

James Fielding was part of the advance guard of the Pittsburgh posts, which left, probably by train, on 5 September 1895.  He was instructed with procuring headquarters for the Pittsburgh contingent, which he found in room 17 at the Law Temple on Green and Fifth streets.  The encampment was a success, though several were killed due to a cannon explosion the morning of the parade and a grandstand collapsed at the fireworks display. It was reported later in September that "Comrades H. A. Moore and James Fielding came in for a great deal of praise for the manner in which they performed their duties at Louisville."

Not much else is known about James' work with the Grand Army of the republic after the Louisville Encampment.  He was mentioned in a May 1892 article as one of the members of Post 3 who was visiting schools for Decoration day.  This was the biggest legacy left by the GAR.  The celebration of what was then Decoration Day became the national holiday of Memorial Day.  Though it was a Southern tradition started in Virginia, it eventually was pushed to become the celebration it now is by the Grand Army of the Republic.

The Grand Army of the Republic dwindled because Union veterans began to die off, with the last remaining member, Comrade Albert Woolson, dying in 1956.

James' story continued though, as he owned a house in Allegheny City for many, many years.  But that's a story for another post.

Sources:

Ancestry.com, "1890 Veterans Schedules," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 July 2016), Entry for James Fielding, Year: 1890, Census Place: Allegheny Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 88, Page: 1, and Enumeration District: 174.

Appeal for Reconsideration Filed for James Fielding, received 8 August 1892; Scanned copy provided in the pension file for James Fielding from NARA sent to Kelley Wood-Davis 29 Jan 2020 by Deidre Erin Denton, genealogist; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); Records Relating to Pension and Bounty-Land Claims 1773-1942, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15; 2,807 rolls, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Celebration Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine, "The Evolution of Podiatry: Historical Insights You Should Know," Celebration Orthopaedic, Celebration Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Institute, 17 May 2021 (https://celebrationorthopaedics.com/podiatry-in-celebration/ : accessed 21 October 2021). 

General Affidavit, case of James Fielding, late of Co. E, 155th Regt. Penna Vols filed by Dr. J. H. Wright, 2 Dec 1886; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

"The Grand Army of the Republic and Kindred Societies," article, Library of Congress Researcher and References Service Division (https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/gar/garintro.html : accessed 19 November 2021), Information on the Grand Army of the Republic.

Invalid Claim for Increase for James Fielding, co E, 155 Pennsylvania, no 11390, filed 30 Jan 1890; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Invalid Increase for James Fielding, Co. E, 155th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, number 11390, filed 4 June 1889; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Invalid Pension Reissue to Allow Additional Disability for James Fielding, cn 11390, Co E, 155 Pa Vol Inf (Present claim filed 18 June 1889); citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Invalid, Re-Rating & Increase for James Fielding, Co. E, 155th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, number 11390, filed 21 April 1888; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1888/1889 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1888), 343, "Fielding Jas, chiropodist, 543 Wood, h 7 Jackson, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1889/1890 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1889), 356, "Fielding Jas, chiropodist, 811 Penn av, h 7 Jackson av A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pennsylvania, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1890/1891 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1890), 287, "Fielding J. chiropodist, 7 Jackson av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1891/1892 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1891), 318, "Fielding Jas, chiropodist, 7 Jackson, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1892/1893 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1892), 320, "Fielding Jas, chiropodist, 7 Jackson, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1893/1894 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1893), 326, "Fielding Jas, chiropodist, 7 Jackson, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1894/1895 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1894), 317, "Fielding Jas, Leland av, n Charles, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1895/1896 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1895), 331, "Fielding J, Physician, Leland av, n Charles, A(llegheny), h same"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1896/1897 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1896), 348, "Fielding Jas, chiropodist, Leland av, n Charles, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1897/1898 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1897), 352, "Fielding Jas, chiropodist, Leland av, n. Hawkins av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, Unversity of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

"Lodge Room Gossip," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 14 February 1892, page 14; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 December 2021).

Medical Evidence Affidavit of Dr. M. J. Koenig, in the Claim of James Fielding, pvt, Co E, 155th Pa Vols, number 11390 for Increase, filed 2 August 1892; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Medical Evidence Affidavit of J. Stickel, M.D., in the Claim of James Fielding, pvt, Co E, 155th Pa Vols, number 11390 for Increase, filed 4 August 1892; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

"Officers of the G.A.R. elected," The Pittsburgh Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 2 December 1890, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 February 2020).

Pearson, John. "A Brief History of Chiropody and Podiatry," Carole Adrienne, Civil War Rx, no date, (http://civilwarrx.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-brief-history-of-chiropody-and.html : accessed 21 October 2021).

"Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 June 2020), Entry for William McKisn and Emma Fielding, 16 Dec 1890, FHL microfilm # 878584; citing various county courthouses, Pennsylvania.

"Post 3's Installation," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 10 January 1888, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 October 2021).

Prechtel-Kluskens, Claire. "A Reasonable Degree of Promptitude": Civil War Pension Application Processing, 1861–1885," Prologue, Spring 2010, Vol 42. No. 1; online, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2010/spring/civilwarpension.html : accessed 4 March 2021).

Rothbard, Murray N. "Beginning the Welfare State: Civil War Veteran's Pensions," The Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, 22:1 (Spring 2019): 68-81.

"Secret Societies: Grand Army of the Republic," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 8 September 1895, page 11; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 December 2021).

"Secret Societies: The Grand Army," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 23 December 1894, page 14; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 October 2021).

"Secret Society: Grand Army of the Republic," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 29 September 1895, page 15; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 December 2021).

Surgeon's Certificate in case of James Fielding, co E, 155th Pa. Vols, Applicant for Increase, claim number 11390 filed 3 April 1889; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Surgeon's Certificate for in the case of James Fielding Co E, 155 Reg't Pa Inf, Applicant for Increase pension number 11390, filed 4 June 1890; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

U. S. Congress, The Statutes at Large, Treaties and Proclmations of the United States of America, vols. 19-125 (United States Government Publishing Office: Washington, D.C., 1876–2011), 26: 182-183, 27 June 1890, "An act granting to soldiers and sailors who are incapacitated for the performance of manual labor and providing for pensions to widows, minor children, and dependent parents," 634

Veach, Michael. "Grand Army of the Republic at The Filson," Filson Historical Society, The Filson Newsmagazine, n.d. (https://filsonhistorical.org/archive/news_v2n3_gar.html : accessed 9 December 2021).

"The Veterans' Advance Guard," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 6 September 1895, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 8 September 2021).

"Viewers' Reports," official notice, Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 23 October 1898, Page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 31 July 2016).

Waskie, Anthony. "The Grand Army of the Republic," article, Essential Civil War Curriculum (https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/the-grand-army-of-the-republic.html : accessed 19 November 2021).

James Fielding: Police Officer

This is the third blog post in a series on James Fielding, one of my more fascinating ancestors. After his early life, his stint in the Civil War, and having to change his profession, he also was, later in life, a police officer for the Allegheny City police force. This is that story.

On 28 April 1881, the Allegheny City Police Committee held a special meeting.  The mayor of the city at the time was Lewis Peterson Jr, who was the cousin of James' mother-in-law Emeline Peterson McDonald McLaughlin and nephew to the first of three Henry Petersons.  Lewis Peterson submitted a list of appointments he had made for confirmation.  On that list was the name of James Fielding, his cousin's son-in-law, who badly needed a job.  Although he was impaired form his Civil War injuries, he still was able to become an officer, for the list, save for two men, were confirmed by the police committee.

Some of his actions as a police officer were recorded in the local newspapers.  It is not 100% certain that these are all James Fielding, as he was merely listed as "Officer Fielding," but the timeline appears to match up correctly, so they will all be reported.  In genealogy, especially when it comes to newspaper accounts, not everything is 100% certain.

One of his first acts as a police officer was to spoil the fun of some boys playing ball in the Eighth Ward by arresting them and taking them to the Mayor's office on 8 May 1881.

On 25 August 1881, this was reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

 "A one legged crazy man was picked up on Ohio street yesterday afternoon by Officer Fielding, and place in the lockup.  He could not give his name or residence.  He is crazy on religious subjects."

Officer Fielding procured a wagon for a man by the name of Mr. Reed on 12 September 1881 when he was thrown from his own wagon when he collided with a gad lamp and was seriously injured.  James escorted the man home to his house on the corner of 36th and Penn in Pittsburgh.

On 29 November 1881, he made two arrests that made the newspapers.  He arrested Henry Helewig for domestic abuse after Helewig's child was gravely injured.  He also arrested one intoxicated woman by the name of Mary Greenewalt after she impeded a train by falling drunkenly across the tracks and had to be rescued.

In February 1882, he testified in a trial against Health Officer Christ Hoch after charges were brought against the man that he was publicly intoxicated at the polls.  James had seen Hoch the day in question and testified he did not think Hoch was drunk.  Hoch was neither exonerated nor censured in the meeting.

On 2 April 1882, he rescued an elderly man from Sharpsville, Pennsylvania by the name of Andrew nelson.  According to the Pittsburgh Daily Post, Nelson was an itinerant who was quite ill on the bank of the river.  He was sent to lock-up first and then to the city home.

On 30 May 1882, he had to euthanize a ferocious dog owned by Jacob Snyder after the dog bit a young boy by the name of Harry Baker twice.

Sometime in early August of 1882, he fell while walking on a boardwalk in the Troy Hill neighborhood and dislocated his arm.  One must wonder if it was the same arm he injured in the Civil War.  On 2 December 1882, he received $46 for lost time, presumably for this injury.

On 2 Jan 1883, the Pittsburgh Daily Post reported this

"Officer Fielding was yesterday made the victim of a practical joke.  Upon entering the Allegheny Engine House on Troy Hill, he was presented by the members of the company with a handsome pipe filled with what he supposed was tobacco.  He immediately lit it and after smoking for a few moments was startled by a loud report, the bowl that had been partially filled with powder, having exploded.  Mr. Fielding, after recovering from his astonishment, left the house without thanking the donors for the gift."

His bad luck continued to plague him, for on 28 January 1883, he was attacked on Lowry Street in the Troy Hill neighborhood.  A gang of roughs fought with him and he was severely beaten, though no arrests were made.

No other accounts were made in 1883 about Officer Fielding until August of 1883, when he was listed as an ex-police officer in another public drunkenness trial.  This time, the charges were made against Lieutenant McCormick, who had been suspended for his charges by Mayor Peterson but was brought up before the Allegheny Police Commission.  The communication from James was placed in the lieutenant's file, as Mayor Peterson suggested that "he alone had the authority to investigate charges against his officers."

For a period in 1883-1884, he went back to being an agent, according to the 1884 city directory for Pittsburgh and Allegheny City, though it is not known if he went back to the publication company or not.  But his stint as a police officer was not yet over, for on 1 May 1884 he was nominated again as a police officer by Mayor James G. Wyman and sworn in again by the Police Committee on the same day.

On 15 August 1884, James arrested 18-year-old James Montgomery from Cleveland because the youth was throwing stones at a Blaine and Logan Marching club.

On 18 February 1885, a broom peddler by the name of John Steinmetz was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.  He tried to stab James with a knife.

The February article is the last mention of James as a police officer that can be found in the newspapers.  The Pittsburgh area city directory for 1886/1887 still lists him as a police officer, living at 160 James in Allegheny City, but there are no mentions of him making arrests in 1886, so one cannot be sure.  

It was this address that clinched that he was a police officer, for it was at this address that James filed an Invalid Claim for Increase on 7 Sept 1885.  John Wells and Frank Wadlow were the witnesses on this affidavit.  This was also the address daughter Jennie gave on her marriage license application to Joseph Titus.  The couple was married 3 December 1885.  James filed an increase again on 16 August 1886 and claimed the same address.  The witnesses on that affidavit were R. B. Robinson and James A. Green or Greer.

What is also known is that he went on to become a maker of lightning rods, per the 1887/1888 city directory for Pittsburgh and Allegheny City.

While his adventures as a police officer were over and done with, there was still more to his story, especially his involvement with the Grand Army of the Republic.  But that is better left for another blog post.

Sources Used:

"Allegheny Briefs," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 19 February 1885, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 September 2021).

"Allegheny Committee Work: Business Before the Police and Health Committees," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 2 August 1883, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 23 September 2021).

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"The News from Allegheny," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 13 September 1881, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 23 September 2021).

"The News from Allegheny," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 30 November 1881, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 23 September 2021).

"Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 22 February 2020), Entry for Joseph Titus and Jennie Fielding, 3 Dec 1885, cn 568, referencing Allegheny County (Pennsylvania), Clerk of the Orphans' Court, Marriages, volume 1, page 190, FHL microfilm number 878577; citing various county courthouses, Pennsylvania.

"Stoning a Marching Club," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 16 August 1884, page 4; online images, Google News (https://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 24 September 2021).

Surgeon's Certificate in Case of James Fielding, Application for Increase dated 25 November 1885; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

"Wyman's Brigade: New Police Force of Allegheny on Duty," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 2 May 1884, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 23 September 2021).

James Fielding: Man of Many Hats

**Blogger's note here - apologies for the small break in my blogging.  I have been working on my fiction writing as well lately and that has taken a great deal of my "free time" lately, as I do this in addition to a full time job and normal day-to-day activities**

This is the third blog post in a series on James Fielding, one of my more fascinating ancestors.  After his early life and his stint in the Civil War, he found himself injured and having to change the course of his life.  This is that story.

Because he had injured his shoulder and his foot during his brief stint in the War of Rebellion, James Fielding found himself having a hard time doing manual labor.  While he resided with his mother-in-law Emeline McDonald in the Second Ward of Allegheny City directly after being discharged per his entry in the Civil War Draft of 1862, by the end of 1863 he was living in Richland Township, at the northern end of Allegheny County.  According to medical affidavits filed later in his life, he lived here for three years.  Daughter Emma's death certificate stated she was born in Richland Township in 1866, which helps lend credence to this as their location at the time.

From 1867 until early 1869, James also owned land in McClure Township, a lot he bought for $250.  The lot was a plot in a development divided by Frederick Eschelman and John S. Ashworth.  It was described as "having a front of twenty feet on a street, thirty feet wide and extending back on the south side ninety eight feet more or less and on the north side sixty seven feet more or less to edge of stone quarry rock, also the right to a spring for family use situate on the north east corner of said street."

I should note here that there is a bit of confusion as to where he lived and worked, as several different documents give different accounts.  What I do know is he did a number of manual labor jobs that required sitting, for his foot did still pain him.

Per an affidavit filed by James Godfrey on 29 Jan 1891, James Fielding rented bench room in Godfrey's blacksmith shop to work as a locksmith and a bell hanger from 1866 to 1867.  H. J. Westerman claimed in an affidavit filed on 2 Jan 1891 that he had known James Fielding for 25 years and that around the years of 1866 and 1867, James worked in the same shop as Westerman (probably James Godfrey's shop) and that Westerman helped to fix James' arm when it became dislocated.  

James was listed as living at 7 Ohio Street in Allegheny City in the 1868 city directory, working as the locksmith and bell hanger, but that stint appeared to be short lived.  By late 1868, he was working in a sewing factory, probably in Allegheny City.  Per the Medical Evidence Affidavit of Dr. M. J. Koenig filed 2 August 1892 found in James' pension file, the following was recorded:

"His right eye is blind in consequence of a cataract, during the year of 1868 found Jas. Fielding light employment in a sewing factory where he had to chisel with a light hammer at a piece of steel, when his shoulder caused him to make a mis-shift, starting a fine steel chip to cut through the cornea of the right eye.  He has consulted opticians of high standing, who adviced him not to have it operated on, as it might endanger the left eye."

The 1870 census has always confused me for the Fielding family.  James was listed as living as a boarder in the Sherman House Hotel in Ward 10 of St. Louis, Missouri and working as a printer, but it appears he was just passing through the city.  There is evidence he was working as a traveling printer and salesman.

His wife Sarah and their children were enumerated in the fifth district of New Orleans, Louisiana.  While Sarah was not listed in the 1870 New Orleans City Directory, her neighbor on the census, Nathan Johnson, engineer, was living on Seguin, between Delaronde and Villere according to the directories.  what is interesting is that their living children, James, Fanny and Emma, were all listed with the surname of Andrew instead of Fielding.  Sarah's mother, Emeline, was living in New Orleans with her second husband Elmon McLaughlin, so it is likely that Sarah and the children traveled down the rivers to live near Emeline while James was traveling.

From 1872 to 1873, he lived at 186 Rebecca Street in Allegheny City, working as a machinist and then as an agent.  While further research did not reveal what kind of an agent, it is surmised he was a book agent of sorts.  It is likely this was the house that daughter Nellie was born in, as she was born 2 August 1872.

At the biennial review for his pension payment in 1873, the pension was reduced to $4 per month.  Apparently, the Medical Board thought his disability didn't warrant the pension he was receiving and the degree of his disability was likely reduced.

By 1874, James Fielding had moved to Cleveland, Ohio.  At first, it appears he moved there himself without taking his family, as he was listed in the 1874 Cleveland area directory as a boarder living at Saint Charles hotel, where he was listed as a book agent.  He likely sold subscriptions for Appleton Publications, who created such works as Picturesque America.   Appleton's was located at 90, 92, and 94 Grand Street in New York City, according to an advertisement in the Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette in 1870. They sold subscriptions to their essays for $4.50 a year.  By 1874, they were located at 549 and 550 Broadway Avenue in New York City and had completed the essays that were become Picturesque America, which was listed as James' employer in the 1875 Cleveland Directory.  

By December 1875, he was working for the newspaper The Christian at Work, and an advertisement they ran in the Daily Cleveland Herald made mention of him: 

"Mr. James Fielding, who is widely and favorably known, has been engaged to travel in this section and appoint local agents throughout the country." (18 Dec 1875, page 8).

It is not known where his family lived from 1874 to 1875, but by 1876, the family was living with him in Cleveland, as son Edward was born at 566 Hamilton on 20 April 1876.  However, just a year later, they were living once again in Allegheny City, as James was listed again as in the Pittsburgh area city directories, living at 77 Bidwell.  He worked as a printer and then a watchman.  Son Marcus was likely born in this house, as he was born 2 December 1878.

The 1880 census listed him living in Allegheny City, probably still at the Bidwell address.  He was listed as a locksmith by occupation, with wife Sarah, sons James, Edward and Marcus, and daughters Jennie, Emma and Nellie.  It was at the Bidwell address that James filed another declaration for increase on 13 March 1880, claiming his wound had become much worse, rendering him incapable of following his usual occupation (though which "usual occupation" is not listed). James J. Brown and Daniel J. Boden were the witnesses on this affidavit.  He stated he was only making $4 a month as a pension.  This was rejected on 13 May 1880.

While his life continued on and he had a stint as a police officer, that will be listed in a future blog post.

Sources Used:

"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 July 2016), Entry for James Fielding; Year: 1870, Census Place: St Louis Ward 10 St Louis, Missouri, Roll: M593_820, Page: 26B, Image: 93043, and Family History Library Film: 552319.

"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 July 2016), Entry for Sarah V Fielding and household; Year: 1870, Census Place: New Orleans Ward 14 Orleans, Louisiana, Roll: M593_525, Page: 789A, Image: 271699, and Family History Library Film: 552024.

Act of July 14, 1862 Pension Card for James Fielding, volume 3, page 144, Co. E, 155 Pennsylvania Infantry; Scanned copy provided in the pension file for James Fielding from NARA sent to Kelley Wood-Davis 29 Jan 2020 by Deidre Erin Denton, genealogist; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); Records Relating to Pension and Bounty-Land Claims 1773-1942, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15; 2,807 rolls, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed book 223: 621-623, Frederick D. and Eliza Ann Eshelman, and John S. and Ellen Ashworth, to James Fielding, recorded 17 Oct 1867; FHL microfilm 1509528 and 1509529.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed book 249: 607-608, James and Sarah V. Fielding to David Wright, recorded 18 February 1870; FHL microfilm 1509761.

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "1880 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operation, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 July 2016), Entry for james Fielding and family; Year: 1880, Census Place: Allegheny Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1086, Family History Film: 1255086, Page: 132B, Enumeration District: 006, and Image: 0269.

"Appleton's Journal," advertisement, Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 22 November 1870, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 July 2020).

Atlas of the cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs (Philadlephia, Pennsylvania: G.M. Hopkins, 1876); digital images, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 5 February 2021), Plate 10-11> viewed Rebecca Street in the 5th Ward of Allegheny City.

Beers, F. W., and S. N. Beers, Map of Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania : from actual surveys (Philadelphia: Smith, Gallupp and Hewitt, 1862); digital image, Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division (https://www.loc.gov/item/2012592151/ : accessed 7 July 2021), viewed part of Richland township.

Brief in the Case of James Fielding, Private, Company E, 155th Regiment of Pa. Vol.: Claim for Invalid Pension Proof Exhibited, dated 29 April 1863; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Certificate of Disability for Discharge for James Fielding, Private, Co. E, 155th PA, filed 11 Jan 1863; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

The Cleveland Directory 1874/1875 (Cleveland, Ohio: W. S. Robison, 1874), 209, "Fielding James, bk agt, bds St. Charles Hotel"; digital images, HathiTrust (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100677838 : accessed 20 July 2020).

The Cleveland Directory 1875/1876 (Cleveland, Ohio: Robison, Savage and Co., 1875), 212, "Fielding James, agt. Appleton's Picturesque America, 20 ws. Pub Sqr. r. 1 Buckeye"; digital images, HathiTrust (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100677838 : accessed 20 July 2020).

The Cleveland Directory 1876/1877 (Cleveland, Ohio: Robison, Savage and Co., 1876), 204, "Fielding James, agt. r. 570 Hamilton"; digital images, HathiTrust (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100677838 : accessed 20 July 2020).

"The Christian at Work," advertisement, Daily Cleveland Herald (Cleveland, Ohio), 18 December 1875, page 8; online images, GenealogyBank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 20 July 2020).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1863-1864 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1863), 100, "Fielding James, machinist, 56 Fourth"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 30 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1868/1869 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1868), 168, "Fielding James, locksmithing and bell hanging, 7 Ohio, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 28 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1872-1873 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1872), 169, "Fielding James, machinist, 186 Rebecca, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 29 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1873/1874 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1873), 192, "Fielding James, agt, 186 Rebecca, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 29 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1874/1875 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1874), 209, "Fielding James, agt, n Perry av, 2d ward, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 29 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1877-1878 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1877), 203, "Fielding Jas, printer, 77 Bidwell, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 29 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1878/1879 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1878), 221, "Fielding Jas, printer, 77 Bidwell, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 29 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1879-1880 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1879), 229, "Fielding Jas, watchman, 77 Bidwell, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 29 July 2016).

General Affidavit of Henry Barr, filed 3 Feb 1891, Pension file of James Fielding; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

General Affidavit of H. J. Westerman in the claim of James Fielding, co E, 155 Regiment, Pa Volunteers, no 11930, filed 2 Jan 1891; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Invalid Claim for Increase for James Fielding, filed 13 March 1880; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Invalid Pension Claim Declaration for James Fielding, filed 8 Jan 1863; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Medical Evidence Affidavit of Dr. M. J. Koenig, in the Claim of James Fielding, pvt, Co E, 155th Pa Vols, number 11390 for Increase, filed 2 August 1892; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

National Archives and Records Administration, "U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 July 2016), Entry for James Fielding, born about 1837 from 2nd Ward Allegheny City, Pennsylvania; citing "General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934". Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T288, 546 rolls.

"Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 25 February 2020), Entry for male Child Fielding, born 20 April 1876 at 556 Hamilton, Cleveland; Cuyahoga > Birth registers with index 1872-1876 > image 204 of 288; FHL Microfilm number 1986157; citing County courthouses, Ohio.

"Publishers' Notice to Picturesque America Suscribers," advertisement, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 28 October 1874, page 5; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 July 2020).

Reimbursement Card, Certificate number 11390, for invalid pensioner James Fielding; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

Surgeon's Certificate of Biennial, Annual, or Semi-Annual Examination, on which the Pensioner Draws his Pension for James Fielding, filed in Pittsburgh, 13 Sept 1873; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); RG 15, 2,807 rolls, NA–Washington.

"U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2021), Entry for James Fielding, birth year about 1837, residence Second Ward (Allegheny City),; citing "Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registrations, 1863-1865". NM-65, entry 172, 620 volumes. NAI: 4213514. Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau (Civil War), Record Group 110. National Archives at Washington D.C.