Notes |
- 1880 Federal Census shows that John is age 38, that he is a laborer, and he was born in Ireland. Rose is 31, born in Canada, and she keeps house. George is age 8, he was born in Pennsylvania. Mary is age (unreadable--6?) and she was born in Pennsylvania. Anna is age 4 and she was born in Pennsylvania.
John Ford's Pension File (180 pages)
John applied for a disability pension on April 2, 1878 and died while it was pending. Rose applied for a pension on Oct. 9, 1883. Both of these were rejected because the committee felt that his ailments were not directly related to his service in the navy. Rose filed an appeal, and over the years there were many letters and many depositions until she was finally granted a pension. In 1890, she was awarded $8 per month plus $2 more for Anna, Margaret, and Catherine until they reached the age of 16. In 1908, she received an increase to $12, in 1917 and increase to $25, and in 1920 an increase to $30 per month.
The file includes depositions from family members such as Frank Ginder, Mary Duffy Ginder, Patrick and Ann Duffy, and Maria Davitt (his sister) from Minneapolis.
John's service record includes yearly enlistments until his last one, which was an enlistment for 3 years. He was released early, however, due to frail health. All service was on the ship "Michigan".
July 1, 1858-July 1859
July 4, 1859-July 4, 1860
April 1861-April 1862
April 1862-April 1863
April 1863-March 30, 1864
June 17, 1864-Sept. 15, 1865
John suffered from derangement of liver, pain in chest, piles, constipation of bowels, and disease of heart and lungs. It was believed that these ailments were directly related to "exposure and hardships" of life on an iron vessel and contraced in June of 1864. He died from typhoid pneumonia.
John states that he was born in Ireland and that he lived in Liverpool, England from childhood, and was only a few months old when his parents moved there. He came to Boston in July of 1857 and then went to Clinton, MA. Then he came to Erie and lived there until enlistment. He states that in the past he attended school and did nothing else. He moved to Eau Claire in June of 1879 and lived in Porters Mills, a sawmill area outside of Eau Claire. (Porters Mills ceased to exist when the mill closed, but there is still a Porterville Road in the area.) His family, wife and children, joined him in September 1879.
John was not able to do heavy work, such as lifting or any exertion at all. He could only do light work, and not for a full day, like a normal workman.
Daily Free Press (Eau Claire, WI) March 19, 1883
Funeral Notice
The funeral of Mr. Ford, who died at his home in Porterville last Saturday, will take place tomorrow morning. The procession is expected to arrive here at 11 o'clock and the interment will take place in the north side cemetery.
|