Bartholomew, Samuel G.—Civil War Pension Application, National Archives,

Washington, DC: Born 3 December 1838 in Columbus (Adams) Illinois. Married Mary

A. Fordyce 16 October 1862 in Fulton County, Illinois. Their children: Alvah L., born 25

April 1865; Oliver C., born 2 November 1866; Helen and Henry born 5 September 1873;

and Adda A. born 30 October 1875. In 1907 the government stopped his pension after

being informed that Samuel was listed as a deserter. The Pension Bureau asked for a

tracing of his signature and a copy of his personal description so they could be certain

that the military unit records matched. The resolution is not recorded in his file, but the

Pension Bureau reinstated his pension, reimbursed him for lost payments, and removed

the charge of desertion.

“In regard to the gun shot wound in left hand in order to make a legitimate living I had

to go south in winter and hunt and fish, so I went south on St[eamer Dick] Clyde. I

worked my passage to big lake, in state of Arkansas. We got wind bound in the foot of

the lake and began loading shells to go hunting when a shell exploded in my left hand.

This was on December 19th

1890.”—Samuel Bartholomew, 1897

Samuel lived in Table Grove (Fulton) Illinois from 1862 until 1880 and again from 1896

to 1916. From 1880 - 1896 he stated he lived in Naples (Scott) Illinois. In a letter from

the Farmers Bank, Table Grove, Illinois, dated April 5, 1916 (unsigned) it was stated that

“Mr. Bartholomew married the second time a few years ago, but was soon separated

from his wife, and that they are or were divorced some time previous to his death.” He

died 2 April 1916 in Table Grove (Fulton) Illinois.

Samuel G Bartholomew