MySource:HLJ411/Affidavit to Pension Board, M17

The document was passed to me by John Cotton, jwcotton@tcainternet.com.

Reference number: MRIN # 17

E-Mail: inquire@nara.gov

URL: http://www.nara.gov

State of Vermont Franklin County. In the matter of invalid pension claim No. 1787, of Samuel S. Jackman of Co.K, 5th Regt. Vt. Vols, personally appeared said Samuel S. Jackman and after being by me duly sworn deposes and says,

That for three years immediately prior to his enlistment his place of residence was Bolton, Chittenden County, Vt. That he owned a farm there and that his occupation was that of a farmer and that previous to said enlistment as such soldier he had never been troubled with rheumatism, heart disease, or dropsy, but was a healthy person.

That before the time of his discharge which was on the 31st day of May AD 1862until about a year and one half afterwards he resided in said Bolton, that while in Bolton he was unable to work on his farm, but that during said last named period his health improved so he became able to perform light work. That he then went to Jerico, Vt, and resided about two years, and while in Jerico had charge of a saw mill owned by Henry Fields then of said Jericho but his present address is unknown to affiant and was able to do very light work about half the time, but that his health became worse and he was obliged to quit his said employment and that he then went to Ghent, Lichfield County, Connecticut and resided there and peddled lumber for said Field until the following summer, about May 1866, and returned to said Bolton stayed there until the spring of 1867, and then went to visit friends in Calamasue, Michigan. That he stayed about one month in said last named place with one Henry Lock, then went to Lowell, Wisconsisn and stayed there a short time visiting and then went to Mount Pleasant, Iowa and visited there about two months. That during all this time he was in the Western States he was incapable of performing any hard labor. That leaving Mount Pleasant he returned to said Bolton in the winter of 1867 in November or December, and resided there and in said Jerico until the fall of 1869, when he came to St. Albans, Vermont, and resided until November AD 1875, when he removed to Richford, Vermont, and resided in Richford until the month of October AD 1877, and then returned to St. Albans ever since.

That when he first returned from said service he was treated by Dr. J. M. Knox, then of Burlington, Vt, who treated him for dropsy and rheumatism, for about five months, that said Dr. told him his heart was affected but that he could not do much for it. That he was then taken much worse with rheumatism or dropsy and Dr. F. F. Hovey then of said Jerico, being the nearest physician was summoned and that he attended him for four or five weeks until he was able to be out. That in the spring of 1863 he was taken worse on account particularly of palpitation of the heart or heart difficulty and Dr. Loren Chamberlin then of Richmond VT treated him for the same. That said physicians are all deceased, that the only doctor living who has treated him since his said discharge is Dr. George Dunsmore of St. Albans Vt. That he has suffered on account of no acute disease except on account of said dropsy, rheumatism or heart trouble. That he has been troubled with said last named diseases since his said discharge, and that he contracted the same on account of exposure, sleeping on damp ground while on swamp lands on farms at or near Lees Mills near Williamsburgh Va. That he thus contracted and was treated for while in said service Typhoid Fever. That he did not fully recover, and that said complaints of rheumatism, dropsy and heart disease are the results, as he is informed and believes of said exposure, and not fully recovered from said fever. That since his discharge he has continually taken medicine for said complaints, That he was treated by said Dr. George Dunsmore for Sciatic rheumatism he thinks in the year 1874. That after the fall of AD 1867 until the fall of 1869, he did odd jobs of work, but was unable to work one third of the time. That upon moving to St. Albans in 1869 he commenced working for the Central Vermont R.R. Co. as breakman, and was able to and worked about one half of the time at said work until 1875 and until the present time, that since June 1870, he has been conductor on freight train, but through the kindness of Railroad Managers he has kept his position though unable to work full time.

Witness Geo. T. Mooney Samuel S. Jackman State of Vermont Franklin County

At St. Albans in said county this 26th day of September AD 1882, personally appeared the said SS Jackman and made out to the truth of the foregoing affidavit by him subscribed, and I further certify that said affiant was fully acquainted with the contents of said affidavit before signing and that the words "and now" and "said disease" were erased and the words "but his present residence is unknown to affiant", "thus contracted" and "while in said service" interlined before signing; and that I have no interest direct or indirect in the prosecution of this claim.

Wilburn P Davis

County Clerk