Person:Margaret McBride (20)

Margaret Jane “Jennie” MCBRIDE was the only daughter of Francis and Hannah McBride. She was born in 1852 in Washington Co., PA, where her parents went to be with relatives during her birth. Washington County is at the western edge of Pennsylvania, whereas Margaret’s family lived in the eastern part of the state. The only information about Margaret’s life comes from public records. She was living in Camden Mills (now Milan, a suburb of Rock Island), IL, at age 5 with her parents and brother, George, when her father died during a water well cave-in in 1857. Jennie married Civil War veteran Charles EMEIGH in Port Byron, IL., on January 21, 1868. This couple had a troubled marriage stemming, probably, from the combination of Charles’ poor health following his service in the Civil War, and the youth of Jennie; she married at age 16 and was a mother 8 1/2 months later. In 1870 the Emeigh family lived in Port Byron, IL, on the banks of the Mississippi, where Charles worked as a barber and had assets worth $200. Daughter Blanch, who was born in September 1868, lived only nine days; George was born in April of 1870. Jennie’s mother, Hannah, lived with the family in 1870, as did William Bryant, a tailor with real estate worth $1500 and $350 in personal property. The Emeigh family lived only four houses away from the Barber Curtis family, so certainly the two families communicated. Clara, the second daughter of this family, was born in June 1873, but lived only five years. Her cause of death is unknown. Charles Porter “Bootes”, their second son, was born in 1876. Charles health worsened, and he moved temporarily west to a drier climate or for medical treatment. The 1880 census shows that he still worked as a barber, but he was living on Main Street in Deadwood, Lawrence Co., Dakota Territory in the household of H. C. Gensen. The rest of his family, including Margaret’s mother, Hannah, now lived in Rock Island, IL, and Charles was also enumerated in Rock Island for 1880. By 1882 Charles returned to Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN, where he filed for divorce from Jennie. His petition to the court stated that while he was sick with typhoid fever, Jennie refused to feed him; that she committed adultery with various men, including a black man (Charles Epps), with whom she left the city in 1883- taking along her son and daughter. The sheriff of Hennepin County reported that he was unable to find her in Minneapolis. I have not been able to find any record of either Margaret or Charles Epps in subsequent records. Their fate is unknown.

Charles EMEIGH was born September 23, 1843, in Marysville, IN. He was the sixth of eight children of Jacob B. (born 1805, PA) and Sarah I. JOHNSON EMEIGH (born 1809, OH or PA). The 1840 census shows that Jacob, born in Indiana, was living with his wife and children in New Albany, Floyd Co., IN; his livelihood and assets are not given. By 1860 the family lived in Princeton Twp., Scott Co., IA, where Jacob was a tailor with personal property worth $200. Sons Peter and George, and possibly Charles “Bootes”, still lived at home. However, six days before son Charles was enumerated with his family, he was enumerated living with William Scott and his wife, a farmer couple who also lived in the village of Princeton. Scott’s occupation is given as farm laborer, so at least part time Charles lived and worked on Scott’s farm. Charles also attended school within the year. In 1870 Charles’ parents still lived in Princeton Twp., but only Peter lived with them. The family had real estate valued at $300 and personal property worth $200; Jacob’s occupation was still tailor, and the record shows that his father was foreign born. Also living with the family was a 32-year-old male, Hel___ Thomas, who worked in a shop. Charles’ mother, Sarah, was a housewife who was born about 1809 in either Ohio or Pennsylvania; her father also was foreign born. Jacob later moved to Nebraska, where he died after 1870. The 1860 census places Charles in Princeton, a village a few miles from Davenport, IA, as a farm laborer. He lived with his parents and two brothers in the household of _____ Scott. Charles served two enlistments with the Union Army during the Civil War. He suffered a battle injury and subsequently applied for both a simple veteran’s pension and a military disability pension. He fought red tape for more than four decades to get the disability pension; the story is told in a file of legal-size pages an inch thick (see below)! Charles enlisted very early in the Civil War at age 18 on September 18, 1861, in the 13th Regt., Iowa Infantry. He enlisted in Davenport, IA, when he still lived in the village of Princeton. He was mustered out on October 28 of the same year. He re-enlisted on New Year’s Day of 1864, about 2 1/2 years later in Co. E, 13th Regt. Iowa Infantry. He was promoted to Fourth Corporal on January 22, 1864, and to Fifth Sergeant on June 1 of that year. Capt. William A. Shirk led Charles’ company against Confederate forces in the Battle of Peach Tree Creek near Atlanta, GA., on July 21 or 22, 1864. Charles was struck in the left thigh by a minnie ball that passed completely through his leg. He was treated in the field hospital at Marietta, Georgia. On April 1, 1865, he was promoted to Fourth Sergeant and on June 7 promoted to Third Sergeant. About a month later (July 21) he was mustered out of the Army in Louisville, KY. (Battle records of the regiments in which Charles served are given in Appendix A.) Charles returned to Princeton and underwent treatment for his wound and other illnesses at the “N S Hospital” in Davenport. He applied for a veteran’s pension and also an invalid pension on Feb. 21, 1866 in Rock Island. He claimed in 1868 that the wound disabled him to the extent that he could not obtain subsistence by manual labor and that he “had no particular business”. However, he partially supported himself and his family working as a barber for many years. Six years later (1870) Charles, wife Margaret, three-month-old George, and Margaret’s mother, Hannah, lived in Port Byron, IL, where Charles then worked as a barber. Charles had assets worth $200. This family lived only four houses from the Barber Curtis family (spouse and six children), the family of Margaret’s sister-in-law. William Bryant also lived with the Emeigh family in Port Byron; he was a tailor worth $1500 in real estate and $350 personal property. The wound to Charles’ leg caused nerve damage, which made him occasionally abandon his work as a barber owing to being unable to stand for long periods of time. His medical problems included catarrh [chronic sinus infection], arthritis, nervousness, abdominal pains, sleeplessness, etc. Doctors would not attribute these problems to his thigh wound, and his appeal for major disability pension was repeatedly denied. Donna notes that Charles health may have been seriously eroded during his time in the army during the war by conditions that were not related to his thigh wound (poor food; poor shelter, poor medical treatment, etc.). Thus, he probably deserved compensation, but was denied it. A testimonial letter from a war comrade dated Aug 21, 1899, indicates that Charles had a severe cold in his head after the battle in which he was wounded. As his health worsened, Charles lived for a while in Deadwood, Dakota Territory; he was there during the 1880 census enumeration. The latter shows that he lived in the household of H. C. Gensen on Main St. Whether he was there for his health or some other purpose is uncertain. Charles’ family, his wife, two sons, and Hannah McBride, now lived in Rock Island, IL, and Charles was also enumerated in the Rock Island County census enumeration for the same year (1880). Charles’s occupation is given as barber in both census records, which were enumerated only 4 days apart. The next record for Charles is in Minneapolis, MN, where in Sept 1884 he petitioned the 4th District Court of Hennepin Co., MN, for his divorce from Margaret Jane on the basis of adultery and abandonment. It took five months and 12 court documents to complete the transaction, but on Feb. 21, 1885, the divorce was granted. The court required that a summons be published in the Minneapolis newspaper for six weeks (see below); the sheriff attested that he could not find Margaret in the city or county. Charles gave dates of birth of sons that are different from his Civil War documents- he was off by two years! Charles testified that between November 1882 and April 15, 1883, he was confined to his bed with typhoid fever and that Margaret refused to provide medication, food, and to otherwise see to his needs. She abandoned him. From November 1882 onward she committed adultery with various unknown men and Charles Epps, a black man. Sometime before April 23, 1883, Margaret left the city with her two sons and Charles Epps and was thought to have gone to Council Bluffs, IA. I have not been able to follow Jennie and her kids after 1883. But there are some interesting observations. A Charles Epps, no occupation given, is listed in the 1886 Minneapolis City Directory as living at 512 South 4th St. Jennie’s lover apparently returned to Minneapolis. There is no other listing for Charles Epps in the 1882-84 directories, although a C.G. Epps worked as a brakeman for the C.M. & St. P. Railroad (boarded at 215 South 11th St) in 1882 and a C. H. Epps worked as a barber for C. A. Orten and boarded at 11th on the corner of 2nd Avenue South. Is it just coincidence that Charles Emeigh and C. Epps both were barbers? Also intriguing is the directory information that an Alfred Epps worked as a “hallman” and “bellman” in the West Hotel during 1886-87. Charles Emeigh worked as a barber in the West Hotel in 1886. Was Charles Epps related to Alfred Epps? The 1909 Minneapolis City Directory lists only two Epps persons in the city, both women: Edith F. Epps and Mrs. Sarah Epps. Three months after his divorce, Charles remarried. It is clear that he developed a new love interest before he applied for a divorce from Margaret.

SUMMONS State of Minnesota In Direct ------, County of Hennepin, 4th District Court: Charles Emeigh, plaintiff vs. Margaret J. Emeigh, defendant The State of Minnesota to the above named defendant: You, Margaret J. Emeigh, are hereby summoned and required to answer the complaint in above entitled section, which is on file in the office of the clerk of this court, at the court house in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and to serve a copy of your answer to the said complaint on the subscriber at this office in the city of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin, and state of Minnesota, within thirty days after the service of this summons upon you, exclusive of the day of such service and if you fail to answer the said complaint within the time aforesaid, the plaintiff in this action will apply to the said court for the relief in said complaint demanded, together with the costs and disbursements of this action. Dated September 22, 1884. J. W. Gilger, Plaintiff’s Attorney Minneapolis, Minnesota

Charles second marriage was to Rose HAYDEN on May 31, 1885, in St. Paul. She was born May 20, 1862, in Massachusetts. The only information about her comes from the 1910 census and a comment in Charles’ pension files that she was the widow of Fred Atwood. A Civil War soldier index from the web identified a Fred O. Atwood as a veteran in the Union Army, but NARA is unable to find his file. Rose’s parents were born in Canada; she had one child, but it was not living in 1910; she had been married to Charles for 25 years. She died in Minneapolis on July 24, 1915, at the age of 53. Whether Charles was the father of her child is unknown. In 1898 the couple lived at 41 South 3rd Street, Minneapolis. Below is a summary of the thick file on Charles’ petitions for a disability pension. It shows that government red tape is nothing new. I found it interesting also that the U.S. Government form that medical doctors used to document injuries to individuals showed a front and side profile of a generic male figure. An oak leaf covered the area of the male genitals (figures attached)! Charles applied for a military service pension in 1866 in Rock Island, IL, and shortly after this date for a disability pension. His pension of $2.67 started in 1866 and was increased to $4 in 1868; increase denied in 1873; later reinstated; increased to $6 in 1878 after intervention of lawyers. He fought for years to get a disability pension in addition to his simple service pension. In 1914 he received $30/month. He and his family lived in Rock Island, IL, and Davenport, IA, until about 1881, when the family moved to Minnesota. In 1883 they lived in St. Paul. In 1885 his address was the West Hotel Barbershop in Minneapolis, MN; at this time he was becoming blind in the right eye. The latter affliction was not mentioned in subsequent documents. In spite of nearly yearly requests for a disability pension, testimonies from doctors about his condition, and testimony of friends and even his former company captain, appeals of a “pension lawyer” and of a U.S. congressman from Minnesota, Charles was consistently denied a disability pension. However, he attended a sanitarium operated for former soldiers in 1916 and then moved to an old soldier’s home operated by the U.S. Army in Minnesota. In 1879 Charles was age 35, 5’ 9 1/2”, 130 pounds, dark complexion, respiration = 18, pulse 71. In 1880 Charles again applied for an increase in pension and submitted a doctor’s report: 5’ 10”, 130 pounds, respiration 19, pulse 90; “was struck by a minnie ball upon the anterior surface of the left thigh at about the center ranged inwards and slightly upwards and escaped from the inner surface of the thigh. An abscess formed and left a cicatrix at point of opening near the groin. The left thigh seems somewhat enlarged. Claimant states that he has a constant prickling sensation throughout thigh and knee, states that he has constant pain throughout left side of body, head, and left arm, also affects the memory and temper. Has a twitching in the left eye and the right is gradually becoming impaired. Habits are regular.” Signed by George Craig, M.D. In 1885-7 he was still working as a barber. He is listed in the Minneapolis City Directories for 1886 and 1887 as living in the West Hotel, 816 Hennepin Ave; his barbershop was on the corner of 7th Street and Nicollet. On August 4, 1898, he wrote a personal appeal to the pension office. This document is a General Affidavit that testifies he is Charles Emeigh and “That I am the claimant in the above cited claim, that I am unable to furnish any testimony of the surgeons or assistant surgeons of my Regiment showing treatment while in the U.A. since for the reason that I did not receive treatment at their hands, but was treated by Dr. Stone in hospital at Davenport, Iowa. I have not known of Dr. Stone since the civil war. From my discharge to the present time I have been treated by Dr. Fleming of Port Byron, Ill and Dr. Wm Gault of Rock Island, Ill both now dead. I have depended upon the prescriptions from said doctors, patent medicines, and home remedies all together for my treatment of disabilities for which I have applied for pension. I respectfully request that my claim be adjudicated on the evidence found herewith and that the above be accepted in lieu of any other evidence acquired, as it is the best evidence obtainable. Charles Emeigh” An affidavit of 24 Sep 1896 by Buren R. Sherman, former Captain of E Company states: “ I was Captain E. Company, 13th Regt Iowa Infty Volunteers in the War 1861-5 - that Charles Emeigh was a member of said Company, and during the summer of 1862, from March to October, the said Emeigh was a sufferer because of Chronic Diarrhea, and much of the time unable for military duty, but attempted to do cooking instead- and so continued until my (unreadable) resignation in 1863.” Surgeon’s certificate of Nov. 30, 1904 from Minneapolis indicates further deterioration of his health. In 1906 Charles sought the help of Representative Loren Fletcher (MN) in his quest for an invalid pension. This request was subsequently denied. In 1914 his pension was raised to $30/month, but his invalid pension was denied on basis that he had not shown that he was incapable of manual labor. The 1909 Minneapolis City Directory shows Charles worked as a barber and rented flat 1, 20 S 12th Street. [p. 516; viwed on DistantCousins.com 11/22/2006]. The 1910 census shows that he was living in a rented house on 8th Street, 5th Ward of Minneapolis. Census information was probably given by his spouse, Rosa H., who missed his age by two years (65) and erroneously reported that he was born in Iowa and that his parents were born in Nebraska. At this time Charles still worked in a barbershop and the couple had been married 25 years. (Readers, find out the date and places of birth of your spouse and his or her parents now! This information will be needed for the next census; get it right). In 1912 Charles and Rosa lived at 419 East 18th St., Minneapolis. In 1915 Charles reapplied for a pension and had the testimony of six former infantry buddies support his claim. He was living at flat 1, 1604 5th Ave. South in Minneapolis. On April 27, 1916 Charles was admitted to the Battle Mountain Sanitarium, National Home for D.V.S, in Hot Springs, S.D. and discharged from there Aug. 7, 1916. Shortly thereafter he moved to the Minnesota Soldier’s Home operated by the U.A. Army outside of Minneapolis. He lived there two years four months and died there October 13, 1918, at the age of 75 of chronic bronchorhoea of 6 years. His death certificate, with information provided by Ricardo -----, reports that Charles was a widower. Thus, Rose Emeigh must have preceded him in death. No obituary was found in either Minneapolis newspaper for the period of July 24-31, 1915. Charles was buried on 17 October 1918 in Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN., , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

1. ↑ 1860 Fed census, Camden Mills post office, Rock Island Co., IL; enumerated 9 June, page 34. Washington County.
2.   Unnumbered marriage license copy; marriage performed by William Rutledge, Minister of the Gospel..
3.   1850 census: roll 273, p. 271A; Port Byron, Rock Island Co., IL..
4.   1880 census: Deadwood, Lawrence Co., Dakota Territory; ED 120; roll 113, p. 255 B, line 25..
5.   1880 census: roll 254, p. 12, Rock Island, RI Co., IL., dwelling 116, family 118, Ancestry image number 277..
6.   NARA Soldiers file number 73393, can 1168, Bundle 56..
7.   1940 census: New Albany city, Floyd Co., Indiana; roll 79, p. 114..
8.   1860 census: Princeton, Scott Co., IA; dwelling 349, family 352; lines 4-8; enumerated 2 July 1860, roll 340,.
9.   1860 census: Princeton, Scott Co., IA; dwelling 349, family 352; p. 53; lines 7-10: William Scott (28), wife E
   [EM-XX 80].
10.   1870 census: Princeton, Scott Co., IA; lines 1-4; roll 419, p. 476, dwelling 16, family 15; enumerated 10 June.
11.   1860 census: Scott Co., IA; roll 142, p. 83: Jacob, Sarah, Charles, Peter, and George..
12.   The Roster of Iowa Soldiers-War of Rebellion, Vol 2; p. 605 (from Genealogy.com)..
13.   1870 census: Port Byron Twp., Rock Island Co., IL; lines 24-26; 28; roll 273, p. 271A; enumerated 20 July..
14.   1880 census: Deadwood, Lawrence, Dakota Territory; line 25, dwelling 242, ED 120, p. 255B; image number 230 of.
15.   Petition to the Fourth District Court, Hennepin Co., MN; April 23, 1883..
16.   Newspapper clipping from Minneapolis Chronicle attached to Affadivit of Publication completed on November 3, 1.
17.   Charles Emeigh: NARA Soldiers file number 73393, can 1168, Bundle 56; documents span 1880-1916..
18.   1910 census: 5th Ward, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN; line 78; flat E, 8th St., ED 99; Roll 702, p. 94; 18 Apr.
19.   NARA Pension File Case number 1876, Cert number 73,393..
20.   1910 census: 5th ward, Minneapolis, Hennepin Cp., MN; lines 77, 78; flat E, dwelling 28, family 55; 8th Street.
21.   Letter of Oct. 14, 1918, to the Commissioner of Pensions in Washington, D.C. from Adjutant R. R. Henderson of.
22.   Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Cemetery Index; Dalby, John, 2003, Minnesota Burials, Provo, UT..