Dear Marjean,
$55.00 wow!!!
As you know already Eliza Gibson is our gggrandmother and I find it VERY
interesting to hear these sort of things about their family. I had already
taken out the information about the Military as far as my William goes, but
had left in the information that I had on the confusion.
Thank you for posting it on the list, and if there is any more information
on her family in these papers, would you mind forwarding the information to
me.
I don't mind paying you something to do so.
Thanks again
Stephanie Eddy
----- Original Message -----
From: Workman, Marjean <Marjean.Workman(a)compaq.com>
To: <CASCADDEN-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Thursday, 25 May, 2000 11:52 AM
Subject: [CASCADDEN-L] William B. Cascadden vs. William Carscadden
| Hello,
|
| A few months ago this group discussed the confusion between William B.
| Cascadden, son of Alexander Cascadden and Nancy Bale/Bayles and William
| Carscadden, son of Thomas Carscadden and Mary Johnston. The confusion
| arises because both men supposedly served in the Michigan Infantry during
| the Civil War, but there is only one military record of any William
| Cascadden/Carscadden serving from Michigan. Well, I finally received the
| complete pension file ($55.00) for William B. Cascadden and can completely
| clear up any confusion between these two people. First let me give a bit
of
| background information on both men.
|
| William B. Cascadden, was born on or about 7 July 1810 in Upper Canada
| (probably either in Lincoln County or what became Elgin County), the son
of
| Alexander Cascadden and Nancy Bale/Bayles/Beals. He was raised in
Malahide
| Township (Elgin County), and on 30 January 1834 he was married to Nancy
Ann
| Garrett, daughter of Benjamin and Frances Garrett. William B. and Nancy
Ann
| lived mainly in Elgin County, Ontario, but also spent a number of years
| homesteading in Huron County, Michigan. William B. died 25 January 1879
in
| Essex County, Ontario, while visiting his son Martin. William B. and
Nancy
| Ann had 10 known children: Benjamin, Frances, Alexander, Mary Ann, William
| Edward, Nancy Maria, Jane, Martin, Elizabeth M. and Ruth Ann.
|
| William Carscadden, was born on or about 26 March 1842, probably in Durham
| County, Upper Canada. He was the son of Thomas Carscadden and Mary
Johnston
| (whom later married a Robbins). He was married to Miranda Gifford on 20
| July 1860 at Boumanville, Durham County. Only one child of William and
Mary
| lived to adulthood: Benson Gifford Carscadden, born 4 October 1863 in
Clark
| Township, Durham County, Canada West. William apparently left for
Michigan
| during the time of the Civil War, and was not heard from again until
1902 -
| after the death of his wife.
|
| The military papers for the only Cascadden or Carscadden serving from
| Michigan during the Civil War show that William B. Cascadden enlisted in
| Company B of the 5th Michigan Infantry on 14 January 1864 in Huron City,
| Huron County, Michigan. At the time of his enlistment, his age was given
as
| 44, but when admitted to the hospital, his age was given as 55. He signed
| his name as William B. Cascadden. On a hospital card, his wife's name is
| given as Nancy Ann Cascaddan of Huron City, Huron County, Michigan. The
age
| of this soldier, and name of his wife, proves the man serving in the 5th
| Michigan Infantry was William B. Cascadden, son of Alexander.
|
| However, the pension papers associated with William B. Cascadden of the
5th
| Michigan, were all submitted by and for Miranda (Gifford) Carscadden of
| Durham County, Ontario. Neither William B. nor his widow Nancy Ann, ever
| applied for a pension. Upon reading these papers, it is shown that
Miranda
| never knew the regiment her husband served in. The family had written to
| Michigan officials to determine what regiment a William Carscadden had
| served in, and were told a William B. Cascadden was in the 5th Michigan.
| After being told this, Miranda tried to claim a pension based upon this
| information. She never received the pension because she could not prove
| this man was her husband.
|
| Many interesting items can be gleaned from these pension papers:
|
| James H. Carscadden, a brother to William Carscadden, was living in
Niagara
| County, New York in 1897. He stated his brother William went into a
cavalry
| regiment, but he did not know which one. William had sent a picture of
his
| horse and told how no one else could ride this horse except him. The last
| he had heard from William was after the war, when he wrote their brother
| George, to say they were going out west to fight the Indians. James said
he
| believed his brother had no middle name and did not use the initial "B".
|
| Eliza (Carscadden) Gibson, wife of James Gibson, of Durham County, Ontario
| (a sister to William and James H. Carscadden) made a deposition in 1897
| stating that they did not want William to marry Miranda, because she was
| older than William. She sent the pension bureau a tintype of William in a
| cavalryman's jacket, but asked them to return it. William never wrote
them
| that he had diarrhea or rheumatism (which William B. Cascadden in the 5th
| Michigan was treated for), but he did say he was knocked off his horse by
a
| piece of shell. She stated that William had no middle name and was never
| known as William B. William had written to say he was going to Texas and
| told them not to write until they heard from him again.
|
| The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, determined that
William
| Carscadden of Durham County was not the same man whom enlisted in the 5th
| Michigan. Their decision was based upon the depositions of the family,
| depositions of regimental members whom had served with William B.
Cascadden,
| and the family's description of William Carscadden when compared to the
| description of William B. Cascadden given upon hies enlistment. Also the
| tintype picture furnished by Eliza Gibson was not a man in military dress.
| The family acknowledged William Carscadden was not the same man as the
| William B. Cascadden in the 5th Michigan, and began to look for what
| regiment William Carscadden might have served with.
|
| If anyone has any questions on either of these two men, please contact me.
|
| Marjean Workman (list owner)
|
|