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Barger, Abraham

1863 Civil War Pension

Co D 16th Iowa Infantry Regiment


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Civil War Pension Application
Abraham Barger 
Residence at enlistment:  Border Plains, Iowa
Service Record:
Enlisted as a Private in January 1862 at the age of 44
Enlisted in Company D, 16th Infantry Regiment Iowa on 28 January 1862.
Received a disability discharge Company D, 16th Infantry Regiment Iowa on 30 
July 1862 

NOTES: Applied for a civil war pension in 1863 in Iowa
---

Military Discharge Certificate
July 1862

Know Ye, that Abraham Barger, a Private of Captain C.W. Wiliams' Company D, 
Sixteenth Regiment of Iowa Volunteers who was enrolled on the twenty-eighth day 
of January, one thousand eight hundred and sixty two to serve three years, is 
hereby discharged from the service of the United States this thirthtieth day of 
July 1862 at Saint Louis, Missouri by reason of Surgeon's Certificate of 
Disability;  Amaurosis?  of Right Eye and now is affecting the left eye.   Said 
Abraham Barger was born in Perry County in the State of Indiana, is fourty-four 
years of age, five feet nine inches high, dark complexion, black eyes, black 
hair and by occupation when enlisted, a farmer.  Given at Saint Louis, Mo., 
this thirtieth day of July 1862.  By Order of Col. Merrill, Military Commander 
of St. Louis.  Geo. ?? Causten, Capt.? , Quincy, Illinois.
----

May 28, 1863
STATE OF IOWA, Webster County

On this twenty-eighth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, 
personally appeared before H. Rucker, Clerk of the District Court, within and 
for the county and state aforesaid,   Abraham Barger,  age 45 years, a resident 
of Washington Township in the county of Webster in the state of Iowa,  who 
being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical Abraham 
Barger who enlisted in the service of the United States at Border Plains, 
Webster county, Iowa on the 28th day of January in the year 1862 and was 
honorably discharged in July 1862; that while in the service aforesaid and in 
line of his duty he was disabled as follows:

While lying in the Hospital at Quincy, Illinois in July 1862, his spine became 
affected, a sore appeared at the lower end of the spine and opend up and began 
to recur, which caused a great breakup and debility and was the cause of his 
discharge; that before his service he was an able bodied farmer; and since his 
discharge, he  has resided in Webster county, Iowa and doing not much but 
little chores. He makes this declaration to obtain the benefits of the  pension 
laws of the United States.  That his occupation before he entered into service 
was a farmer.

Signed, Abraham Barger
Witness: Seth S. Clark
Witness: Abraham Ingalls

Also personally appeared, Abraham Ingalls and Seth S. Clark,  residents of 
Webster county, Iowa who I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, 
and who being duly sworn, says that they was present and saw the said Abraham 
Barger sign his name in person to the aforesaid declaration and they further 
swear that they have every reason to believe that he is the identical person he 
represents himself to be.  They further swear that they have been personally 
acquainted with the said Abraham Barger,  the said Abraham Ingalls for twenty-
five years and the said Seth S. Clark for six years past, and both the 
aforesaid witnesses having resided in the immediate neighborhood of said Border 
Plains during the time above stated by each, they say that before the applicant 
enlisted for the war, he was able bodied, and since his discharge his eyesight 
has not been good.
Signed, Abraham Ingalls,  Seth S. Clark.   This twenty eight day of May 1863.
----

Apr 27, 1863
State of Iowa, Boone County

On this 27th day of Apr 1863, personally appeared before Erwin Wheeler a 
justice of the peace in and for said county,  Wm. P. Milligan, a resident of 
Swede Point, Boone county, Iowa, who after being duly sworn according to law, 
declares that he is personally acquainted with Abraham Barger who was a private 
in the company D, commanded by Capt. C.W. Williams in the 16th Regiment of Iowa 
Vol. Inft'y, of the state of Iowa in the war of 1861 for the Supression of the 
Rebellion in the United States and that the said deponent was a private in the 
same company and regiment as said Abraham Barger, and that while in the service 
aforesaid and at a hospital before the discharge from service, the said Abraham 
Barger he knows of the existence of the disease of the spine of the said 
Abraham Barger and that the said disease was the reason for his discharge from 
service. He further says that the said Abraham Barger as an able bodied man 
before he enlisted, that the said Abraham Barger now resides in Webster county, 
Iowa.   Signed, William P. Milligan,  this 27th day of April 1863.
----

July 30, 1890
Declaration for  Pension
State of Iowa, Webster County

Personally appeared,  Abraham Barger, aged 73 years, a resident of Washington 
Twp.,, county of Webster, state of Iowa, who after being duly sworn declares 
that he is the identical Abraham Barger who was enrolled on the 25th day of 
January 1862 in Co. D, 16th Regt. Ia, Vols., as a private;  in the war of the 
rebellion, and served at least ninety days or more and was honorably discharged 
at Quincy, Ill, on the 25th day of July 1862;  That he is wholly unable to earn 
a support by reason of disease of kidney and bladder and general debility from 
old age.  That he is a pensioner under the Pension laws;  that his post office 
address is Border Plains, county of Webster, State of Iowa.     Abraham Barger, 
X, his mark;  Witnesses:  Elmer Hauck and Joseph Billings
-----

March 15, 1892

State of Iowa, Webster County
In the Matter of the Pension of Abraham Barger, Co. D. 16th Iowa Infantry

On this 15th day of March 1892, personally appeared before A. Hall, Notary 
Public in and for the aforesaid county and state,  J. B. Ingalls, aged 52 
years,  Wm. Spencer  aged 68 years, residents of Webster county, Iowa, whose 
post office address is Lehigh, Iowa;  and N.G. Roosa aged 64 years, and 
Jonathan Scott aged 58 years, residents of Webster Co. Iowa, whose post office 
address is Borden Plains, Iowa;  well known to be reputable and entitled to 
credit and who being duly sworn declares in relation to the aforesaid case, as 
follows:  We have been acquainted with said claimant from eighteen to twenty-
seven years and that during that time he has been a sufferer with his back to a 
greater or less extent supposed to be kidney disease and that during the whole 
of said time he has been blind or nearly blind in one eye and the other is 
affected or unsound to the extend that his eyesight is not good and has not 
been good since our acquaintance with him.  

N.G. Roosa
J.B. Ingalls
Wm. Spencer
Jonathan Scott
-----

March 31, 1891
State of Iowa, Webster County

In the matter of the application for pension of Abraham Barger, Co. D. 16th 
Regt. Iowa Inft.

On this 31st day of March 1891, personally appeared, Martin Johnson, aged 51 
years, a resident of Lehigh, Webster county, Iowa,  Jonathan Scott, age 57 
years,  N.G. Roose, age 62 years,  James B. Ingalls, age 52 years, all of whose 
residence is Border Plains in the county of Webster, State of Iowa, well known 
to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who being duly sworn declare in 
relation to the aforesaid case as follows:  That they have been well and 
personally acquainted with Abraham Barger for 15 plus years and that he served 
in the United States service in Co. D. 16th Regiment, Iowa Vol. Inft. for six 
months in War of 1861 and that he is old and in poor health and in danger of an 
early death, unable to work and support himself.

N.G. Roosa
James B. Ingalls
Jonathan Scott
Martin Johnson
-----

March 29, 1892
State of Iowa, County of Webster

In the matter of the pension claim of Abraham Barger, late of Col D., 16th 
Iowa. Inft. Vols.

On this 29th day of March 1892, personally appeared, Abraham Barger, aged 75 
years, a resident of Washington Twp., Webster county, Iowa, well known to be 
reputable and entitled to credit and who being duly sworn declares in relation 
to aforesaid case, as follows:  I have been ailing since Feb. 1862 having taken 
cold in the poorly furnished winter quarters at Davenport, Iowa, but continued 
with my company until about June 1, 1862 when I was sent to the field hospital 
near Corinth.  I remained there about 2 weeks and was then sent to the hospital 
at Quincy, Ill., where I was discharged July 25, 1862.  I had fever in the 
hospital. I never heard what kind of fever the doctors called it, but one of my 
eyes became infected by it and also had kidney trouble and pain in back in 
hospital at Quincy from which I have never recovered. I had an operation 
performed in my eye shortly after my discharge which improved it for awhile but 
it soon became worse again and have been almost blind in that eye for many 
years.  Dr. Nicholson of Ft. Dodge, Iowa began to treat me soon after my return 
from the Army and doctored me more or less up to the time of his death about 2 
years ago. He treated my kidney and back disease. The kidney trouble with pain 
in back and the injury to eye began in the army during my aforesaid service and 
has continued ever since.   Abraham Barger, X, his mark
M.J. Mitchell, witness to mark.
----

June 13, 1900
State of Iowa, Webster County
In the matter of claim No. 689413,  Abraham Barger of Co. D., 16th Regt. of 
Iowa Vols. Inft.

Personally appeared,  Abraham Barger, aged 83 years, whose P.O. is Border 
Plains, county of Webster, state of Iowa, who being duly sworn, states in 
relation to said claim as follows:  I was in the hospital at Quincy, Ill. in 
June, July and August in the year 1862.   While lying in the hospital Dr. 
Wilson came through the ward I was in.  I was at the time suffering from what I 
thought was a boil on the spine and I called him to me. He examined to and he 
said it was not a boil but something a great deal worse. He ordered for me 
clover powder and flat seed poultice. It was a running sore for two or three 
months. It seems to affect my spine, kidneys and bladder from which I have 
never fully recovered. I believe that one of the tendons was badly eaten by the 
sore and left my spine in a bad condition from which I have suffered all these 
years.    Abraham Barger, X, his mark,  June 13, 1900
----

AFFIDAVIT of Almon E. Johnson
July 23, 1900
State of Iowa, Webster County
In the matter of the claim of Abraham Barger

Personally appeared,  Almon E. JOhnson, age 62 years, whose P.O. is Algona, 
county of Kamuth?, state of Iowa who being duly sworn, states in relation to 
said claim as follows:  I am and have been personally acquainted with Abraham 
Barger from 1855 to the present date and was one of his nearest neighbors from 
1855 to 1876 and that his eyes were weakened and he suffered with chronic 
diarrhea from August 1862 up to 1876 and that his eyes were weak and that he 
was troubled with kidneys, also that I was called to him to clean his recurring 
sore on his back or spine and the back is lame at the present time, and is 
condition still is very feeble.     Almon E. Johnson,  July 23, 1900.
-----

July 30, 1900
AFFIDAVIT of Thomas B. Ingalls
In the matter of the claim of Abraham Barger for pension

Personally appeared,  Thomas B. Ingalls, age 53 years, whose P.O. is Border 
Plains, county of Webster, state of Iowa, who being duly sworn states in 
relation to said claim as follows:  I am personally acquainted with Abraham 
Barger and have been since the year 1854.  In fact have lived a near neighbor 
of his during nearly all of said period of time and know that he was afflicted 
with chronic diarrhea from the year 1862 until the year of 1876 and that he had 
weak or diseased eyes from the year 1862 to 1876 and to this present time, and 
that he has always been troubled with kidney or spinal disease since his return 
from the Army in August 1862, and to the present time. I know from reports that 
he had a running sore on his back from someting after his return from the Army 
in 1862.  I know further that the said Barger has not been able to perform 
manual labor to any extent since the year 1862 up to the present time.   Thomas 
B. Ingalls,  July 30, 1900.
-----

Oct. 5, 1901
From: Bureau of Pensions, Department of Interior, Washington, D.C.
To: Thomas B. Ingalls,  Border Plains, Webster County, Iowa
In the matter of Abraham Barger, application for pension

Sir, to further aid this Bureau in determining the merits of the above entitled 
claim of Abraham Barger, be kind enough to answer in your own handwriting the 
following questions, giveing more complete details than your affidavit 
affords.    Pension Commissioner

When did you first see the soldier after he returned from the Army and how do 
you fix the date?

In August 1862 he brought home some relics from the battle of Shilo. I also had 
a brother in the battle.

Of what disability did he then complain and how was he affected?

He complained of his sore on his back and his eyes and was not able to move 
around much.

Did he continue to suffer from said disability;  if so, state how frequently 
you saw him and to what extent he was disabled for the performance of manual 
labor:

I have lived near him ever since.  I see him as often as once a month. He 
always complained of his back and was almost blind, never able to do hard work, 
perhaps 1/2,  sometimes and none at others.

Thos. B. Ingalls
-----

Oct. 5, 1901
Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D.C.
To:  J.B. Ingalls,  Lehigh, Webster Co. Iowa
In the matter of Abraham Barger application for pension

Sir, to further aid this Bureau in determining the merits of the above entitled 
claim of Abraham Barger, be kind enough to answer in your own handwriting the 
following questions, giveing more complete details than your affidavit 
affords.    Pension Commissioner

When did you first see the soldier after he returned from the Army and how do 
you fix the date?

In the last days of 1865 from the date of my discharge which is dated July 26, 
1865.

Did he continue to suffer from said disability: If so, please state how 
frequently you sawhim, what symptoms you observed and the extent to which he 
was disabled for the performance of manual labor:

As to how often I saw him, don't k now, suppose almost every day, as he just 
lived across the road from me, as to what symptoms,  I saw am not sure, but he 
has not been fit for work much since. I cam home and for several years he was 
unable to do anything.    James B. Ingalls

November 13, 1901
In the matter of the claim of Abraham Barger application for pension

Personally appeared, J.B. Ingalls, whose P.O. address is Lehigh, Iowa, county 
of Webster, who says:  The claimant was first afflicted with diarrhea just 
after the battle of Shiloh, said disease being general with the whole regiment. 
The claimant compained to affiant at different times from the date of the 
battle of Shiloh until he was sent to the hospital, about the soreness of the 
back and the backache. In a joint affidavit with N.G. Roose, Wm. Spencer and 
Jonathan Scott, filed in Aug. 1892, affiant stated that he had been acquainted 
with the claimant since discharge, that he had been a sufferer with his back, 
suffered disease of kidneys and claimant had been nearly blind in one aye and 
other other eye badly infected.     J.B. Ingalls
-----

DEPOSITION of J.B. Ingalls
January 30, 1902
Case of Abraham Barger, applicant for pension;  case No. 689413
Lehigh, county of Webster, State of Iowa

Personally appeared,  J.B. Ingalls, who being duly sworn, says:  I am 57 years 
of age and a farmer.  I served as a soldier in Co. D, 16th Iowa Inft., from 
June 1862 to July 1865.  The claimant Abraham Barger is my uncle and I have 
known him since childhood,  and we went into the Army at the same time.  I know 
he had troubles with his back, kidneys and eyes in the Army since we went to 
Corinth and that is where he left us when he was sent to the hospital in 
Illinois.  He has suffered continuously since that time with same troubles.    
J.B. Ingalls
-----

DEPOSITION of T.B. Ingalls
Feburary 25, 1903
In the matter of the pension application of Abraham Barger, No. 689413

On this twenty-fifth of February 1903, at Border Plains, county of Webster, 
state of Iowa, appeared,  Thomas B. Ingalls, who being duly sworn deposes and 
says:   I am 56 years of age.  Occcupation: Farmer.  Residence and post office 
address as above.  I have known Abraham Barger all of my life and have lived a 
near neighbor to him ever since I can remember and have seen him every few days 
except at such times as he was in the Army, or a few times when he has been 
away for a short time. He is a man now 87 years of age. I do knot know what all 
does ail him, but i guess he had a good deal of trouble with his bladder and 
kidneys.  He has had trouble with his eyes, a cataract once cut off as I 
understand.  I remember particulary when he came back from the war he was 
bloated up and so full of wind he could hardly get around.  He had also 
complained of his back and had a great abscess or sore on is back that hurt him 
quite a while.  I can't tell you the time it was.  I had had so much trouble, 
being invalided himself but not because of any war troubles, that I have not 
paid much attention to his complaints of late.  About all I positively remember 
of when he first came home from the Army.  He was also troubled with his eyes 
at the time since he came from the Army and that he has not been able to see 
good.  I know he has never been stout since he came home from the Army, for 
some time.  The claimant is an uncle of mine.     T.B. Ingalls
----

To the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions
Washington, D.C.   
Feb. 27, 1908
In the matter of the pension application of Abraham Barger

To the Honorable Commissioner of Pensions,

Sir, I have the honor to return herewith your credibility inquiry pertaining to 
Thomas B. Ingalls, who has testified in support of the above cited claim, 
together with his deposition in relation thereto.  I had to drive about fifteen 
miles to see this witness and upon arrival there found him in bed suffering 
considerable pain as a result of the sixth amputation performed on one of his 
legs.  He was very willing to talk to me but in the condition he was in, it was 
not be be wondered at that he could not remember more than he did.  I recommend 
that the papers be submitted for the consideration of the Chief of the Western 
Division of Pension Claims.  F.F. Dean, Special Examiner
----

April 16, 1917
To the Chief of Finance Division
Bureau of Pensions, Dept. of Interior

You are hereby notified that a check for $67.50 datead April 5, 1917 for 
Abraham Barger, of Lehigh, Iowa, has been returned to this office by the 
Postmaster with the information that the pensioner died February 13, 1917, and 
said check has been cancelled.   Guy. O. Taylor, Dispersing Clerk


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