The following is an issue of
a Patriot of the United States of America.
and his roll as Private in the Union Army in
Company H, 31st Illinois Infantry Vols.
From Nov. 1861 to Aug. 1911
Fifty year battle for recognition
The following was copied from the Military records of Pvt. WilliamMcCarver which were retrieved from the National Archives , Washington D. C.. William McCarver happens to be my Great Great Grandfather and I am looking to Honor his name and the name of our family by keeping this Issue alive , in the hopes of one day justice might be prevail.
William McCarver in my opinion , not only served his country when he was called, he so loved it , he named his first male child after his neighbor and countryman , Col. John A. Logan. of the 31st Regt. of the Illinois Infantry.
Remarks: Refused by the surgeon. Descriptive Roll & Monetary forwarded May 28th 1865.
Gulager
William McCarver Pvt. , Co. H , 31 Reg't Illinois Infantry.
Company Muster Roll for Dated December 31 , 1861 Present or Absent , Not Stated
Remarks: Enrolled Nov. 26 at Cairo , for 3 years. Date of Muster into service not shown on rolls.
Roll for March and April 1862 next on which name appears.
Brown
William McCarver Pvt. , Co. H , 31 Reg't Illinois Infantry.
Appears on Returns as follows:
Nov. 1861 Joined by enlistment Nov. 28 Cairo Ill. Jan. 1862 Jan. 23.62 Cairo Refused by the Surgeon.
McComack
William McCarver Pvt. , Co. H , 31 Reg't Illinois Infantry.
Company Muster Roll for March and April , 1862
Remarks: Sent home by order of Capt. O. Greenly not being Regular Mustered & not accounted for in this Muster.
Name not borne on subsequent rolls of Co.
Brown
On this 3rd. day of January , 1867 , personally appeared before me, a Clerk of Record in and for the County and State aforesaid , Bassina McCarver a resident of Crittendon in the County of Franklin and State of Illinois aged 40. years, who, being duly sworn, makes the following declaration , in order to obtain the pension provided by the act of Congress approved July 14th , 1862: That she id the widow of Williamwho was a Private in Company H commanded by Col. John A. Logan in the 31st Regiment of Illinois Inft. Vols. in the War of 1861; that her maiden name was Bassina Hill and that she was married to said William McCarver on or about the 24th day of December 1856, at Crittendon in the County of Franklin and State of Illinois by B. Franklin Harrison and that she knows of no record evidence of said marriage except the marriage record in the County Clerks Office of said Co.. She further declares that the said William McCarver her husband , died in the service as afore said at Williamson Co. , Illinois in the State of Illinois on or about the 13th day of November 1863. That the cause of his death was a kick from a mule on his right leg just above his knee at Cario , Illinois while in the service of the US in the line of duty. She also declares that she has remained a widow ever since the death of said William McCarver and that she has not in any manner been engaged in , or aided or abetted , the rebellion in the United States; and she hereby appoints Carrol Payne of Benton Illinois as her attorney , and authorizes him to present and prosecute this clam, and to receive and receipt for any orders or certificates that may be issued in satisfaction thereof. That the Post Office address of applicant is Crittendon Illinois.
Affidavit
I M. M. Jewell do certify that this is the correct age of John A. Logan as set forth in the above & that I M. M. Jewell was present when the said John A. Logan was born.
Company Description Book reports him enlisted Nov. 26 , 1861 at Cairo, by O. Greenly 3 years , remarks: Refused by Surgeon. There is no record of death of this man on file in this office.
Fiegenbaum
Sir:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt from your office of application for Pension No. 141.244 , and to return it herewith , with such information as is furnished by the files of this office.
It appears from the Rolls on file in this office that William McCarverwas enrolled on the 26" day of Nov. , 1861 , at Cairo Ill. , in Co. H 31" Regiment of Illinois Volunteers, to serve 3 years as a Recruit
On the Muster Roll of Co. H of that Regiment , for the months of November and December , 1861 he is reported " Present". Name dropped from subsequent rolls. Regt. Returns for Jan. 1862 reports him " Refused by Surgeon Jan. 23rd at Cairo Ill."
Company Des. Book reports him " Enlisted Nov. 26/61 at Cairo by O. Greenly 3 years; remarks: Refused by Surgeon. There is no record of death of this man on file in this Office.
Signed:
In the matter of Bassina Malory , widow of William McCarver in Company H of the 31st. Reg't of Illinois Infantry Vols. , for Widows Pension. On this 22 day of October A. D. , 1891 , personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace,in and for the aforesaid said County , duly authorized to administer oaths. John Bullock aged 53 years, a resident of Lorance township in the county of Bollinger and the State of Missouri whose post office address is Gravel Hill, Missouri and well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit , and who , being duly sworn, declared in relation to aforesaid case as follows:
That he was well and personally aquatinted with the above deceased soldier William McCarver in the year 1862 and said affiant deposes saith that he lived in Cairo Illinois in the year 1862 affiant saith that on or about 15th. day of Jan. 1862 that he the said affiant was with the Soldier of the 31st Reg. of Ill. Inft. Vols. and was and was near when William McCarver was kicked by a horse and was wounded while in the line of duty affiant obtains his knowledge of the foregoing facts by seeing men carrying William McCarver away to a private house as the Hospital affiant can not state positive as to where William McCarver was carried but will remember of seeing men carry William McCarver of the ground where said Regiment was stationed affiant saith further not. He further declares that he has no interest in said case and is not concerned in it's prosecution.
John Bullock
Respectfully returned to the Adjutant General War Department for full Military and Medical history. also personal description of the written named soldier.5 Enl.
Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions, with information that in the case of William McCarver Co. H , 31 Reg't Ill. Inf. in addition to the statement herewithin returned , the military records show the following: age 28 , height 5 feet , 3 inches , complexion light , eyes blue, hair light, place of birth Mason Tenn. , occupation farmer.
Military records furnished nothing additional to the above & the information furnished in former statements herewit.........
On this 30th day of March , A. D. 1910 , Personally appeared before me a Notary Public the same being a court of record within and for the county and state aforesaid James M.
McCarver a resident of Waltinville , County of Jefferson , in the State of Illinois aged 46 years , who , being duly sworn according to law, makes the following declaration in order to obtain the pension provided by Acts of Congress for children under Sixteen years of age: Mary , John , James M. McCarver , legitimate children of William McCarver who (1) enlisted under the name of William McCarver at Union Co. Ill. , on the16th. day of November A. D. 1861 (2) As a private in Co. H - 31st Ill. Vols. in the war of Civil , who (3) was killed by the kick of a horse or mule , on the knee on the day of April A. D. 1865 and who bore at the time of his death the rank of Private in (4) service aforesaid that he left a widow surviving (5) Barthena McCarver since remarried to John H. Mallory. that the above named are the only surviving legitimate children of said William McCarver who were under* sixteen years of age at the time of the death , of whom (6) none have died. That said children were in issue of said soldier as follows , the date of their birth being as hereinafter stated:
That the father was married under the name of William McCarver to (8) Barthena Ray.
That declarant hereby appoints , with full power of substution and revocation, Nathan Bickford of Washing , D. C. their attorney to prosecute the above claim. That their residents is at Waltonville , state of Illinois and that their post office is RFD #1 Waltonville , Ill.
James M. X McCarver
U.S. Pension Office seal April 8th 1910
C. W. Turner and W. L. Turner personally known to me to be the same persons appeared before me and made oath that William McArver , did say and claim that a kick from a horse , belonging to the Government , was the cause of his injury whilein the line of battle during the Civil Ware , which resulted in Bone eysipiles and ultimately caused his death. And we further say that we known that the said William McArver died andwas buried in the 1868. Dated May the 3rd. 1910
In the Pension Claim of James M. McCarver at al. Children of William McCarver Pvt. co. H , 31 Reg. Ill. Vol..Personally appeared before me , a Notary Public in and for the Countyand State aforesaid William King aged 72 years whose post-Office address is Sesser , Ill.well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit , and who , being duly sworn ,declares in relation to the aforesaid case as follows: I was aquatinted with William McCarver because he worked for me before he was married to Bassina McCarver and they lived as man and wife from their marriage till the death of said Soldier which accrued in about 1868. The said soldier was never married until he married Bassina McCarver. Bassina McCarver had been previously married to John Ray and he was dead and had been dead some time when she married Wm. McCarver. And she has married again since the death of said soldier.
William King
In the Pension Claim of James M. McCarver at al. Children of William McCarver Pvt. co. H , 31 Reg. Ill. Vol..Personally appeared before me , a Notary Public in and for the County and State aforesaid James A. Hill aged 73 years whose post-Office address is DuQuion , Ill.well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit , and who , being duly sworn,declares in relation to the aforesaid case as follows: I was aquatinted with Wm. McCarver the above Soldier and his wife Bassina McCarver. I Know that they lived together as Husband and Wife until his death from the time of his and her marriage. That she has remarried. That she was previously married to John Ray. That he died before she married William McCarver the above Soldier. I Know that William McCarver the above Soldier was never married previous to his marriage to Bassina Ray.
James A. X Hill
It is hereby Certified , That it appears from the records of this office, that William McCarver , enlisted on the 26th day of November 1861 at not given and was mustered into the service of the United States as a Re-Cruit , in Company H , 31st Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry , for the period of not given , on the dated not given.
His residence at date of enlistment is stated as Union County , Illinois. This Certificate is issued at the request of John Malory , Fredericktown, Missouri.
It has this day Aug. 3 , 1911 been determined by this Department from the records that the above named man was not in the military service of the United States as a member of this organization.
The notation of March 6 , 1878 is canceled.
W.W. Gibson
Many thanks to William McCarver who submitted this information.