My 2nd great grandfather William H WAITS’ card was especially interesting because it mentioned his wife Elve’s first husband John PITT.

All I’ve been [...]]]>

I thought I’d check out Footnote.com today for something different.  Within 5 minutes, I located Civil War pension cards for several of my ancestors!

My 2nd great grandfather William H WAITS’ card was especially interesting because it mentioned his wife Elve’s first husband John PITT.

All I’ve been able to find on John PITT so far, was that he was married to Elve and was the father of Samuel M PITT. No census information, no date of birth, death, or burial information.  And yet here he is mentioned on WH’s pension card!  Apparently, he served during the Civil War in Co K 58th Indiana Infantry.

Naturally, I immediately looked his card up to see what other information they had on him!

Here it is!  But… I don’t get it.  It looks to me like he died Feb 1, 1928.  Could that be right?  I guess I’ve always assumed that she was a widow when she met William.  But if he was still living, then why would William be listed on his card?  There’s nothing filled in about his widow, and I’m not sure what the 1st line of remarks means, other than 718192 matches William’s certificate number.  It looks like he filed for benefits on Dec 7, 1885 five years before William did.

Can anyone shed some light on this?  I don’t get it.

William Henry Waits

Have you seen this man?  This is my great great grandfather William Henry WAITS and I am looking for additional photos of him for a family project that I’m working on.  If you’ve been reading along and thinking that maybe you think [...]]]>

William Henry Waits

Have you seen this man?  This is my great great grandfather William Henry WAITS and I am looking for additional photos of him for a family project that I’m working on.  If you’ve been reading along and thinking that maybe you think that I’d like to see some of the photos that you have of this family, you’re right!  Now’s your chance!  Scan them and send them in! 

I’ve set up a special email account for photo submissions: GeneaKathyPhotos@gmail.com

• If possible, try to scan the photos with a resolution of at least 300 ppi.  The bigger, the better.  My email can handle it.
• If you inherited photos of William or anyone else related to his family and want to give them to another family member, I would gladly take them.  I am archiving all of my photos and would be thrilled to add yours to my collection so I can protect them as well as share them with other family members.

Here’s the nitty gritty to help you find him in your photos!

VITALS:

b. 29 Sep 1845 – Miami, Clermont, Ohio, USA

m. 24 Jul 1877 – Elve Sonoria LONG PITT – Seward, Seward, Nebraska, USA

d. 30 Jan 1927 – Ruby, Seward, Nebraska, USA

FAMILY

James G Waits, William's father

Father:

• James G WAITS (1816-1880) – son of Charles Waits (1790-1868) and Mary GOBLE (1799-1839)

Mother:

• Susannah ARTHUR (1816-1901) – dau of William ARTHUR (1788-1865) AND Mary Polly REED

Siblings:

• Rachel Waits (1840-1868)
• Mary Lucinda Waits HULEN (1841-1902)
• Sarah E Waits (1845-1869)
• Rhoda C Waits (1848-?)
• Charles Richmond “Dick” Waits (1850-1917)
• James Turner Waits (1852-1929)
• Moses Woodruff Waits (1855-1921)
• Thomas Boyd Waits (1858-1927)
• Ada May Waits PALMER(1861-1951)

Spouse:

• Elve Sonoria LONG PITT – dau of Samuel LONG (1811-1887) and Permelia Ann ROGERS (1824-1916)

Children:

• Samuel Melvin PITT (1869-)
• Frederick Hiram WAIT (1876-1955)
• Lavina Lenora Waits LUNNEY (1878-1966)
• Simeon Andboy Waits (1881-1941)
• Rhoda L Waits DAVIS (1884-1973)
• Thomas Grover Waits (1886-1962)
• Elizabeth Myrtle Waits DAAKE (1889-1974)

MILITARY

• Civil War Veteran – Fought for Union
• Co H, 54th Ohio Volunteers
• Co F, 195th Ohio Volunteers
• Battles: Harper’s Ferry, Winchester, and Old Town

RESIDENCES

• Sterling, Brown County, Ohio, USA
• Harrison County, Nebraska, USA
• Ruby, Seward County, Nebraska, USA
• Seward, Seward County, Nebraska, USA

OCCUPATIONS

• Stonemason
• Farmer
• Laborer

Yesterday, I was drawn to my WAITS ancestors in Ohio and thought I would look through all of the records in www.findagrave.com that listed WAITS in Brown County, Ohio.  It sorts them according to the name of the cemetery and I was almost immediately rewarded with [...]]]>

Yesterday, I was drawn to my WAITS ancestors in Ohio and thought I would look through all of the records in www.findagrave.com that listed WAITS in Brown County, Ohio.  It sorts them according to the name of the cemetery and I was almost immediately rewarded with a hit in the Batavia Cemetery.  Here is a picture of the headstone of my g-g-g-uncle William C Waits and his wife Elizabeth L Leopold, courtesy of Kevin Guy; Civil War enthusiast and Find A Grave volunteer. 

You may remember William C WAITS from this post [Photo Find! James G WAITS].  I told you about how they both fought in the Civil War.  My g-g-g-grandfather James survived, his brother William did not.  Previous information led me to believe that William died in an Army Hospital in Winchester VA, so the inscription “burried on battlefield” came as a surprise to me!  So I decided to do a little digging and see if I could uncover the truth about his death.

According to this letter, William C was last heard from 4 Jul 1862 when he wrote his wife from the hospital at Winchester VA.  I wonder what the letter to his wife said… what are the chances that it’s still around?

This is an excerpt from a letter written "December the 15th, 1862" from William and James' father Charles Waits to their brother Reason Waits. I don't know where the original is. This was given to me by my cousin, and is on page 5 of 24. Almost all letters are written to Reason Waits. I would love to see originals and/or the responses to these letters so we can paint a clearer picture of the discussions.

According to this book, he was reported absent after being sick in Cumberland MD.

The main source for this roster is the: Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866. Vol. V., 54th-69th Regiments - Infantry. Akron, Ohio: The Werner Ptg. and Mfg. Co., 1887.

Yet another search on Ancestry.com uncovered this listing:

So I guess I don’t really know why his headstone says that he was buried on the battlefield since he apparently died of disease in Cumberland MD.  From what I’ve read about the conditions the soldiers of the 60th Ohio Infantry had to endure… forced marches… low supplies… that could have something to do with it.  I also read that some succumbed to childhood diseases that they hadn’t been exposed to when they were younger.  Either I read about someone having the mumps or I dreamed about it last night… foggy now.  Hm. 

Where did they bury people who died in an Army hospital back then?  I searched on the internet for a couple of hours before deciding that I better just post this. 

The Clarysville Inn near Cumberland was used as a military hospital during the time that William was hospitalized.  They had a nearby graveyard, but those graves were moved to The Antietam Cemetery.  But The Antietam Cemetery has their records online and he isn’t listed there.  Hm.  Maybe a helpful reader or long lost relative will help me figure that one out.

What I do know is that he left behind a family who loved him; a wife and at least three young children, along with his elderly father and 11 brothers and sisters.

Thank you for your service, William Christopher Waits.  Rest in Peace, wherever you are.