Abstract of Civil War Widow’s Pension File

Martha E. Silvers
 
1. Stephen H. Silvers enlisted Aug. 9, 1862 at Garden Grove as a private in Co. A, 34th Iowa Volunteer Infantry.

2. Stephen H. Silvers mustered in as a private on Oct. 15, 1862 in Burlington, Iowa, to serve three years.

3. Private Stephen H. Silvers died Dec. 8, 1862 in Helena, Arkansas, of typhoid pneumonia,* contracted during his service and in the line of duty.

4. Martha E. Silvers applies for a widow’s pension on Jan. 10, 1863, retaining J. S. Warner, of Leon, as her lawyer to present her case.

5. Affidavit of Samuel E. Dunn, clerk of Decatur Co., Iowa, stating that county records show Stephen H. Silvers, age 20 years, and Martha Ellen Rogers, age 16 years, both of Decatur Co., applied for a marriage license on July 19, 1856, and that said license was returned stating that this couple were married July 24, 1856 at the home of Hezekiah** Rogers.

6. Widow’s Pension #55,790 approved for Martha E. Silvers on Sept. 19, 1863 at the rate of $8 per month, retroactive from Dec. 8, 1862.

7. Martha E. Silvers dropped from pension roll on account of her remarriage to James A. Carr, which occurred on Feb. 4, 1864 in Leon.

8. “Guardians Application for Increase of Pension” filed Sept. 4, 1866 for pensions of deceased soldiers’ minor children, James Lee Silvers and Laura Belle Silvers, per “Act of July 25, 1866” which allowed pensions for minor heirs.

9. Affidavit of Catherine Rogers, age 60 years, stating that she was present at the birth of James Lee Silvers on March 20, 1860 in Mercer Co., Missouri, and additionally, that she was present at the birth of Laura Belle Silvers on Feb. 2, 1862 in Decatur Co., Iowa, and that she knows these children to be the son and daughter of Stephen and Martha Silvers.

10. James Lee Silvers and Laura Belle Silvers entered as minor pension enrollees per certificate #61, 837 at the rate of $8 per month, plus $2 per month per child, until said child reaches the age of 16 years of age.

11. Martha Ellen Rogers Silvers Carr, now of Bedford, Iowa, on June 16, 1917, petitions for restoration of her widow’s pension, due to the death of her second husband, James A. Carr, which death occurred Dec. 10, 1912 in Bedford, Iowa. She also states she was born Dec. 19, 1839 in Danville, Illinois.

12. Widow’s Pension #55,790 restored to Martha E. Carr, former widow of soldier Stephen H. Silvers, retroactive to Feb. 24, 1917 at a rate of $20 per month, and increasing to $25 per month on Oct. 6, 1917.

13. Letter from W. H. Lake, son in law of Martha Carr, to pension bureau, asking that further correspondence re her pension be sent to his address, as his elderly and infirm mother in law is now living with him and her daughter, dated Nov. 15, 1917.

14. Increase of pension of Martha E. Carr to $30 per month on May 1, 1920.

15. Increase of pension of Martha E. Carr to $50 per month on Oct. 2, 1926.

16. Martha E. Carr dropped from pension rolls on account of her death, which occurred March 17, 1931 in Bedford, Iowa,



*other sources in this file state he died of intermittent fever or heart ailment.

**another source in the files gives his first name as Ezekiel
 
Source: Fold3; added 28 Dec 2019
 
Military Directory *** Decatur County IAGenWeb