January 27, 2022
Pages 2947-2956
Whole Number 135
UNION SOLDIERS NAMED SPARKS WHO APPLIED
OR WHOSE HEIRS APPLIED
FOR PENSIONS FOR SERVICE IN THE CIVIL WAR
[Editor's Note: From time to time over the past several years, we have been publishing abstracts of the pension files of Union soldiers who served in the Civil War. For an explanation of these records, see the Quarterly of March 1986, Whole No. 133, page 2858.]
JOHN SPARKS (31.2.5.2.5.9.8), son of John and Barbara (MNU) Sparks, was born ca. 1847 Bedford County, Pennsylvania. He married (first) Rebecca J. Sleighter and (second) Annie E. McFarland. He served in Co. I, 194th Regt. Pennsylvania Infantry. File Designations: Inv. Cert. No. 899,175; Minor Cert. No. 749,045.
On May 6, 1892, John Sparks, aged 45, a resident of Tatesville, Pennsylvania, made a declaration for an invalid pension. He stated that he had enlisted on July 12, 1864, in Company I, 194th Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry and had served until he was discharged on November 5, 1864, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was now suffering from diseases of the stomach and kidneys caused by his military service, and was unable to make a living. D. B. Ott and Geo. E. Stailey witnessed his signature.
The War Department confirmed Sparks's military service on June 16, 1892, as he had stated it to be on his application. The Bureau of Pensions issued him Invalid Certificate No. 899,175, and he was placed on the pension roll. On September 16, 1896, the amount of the pension was increased to $10 per month.
John Sparks responded to a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions on July 4, 1898. He stated that he had been married to Annie E. McFarland on July 24, 1892, near Tatesville, Pennsylvania, by G. W. Richey, a justice of the peace. Prior to this marriage, he had been married to Rebecca J. Sleighter who had died on February 24, 1892. by his first wife, he had four children, and by his second wife he had had two children, as follows:
Children of John Sparks:
1. Joseph W. Sparks, born February 5, 1876
2. Harry A. Sparks, born August 18, 1877
3. Samuel E. Sparks, born 3 February 1880
4. Minnie M. Sparks, born July 19, 1883
5. Bertha Blanch Sparks, born May 3, 1893
6. Barbara E. Sparks, born August 26, 1897.
John Sparks died on January 23, 1900, and on January 29, 1900, his widow, Annie E. Sparks, applied for a widow's pension. She was then 28 years of age and a resident of Tatesville, Pennsylvania. She said that she was without any other means of support except her daily labor. Joseph McFarland and J. A. Fletcher witnessed her signature. Apparently no Widow's Certificate was ever issued to Annie Sparks.
On March 19, 1905, Annie Sparks married (second) FNU Showalter. On January 30, 1911, she applied for a minor pension for her daughter, Barbara E. Sparks, under the provisions of the 1890 Act of Congress. She appointed Rob't. J. Strong & Co., Washington, D. C., as her attorney. She gave her address as the Arandale Hotel, Bedford, Pennsylvania. Alvin L. Little and Jos. T. Alsip witnessed her signature.
On April 6, 1911, William Sparks, aged 69, a resident of Portage, Pennsylvania, made an affidavit to support the pension claim of the minor children of John Sparks. He said that John Sparks first married Rebecca J. Sleighter. After her death on February 24, 1892, John Sparks married Annie E. McFarland (now Annie E. Showalter) by whom he had two children, Bertha B. Sparks and Barbara E. Sparks, who survived him when he died on January 23, 1900. William Sparks went on to say that he knew this because he was a brother of John Sparks with whom he was intimately acquainted. Two days later, Jonas Sparks made a similar statement. He was 64 years of age and a resident of Everett, Pennsylvania. He said that he knew John and Annie Sparks quite intimately since he was a brother to John. He repeated the same evidence as had been given by William Sparks.
On April 8, 1911, Annie E. Showalter (late Sparks) applied for the accrued pension of her late husband, John Sparks, under the provisions of Invalid Certificate No. 899,175. She appointed E. C. Strong, Washington, D. C., as her attorney. Jonas Sparks and Thomas Crocker witnessed her signature.
On April 8, 1911, four affidavits were made to support the claim of Minnie E. Showalter for a pension for her minor child, Barbara E. Sparks. Fanny Richey, aged 35, a resident of Tatesville; Mary Batzel, aged 32, a resident of Everett; Jonas Sparks, aged 64, a resident of Everett; and Elizabeth Simmons, aged 63, a resident of Tatesville, all testified that they had known Annie E. Showalter (late Sparks) prior to her marriage to John Sparks on July 24, 1892, and that she had never been married before. She and John Sparks had had two children, Bertha B. Sparks, born in 1893, and Barbara E. Sparks, born in 1897. Both children were still living and under the care of their mother who was also their guardian.
Minor Certificate No. 749,045 was issued to Barbara E. Sparks, and she was placed upon the pension roll at the rate of $12 per month. She was removed from the pension roll on August 25, 1913, when she reached her sixteenth birthday.
[Editor's Note: John Sparks was a son of John and Barbara (MNU) Sparks and a grandson of Solomon and Rachel (MNU) Sparks, all of Bedford County, Pennsylvania. See pages 59-61 of the March 1955 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 9, for an abstract of the Revolutionary War pension file of Solomon Sparks.]
1.2.5.2.5.11.3 SILAS H. SPARKS, son of 1.2.5.2.5.11 Solomon and Susan (Black) Sparks, was born ca. 1840 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. He married Julia K. Kerr on March 19, 1868, at Everett, Pennsylvania. He died on January 9, 1910, at Winfield, Kansas. He served in Co. K, 133rd Regt. Pennsylvania Infantry and Co. G, 186th Regt. Pennsylvania Infantry. File Designations: Inv. Cert. No. 784,888; Wid. Cert. No. 697,173.
Silas H. Sparks made a declaration for an invalid pension on June 4, 1889. He was 49 and a resident of Winfield, Kansas. He stated that he had enlisted in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, on March 14, 1864, in Company G, 186th Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry, commanded by D. P. Billington, and was mustered out with his company at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 15, 1865. He was 6 feet, 1 inch in height; he had a dark complexion, light hair and blue eyes; and he was a farmer at the time of his enlistment. During the summer of 1864, he had contracted chronic rheumatism and sciatica because of exposure to the rough life of a soldier. He had been hospitalized for a few days in the Regimental Hospital near Philadelphia. He also stated that he had served in Company K, 133rd Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry. He appointed O. E. Howe, Winfield, Kansas, as his attorney. S. Cure and H. R. Branson witnessed his signature, and the application was sworn to before Ed Pate, Clerk of the District Court.
On August 22, 1889, the War Department sent a record of Sparks's military service to the Bureau of Pensions. He had enlisted on August 6, 1862, at Bloody Run, Pennsylvania, in Company K, 133rd Regiment Pennsylvania infantry to serve for nine months. He was mustered out with his company on May 26, 1863, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He re-enlisted in Company G, 186th Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry on March 14, 1864, at Philadelphia to serve for three years. He was mustered out with his company on August 18, 1865, at Philadelphia. He was reported sick in November 1864 and in December 1864.
Apparently, Sparks's application was not approved, for during the summer of 1895 three affidavits were made testifying to his physical disability. On July 6th, E. R. Feaster, 28, of Winfield, Kansas, stated that Sparks was unable to do manual labor for any extended period of time. George M. D. Von Stein, 51, and Emma R. Von Stein, 49, both of Newkirk, Oklahoma Territory, gave similar testimony in an affidavit they made on July 27, 1895.
Invalid Certificate No. 784,888 was issued to Silas H. Sparks, and he was placed upon the pension roll. On July 9, 1898, he answered a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions. He said that he had been married to Julia K. Kerr on March 19, 1868, at Everett, Pennsylvania, by the Rev. Watson Case, M. G. It had been his first marriage. They had one living child, Mary L. Sparks, born July 11, 1872.
Silas H. Sparks died on January 9, 1910, at his home in Winfield, Kansas, and on January 22, 1910, his widow, Julia K. Sparks, aged 76, applied for a widow's pension. She said she and Sparks had been married near Everett, Pennsylvania, on March 19, 1868, by the Rev. Watson Case. She had been married under her maiden name of Julia K. Kerr. She appointed L. L. Bell, Winfield, as her attorney. W. J. Kennard and J. N. Shackelton witnessed her signature.
Two affidavits accompanied the application of Julia Sparks. On January 26,1910, Margaret A. Riddle, 55, Great Bend, Kansas, swore that she had known Silas Sparks and Julia Sparks, his wife, before and after their marriage and that they were never divorced or separated. On January 31st, Wilson McDaniel, 79, of Everett, Pennsylvania, gave similar testimony.
Widow's Certificate No. 697,173 was issued to Julia K. Sparks, and she was placed upon the pension roll; when she died on June 20, 1922, she was receiving a pension of $30 per month.
[Editor's Note: Silas H. Sparks was a son of Solomon and Susan (Black) Sparks of Bedford County, Pennsylvania. He was listed in his parents' household when the 1850 census was taken of that county. He was then 10 years old. Silas H. and Julia K (Kerr) Sparks appeared on the 1870 census of Bedford County, Pennsylvania. They had one child according to that census, S. Edward Sparks age 1 year. Silas Sparks's age was given as 32 and Julia's as 38.]
1.2.5.2.5.9.4 URIAH H. SPARKS, son of 1.2.5.2.5.9 John and Barbara (MNU) Sparks, was born ca. 1842, probably in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. He died on March 13, 1893, at Tatesville, Pennsylvania. He served in Co. H, 107th Regt. Pennsylvania Infantry. File Designation: Inv. Cert. No. 197,783.
On August 9, 1878, Uriah H. Sparks, aged 36, a resident of Tatesville, Pennsylvania, applied for an invalid pension. He said that he had enlisted on March 11, 1862, in Company H, 107th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, commanded by Capt. John T. Dick, and had served until he was mustered out with his company on July 1, 1865. While at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 1, 1863, he had been wounded on his left hip by a piece of shell. In May 1865, while marching from Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D. C., he was injured by falling in a ditch. Because of these injuries, he was now unable to do any manual labor. He stated that he was 6 feet tall and had had a swarthy complexion, dark hair and grey eyes, and that he had been a farmer when he enlisted. He appointed Myers & Co., Washington, D. C., as his attorneys. J. N. Alsip and Louis Sauff [?] witnessed his signature.
The War Department confirmed Sparks's military service on December 6, 1878. He had been enrolled on March 14, 1862, at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, in the 107th Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry to serve for three years. He had been wounded in action at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, and had been hospitalized until November 1863, when he rejoined his company. He re-enlisted as a Veteran Volunteer on February 7, 1865. He was mustered out with his company at "In the Field, Virginia" on July 13, 1865.
Invalid Certificate No. 197,783 was issued to Uriah H. Sparks, and he was placed upon the pension roll.
On February 16, 1891, George W. Riley, aged 49, a resident of Everett, Pennsylvania, testified that he had been a comrade of Uriah Sparks and remembered well the injury Sparks had sustained while marching near Frederick, Virginia, in April 1865.
In September 1891, Benjamin Tasker, aged 47, a resident of Mineral County, West Virginia; William D. Tichey, aged 51, a resident of Tatesville, Pennsylvania; and Adams S. Ritchey, aged 60, also a resident of Tatesville, all testified that before Sparks entered the military service, he had been an ablebodied man, but that now he was unable to perform manual labor about threefourths of the time. Andrew McFarland, aged 46, and Jonas Sparks, 45, both residents of Tatesville, Pennsylvania, swore that Uriah Sparks was totally disabled and was forced to be under the care of an attendant. Furthermore, he was in indigent circumstances and without any means of support and had to depend upon charity. His situation was critical, and he was liable to die at any time.
When Uriah H. Sparks died on March 13, 1893, at Tatesville, Pennsylvania, he was receiving a pension of $4.00 per month.
[Editor's Note: According to the 1850, 1870, and 1880 censuses of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, Uriah H. Sparks was a son of John and Barbara (MNU) Sparks. When the 1880 census was taken, he was living in the household of his brother, John Sparks, in Hopewell Township.]
1.2.5.2.5.9.6 WILLIAM SPARKS, son of 1.2.5.2.5.9 John and Barbara (MNU) Sparks, was born in May 1845, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. There he married Catherine Barnes on March 3, 1870. He served in Co. D, 101st Regt. Pennsylvania Infantry. File Designation: Inv. Cert. No. 592,590.
On July 18, 1890, William Sparks, aged 45, a resident of Portage, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, applied for an invalid pension. IIe stated that he had enrolled on February 4, 1864, in Company D, 101st Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry and had served until he was discharged at New Berne, North Carolina, on June 25, 1865. He was now suffering from Bright's Disease and from rheumatism brought on by his military service. He appointed W. Wallace Hill of Washington, D. C., as his attorney. John H. Kennedy and Peter Seymour witnessed his signature.
Sparks was asked to appear before an examining board on March 11, 1891. The board consisted of J. C. Sheridan, D. W. Evans, and T. J. Davison. They found him suffering from a severe rheumatism and anchylosis of the left hip and recomended that he receive a pension. He was issued Invalid Certificate No. 592,590 and placed upon the pension roll.
On July 5, 1898, Sparks responded to a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions. He said he had been married to Catherine Barnes on March 3, 1870, by J. Rodgers in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. It had been the first marriage for both of them. They had one child, Hugh Sparks, born on April 28, 1870.
William Sparks applied for increased pension benefits on May 27, 1912, under the provisions of the 1912 Act of Congress. He stated that he had enlisted in January 1862 in Company D, 101st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was taken a prisoner at Plymouth, North Carolina, on April 20, 1864, and was released on March 3, 1865, and was mustered out with his company on June 25, 1865, at New Berne, North Carolina. He had been 6 feet tall, with a fair complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair, and he was a laborer at the time he was enrolled. He had been born in May 1845 near Bloody Run, Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Since he had left the service, he had lived in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.
When William Sparks died on January 10, 1915, he was receiving a pension of $19.00 per month.
JAMES H. SPARKS, was born ca. 1846, probably in Ohio. He married Hannah E. Curtis on November 8, 1866, in Pope County, Illinois. He served in Co. G, 6th Regt. Illinois Cavalry. File Designations: Inv. Cert. No. 104,329; Wid. Application No. 204,153; Minor Cert. No. 175,321.
On May 1, 1869, James H. Sparks, aged 23, a resident of Golconda, Illinois, now made a declaration for an Invalid Pension. He said that he had enlisted on February 8, 1864, in Company G, commanded by Capt. W. P. Forman, of the 6th Regiment Illinois Cavalry and had served until he was mustered out with his company at Selma, Alabama, on November 5, 1865. On or about February 25, 1864, he contracted the measles, and they settled in his lungs. He had never full recovered from this disease, and he was now so disabled that he could no longer earn his support. He appointed John W. Raum, Golconda, Illinois, as his attorney. Henry D. Baker and James B. Perry witnessed his signature.
A few days later, on May 10th, W. P. Forman, a resident of Pope County, Illinois, late Captain of Company G, 6th Regiment Illinois Cavalry, certified that James H. Sparks had been a member of his company when he (Sparks) took the measles in February 1864 while they were stationed at Camp Butler, Illinois. The disease had settled in Sparks's lungs, and he never fully recovered from its effects during his term of service and could do very little duty as a soldier.
On June 5, 1869, Dr. Abram P. Brown, Pope County physician, made an affidavit that he had been treating James H. Sparks ever since Sparks's discharge from the service, and that he was so badly affected with repelled measles that he was almost totally incapable of any manual labor.
James H. Sparks made two affidavits to support his claim. On August 27, 1869, he said he had been treated for repelled measles in the General Hospital at Camp Butler, Illinois, during February and March 1864, but had rejoined his company about April 1, 1864. He could not remember the name of the Regimental Surgeon who treated him. On February 21, 1870, he swore that he had furnished the Commissioner of Pensions the best and all of the proof he could find for his claim.
Invalid Certificate No. 104,329 was issued to James H. Sparks, and he was placed upon the pension roll at the rate of $8.00 per month. He asked for an increase in his pension on September 27, 1871. He died a few months later, on January 16, 1872.
On June 5, 1872, Sparks's widow, Hannah E. Sparks, aged 36, a resident of Golconda, Illinois, applied for a Widow's Pension. She said that she had been married to Sparks on November 8, 1866, in Pope County, Illinois, by Andrew Sisk, a justice of the peace. Her name before her marriage was Hannah E. Curtis. The only surviving child of her husband was James Henry Sparks, born on December 2, 1870. She appointed John M. Raum, Golconda, Illinois, as her attorney. Her signature was witnessed by J. C. Baker and C. H. Cooper.
On July 16, 1872, the War Department confirmed Sparks's military service to the Commissioner of Pensions. Sparks was enrolled on February 8, 1864, at Cairo, Illinois, in Company G, 6th Regiment Illinois Cavalry to serve for three years or during the war. He was mustered out with his company at Selma, Alabama, on November 5, 1865.
Hannah E. Sparks died on January 25, 1875, and John H. Bincourt was appointed guardian of her son, James Henry Sparks. Bincourt was 21 years of age and a resident of Golconda, Illinois. On May 12, 1875, he applied for a Minor Pension for his ward. He appointed F. M. Modglin of Massac Creek, Illinois, as his attorney. Sarah W. Robbs and Henry E. Curtis witnessed his signature. Minor Certificate No. 175,321 was issued to James Henry Sparks, and he was placed on the pension roll until he reached his sixteenth birthday.
[Editor's Note: In all probability, James H. Sparks, the subject of this pension abstract, was the James H. Sparks who headed a family in Pope County, Illinois, when the 1870 census was taken there on July 26, 1870. He was then 25 years of age, he was a farner and he had been born in Ohio, according to information given to the census-taker. Living with him were the following:
Elizabeth Sparks, aged 36, a native of Kentucky;
John F. Sparks, aged 15;
Henrietta Sparks, aged 12;
William Sparks, aged 5 ; and
Joseph E. Sparks, aged 2.
The latter four were all born in Illinois. Although we cannot be certain, we believe that Elizabeth Sparks on this census was Hannah E. (Curtis) Sparks, wife of James H. Sparks. With her were her three children by a former marriage: John F. Curtis, Henrietta Curtis, and William Curtis. (The censustaker probably put ditto marks under the name Sparks rather than inserting the name Curtis for these three children. Joseph E. Sparks, aged 2, was probably a child of James and Hannah, who apparently died prior to 1872.
James Henry Sparks, the child mentioned in the pension application, was not born until after the 1870 census was taken.]
GEORGE W. SPARKS, was born March 5, 1841, in East Hampton, Connecticut. He served in Co. K, 22nd Regt. Connecticut Infantry. File Designation: Inv. Cert. No. 1,035,991.
On March 11, 1901, George W. Sparks, aged 60, a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, applied for an Invalid Army Pension under the 1890 Act of Congress. He said that he had enrolled on September 20, 1862, in Company K, 22nd Regiment Connecticut Infantry and had served until he was discharged on July 7, 1863. At that time he was 5 feet, 2 inches tall, weighed 130 pounds, had a dark complexion, black hair and grey eyes, and was a salesman. He was suffering from heart and kidney disease, rheumatism, and lumbago at the time of his application for a pension, these ailments having been brought on by exposure to army life. He appointed William J. Wray, Philadelpha, Pennsylvania, as his attorney.
A Surgeon's Certificate was issued to George W. Sparks on April 1, 1901. He was suffering from some permanent damage to his heart, but most of his disability came from the loss of the middle, 2nd, and little fingers of his left left hand. He was given a rating of $6.00 by the three-member board, composed of N. Workman, Samuel Starr, and W. A. Burns.
On April 6, 1901, Sparks completed a questionnaire for the Bureau of Pensions. He said that he had been born on March 5, 1841, at East Hampton, Connecticut. He had enlisted on September 10, 1862, at Coventry, Connecticut, and was discharged on July 7, 1863, at Hartford, Connecticut. He had lived in Rockville, Connecticut from 1863 to 1863, but from 1868 he had lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was a salesman. He had been married on December 20, 1870, in Philadelphia by the Rev. Francis Clerc, but his wife had died in November 1876. They had one child, Helen L. Sparks, born March 15, 1876.
The War Department confirmed the military service of George W. Sparks on April 6, 1901. He had been 21 years of age when he enlisted on September 10, 1862, in Company K, 22nd Regiment Connecticut Infantry as a private and a musician. He was mustered out with his company on July 7, 1863. No medical records for him had been found.
George W. Sparks made an affidavit on September 24, 1901, to support his application. He said the disability of his left hand was caused by having it caught in a hay cutter at Marlborough, Connecticut, in 1849 when he was seven years old. His sister, Mrs. Adaline A. Avery, Stafford Springs, Connecticut, knew of the incident and could testify. On September 26, 1901, Mrs. Avery, aged 62, testified that she had been present when her brother, George W. Sparks, had lost three fingers of his left hand in a hay-cutter at Marlborough in 1849.
Invalid Certificate No. 1,035,991 was issued to George W. Sparks, and he was placed on the pension roll at the rate of $6.00 per month. He died in November 1903.
26.2.6.1 Robert Davis Sparks, son of Asa and Amanda (Van Scyoc) Sparks, was born October 26, 1843, in Woodford County, Illinois. He married Margaret N. Davidson on March 10, 1869, in McLean County, Illinois. He served in Co. F, 88th Regiment Illinois Infantry and Co. A, 36th Regt. Illinois Infantry. File Designations: Inv. Cert. No. 992,302; Wid. Cert. No. 540,473.
Robert D. Sparks applied for an Invalid Pension on July 16, 1890, but no application copy was sent from his pension file by the National Archives. The earliest records (in chronological order) provided to us were from the Records & Pension Office of the War Department on March 19, 1894 and confirmed his military service. He was mustered into Company F, 88th Regiment Illinois Infantry on August 13, 1862, as a private, and was mustered out of the service in Company A, 36th Regiment Illinois Infantry on October 8, 1865. He had been transferred to the latter regiment on June 7, 1865. He had been present for duty during his military service except for the following, as quoted from these records:
December 31, 1862, Missing at Stones River, Tenn. April 30, 1863, Taken prisoner at Stones River. June 30, 1863, Exchanged and paroled at Annapolis, Md. August 31, 1863, Absent without leave since date of exchange. February 20, 1864, Deserted on May 6, 1863, the date of exchange.
April 14, 1864, Returned to company in arrest. December 31, 1864, In arrest Nashville, Tenn. March 15, 1865, The unexpired term of a sentence of a General Court Martial is remitted & he is ordered to return to duty with his Regiment.
Prisoner of War Records show him captured at Murphreesboro, Tenn. on December 31, 1862. He was confined at Richmond, Va. on January 15, 1863. Paroled at City Point, Va., January 20, 1863. Reported at Camp Parole, Maryland, January 21, 1863. Guard with payments in Texas, August 31, 1865.
During 1894, three neighbors of Robert Sparks made affidavits to support his request for an Invalid Pension. They were William H. Dorsey, 50; John M. Smith, 61; and W. R. Boyd, 54, all of El Paso, Illinois. They said that Sparks suffered spells of heart trouble which rendered him so helpless that he was unable to perform manual labor.
On June 9, 1898, Sparks replied to a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions. He said that he had been married to Margaret N. Davidson on March 10, 1869, in McLean County, Illinois, by R. E. Guthrie. He had not been previously married. Living children included:
26.2.6.1.1 Walter D. Sparks, born 1870
26.2.6.1.2 Lester E. Sparks, born 1872
26.2.6.1.3 Maud E. Sparks, born 1875
26.2.6.1.4 Nettie M. Sparks, born 1877
26.2.6.1.5 Emma G. Sparks, born 1880.
During 1899, Sparks continued to submit supporting affidavits from his neighbors, including Dr. L. F. Barton, 39; John E. Robinson, 60, and Phillip Real, 59, all of Secor, Illinois. All of them swore that he suffered from heart disease, accompanied by a general dropsy. He had also suffered a stroke which paralyzed his left side. Prior to going into the service, he had been a strong, sturdy man, but he was now unable to perform any manual labor.
On December 8, 1899, Sparks again submitted a declaration for an Invalid Pension. He said that he had enrolled on August 30, 1862, in Company F commanded by John Chickering of the 88th Regiment Illinois Infantry at Chicago, Illinois. At that time he had been 18 years of age, 5 feet, 6j inches tall, with a fair complexion, brown hair and blue eyes. He was now unable to perform any manual labor. He appointed John W. Morris of Washington, D. C., as his attorney.
Invalid Certificate No. 992,302 was issued to Robert Sparks, and he was placed upon the pension roll. When he died on June 23, 1901, he was receiving a pension of $12.00 per month.
On July 23, 1901, Margaret N. Sparks, aged 52, a resident of Kappa, Illinois, applied for a Widow's Pension. She stated that she had been married to Robert Sparks on March 10, 1869, at Bloomington, Illinois, by the Rev. R. E. Guthrie. She was married under her maiden name of Margaret N. Davidson. She appointed J. W. Morris, Washington, D.C., as her attorney.
Widow Certificate No. 540,473 was issued to Margaret N. Sparks, and she was placed upon the pension roll. When shj died on or about March 15, 1906, she was receiving a pension of $8.00 per month.
[Editor's Note: Robert Davis Sparks was a grandson of Amos and Nancy (Borough) Sparks. See pages 617-631 of the March 1962 issue of The Sparks Quarterly, Whole No. 37, for further details about the descendants of this couple.]