January 24, 2022
Pages 3730-3749
Whole Number 153
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 we have been publishing abstracts of pension application files for Union soldiers who served in the Civil War. (Confederate soldiers could not qualify for federal pensions.) A great many Union soldiers or their widows (sometimes their parents and their children) received federal pensions based on their war service, and the papers comprising their files at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., contain fascinating records of both historical and genealogical significance.
We have an index to all of the pension files for persons named Sparks which was compiled for us a number of years ago. For $5.00, it is possible to request copies from the National Archives of what are called the 'selected papers' from a given file. These are the papers in the file, usually no more than ten sheets, which have been chosen because they are the papers thought to be most significant from a genealogical point of view. It is also possible to obtain xerox copies of all the papers in a file, but the cost can run as high as $35.00, depending upon the size of the file. Dr. Paul E. Sparks, President of our Association, has obtained many of these 'selected files' and has abstracted them for publication in the Quarterly, beginning with the September 1967 issue, Whole No. 59.
We shall continue to use these as space permits, with notes regarding any further knowledge that we may have regarding the soldier and his family. It should be remembered when reading these abstracts that we have been limited to what someone at the National Archives has considered to be the most significant from a genealogical viewpoint. These 'selected' papers often fail to tell the complete story of the veteran's attempt (or that of a family member) to qualify for a pension. Anyone wishing us to obtain copies of all the papers in a given file may request your editor to do so for the cost involved.]
125.1 WILLIAM DALLES SPARKS, son of 125. William and Cinderella (Mitchell) Sparks, was born October 10, 1845, probably in Oldham County, Kentucky. He married Jane Buchanan on October 25, 1865, in Pope County, Illinois. He served in Company L, 17th Regiment Kentucky Cavalry. File designation: Inv. Cert. No.1,056,697.
On July 4, 1892, William D. Sparks, aged 47, a resident of Woodville, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, made a declaration for an Invalid Pension. He said that he had enlisted in September 1864 as a private in Company L, 17th Regiment Kentucky Cavalry, commanded by Elisha Lemon, and had served until he was discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, in September 1865. He stated that he had been 5 feet, 7 inches tall and had weighed 168 pounds when he enlisted; that he had dark complexion, black hair, and brown eyes, and was a farmer. He was now suffering from the loss of his right eye; a defect in his left eye; and from rheuniatism. He appointed George E. Lemon, Washington, D.C., as his attorney to assist him in obtaining a pension; L. J. Butler and T. E. McKenzie witnessed his signature on his application.
The War Department confirmed the military service of William D. Sparks on May 12, 1894. Records showed that he had served in the unit which he claimed from September 6, 1864, until September 20, 1865. No records had been found of any medical treatment that he had received while in service.
On August 26, 1896, W. D. Sparks made an affidavit to explain his physical disabilities. He stated that his right eye had been cancerous and had been removed at Evansville, Indiana, in 1882. Its removal had affected his left eye adversely and left him with greatly impaired vision. The affidavit was sworn to before J. W. Krebs, a notary public in Krebs, Oklahoma Territory.
About the same time, four other affidavits were made to support Sparks's claim. W. E. Kelley, 27; 5. 0. Dent, 34; James V. Kelley, 35; and James W. Davis, 48; made statements: referring to Sparks's visual disability and rheumatic suffering which prevented him from earning his support. The affidavits were notarized by J. W. Stewart, Krebs, Oklahoma Territory.
No Invalid pension was approved for Sparks, so he renewed his request on October 27, 1900. He was now 55 years old and a resident of Allen, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. He repeated his reasons for applying for a pension and asked for consideration under the 1900 Act of Congress. D. Allen and P. H. Watson witnessed his signature.
Sparks responded to a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions on May 16, 1901. He stated that he had been born on October 10, 1845, in Livingston County, Kentucky. He had entered military service in September 1864 at Smithland, Kentucky, and had been discharged in October 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky. Since leaving the service, he had lived in Evansville, Indiana, from 1866 to 1872; in Gaosa, Missouri from 1872 to 1876; in Paris, Texas, from 1876 to 1878; in Saxton, Missouri, from 1878 to 1881; in Evansville, Indiana, from 1881 to 1882; in Paris, Texas, from 1882 to 1885; and in Indian Territory from 1885 to the present. He stated that his full name was William Dalles Sparks. The questionnaire was witnessed by W. E. Little and Charles Casey.
A second questionnaire was sent to Sparks on the same day, May 16, 1901, probably in an attempt to 'trap' him if he were an imposter. He said on this questionnaire that his wife's maiden name was Jane Buchanan. They had been married on October 25, 1865, in Pope County, Illinois, by a preacher whose name he could not remember. They had four living children:
125.1.2 Maggie Sparks, born August 15, 1869;
125.1.4 John W. Sparks, born May 18, 1875;
125.1.5 B. F. Sparks, born December 1, 1877; and
125.1.6 Walter D. Sparks, born May 5, 1885.
On June 18, 1902, Sparks was asked for the third time to complete a questionnaire for the Bureau of Pensions. He stated on this questionnaire that he had been born on October 10, 1845, in Oldham County, Kentucky. [Note he had stated earlier that he had been born in Livingston County, Kentucky.] He had enlisted in the fall of 1864 at Livingston County, Kentucky, and had been discharged in October 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky. Since leaving the service, he had lived in Vanderburgh County, Indiana; from 1866 to 1872; then in Missouri until 1876; then in
Texas until 1897, then in Indian Territory to the present time. He was 5 feet 5 ? inches tall; he weighed 154 pounds; he had brown eyes, dark hair, and a dark complexion; and he was a farmer. He stated that his right eye had been removed. J. M. Layton and J. P. Needham witnessed the statement.
Invalid Certificate No. 1,056,697 was issued to William D. Sparks, and he was finally placed upon the pension roll.
Sparks applied for increased pension benefits on October 12, 1907, under the 1907 Act of Congress. He was now 62 years of age and a resident of Orting, Pierce County, Washington. He said he had lived in Orting since 1904. Carl Ingersoll and Smith Shallenberger witnessed the application which was sworn to before D. F. Ravens, a notary public in and for the state of Washington.
Sparks applied for increased pension benefits again on June 3, 1912, under the provisions of the 1912 Act of Congress. He said he was now totally incapacitated for manual labor because of his loss of his right eye and also a part of his right arm in an explosion of dynamite. He said he had been born on October 10, 1844, in Oldham County, Kentucky. [Note that in earlier affidavits he had given his year of birth as 1845.] E. V. O'Keefe and M. E. Callender attested to this declaration.
On December 10, 1914, Nancy Cole, aged 69, and Mrs. H. C. Boster, aged 69, both residents of Port Orchard, Washington, swore that they had known William D. Sparks and Jennie Sparks for eight years and knew that they were man and wife. They stated further that they knew William D. Sparks was so addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors that he was spending all of his money for liquor and was depriving his wife, Jennie Sparks, of proper clothing and other necessities of life. Robert Jenkins and Ellen Jenkins witnessed the affidavit, which was sworn to before James W. Martin, a notary public.
William D. Sparks responded to a fourth questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions on March 25, 1915. He stated that he had been married but one time and that was to Jennie Buchanan on October 25, 1865, in Pope County, Illinois. It was also her first marriage, and they were still living together. They had had six children whose names and dates of birth were as follows:
125.1.1 Fannie E. Sparks, born February 22, 1867 (now dead)
125.1.2 Maggie A. Sparks, born August 15, 1869
125.1.3 Minnie F. Sparks, born December 25, 1871 (now dead)
125.1.4 John W. Sparks, born May 18, 1875
125.1.5 B. F. Sparks, born December 1, 1877
125.1.6 Walter D. Sparks, born May 5, 1880
On December 23, 1918, Sparks again asked for an increase in his pension under the 1918 Act of Congress. He was now 74 years of age and a resident of Kitsap, Washington. E. F. Landalt and E. R. Keplinger attested to the declaration, which was sworn to before Flora I. Schwely, a notary public.
When William D. Sparks died in December 1920 in the Veterans' Home at Retsil, Washington, he was receiving a pension of $50.00 per month.
[Editor's Note: We have found very few records of 125. William and Cinderella (Mitchell) Sparks, parents of 125.1 William Dalles Sparks. William was a party to four land transactions in Oldham County, Kentucky, between 1846 and 1849. These deeds involved the same 46-acre tract of land on Pattons Creek, a stream which divides Oldham and Trimble Counties. Sparks bought the land in 1846 and finally disposed of it in 1849.
Apparently the family of William Sparks was not listed on an 1850 census schedule; however, it was listed on the 1860 census of Livingston County, Kentucky. He was 55 years of age (thus born ca. 1805), and his wife, Cinderella, was 47 (thus born ca. 1813). Their son, William, whose pension applications have been reviewed here, was listed as 13 years of age in 1860. All were natives of Kentucky.
William Sparks, father of William Dalles Sparks, died sometime prior to 1876. On September 30, 1876, Rillie Sparks, aged 66 and a widow, died in Livingston County, Kentucky, of chronic diarrhea. According to her death record, she was a daughter of John M. and Nancy J. Mitchell.]
WILLIAM SPARKS, son of Wesley and Anne (Mitchell) Sparks, was born ca. 1814 in Indiana. He married (first) Elizabeth Brown on January 10, 1843 in Parke County, Indiana, and (second) to Mary L. Ferry on April 8, 1896, in PARKE County. He served in Company A, 31st Regiment Indiana Infantry. File Designation: Inv. Cert. No. 810,872.
William Sparks applied for an Invalid Pension on May 22, 1867; however, no copy of his application was among the selected papers we received from his pension file at the National Archives. The earliest document sent from his file is an undated affidavit which he made about 1875. He was then 61 years of age and was a resident of Catlin Station, PARKE County, Indiana. He swore that he had been afflicted by a combination of chronic diarrhea and pleura pneumonia ever since he left the military service on September 10, 1864. He had served in Company A, 31st Regiment Indiana Infantry for three years.
On May 30, 1882, Jasper Montgomery, aged 32, and a resident of Catlin, Indiana, made an affidavit to support the claim of William Sparks. He said he had harvested 125 acres of heavy wheat with Sparks in 1860 and that Sparks had made a 'full hand.' When he next saw Sparks in 1865, Sparks was a sick man and complained of diarrhea and lung trouble. From 1865 to 1882,
Montgomery lived about one-half mile from Sparks and worked with him quite often. During this time, Sparks was not able to make more than a 'quarter hand' because he just 'played out' while at work from diarrhea.
The War Department sent a record of Sparks's military service to the Commissioner of Pensions on January 16, 1883. He had been enrolled on September 5, 1861, at Terre Haute, Indiana, as a private in Company A, 31st Regiment Indiana Volunteers to serve for three years. He had been promoted to 1st sergeant in December 1861 at Calhoun, Kentucky. He was present for duty until he had been sent to the Brigade Hospital on May 3, 1864. He had been mustered out of service on an Individual Muster-Out Roll at Indianapolis, Indiana, on September 8, 1864.
On July 25, 1890, Sparks again made a declaration for an invalid pension under the Act of Congress passed in 1890. He said he was now 70 years of age and a resident of Catlin, Indiana. He was 5 feet, 6 inches tall when he entered service and had a dark complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He still suffered from chronic diarrhea and lung trouble, and he now had a vision
problem as well, caused by granulated eyelids. He appointed George E. Lemon, Washington, D.C., as his attorney to assist him in obtaining a pension. William H. Garriznes and Edward Nichols witnessed his signature.
On July 27, 1892, Dr. Elijah L. Vancleve, aged 36, of Catlin, Indiana, made an affidavit to support Sparks's claim. He stated that he had treated Sparks for some time for paralysis which had totally disabled him for manual labor. Sparks was now virtually dependent on the charity of friends and neighbors for his support.
During the period 1892-1893, a number of friends and neighbors of William Sparks submitted affidavits to support his request for a pension. Included were affidavits from Robert D. Baldridge, 57; Samuel R. Beel, 61; Marvin H. Case, 57; Daniel Overpeck, 65; Daniel W. Jacks, 54; Samuel C. Catlin, 45; all residents of PARKE County. In general, they testified that (1) Sparks had been an able bodied man when he went into the service; (2) he had come out of the service suffering from chronic diarrhea and lung trouble; (3) he was now unable to earn a living; and (4) they knew first-hand of his condition because they were his close neighbors.
Invalid Certificate No. 810,872 was issued to William Sparks, and he was placed upon the pension roll. When he died on January 30, 1898, he was receiving a pension of $12.00 per month.
On November 24, 1916, Mary L. Sparks, aged 79, a resident of Roseate, Indiana, requested a Widow's Pension. She said that she was the widow of William Sparks who had served in Company A, 31st Regiment Indiana Infantry during the Civil War. He had died at Catlin, Indiana, on January 30, 1898. She had been married on April 8, 1896, to Sparks under the name of Mary L. Ferry in PARKE County, Indiana, by the Rev. W. M. Torr, M.G. Prior to this, she had been married to Thomas G. Ferry. William Sparks had also been married; however, his wife had died on September 8, 1894, in PARKE County. He had no children under the age of sixteen years at the time of his death. She appointed Frank M. Bryant, Rockville, Indiana, as her attorney. John F. Harshbarger and 0. P. Bell witnessed her signature.
On October 19, 1918, Mary L. Sparks made an affidavit to support her claim for a widow's pension. She said that since the death of her late husband, William Sparks, she had made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Olive Hooflike. William Sparks had died of a kidney disease on January 30, 1898. She had been born on March 22, 1837, but she knew of no public record of her birth, and her parents were both dead. Her first husband, Thomas Ferry, had died on October 11, 1874, and she had not re-married until she married William Sparks.
No pension was approved for Mary L. Sparks. On December 9, 1926, she made another declaration for a pension. She was now 89 years of age, having been born on March 22, 1837, in Bartholomew County, Indiana. She now lived at Blanford, Indiana. She and William Sparks had been married on April 8, 1896, in PARKE County, Indiana. She had been married previously to Thomas Graham Ferry who had died in Bartholomew County, Indiana, on October 11, 1874.
William Sparks had been married to Elizabeth Sparks, who had died in 1894 at Catlin, Indiana. James Perona and Minnie Topper witnessed her signature.
Apparently no widow's pension certificate was issued to Mary L. Sparks. Perhaps she died before her application could be acted upon.
[Editor's Note: William Sparks, above, was the eldest son of Wesley and Anne (Mitchell) Sparks who were married in Harrison County, Indiana, on March 2, 1812. After serving in the War of 1812, Wesley Sparks had moved his family westward to Vigo County, Indiana, and it was there that he was listed on the 1820 federal census. (See the September 1964 issue of THE SPARKS
Quarterly, Whole No. 47, pp. 846-47, for an abstract of his bounty land application form based on his service in the War of 1812.) by 1830, Wesley Sparks was in PARKE County, Indiana, where he was listed on the censuses of 1830, 1840, 1850, and 1860. (See the September 1977 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 99, pp. 1922-23, where information is given regarding Wesley Sparks's probable relationship to Addison Sparks, as well as to Baxter and Tillotson Sparks.
William and Elizabeth (Brown) Sparks were listed on the 1850 and 1860 censuses of PARKE County, Indiana. According to these records, it would appear that they had five children:
Samuel A. Sparks, born ca.1845;
Wesley R. Sparks, born ca.1847;
John M. Sparks, born in June 1850;
Francis Sparks, born ca. 1851; and
Eleanor Sparks, born ca.1855.]
WALTER C. SPARKS, was born ca. 1819 in New York City. He was married twice. His first marriage was to Sarah Jane Fry on July 3, 1842, in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and his second marriage was to Amanda O. Stearns on April 21, 1881, also in Fairfield County. He served in Company B, 1st Regiment Connecticut Heavy Artillery. File Designation: Inv. Cert. No. 399,739; Wid. Cert. No. 268,234.
Walter C. Sparks, aged 67, a resident of Danbury, Connecticut, applied for an Invalid Pension on March 1, 1887. He stated that he had enrolled in the service on February 4, 1862, as a private in Company B, 1st Regiment Connecticut Heavy Artillery, commanded by C. R. Bannan, and had served until he was discharged at Washington, D.C., on September 25, 1865. At that time, he was 5 feet, 6 inches tall; he had a light complexion, light hair, and blue eyes; and he was a hatter by trade.
Sometime during June 1962, he contracted malaria fever from exposure while stationed at Chickahominy Swamp, Virginia. He had been treated by the Regimental Surgeon and returned to duty, but the effect of the disease had remained with him after he left the service. He was now so weakened by the intermittent chills and fever that he was unable to earn his support by manual labor. He appointed George E. Lemon, Washington, D. C., as his attorney. Egbert W. Gilbert and Henry H. Purdy witnessed his signature.
The War Department confirmed Sparks's military service on July 13, 1887. He had enrolled in Company B, 1st Regiment Connecticut Heavy Artillery at New Haven, Connecticut, on February 4, 1862, to serve for three years. He had re-enlisted in the same company and regiment on February 5, 1864. He had been present for duty until he was mustered out with his company on September 25, 1865, at Washington, D.C. The muster-roll furnished no evidence of any disability.
During the latter part of 1887, four affidavits were made to support the claim of Walter C. Sparks. They were made by Edward H. Dann, Charles H. Lamb, Charles McDermott, and Daniel M. Andrews, all residents of Danbury, Connecticut. All of them testified that prior to his military service, Walter C. Sparks had been an able-bodied man, but that after he came home from the war, he suffered intermittent attacks of chills and fever of such severity that he was unable to earn his support.
Invalid Certificate No. 399,739 was issued to Walter C. Sparks, and he was placed on the pension roll. He died on September 13, 1889, at Danbury, Connecticut.
On November 1, 1889, Amanda Sparks, aged 55, a resident of Danbury, Connecticut, applied for a Widow's Pension based on her husband's service in the Civil War. She stated that she had been married to Walter C. Sparks on April 21, 1881, by the Rev. J. Hubbell, under her maiden name of Amanda O. Stearns. It had been her first marriage, but her husband had been married previously to Sarah J. ______. He had no children under the age of sixteen years at the time of his death. She appointed George E. Lemon, Washington, D.C. as her attorney.
On December 5, 1889, George Wakeman, Register of Fairfield County, Connecticut, made an affidavit that he had custody of the record of a marriage between Walter C. Sparks, aged 62, born in New York City, second marriage, and Amanda O. Stearns, aged 51, born at Hartford, New York, first marriage. They had been married on April 21, 1881, by the Rev. James N. Hubbell.
A month later, on January 2, 1890, Registrar Wakeman also certified that he was custodian of the record of the death of Sarah J. Sparks, aged 60 years, 4 days, married, who had died of consumption on March 20, 1878.
Widow Certificate No. 268,234 was issued to Amanda Sparks, and she was placed upon the pension roll. On September 19, 1916, she applied for increased pension benefits under the 1916 Act of Congress. She stated that she had been born at Hartford, New York, on March 31, 1830. she died on February 5, 1918, she was receiving a pension of $25.00 per month.
[Editor's Note: We have little information regarding Walter C. Sparks beyond that contained in his pension application. From other sources, we know that he had been married (first) to Sarah Jane Fry on July 3, 1842, in Fairfield County, Connecticut. When the 1850 census was taken of that county, this couple was listed on page 124 in House No. 694, in the Town of Danbury. He was 32 years old and a farmer; she was 33 years old. With them were four children: James H. Sparks, age 7; Caroline F. Sparks, age 5; John J. Sparks, age 2; and Walter Sparks, age 1.]
JAMES C. SPARKS, son of Charles and Sarah (Carpenter) Sparks, was born ca. 1846 in Delaware County, Ohio. He married Sarah A. (Smith) Russell on July 16, 1867, in Delaware County, Ohio. He served in Company B, 187th Regiment Ohio Infantry. File Designations: Inv. Cert. No. 373,015; Wid. Cert. No. 430,900.
On August 29, 1885, James C. Sparks, aged 38, a resident of Richwood, Ohio, appeared before John Q. Burgner, Clerk of the Union County [Ohio] Common Pleas Court, and applied for an invalid pension. He said he had enrolled on February 1, 1865, in Company B, 187th Regiment Ohio Volunteers, commanded by Captain John C. bybee and had served until he was discharged at Macon, Georgia, on January 20, 1866. At the time of his enlistment, he was 5 feet, 7 inches tall; he had a light complexion, blue eyes, and light hair; he was 18 years of age; and he was a farmer.
Sparks went on to state that while stationed at Barnesville, Georgia, he contracted a severe diarrhea and stomach trouble from eating too much pork and drinking strong coffee while his unit was marching through Georgia. He was not treated by his Regimental Surgeon, but by a Rebel Surgeon who lived at Barnesville and whose name he did not learn. Since leaving the service, he had continued to suffer from these disabilities and had been unable to earn his support. His statement was witnessed by Eli Sloop and William Burgner.
The War Department confirmed Sparks's military service on May 29, 1886. He had been enrolled at Richwood, Ohio, in Company B, 187th Regiment Ohio Volunteers on February 1, 1865, to serve for one year, and he had been reported as present until June 30, 1865. He was then placed on detached service in the Freedman's Bureau and served with that organization until November 1865 when he rejoined his company. He was mustered out with his company on January 20, 1866, at Macon, Georgia. Regimental Hospital records furnished no information about his disabilities.
James C. Sparks was issued Invalid Certificate No. 373,015, and he was placed upon the pension roll at the rate of $6.00 per month. This was increased to $12.00 per month on November 18, 1889. On May 23, 1896, J. N. Rodgers, aged 51, a resident of Richwood, Ohio, testified in behalf of a pension increase for James Sparks. He stated that he was well acquainted with Sparks, having served with him during the late war. Prior to going in the service, Sparks had been a stout, able-bodied man, but he had returned from the service with a disease of the lungs and head. Rodgers said that Sparks looked like a skeleton and was bedfast most of the time.
James C. Sparks died on July 2, 1896, and on July 9, 1896, his widow, Sarah A. Sparks, aged 57, applied for a widow's pension. She said she and Sparks had been married on July 16, 1867, at Raymond, Ohio, by Josiah Knight, M.G. Prior to her marriage to Sparks, she had been married to Henry Russell who had died on March 1, 1861. She and Sparks had no children under the age of sixteen when she made her application. She appointed R. G. Cook, Richwood, Ohio, as her attorney.
On July 13, 1896, the Probate Judge of Delaware County, Ohio, sent the Bureau of Pensions a copy of the marriage record of James C. Sparks to Sarah A. Russell on July 16, 1867. He also sent a copy of the marriage record of W. Henry Russell to Sarah Ann Smith on September, this being a record of her first marriage.
On August 12, 1896, George W. Drum, aged 70, and M. Evans, aged 62, both residents of Richwood, Ohio, made affidavits to support the claim of Sarah A. Sparks. They said they were close neighbors of James C. and Sarah A. Sparks and knew that they had lived together as man and wife until Sparks's death on July 2, 1896.
Widow Certificate No. 430,900 was issued to Sarah Ann Sparks, and she was placed upon the pension roll. On September 23, 1916, she applied for an increase in her pension because of her age. She stated that she had been born in Fairfield County, Ohio, on January 12, 1839. When she died on July 9, 1928, was receiving a pension of $50.00 per month.
[Editor's Note: See page 3724 of this issue of the Quarterly for further information regarding James C. Sparks and the branch of the Sparks family to which he belonged.]
WILLIAM SPARKS, son of Isaac and Eleanor Sparks, was born November 2, 1833, in Indiana. He married Calista Permelia Corpe on December 3, 1854. He died on August 15, 1872, in Van Buren County, Michigan. He served in Company E, 152nd Regiment Indiana Infantry. File Designation: Minor Appl. No. 444,922.
On or about September 20, 1890, certain heirs of William Sparks filed a claim for minor pension benefits. They claimed that their father had enlisted in Company E, 152nd Regiment Indiana Infantry on February 13, 1865, and had served until he was mustered out with his company on August 30, 1865. He had died on August 15, 1872, from chronic diarrhea which he had contracted while in the military service. At the time of his death, they were all under the age of sixteen years. Along with their application, they sent a copy of their father's death record. He had been born in Indiana, and was a son of Isaac and Eleanor Sparks. The heirs apparently lived in Van Buren County, Michigan.
Although no copy of the application of the minor heirs was sent from the pension file of William Sparks as part of the 'selected papers' which we ordered, it is obvious that the heirs were: Isaac Homer Sparks, Diantha Loretta Sparks, Milo George Sparks, Ella May Sparks, Charles Albert Sparks, Esther Addie Sparks, and Frank Albertus Sparks.
The War Department confirmed the military service of William Sparks to the Bureau of Pensions on June 25, 1891. It was just as was stated in the application. His only medical record showed that he had had tonsillitis on March 8, 1865.
The first affidavit to support the claim of the heirs was made in 1890 by Mrs. Emma Twitchell, aged 46, and a resident of Bloomingdale, Michigan. She stated that the heirs were her sister's children. Her brother-in-law, William Sparks, had returned from the service as an extremely sick man and had not been expected to live very long. He had been operated on several times by capable surgeons, but he had gone down steadily until his death. Mrs. E. A. Bush witnessed her signature.
On November 7, 1891, Myron H. LeMunyan, aged 77, and a resident of Bloomingdale, Michigan, made an affidavit. He stated that he had been married to the mother of the claimants, Calista Sparks, on February 7, 1875, and that they had lived together as man and wife until May 12, 1885, at which time she had left him and had gone to Camden, Minnesota, to live with some of her children. She had died there on January 20, 1889.
On February 19, 1892, Frank W. Hubbard, a notary public, appeared before Ransom S. Babcock, also a notary public, to make a sworn statement. He stated that he had examined the family records of the late William and Celista P. Sparks. These records had been written in an old book of receipts, accounts, and personal memoranda. The leaves were yellow and faded and part of them were gone. The records had the appearance of being a true and accurate account of such events as are usually kept by families as a permanent record. The dates of birth of the children were written first, followed by the records of the parents, and this was followed by the record of the death of one child. The records were as follows:
Sarah Samantha Sparks was born August 28, 1855
Isaac Homer Sparks was born November the 12th, 1856
Diantha Loretta Sparks was born April 24th, 1858
Harvey W. Sparks was born September 15, 1859
Milo George Sparks was born September 30, 1861
Ella May Sparks was born December 16, 1863
Charles Albert Sparks was born July 3, 1866
Esther Addie Sparks was come to dis her eart [sic--probably intended for 'this earth'] October 25, 1867
Frank Albertus Sparks was born April 19, 1872
William Sparks was born November the second 1833
Calista P. Sparks was born June the 14, 1831
William Sparks married Calista P. Corpe, December 3, 1854
Harvey W. Sparks departed this life September the 17, 1860
Sarah R. Frank, aged 45, a resident of Elkhart County, Indiana, made an affidavit on July 14 1892, in behalf of the heirs of William Sparks. She said that she was a sister of William Sparks and knew that neither her brother nor his wife, the former Calista P. Corpe, were married prior to their marriage to each other on December 3, 1854.
Two affidavits were submitted during 1892 to show the physical condition of William Sparks prior to his death. Bony Watkins, aged 57, a resident of Paw Paw, Michigan, and John E. Lee, aged 78, a resident of Trowbridge, Michigan, both testified that Sparks had been troubled with chronic diarrhea which rendered him completely helpless at times. He spent a great deal of his time in bed or lying on the floor. Both men said that Sparks was a temperate and worthy man not addicted to drinking habits.
On February 4, 1893, H. E. Squier, Clerk of Van Buren County, Michigan, sent copies of two marriage records to the Bureau of Pensions. One was that of the marriage of Ella M. Sparks to Richard Phillips. She had been aged 18 and he had been 23. They had been married on September 6, 1879, by Elbert H. Haynes, a justice of the peace. The other record was that of the marriage of Esther A. Sparks and Sylvanus Bush. She had been 15 and he had been 26. They had been married on November 5, 1882, by L. J. Branch, a minister of the Gospel.
A few days later, Clerk Squier also sent the record of the marriage of Diantha L. Sparks to Danther P. Beer. She had been 16 while he had been 22. They had been married on December 24, 1874, by R. M. Brown, a justice of the peace.
On July 8, 1904, the Clerk of Allegan County, Michigan, sent a copy of the marriage record of Esther A. Bush to Edward Clark, She had been 29 and he had been 30 years of age when they were married on April 24, 1897. Both had been previously married; her maiden name had been Esther A. Sparks. They were married by Gordon L. Hicks, a justice of the peace.
The final document (in chronological order) among the 'selected papers' sent by the National Archives from the pension file of William Sparks, is a copy of the 'Return of Death' of Charles A. Sparks dated May 8, 1905. He was a son of William and Calista Sparks and had died on November 7, 1893, in Lyon County, Minnesota. He was aged 27 and was single.
What additional papers might exist among the 'non-selected papers' in this file, we do not know. We know only that the application for a Minor Pension by the heirs of William Sparks was not approved.
[Editor's Note: This William Sparks, as revealed in his 'Record of Death' found among the papers of his heirs' application for a pension based on his Civil War service, was a son of Isaac and Eleanor Sparks. Isaac Sparks, age 49, was shown with his family on the 1850 census of Lagrange County, Indiana. From this record, it appears that Isaac Sparks was born ca. 1801 somewhere in Ohio. He was a farmer according to this census, with real estate valued at $690.
Isaac's wife, Eleanor Sparks (spelled 'Elenore' on the 1850 census), was 44 (thus born ca. 1806), and a native of Pennsylvania. William Sparks, whose Civil War service is described above, was living with his parents in 1850, age 16. When the 1860 census was taken, Isaac Sparks, age 59, was shown with his family in Elkhart County, Indiana, which adjoins Lagrange County. Again, Ohio was given as the place of his birth. Eleanor was shown as 54 years old, born in Pennsylvania. William was no longer living at home.
It appears from census records, and data provided by a descendant, that Isaac and Eleanor Sparks were the parents of twelve children, but we have the names of only the last ten. These ten were:
James Sparks, born ca. 1829. (He was probably the James Bundy Sparks, born May 7, 1829, who married Amanda Nelson in Lagrange County on June 3, 1858.)
Ruth Sparks (?), born ca. 1830. (She was probably the Ruth M. Hibbun living with Isaac and Eleanor in 1850.)
Thomas Sparks, born ca. 1832. He married Mary J. MNU
William Sparks, born November 2, 1833. (See above.)
David M. Sparks, born ca. 1836. He married Maria Clark in Elkhart County, Indiana
Mary B. Sparks, born ca. 1838.
Isaac Sparks, Jr. He married Elizzie Haws in Elkhart County, Indiana
George Sparks, born ca. 1845. (Said to have been an invalid.)
Sarah R. Sparks, born ca. 1847. She married FNU Frank, judging from her affidavit noted above.
Alenda Sparks, born ca. 1850. (She was called Ruth on the 1860 census.)
As noted in the list of children of William and Calista P. (Corpe) Sparks shown on page 3738, their eldest daughter was Sarah Samantha Sparks, born August 28, 1855. Her nickname was 'Mattie.' She was married twice, first to John D. Potter on July 30, 1874, by whom she had children named Ena Maude, Minnie Undine, and Frank Eugene; she was married (second) on August 28, 1895, to Thomas B. Drake by whom she had children named Elsie Irene and Ethel Mae. She died in Orland, California, on June 24, 1932.
Sometime prior to her death in 1932, Sarah Samantha ['Mattie'] wrote an account of her family, a copy of which was furnished to us by a great-granddaughter, LaVonne Nichols, a number of years ago. According to this account, Isaac Sparks (Mattie's grandfather), had been born in Ireland, not Ohio as shown on census records. She wrote:
My Grandfather [Isaac Sparks] on my father's side was born in Ireland, coming to America with his parents when but 5 years old; his name was Isaac Sparks. My Grandmother, Mary Eleanor McLean, was born on the boat coming from Ireland. Although her parents were Scotch, they were friends of the Sparks family. They all settled in Pennsylvania. Later, Grandfather's people came to Indiana. Grandmother was born on the same ship that Grandfather came to America on, and after the McLeans had been in Pennsylvania they also came to Indiana, and they met again and were married, she then being but 15 years old. They always lived near the place where they first went to keeping house. They raised a large family of twelve children. Their lives were uneventful; they lived very happy and lived to be very old. Grandfather, 102 years and Grandmother, 100 years, and died just a few days apart.
We can only guess why the census records show Ohio as the place of birth for Isaac Sparks whereas his granddaughter seemed so positive about his having been born in Ireland and brought to America at the age of five. It is possible that her memory was faulty, and that it was Isaac's father who had been born in Ireland.
Mrs. Drake (Mattie) went on to state that her father, William Sparks, who served in the Civil War, had died when he was 37 years old and that her mother, Calista, had died when she was 53. She stated that her mother's (Mary Eleanor's) parents had been Harvey and Fannie (Durkee) Corpe; that Harvey Corpe had been born in Boston while Fannie Durkee was a native of Vermont, and that it had been in Vermont that they had been married. Shortly after their marriage, they went west to Ohio, later moving to 'where Middlebury, Indiana, now stands.'
Until receiving this record by Sarah Samantha ('Mattie'], we had believed that this Isaac Sparks had been the same Isaac Sparks who had been listed on the 1830 census of Rush County, Indiana, and that he was the Isaac Sparks who had been married to Eleanor Egan on September 2, 1824, in Fayette County, Indiana.
We shall welcome any further information from any of our readers who descend from this branch of the Sparks family.]
GEORGE MITCHELL SPARKS, son of Eli and Mary (Krider) Sparks, was born February 13, 1834, in Coshocton County, Ohio. He married Sarah J. Oar on April 17, 1866, in Edgar County, Illinois. He served in Company H, 59th Regiment Illinois Infantry. File Designations: Inv. Cert. 103,985; Wid. Cert. No. 902,531.
George M. Sparks made a declaration for an Invalid Pension on March 16, 1868, when he appeared before the clerk of the Edgar County, Illinois, Court. He was aged 32 and a resident of Kansas, Illinois. He stated that he had enlisted on August 9, 1861, as a private in Company H (commanded by Capt. Huston Taylor) of the 59th Regiment Illinois Infantry and had served until he was discharged at Springfield, Illinois, on October 4, 1864. He said that while engaged as a picket in front of the enemy at Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, on June 27, 1864, he had been wounded in the right arm above the elbow by a bullet which damaged the nerves in his arm and hand. He was now unable to do anything except light labor in his occupation as a farmer. He appointed William A Foulkes of Paris, Illinois, as his attorney, and the declaration was witnessed by A. J. Baker and John McAdams.
The Adjutant General's Office confirmed the military service of George M. Sparks on June 12, 1868. He had been enrolled at Kansas, Illinois, on August 9, 1861, as a corporal in Company H, 59th Regiment Illinois Volunteers to serve for three years. He had been a sergeant when he had been wounded and sent to the hospital on June 22, 1864. He was discharged at Springfield, Illinois, on October 4, 1864.
Invalid Certificate No. 103,985 was issued to George M. Sparks, and he was placed upon the pension roll.
On June 5, 1898, Sparks responded to a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions. He stated that he had been married to Sarah J. Oar on April 17, 1866, in Edgar County, Illinois, by Samuel B. Taggart, a Presbyterian minister. It had been the first marriage for both. They had nine children, but only six of them were still living [in 1898]. They were:
Adah Sparks, born March 31, 1867. Died before 1898.
Oris K. Sparks, born August 10, 1868
Ernest C. Sparks, born April 22, 1870
Sylvester O. Sparks, born September 25, 1872
Carl W. Sparks, born March 12, 1875
Bertha E. Sparks, born October 30, 1878. Died before 1898.
Frankie Sparks, born March 1, 1880. Died before 1898.
Ruth E. Sparks, born June 10, 1882
Mary Sparks, born December 26, 1883
George M. Sparks applied for an increase in his pension benefits on February 26, 1906. He was receiving a pension of $10.00 per month, but he believed he deserved more because of his age. He had been born on February 13, 1834. Jacob V. Rogers and Ed Buckler witnessed his signature. Apparently, the request was not acted upon with favor.
Sparks applied again for increased pension benefits on March 4, 1907, under the provisions of the 1907 Act of Congress. He said he was now 73 years of age and a resident of Hume, Illinois. When he entered the army, he had been 5 feet and 8 inches tall; he had a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark hair; and he was a farmer. He had been born on February 13, 1834, in Coshocton County, Ohio. Since leaving the service, he had lived at Kansas, Illinois, until 1873, and then he had moved to Hume, Illinois, where he had lived since. William H. Stark and W. S. Linder attested the declaration, and Edwin L. Writesman and John E. Wilson witnessed his signature. Again, the request of George M. Sparks was apparently denied.
On March 22, 1909, George M. Sparks sent the Bureau of Pensions a true copy of the record of the births of his father's family which had been taken from a family Bible in the possession of a sister. The record showed Sparks's date of birth as February 13, 1834. Apparently he was given an increase in his pension at this time because of his age.
George M. Sparks responded to a second questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions on March 13, 1915. He re-affirmed most of the information he had furnished earlier about his marriage to Sarah J. Oar and of their family. He gave the names and dates of birth of all of their nine children, including three he had not named in 1898 because they had died before then. These three were added above.
When George M. Sparks died on July 21, 1920, at Hume, Illinois, he was receiving a pension of $50.00 per month. According to information on his Certificate of Death, which was given by Etta McCracken of Pawnee City, Nebraska, he had been born on February 13, 1834, to Eli and Mary (Fuller) Sparks, both natives of Ohio. His full name was George Mitchell Sparks. The cause of his death was jaundice and old age. He was buried in the Young-America Cemetery at Hume.
On August 4, 1920, Sarah J. Sparks applied for a Widow's Pension. She stated that she had been born on February 16, 1844, at McConnellsville, Ohio. She had been married to George M. Sparks On April 17, 1866. He had died on July 21, 1920. She applied for a pension under the provisions of the 1920 Act of Congress. J. V. Rogers and Frank K. Page witnessed her signature.
On November 3, 1920, Charles H. McAdams, aged 68, and Susan C. Markle., aged 70, both residents of Hume, Illinois, swore that they had known both Sarah J. Sparks and her late husband, George M. Sparks, before they had been married on April 17, 1866, and they knew that they had lived together as man and wife until the death of George M. Sparks, on July 21, 1920.
On April 14, 1921, George D. Murphy, Clerk of the Edgar County [Illinois] Court, sent the Bureau of Pensions a record of the marriage of George M. Sparks and Sarah J. Oar. They had been married on April 17, 1866, by Samuel B. Taggert, M.G.
Widow's Certificate No. 902,531 was issued to Sarah J. Sparks, and she was placed on the pension roll. When she died on October 14, 1933, she was receiving a pension of $36.00 per month.
[Editor's Note: According to information given on the 1850 census of Greene County, Indiana, Eli Sparks, father of George M. Sparks, was born ca. 1798 in Kentucky. He married Rebecca Fulton on September 3, 1818, in Coshocton County, Ohio, and when the 1820 census was taken of that county, they had two children. Sometime between 1820 and 1830, Eli moved to Guernsey County, Ohio, where he was the head of his family in 1830 and 1840. Rebecca apparently died about 1835, and on July 31, 1838, Eli married (second) Mary Krider. [Note that on the death certificate of George M. Sparks, his mother's name was given as Mary Fuller--perhaps there was confusion regarding Mary's maiden name and that of Eli's first wife, Rebecca Fulton.] by 1845, Eli Sparks had moved his family to Greene County, Indiana.
From census records and information furnished by a descendant, it appears likely that Eli Sparks was the father of ten children. The two oldest (daughters) have not been identified. The other eight were named
1. John Sparks,
2. Isabella Sparks,
3. Charles Sparks,
4. Hester Sparks,
5. George M. Sparks,
6. Martha Sparks,
7. Charlotte Sparks,
8. David Sparks, and
9. James Sparks.
37.2.3.5 THOMAS W. SPARKS, son of 37.2.3 Richard and Lucy (Devore) Sparks, was born in Ohio about 1842. He married Mary Adelaid Parmele on May 23, 1869, in Tazewell County, Illinois. He served in Company F, 8th Regiment Illinois Volunteers and Company B, 3rd Regiment Illinois Cavalry. File Designations: Inv. Appl. No. 589,673; Wid. Appl. No. 629,720.
On October 13, 1886, Thomas Sparks, aged 44, a resident of Norwich, Kansas, applied for an Invalid Pension. He said he had served in Company F, 8th Regiment Illinois Volunteers from April 15, 1861, until June 15, 1861. He had also served in Company B, 3rd Regiment Illinois Cavalry, commanded by Capt. Jas. Moss, from August 15 1861, until he was discharged on September 15, 1862, at Helena, Arkansas, by reason of disability. He was 5 feet, 9 ? inches in height; he had a light complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes; and he was a farmer. Sometime during October or November 1861, he contracted a chronic diarrhea at Tipton, Missouri. He had been treated in the Regimental Hospitals at Springfield, Missouri, and Helena, Arkansas. He was now unable to perform his occupation as a farmer because of this disability. He appointed George E. Lemon, Washington, D.C., as his attorney, and A. B. Moore and Chas. S. Cox witnessed his signature.
The Adjutant General's Office could find no Certificate of Discharge for Thomas Sparks, and on June 14, 1887, they asked him to forward his own discharge to that office.
On July 9, 1887, Nathaniel Leach, aged 50, a resident of Grenola, Kansas, sent a Proof of Disability affidavit to the Bureau of Pensions to support the claim of Thomas Sparks. He stated that he had been a comrade of Sparks during the war and knew that Sparks had been stricken with severe diarrhea about October 1862 from eating bad food and drinking bad water. Sparks had been discharged from the service because of this disability.
Thomas Sparks made an affidavit on August 30, 1887, concerning his disability. He was now a resident of Benton, Indian Territory, Public Land Strip (probably in the Territory of Washington). He said that he was living in Mackinaw, Illinois when he enlisted in the military service, but about 1864 he had moved to the Montana Territory. He had stayed there until about 1870 when he moved to Washington Territory. From there he moved back to Tazewell County, Illinois.
He said that he had been treated in Mackinaw, Illinois, by three doctors; Dr. Terrell, Dr. Giles, and Dr. Brown. All of them were now (1887) dead. He was also treated by Dr. Beal of Lerman Gulch, Montana Territory, and by Dr. Pickard of Benton, Indian Territory Neutral Strip. He said that he was a farmer and depended upon hired help since he could perform as a hand only about a fourth of the time.
The Adjutant General's Office sent the Bureau of Pensions a record of Sparks's military service on February 21, 1889. He was mustered Into Company F, 8th Regiment Illinois Volunteers on April 30, 1861, at Pekin, Illinois and was mustered out on July 25, 1861, at Cairo, Illinois. He was enrolled on September 9, 1861, at Camp Butler in Company B, 3rd Illinois Cavalry to serve for three years. He was reported as 'Absent--Sick' from October 20, 1861, to November 24, 1861. From December 1861 to February 1862, he was reported as 'Absent--On Sick Furlough.' On the September -October 1862 roll, he was reported as 'Absent Without Leave since October 17, 1862, Furlough Expired.' Also on file was a Medical Certificate for an Extension of Furlough, prepared by Dr. J. E. Giles, of Mackinaw, Illinois. It was dated October 6, 1862, and reads as follows:
I do herby certify that I have carefully examined Thomas Sparks, a private in Co. B, 3rd Regt. Illinois Cavalry and find that he has continued diarrhea, soreness and weakness of the loins, general disability, occitional Prolapsis ani, and is considerably emaciated, and in consequence thereof, he is, in my opinion, incapacitated for military duty and will be for a period of 60 days from this date. Therefore he respectfully requests an extension of his furlough until December 4, 1862.
The claim of Thomas W. Sparks for a pension was rejected, and no Invalid Certificate was issued to him. He died on June 25, 1895, in Butte County, South Dakota. His death was attested to by George W. Cone, a mail carrier of South Dakota.
On March 3, 1896, Addie Sparks, aged 47, a resident of Normal, Illinois, applied for a Widow's Pension. She stated that she was the widow of Thomas Sparks who had served in the 3rd Regiment Illinois Cavalry from August 1861 until October 1862 when he was discharged. He had died on June 25, 1895. She and Sparks had been married on May 23, 1869, by the Rev. E. Hall, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Mackinaw, Illinois. It was the first marriage for both. She was married under her maiden name of Addie Parmele. They had one child under the age of sixteen years in 1896, that being 37.2.3.5.9 Louis T. Sparks, who had been born January 12, 1884. She appointed George E. Lemon, Washington, D. C., as her attorney.
On May 8, 1896, Thomas B. Hollins, Clerk of the Butte County [South Dakota] Circuit Court, sent the Bureau of Pensions a list of the taxable property of Thomas Sparks, deceased. The list consisted of the following:
11 head of horses, valued at $150
54 head of cattle, valued at 590
1 wagon, valued at 5
Household goods valued at 25
Improvements on Government Lands 20
No Widow's certificate was issued to Addie Sparks, and her claim was marked as 'Rejected on the grounds that the soldier deserted from Co. B, 3rd IL. Cav. October 17, 1862, and was never discharged from said organization.'
[Editor's Note: Thomas W. Sparks was a son of Richard and Lucy (Devore) Sparks of Tazewell County, Illinois, and a grandson of 37.2 Thomas and Abigail (Shaw) Sparks of Salem County, New Jersey, and Clark County, Ohio. For further details of this family, see pages 970-73 of the March 1966 issue of The Sparks Quarterly, Whole No. 53, and pages 1540-45 of the March 1973 issue, Whole No. 81.]
EDWARD SPARKS, was born February 19, 1830, in Edinburgh, Scotland. He served in Company I, 7th Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry, and in Company B, 2nd Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry.
File Designations: Sparks has two separate pension files in the
National Archives. The first is based upon his Inv. Appl. No. 1,053,671. The second file is based upon his Inv. Cert. No. 1,019,970. Here, we have combined the two.
Edward Sparks received a Certificate of Disability for Discharge on December 11, 1862, at Hospital No. 7, Louisville, Kentucky. He had enlisted as a corporal in Capt. Decker's Company, 7th Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on August 30, 1861, to serve for three years. He had been born in Scotland and was 39 years of age. He was 5 feet, 8 inches tall; he had a light complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair; and he was a shoemaker. Asst. Surgeon William W. Goldsmith certified that Sparks was unable to perform the duties of a soldier because of hypertrophy of the left ventricle of the heart and of secondary syphilis.
Sparks applied for an invalid pension on April 21, 1891. He was 61 years of age and a resident of Tredegar, Monmouth County, England. He stated that he was troubled with heart disease, failure of sight, and general debility brought on by his military service. He appointed C. W. Boone, Kingston, Pennsylvania, as his attorney. E. Melville Heard and R. H. Loane witnessed his signature.
The War Department confirmed Sparks's military service on November 20, 1891. He had been enrolled in Company I, 7th Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry on August 30, 1861, and had been discharged as a corporal on December 11, 1862, on an S.C.D.
On January 26,1892, Capt. John T. Thomas, Surgeon, 1st Monmouth Artillery, England, gave Sparks a physical examination. He found Sparks was suffering from deafness brought on by the bursting of a shell which wounded his head. Sparks was suffering from malnutrition; he had a badly affected heart with a highly irregular pulse after exertion. He was just recovering from an attack of bronchial catarrh, and his nervous system was broken down as a result of drink. He was totally deaf in his right ear, and his hearing was badly impaired in the other ear.
Despite the testimony offered by Sparks and by his examining physician, his application for a pension was rejected on May 20, 1892, because 'all disability found in this case due to vicious habits.'
On January 25, 1898, the Commissioner of Pensions advised W. E. Sparks, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, that no evidence had been filed in the case of Edward Sparks since May 20, 1892, nor had a new declaration been filed.
On March 6, 1900, Edward Sparks, aged 69, a resident of Tredegar, England, re-applied for an invalid pension. He stated that he had been enrolled at Scranton, Pennsylvania, on February 21, 1865, in Company H, 2nd Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanded by Capt. Saunders, and he had been discharged at Cloudsmill, Virginia, upon the proclamation of peace. At that time, he was 33 years of age; he was 5 feet, 8 inches tall; he had a fair complexion, dark brown hair, and blue eyes; and he was a shoemaker. He was now suffering from rheumatism which prevented him from earning his support. John Hitchins and G. Hannan [?] witnessed his signature.
On March 31, 1900, the War Department confirmed Sparks's military service. He had been enrolled on February 21, 1865, in Company B, 2nd Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry. He had been transferred to Company B, 1st Regiment Pennsylvania Provisional, and had been mustered out with that company on July 13, 1865. He was at that time 41 years of age; he was 5 feet, 8 inches tall; he had a florid complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair; and he was a shoemaker.
Dr. G. A. Brown examined Sparks on June 19, 1900. He wrote that he had found Sparks to be 'a feeble old man, deaf and infirm, and the subject of chronic rheumatism. The origin of his condition was probably advancing years and cold and hardship. He was an extremely well-conducted and respectable man, and there was no evidence of intemperance or of venereal disease.
On July 29, 1900, Samuel Good, aged 73, Arthur Fisher, aged 69, and Harry S. Williams, aged 52, all residents of Newport, England, testified to the physical incapacity of Edward Sparks.
On December 7, 1900, Edward Sparks appeared before G. A. Brown, examiner, and swore that the date of his last birthday was February 19, 1900, at which time he was 70 years old.
Invalid Certificate No. 1,019,970 was issued to Edward Sparks, and he was placed upon the pension roll. He was dropped from the roll on May 1, 1905, because of 'failure to claim pension.' At that time, he was receiving a pension of $10.00 per month.
[Editor's Note: It is probable that Edward Sparks was related to a Sparks family appearing on the 1870 census of the 1st Ward of Wilkes-Berre, Pennsylvania, page 616. A John Sparks is shown there as having been born in England about 1828 (his age was given as 41 on this census). He was a 'confectioner' and owned $15,000 worth of real estate while his personal property was valued at $2,000. Living with him was Harriet Sparks, probably his wife, aged 32; she had been born in Wales. Also living in the household was 15-year-old William E. Sparks (born ca. 1855), a native of Pennsylvania. There was also a 'domestic servant' named Harriet Jenkins, age 17, born in Pennsylvania. It seems quite possible that the W. E. Sparks who, as noted in the above abstract, wrote on January 25, 1898, from Wilkes-Barre to the Commissioner of Pensions, was the William E. Sparks who had been 15 years old in 1870. Was he a nephew of Edward Sparks, per chance?]
19.1.1.6.1.1.4 ISAAC W. SPARKS, son of 19.1.1.6.1.1 Henry and Sarah Ann (McCreary) Sparks, was born February 4, 1847, at Mineral City, Ohio. He died on July 12, 1916, in San Diego, California. He married Marissa Arminda Sherrod on September 8, 1870, in Albia, Iowa. He served in Company H, 195th Regiment Ohio Infantry. File Designations: Inv. Cert. No. 756,149; Wid. Cert. No. 813,788.
On August 27, 1890, Isaac W. Sparks, aged 43 years, a resident of Fremont, Mahaska County, Iowa, made a declaration for an invalid pension. He stated that he had been enrolled on February 28, 1865, in Company H, 195th Regiment Ohio Infantry and had served until he was discharged at Alexandria, Virginia, on December 18, 1865. He claimed that he was unable to support himself because of an inguinal hernia and disease of the liver caused by his military service. He appointed W. R. Lacey, Oskaloosa, Iowa, as his attorney.
Sparks's declaration was accompanied by an affidavit from Dr. A. C. Wilkins, who stated that he was a surgeon of twenty-five years standing and that he had examined Sparks and had found an inguinal hernia which prevented Sparks from doing any manual labor. He also found that Sparks had an organic disease of liver which rendered him unable to make a living.
The War Department confirmed Sparks's military service to the Bureau of Pensions. He had been 18 years of age when he had been enrolled on February 28, 1865, in Company H, 195th Regiment Ohio Infantry at Steubenville, Ohio. He was 6 feet, 1 inch in height and he had a dark complexion, dark eyes and dark hair. He had been born on February 4, 1847, in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He had been mustered into the service at Columbus, Ohio, and was mustered out with his company on December 18, 1865.
On May 12, 1891, Sparks wrote to the Bureau of Pensions and said that they were mistaken in asking him to report to an examining board in Fremont County, Iowa, which was 150 miles from his home, and he asked the Bureau if he could be examined at Oskaloosa, in Mahaska County. The subsequent physical examination proved Sparks's need, and the Bureau issued Invalid Certificate No. 756,149 to him, and he was placed upon the pension rolls.
Sparks answered a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions on April 5, 1898. He said that he had been married to the former Marissa Sherrod on September 8, 1870, at Albia, Iowa by the Rev. B. B. Allenden, a Methodist minister. Neither he nor his wife had been previously married. They had four children: Willis G. Sparks, born August 3, 1871; Cora E. Sparks, born December 16, 1876; Daisy D. Sparks, born September 11, 1879; and Bert Sparks, born November 10, 1881.
Isaac W. Sparks applied for increased pension benefits on May 31, 1912, under the 1912 Act of Congress. He was now 65 years of age and a resident of Holden, Johnson County, Missouri. Since leaving the service, he had lived in Knox County, Illinois, from 1865 to 1869; in Mahaska County, Iowa, from 1869 to 1892; in Taylor County, Iowa, from 1892 to 1909; and in Johnson County, Missouri, from 1909 to the present time.
Isaac W. Sparks died on July 12, 1916, and on August 2, 1916, his widow, Marissa Arminda Sparks, aged 65 years, a resident of San Diego, California, applied for a widow's pension under the provisions of the 1908 Act of Congress. She appointed Daisy Wilt of National City, California, as her attorney. Edward G. Otis and Chas. T. Chaudlin witnessed her declaration.
William Sparks, aged 70 years; Mary A. Sparks, aged 68 years; and Anderson Akers, aged 80 years, all residents of Oslaloosa, Iowa, made a joint affidavit to support Mrs. Sparks's application. They stated that they had known Marissa Sherrod before she had been married to Isaac Sparks in 1870, and they knew that neither she nor Sparks had been married before. They said that Isaac and Marissa Sparks had continued to live together as man and wife until Isaac's death on July 12, 1916.
The Bureau of Pensions issued Widow Certificate No. 813,788 to Marissa A. Sparks. When she died at Sawtelle, California, on December 20, 1924, she was receiving a pension of $30.00 per month.
[Editor's Note: We are grateful to William H. Mitchell, 305 N. Oregon St., Johnstown, Ohio, for the information on this family which follows. Isaac W. Sparks was a son of 19.1.1.6.1.1 Henry and Sarah Ann (McCreary) Sparks. Mr. Mitchell's record of the children of Isaac W. and Marissa A. (Sherrod) Sparks matches the list given at the bottom of page 3746, except that 'Bert' was a nickname for Albert Sparks, born November 10, 1881.
Henry Sparks, father of Isaac W. Sparks, was born August 11, 1814, in Warren Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and died on August 1, 1881, in Sandy Township of the same county. Henry was married on April 18, 1839, in Tuscarawas County to Sarah Ann McCreary, who had been born on December 3, 1819, and died on February 18, 1860. She was a daughter of John and Margaret (Slutz) McCreary. The parents of Henry Sparks were John Sparks (born 1788) and his wife Mary, whose maiden name has not been discovered. This John Sparks was a brother of 19.1.1.6.2 Ephraim Lloyd Sparks (born 1790) who was noted on page 3710 of the present issue of the Quarterly. Thomas C. Sparks (1815- 1909), whose photograph appears on the cover of this issue of the Quarterly, was a son of Ephraim Lloyd and Sarah (Cook) Sparks, and he was thus a first cousin of Henry Sparks (born 1814) who was Isaac W. Sparks's father.]
WILLIAM M. SPARKS, son of Henry and Sarah Ann (McCreary) Sparks, was born ca. 1845 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He married Mary A. Sherritts on June 7, 1866. He served in Company E, 11th Regiment Ohio Cavalry. File Designation: Inv. Appl. No. 1,147,581.
On July 14, 1892, George Estes, District Attorney of Apache County, Arizona Territory, and a resident of St. Johns, wrote to Congressman Green B. Raum, Washington, D.C., and asked him to determine the status of a pension application of William M. Sparks. He said that Sparks had served in Capt. L. G. Marshall's Company of the 11th Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, during the Civil War, and that several years earlier, on January 21, 1871, Sparks, then a resident of Leavenworth, Kansas, had made an application for an invalid pension, but he had never heard anything further about it.
As a result of this query, William M. Sparks was advised to submit another application under the 1890 Act of Congress which he did on March 1, 1893. He was now 49 years of age and a resident of Flagstaff, Cocinino County, Arizona Territory. He said that he had been enrolled in Company E, 11th Regiment Ohio Cavalry on June 5, 1863, and had been discharged on June 24, 1865, at Cincinnati, Ohio. He said he was now unable to earn his support because he had fractured a limb on December 22, 1892. He appointed J. Guthrie Savage of Flagstaff as his attorney. D. B. Pemme and Nicholas J. Sluss witnessed him make his mark.
Sparks's military service, just as he had stated it, was confirmed by the War Department on April 11, 1893, but no further action was taken on his application until March 19, 1896. On that date, Sparks's attorney, J. Guthrie Savage, asked the Bureau of Pensions what further evidence was required. The result of this query was to move the Bureau to ask for more military records of Sparks. The War Department responded that Sparks was in confinement on October 31, 1863, at Ft. Laramie, Indian Territory, and from February 28 to April 30, 1865, he had been on detached service at Deer Creek, I. T. He had also been hospitalized from January 7 to January 25, 1864, with frozen feet.
William Sparks received a 'Bounty by Settlement No. 250,003,' on February 18, 1898, but no action was taken on his request for a pension. In the meantime, his attorney, J. Guthrie Savage, had died, and J. M. Simpson then undertook to help Sparks with his claim. Simpson was able to arrange for a medical examination for Sparks by a 'Medical Referee,' since there was no Board of Surgeons at or near Flagstaff. An examination was scheduled for September 14, 1899, but no records relative to its outcome were included in the 'selected papers' from Sparks's pension application file provided to us by the National Archives.
Sparks obtained the services of the legal firm of Milo B. Stevens, Chicago, Illinois, and on December 6, 1902, a medical examiner, W. H. Andrews, submitted his approval to the Bureau of Pensions. On January 15, 1903, the Bureau returned Sparks's claim to the 'Middle Division' with the notation: 'Soldier claim returned to await any claim filed under Act March 2nd, 1895.'
No other records pertaining to this case were included among the 'selected papers' provided by the National Archives.
[Editor's Note: William M. Sparks was born ca. 1845 in Sandy Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He was a brother of Isaac W. Sparks, an abstract of whose pension papers appears on pp. 3746-47 of the present issue of the Quarterly.]
ROBERT D. SPARKS, son of Thomas and Mary (Howe) Sparks, was born February 8, 1827, at Summit, New York. He died on January 7, 1913, at Pine Grove, Wisconsin. He was married three times. His first marriage was to Armina Pickering who died in November 1865. His second marriage was to Nancy Holmes who died in June 1882. His third marriage was to Margaret (Leahy) Wilson. He served in Company E, 16th Regiment Wisconsin Infantry and the 8th Battery Wisconsin Light Artillery. File Designations: Inv. Cert. No. 129,399; Wid. Cert. No. 757,594.
On July 10, 1871, Robert D. Sparks, aged 44, a resident of Waushara County, Wisconsin, appeared before County Judge D. L. Bunn and made a declaration for an invalid pension. He stated that he had enlisted as a corporal at Coloma, Wisconsin, in Company E, 16th Regiment Wisconsin Infantry, on October 23, 1861, to serve for three years and had been discharged on October 27, 1862, at Madison, Wisconsin. On April 6, 1862, at the Battle of Shiloh, Pittsburg,
Tennessee, he had received a gunshot wound in his right shoulder. He was treated at the U.S. Hospital at Savannah, Tennessee, and then sent to the Fourth Street Hospital at St. Louis, Missouri. He was on a furlough to his home when he was ordered to Madison, Wisconsin, where he received a Certificate of Disability discharge on July 15, 1862.
Sparks went on to state that he had re-enlisted in the 8th Battery, Wisconsin Light Artillery on December 23, 1863, at Plainfield, Wisconsin, and had served until he was mustered out with his battery on August 10, 1865. T. H. Walker and J. F. Wiley witnessed his signature.
The War Department confirmed Sparks's military service as he had stated it. At the time of his enlistment, he was 36 years of age; he was 5 feet, 10 inches tall; he had blue eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion; and he was a carpenter by trade. He had been born in Schoharie County, New York.
Invalid Certificate No. 129,399 was issued to Robert D. Sparks, and he was placed upon the pension roll. On July 4, 1898, he responded to a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions. He said that he had been married to the former Maggie E. Leahy on March 16, 1884. Prior to that marriage, he had been married to Nancy Janes who had died on June 14, 1882. He had four living children:
E. E. Sparks, born August 6, 1849
Charles Sparks, born August 26, 1856
Freeman J. Sparks, born January 12, 1869
Sumner J. Sparks, born June 18, 1871
Sparks made application for increased benefits in his pension on February 20, 1907, under the 1907 Act of Congress. He said he was now 80 years of age, having been born on February 8, 1827, at Summit, New York. He was a resident of Portage County, Wisconsin. Henry Kennedy and S. J. Sparks witnessed his signature, and the application was sworn to before L. W. Chapman, a notary public. When he died on January 8, 1913, he was receiving a pension of $30 per month. According to his death certificate, he was a son of Thomas and _____ (Freeman) [sic) Sparks. His occupation was 'minister of Gospel.'
Margaret Sparks, widow of Robert, applied for a Widow's Pension on January 13, 1913. She was 74 years of age. She stated that she and Sparks had been married on March 16, 1884. Prior to her marriage to Sparks, she had been married to James Wilson who was drowned on September 29, 1871. Robert Sparks's first marriage had been to Armina Pickering who had died in 1865. His second marriage was to Nancy Holmes who had died on June 14, 1882. J. J. Wilson and S. J. Sparks witnessed her signature, and the application was sworn to before S. C. Waterman, J.P.
Widow Certificate No. 757,594 was issued to Margaret Sparks, and she was placed upon the pension roll. When she died on February 18, 1923, she was receiving a pension of $30 per month.
(Editor's Note: For further details of this family, see pages 1300-03 and 2264- 65 of the March 1970 and December 1980 issues of the Quarterly, Whole Nos. 69 and 112, respectively.]