Samuel Bumpus

Report of Special Examiner

Submitted by: Marlow Bumpus

Springfield MO. M a r c h 11th, 1893

T h e H o n o r a b l e
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington D.C.
Sir: -
H E R E W I T H I have the honor to return the papers with the testimony taken in the widows pension claim No. 3 6 1, 7 2 7 of Mary A Bumpus, widow of Samuel Bumpus deceased, late company G, E I G H T H Indiana Infantry, War of the Rebellion and to submit the following report of my investigation: -

C l a i m a n t states that her present Post Office Address is C A R T H A G E, Jasper County, Missouri.

C l a i m a n t alleges as to a basis for her claim, that she is the lawful widow of the soldier and that he died of disability incurred in the service and line of duty.

The claim was made S P E C I A L, by the honorable commissioner and referred to the S.E. Division for special examination to ascertain the merits and came to me for the initial examination. I called on claimant at the County Poor house and served her with the usual Notice of Special Examination in person and had her acknowledge service. She waived the two days allowed under instruction and stated that she was ready to go on with the examination at once. I explained to her fully her fights and took her deposition. She testifies to her marriage to soldier on the 2nd day of May 1881 at Carthage MO.; that he had two children by his first marriage, Clara and George Bumpus, who were 12 and 7

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years old respectively; that she and soldier had two children by their marriage, Lilly May and Cora Lee Bumpus; that Lilly May was born on the 8th of June '83 and Cora Lee was born on the 31st of July 1885; that she was born a week before her father died; that she and her late husband had been living on the farm of James H Ralston for about a year before he, the soldier, died; that he had some kind of throat disease all the time of their marriage and told her that it came from having the measles in the service; that he had a kind of dry cough all the time and he had a difficulty swallowing anything; that he was taken down in his last illness with a chill and then he had a hot burning fever and the second day after he was taken down he commenced running off at the bowels, and this continued up to a few hours of his death; that his throat calloused so that he could not swallow any thing, not even a drink of water; that he did not take even a drink of water; that he did not take any food in his last illness, he could not take any; that on account of poor health and having no property , she has been in the county poor house almost ever since soldiers death.

Catherine Smith testifies that she was present as Midwife when claimant's youngest child, a daughter, was born; that said child was born about a week before its father died but is unable to give the exact date.

J.H. Ralston testifies that after his time was out as Superintendent of the Jasper County Poor Farm, he went and got soldier and brought him to his, deponent's, place and that he lived with his wife, claimant, for about 18 months up to his death; that he died on said place on the 13th of August 1885, according to an entry made in his Account Book in which he kept soldiers time, and everything purchased for him; that the day after he died,

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he made the following entry;- "Samuel Bumpus died August 13, 1885"; that soldiers daughter was born much as ten to twelve days before his death.

Dr August Rhoads testifies that when soldier came before the Carthage Board of Examining Surgeons for examination in 1883 or '84, he recognized him as one of the soldiers he had noticed who talked in a whisper in the service some time in 1862 or'63 when he, deponent, was Orderly Sergeant of company F, of the same regiment.

All the witnesses I have examined testify to the throat affection (affliction?) of the decedent and his bad health all the time they knew him in this state.

I think that from the testimony obtained in the investigation, we may safely accept August 13, 1885 as the correct date of death of the soldier and July 31, 1885 as the correct date of birth of Cora Lee, his youngest child. Soldier and his wife, claimant, lived together on the farm of Mr. Ralston the last year of his life and there can be no reasonable question as to the legitimacy of this youngest child, Cora.

The evidence obtained tends to show that the claim is meritorious; that soldier's death was due to his military service and I recommend further examination for the testimony of the following witnesses;-

Mrs. Amanda Long, Humboldt, Allen Co., Kansas, as to the death of soldier's first wife and post office address of his children by her.

Claimant states that on account of her poverty and poor health she was obliged to give away her two children by soldier; that Mrs. Linda Keisling of Butler, Bates Co., MO., is the guardian of her oldest daughter Lilly and that Mrs. Nellie Turner of Monett, Berry Co., MO. is the guardian of her youngest daughter Cora Lee Bumpus.

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Claimant and all the witnesses I have examined, except Mr. Gabriel, bare good reputations for the truth and veracity as far as I can ascertain.

V E R Y R E S P E C T F U L L Y

Signed by Willy Raitton

Special Examiner.

Notes: 1] The only thing I can dispute in this report is the ages of Clara and George James Bumpus. (7 and 12 respectively) George was born in 1870 and Clare in 1883.

2] Mr. Gabriel was the son of an older sister of Samuel's first wife, Catherine Isabelle Lattin.

3] Mrs. Amanda Long was a sister of Catherine of Catherine Lattin.

Transcribed by Marlow Bumpus with an effort not to make any corrections or changes from the original.

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