Mailing List:2009-09-04 01, Joseph A. Whitney, by Kenneth Whitney
Mailing List Archives > 2009-09-04 01, Joseph A. Whitney, by Kenneth Whitney
From: "Ken Whitney" <ken.whitney -at- comcast.net> Subject: [WHITNEY] Joseph A. Whitney Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 20:41:38 -0400 WRG: Below you will find my abstract of the Mexican War pension file of Joseph A. Whitney of Kentucky and Tennessee. Joseph's family seems to have been a mystery to himself, so we may have no luck in connecting him to the family. I have not had any luck finding him in the census (although I did not spend extensive time searching for him), so I don't know if he had and children. Enjoy! >From the Mexican War Pension File of Joseph A. Whitney Company G, 3rd Tennessee Infantry Invalid's Application #24684, Certificate #20477 The National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. On 25 February 1895 from Campbell Co., Tennessee Joseph A. Whitney signed a Declaration of Survivor for Pension, Mexican War. He is a resident of Frenchburg, Menifee Co., Kentucky. He had been a private in the company commanded by Captain Donnelly in the third regiment of Tennessee Infantry commanded by Col. Frank Cheatham in the war with Mexico. He enlisted at Nashville in June or July of 1847 for the term of three years or during the war, and was discharged at Memphis in 1848. He landed at Vera Cruz and went from there to the City of Mexico. He then was quartered on the plains of Molina Del Rey with the 4th Tennessee Infantry and an Indiana regiment. He is 63 or 64 years old, but knows not for certain where he was born, but it was in 1830 or 1831. He is disabled by reason of a rupture and a Fistula Anno. The rupture was incurred at the City of Mexico in May of 1848 while lifting and loading company supplies, and the fistula is from diarrhea. His first wife's maiden name was Elizabeth Shelley (Shelby?), whom he married in Tennessee in 1848. She died in 1850 in Taduca, Kentucky, and he is now married to Emma F. Whitney. Since his discharge he has resided at Barbourville, Williamsburg, Mumfordsville, Burkinville, Frenchville, and other places in Kentucky; and in Jacksboro, Tennessee. Witnesses to the declaration are Winston Baird and W.C. Bibee. The file contains three letters written by Joseph to the Commissioner of Pensions concerning his pension claim. The letter of 1894 was written from Frenchburg, Menifee Co., KY. Two letters in 1898 were written from Emory Gap, TN. The following distills the information learned from those letters. Joseph was traveling south with a gentleman with some mules when he arrived in Nashville, Tennessee. There he found the 3rd Tennessee Regiment encamped, and he enlisted and was mustered in. He believes he was eighteen years old at the time, but he does not know his age for certain. His parents died of cholera when he was small. He has no recollection of them and knows not if he has any kindred. He knows that he was born on 10 September, but does not know the year for certain, nor the place of his birth. While his regiment was in Mexico they did not engage in any battle, and when they returned to the U.S., he was discharged at Memphis, Tennessee. He was issued a land warrant, and the gentleman to whom he sold it took his discharge paper, and that was the last he saw of it. On 18 August 1898 Joseph writes that he resides in Frenchburg, Kentucky and went to Tennessee to find proof of his service. All of his mess mates in the service are now deceased, including his cousin Hugh McKissick. His present physical description is: five feet five inches in height (and rather stooped from age); with a dark complexion, black eyes, dark brown hair. At the time of enlistment he was unemployed and homeless. He was running around from place to place, and has been a bit of a wanderer ever since then. In a separate affidavit, Joseph testified that lived in Barboursville, Kentucky in 1857, 1859, 1865, 1871, and 1876 to 77. In 1903 his address was Dorsett, Anderson Co., TN. He lived in Shelbyville, Bedford Co., TN when he was young. The Record and Pension Office of the War Department informed the Commissioner of Pensions that Joseph A. Whitney was enrolled in Company G of the 3rd Tennessee Regiment on 10 October 1847 and was mustered in the same day at Nashville, Tennessee. He was mustered out with his company at Memphis, Tennessee on 24 July 1848. The company was stationed at the City of Mexico on 31 December 1847; and at Molina Del Rey, Mexico on 29 February and 30 April, 1848. On 17 October 1905 the Commissioner of Pensions was informed that Joseph A. Whitney was last paid at twelve dollars per month to 4 February 1905, and has been dropped from the rolls due to his death on 26 March 1905.
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