Family:Whitney, Adoniram Judson (1840-1884)

Adoniram Judson⁸ Whitney (George Russell⁷, (Joseph⁶, Nathan⁵, Nathan⁴, Nathaniel³, Benjamin², John¹), son of George Russell⁷ and Martha Lyon (Noyes) Whitney, was born 14 Jan 1840, Beddington, ME, and died 8 Jun 1884, Maine Prairie, Stearns Co., MN.

He married 15 Oct 1867, Maine Prairie, Stearns Co., Minnesota, Margaret Ellen Clark. She was born about 1849, OH, and died after 1911. She married secondly, 1 Jun 1886, St. Cloud, MN, John Cossairt. He was born 20 Jan 1840, IL, and died 14 Feb 1911, Orange, CA.

Adoniram was a Civil War veteran, and his widow received a pension from the U.S. government:

From the Civil War Pension File of Adoniram J. Whitney; Company D, 4th Minnesota Infantry; Margaret Whitney, Widow; Widow's Application No. 457273; Certificate No. 374257; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.

Company D, 4th Minnesota Infantry.

Adoniram J. Whitney enlisted at Fort Snelling, MN, as a Private in Company D, 4th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry on 8 Oct 1861, and was honorably discharged 19 Jul 1865. He died 8 Jun 1884 in Stearns Co., MN, of peritonitis caused by obstruction of the bowel. There is no public record of his death. He married Margaret Ellen Clark 15 Oct 1867 in Maine Prairie, Stearns Co., MN. Neither had been previously married.

His widow, Margaret Ellen (Clark) Whitney was appointed guardian of their two minor children 23 Oct 1890. (I believe this was for the purpose of obtaining their benefits from his Civil War pension.) The two minor children are:

1. Maud Mabel Whitney, born 1 Mar 1878 in Maine Prairie
2. Flora Effie Whitney, born 20 Dec 1880 in Maine Prairie

By the time of the application for pension benefits was filed, Margaret Ellen Whitney had remarried another Civil War veteran, John Cossairt, and they were living in Maine Prairie, Stearns Co., MN. They were married 1 Jun 1886 in St. Cloud, Stearns Co., MN. The petition for benefits was filed 4 Aug 1890, and was subsequently granted.

John Cossairt was born 20 Jan 1840 in Illinois, the son of Samuel and Rachel Cossairt (both of Ohio). At some time after 1892, the family removed to southern California. John Cossairt was a farmer, and died in Orange, Orange Co., CA, 14 Feb 1911 of valvular heart disease. John had been previously married to a Jane Jacobus, from whom he was divorced in Burnett Co., WI, 7 Apr 1881. John was given custody of their three children:

1. John Warren Cossairt, b. 10 Aug 1865
2. Mary Adaline Cossairt, b. 29 Aug 1869
3. Eliza Jane Cossairt, b. 13 Aug 1875

John and Margaret Cossairt had one child, Earl Lee Cossairt, b. 2 Jan 1891.

On 21 Jan 1911, Margaret Cossairt, 62 years old, a resident of Orange, Orange Co., CA, filed for pension benefits on the pension of her husband, John Cossairt. John had enrolled in 1862 as a Private in Co. D. First Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry, from which he was honorably discharged at Fort Snelling, MN, 4 Nov 1863. John had originally filed a claim as an invalid in 1907 from Orange, CA.

There could not be found in the file any information on the birth or death of Margaret Ellen (Clark) Whitney Cossairt. Also, no mention of any children by Adoniram Whitney who were not minors when the pension claim was filed.

Children of Adoniram Judson⁸ and Margaret Ellen (Clark) Whitney:

i.	Willis M.9 Whitney, b. 10 Dec 1868, Maine Prairie, MN
ii.	Abbie May Whitney, b. 16 Sep 1871, Maine Prairie, MN, d. 30 Aug 1874 , Maine Prairie, MN.
iii.	Maud Mable Whitney, b. 1 Mar 1878, Maine Prairie, MN
iv.	Flora Effie Whitney, b. 20 Dec 1880, Maine Prairie, MN

Census

• 1870, Maine Prairie, Stearns Co., MN:

9 9 Whitney, A. J. 29 M W Farmer $1800 $380 Maine Male citizen over 21 -----, Ella 22 F W Keeping house Ohio -----, Willis 1 M W Minnesota

• 1880, Maine Prairie, Stearns Co., MN:

A.J. WHITNEY 40 Self M M W ME Farmer ME ME Ellen M. WHITNEY 31 Wife F M W IL Keeping House OH OH Willis M. WHITNEY 11 Son M S W MN Attending School ME IL Maud M. WHITNEY 2 Dau F S W MN ME IL

References

• Civil War Pension File, Adoniram J. Whitney

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Copyright © 2010, Kenneth L. Whitney, Robert L. Ward, and the Whitney Research Group.