Monday, February 15, 2010

Madness Monday: The search for Joseph Dougan

So for the past year, I have been searching for information on My ggg grandfather Joseph Dougan.  The only information that I have been able to come up with is that he served for the Union in the Civil War for the state of Indiana.  Through an online contact, I have been able to acquire his marriage license and the pension papers his wife Nancy Cron Dougan received after his death.  He and Nancy had one daughter, Amanda Elizabeth Dougan (my gg grandmother).  So, I will show you the information I have and see if you can come up with anything....
Marriage License
Joseph Dougan
&
Nancy Elizabeth Cron
12 April 1860
Spencer Co., Indiana
by:  John F. Thomas, Jr.
The marriage license states that the filed for the license on 9 April 1860.  The license was filed on the 13th day of April 1860.  However, at the bottom where the Clerk signs it the date is Jan. 31, 1865
Why is this document signed 5 years later?

Source Citation: Title: Spencer County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Record 1850 - 1920 Inclusive Vol, Original Record Located: County Clerk's Office Roc; Book: 4;Page: 338.

Declaration for Widow's Army Penison (Page 1)
Document Dated:  31 Jan 1865
This document states that Nancy and her daughter(of Joseph) are residents of Rockport, Spencer, Indiana.  It also states on this particular page, that Joseph enlisted on 4th Day of January 1864, in Rockport, Indiana as a Private in Company F, Commanded by Capt. James A Pine in the 28th Regiment of the Indiana Volunteers, 1st Calvery and while in service died in the hospital of disease at Pine Bluff, Arkansas on the 3rd of October of 1865. (think this is a mistake on the year).  This document also verifies that they were married on the 12th of April 1860 in Spencer Co., Indiana.  It goes on to talk about their only daughter Amanda Elizabeth Dougan and that she was born 22 March 1862. 
Declaration of Widow's Army Pension (Page 2)
On the second page of this document it shows that a Jonas Shaffer and a James R. Johnson of Rockport, Indiana as witness on behalf of Nancy and swore to the information given.
Question:  How can Joseph have died on 3 Oct 1865 and the document be dated 31 Jan 1865.
 
I contacted my cousin who provided these papers to me and she stated that Nancy filed for the pension on 7 Feb 1865.  The Surgeon General Office Record & Pension Burea says he died on 3 October 1864 in the Post Hospital at Pine Bluff, Ark of Chronic Dysentery.
 
This part of the document also states that Joseph died on 3 October 1865, but in Little Rock, Ark of disease. 

On Ancestory.com, I located the following information:

U.S. Civil War Soldier Records & Profiles

Name: Joseph Dugan

[Joseph Dougan]
Residence: Rockport
Enlistment Date: 1 Nov 1864
Rank at enlistment: Private
State Served: Indiana
Survived the War?: No
Service Record: Enlisted in Company A, Indiana 1st Cavalry Regiment on 11 Jan 1864.
Mustered out on 03 Oct 1864 at Pine Bluff, AR.
Sources: Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana

Source Information:

Historical Data Systems, comp.. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009. Original data: Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA from the following list of works.

Copyright 1997-2009
Historical Data Systems, Inc.
PO Box 35
Duxbury, MA 02331


The last bit of information also comes from Ancestory.com and states the following:
 
US Civil War Soldiers 1861-1865
Name: Joseph Dougan
Side: Union
Regiment State/Origin: Indiana
Regiment Name: 1 Indiana Cavalry
Regiment Name Expanded: 1st Regiment, Indiana Cavalry
Company: F,A
Rank In: Private
Rank In Expanded: Private
Rank Out: Private
Rank Out Expanded: Private
Film Number: M540 roll 20

Source Information:

National Park Service. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, online , acquired 2007.

So, my questions are:
1.  What year did Joseph Dougan died?  1864 or 1865
2.  Who are his parents? 
3.  Where is Joseph buried?  so far, my search has come up empty handed

Jospeh's wife Nancy later remarried of Marcus Layfette Goodman in Rockport, Indiana on the 15th of Jan 1868.  Nancy and Marcus had 7 children and eventually moved to Oklahoma.  Nancy and Marcus are buried at Bristow Cemetary in Bristow, Creek, Oklahoma.
Nancy Elizabeth Cron (Dougan-Goodman)
28 Jan 1844 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA
24 May 1921 in Bristow, Creek, Oklahoma, USA

2 comments:

  1. Robin,

    I think the marriage record is dated 1865 because that is when a copy of the record had been ordered to support Nancy's statement of their marriage for her pension claim.

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  2. Great questions, Robin. Wish I had answers!
    Do you mind if I grab the Creative Common widget above? I have been having my photos show up on Ancestry.com and no acknowledgment as to where they came from. Really irritated me. Thought maybe I should be a little more proactive!
    Judy

    ReplyDelete