CSI Civil War Style

Long before there were televisions and crime scene investigators, the US government was engaged in such investigations. I am fascinated by the civil war pension file of my husband's ancestor, Jacob Stuck. His pension
file reads like an episode of CSI as the investigator post-humously attempted to recreate Jacob Stuck's love life and death.

Jacob Stuck was married three times, never divorced. He lived in central Pennsylvania

primarily with the exception of an intriguing trip out West. He served in the Civil War for the Union in D Company 74th Pennsylvania Infantry. He survived the war, applied for an invalid pension, and died in 1894. The pension file investigates who is his rightful widow: wife #2 Sarah Miller, mother of two of his children, who subsequently married John Foust, or wife #3 Sophia Wagner with whom he had eleven children.

His third wife with whom he had eleven children was his most prolific genetic legacy. It is for these Stuck descendants and for my husband's line that I finally digitize this pension file. Attached is the first half of the summary of the legal investigator's conclusions on this interesting case.

John George Hess, Revolutionary War Patriot

On the 4th of July 2011, I finally found the lead that I needed to learn more about my Revolutionary War Ancestor, John Hess. I had previously combed the DAR records and Lebanon Historical Society records without success. I knew my ancestor was a dyer who was a patriot buried in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

An old application from the 1950s had a "John George Hess" buried in Lebanon, PA. I was familiar with the Daughters of the American Revolution but not the companion organization for men. How sexist of me!

Since that time I have learned more of his birth (orphaned within 2 weeks of his birth), his service (several stints starting as a replacement for others) and his family, life and death.

What a wonderful celebration of Independence Day weekend 2011! Thank you, John George Hess and to all your fellow comrades in arms for helping to establish this fine country we are so blessed in which to live.