Military Service (summary): Daniel Roland, PA, York County, Civil War

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Submitted by N. Taber

Source: Civil War Military Pension Records (under Act of June 27, 1890) of Daniel Roland [National Archives; photocopy made 23 Nov 1990, in personal possession of N. Taber]

Index to military pensions, roll #403:

Daniel was drafted on 16 Oct 1862 [some sources say "enrolled 30 Oct"] and served as a private in Captain E. Y. Luther’s Independent [also referred to as "Unattached" or "Unassigned"] Company "B", Pennsylvania Drafted Militia Infantry. The only reference to location of service is "On detached duty in Quartermaster’s Department ... Regimental Bakery, Washington, DC" at the beginning of April 1863. Otherwise, he was present with his company. The entire company was honorably discharged in Harrisburg on 23 Jul 1863.

Daniel filed for disability for "Total Deafness of Left Ear & nearly total deafness of Right Ear & Rheumatism" in July 1890 and was granted a pension of $12 per month for the deafness. The board of physicians who examined Daniel for the pension claim confirmed the deafness and rheumatism, and found no sign of heart disease at that time.

A particularly interesting document, for genealogists, is a form on which Daniel is asked to state his wife's maiden name; when, where, and by whom married; what record of the marriage exists; information on any previous marriages; AND the names and birth dates of all his living children.

According to the statement of the doctor who attended Daniel the two years before Daniel died, "During time that I attended him he was in feeble health, complaining severely of pains through joints presumably rheumatic - He had been unable to walk more than a square ever since I attended him. He also had marked arterial sclerosis. He died on Jan 31st ‘05, from Senility and Endocarditis sclerotic."

After Daniel died, Ellen applied for widow’s benefits. In the process, she had to provide proof of her marriage to Daniel and that she had not remarried since his death. She was unable to find anyone still alive who had known Daniel before their marriage, but stated that she had known Daniel two years before marrying him and felt sure she would have known if he had been previously married. In addition, she had to show that she had no property and no means of support. The entire application process was facilitated by her son, Charles J. Roland, who notarized many of the affidavits filed in support of her claims, in his role as Justice of the Peace in Emigsville, PA. Ellen was granted a widow’s pension of $8 per month, starting 7 Feb 1905. When she applied for an increase in 1916, the application was witnessed by Myrtle E. Roland, a granddaughter adopted and raised by Ellen and Daniel. An increase to $20 per month was granted, which she received from 8 Sep 1916 until her death.

Caveats: Check originals and draw your own conclusions. These are my readings and my interpretations only. Text enclosed in [square brackets] are my comments or corrections.

Updated 22 Apr 2000