More depositions from the Civil War Pension file of Abishia Clark, brother of my GG-grandfather Joseph Thomas Clark who also served with him. Deposition Case of Ellen M. Clark, W.O. 606, 181 On this 3rd day of Sept. 1908 at Union District, County of Wood, State of West Va., before me George M. Beckett a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared Elonzo Johnson, who being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says: I am 49 years of age. Farmer. P. O. Parkersburg, WV, R. F. D. # 7, res. 4 N. E. of same. The soldier Abishia Clark was my uncle by marriage. Ellen is my mother’s sister. Oh yes, I saw soldier often during the last years of his life, in fact knew well past the date of their marriage. He lived about 2 miles from here. I saw him the day before he died & attended his funeral. In fact I was at his house off & on and spent a good deal of time with him. A few times stayed overnight. He had poor health from the time I first knew him. Well I don’t know except a broken down constitution, except he had a cough when I first knew him & he never got rid of the cough, but he gradually failed in health. I don’t think he did any work the last ten years of his life, in fact scarcely out of his house or out to his barn for several years before death. In fact he gradually grew weaker and weaker and at death he was simply skin & bones, and had kind of a ruddy sallow color, in fact he didn’t have much color. He lived about 5 years longer than we thought he would live. He was of medium size –about 5 ft. 9 in. and noticeably thin in flesh. I saw two of his brothers and two of his sisters and they seemed reasonably healthy and I never heard that there was any hereditary disease in his family, for instance, lung consumption, heart or kidney troubles. Well, he didn’t seem to be in much misery during the last months or even years of his life except his cough, which was a hollow, deep-seated, distressed cough. Had all those years hacked and spit up an awful sight of phlegm of a yellowish color and very thick consistency. I don’t recall that I saw blood in his expectorations and I never saw him have a hemorrhage but I heard that he had hemorrhages. I guess pretty bad. Well, people supposed that his hemorrhages were from his lungs. Well, I don’t think he had a special stomach trouble; still he had to be careful as to what he ate –given a light diet. But a person in his condition would not have much appetite anyway. He did not complain of misery in his stomach or pain in that region, or dyspepsia, nor did he vomit that I recall. No I don’t recall that he ever complained of diarrhea, dysentery or running off at the bowels or piles, until the last few days of his life when his bowels ran off considerably—his bowels moved frequently the day before he died while I was with him. Whether he had night sweats, I do not know personally, but the family said he had them & then he told me so himself several times. And I saw that he had the (unreadable) flush. No kidney or bladder troubles or anything like paralysis at any time to my knowledge; had no liver trouble or malaria that I know of. Whether he ever had rheumatism, I do not recall. Never knew him to be lame. Didn’t think he was a rheumatic. Habits always good as far as I know. I don’t know whether his temperature was high or low or whether he chilled. All I know was heart trouble; frequently he told me that he did not rest well the night previous because of pain or misery about his heart. Whether his heart beat fast or slow or whether it fluttered or whether he had palpitations, I do not know. Not a special that I known, not even as fact. I do not know how long the last sinking spell (?) cause at last I think he caught a little cold; he took cold most easily of course. He had been worse only a few days. No, he had no typhoid fever, pneumonia or Lagrippe that I know of. I think he took a cold & had a sinking spell, which spells he had frequently for which he did not rally. The day before he died, I told his wife that I thought he would not live two days for he seemed weaker after each coughing spell, but she said, “Oh I think he will rally.” She had been used to seeing him rally from other sinking spells. Well, he was stooped right smart and his breast was sunken in like. No breast at all scarcely. I doubt if he weighed 100 lbs.--at death, but nearly that thin for years. Well, I think lung consumption was the immediate cause of his death. Don’t think there was any complication when it was heart trouble. For years he had a spittoon by his side. He was able to go to be to sleep until he died. He was in bed the day before he died propped up to about half sitting position for he was very short of breath and about gone. Able to walk about until just a few days before he died and I think he would get hold of a chair or something like that to assist him. Whether claimant or soldier had been previously married, I have not heard that. Claimant has not remarried. Not interested in this claim at all. I hereby understood the questions asked me and my answers are correctly recorded as read to me. E. R. Johnson – Deponent Subscribed and sworn to me before the 3rd day of Sept. 1908, and certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing. George M. Beckett, Special Examiner Deposition Case of Ellen M. Clark, W.O. 606, 181 On this 4th day of Sept. 1908 at Sand Plains, County of Wood, State of West Va., before me George M. Beckett a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared Jesse Taylor Kincheloe, who being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says: I am 62 years of age. Retired farmer. P. O. Parkersburg, W. Va., R. F. D. # 8. I knew Abisha Clark from about the time of the war and lived neighbor till his death, and about ½ mile apart in his last years. Saw him last alive several days before he died. No, I don’t think that he contracted a cold or had Lagrippe at the last. Satisfied that he had no pneumonia or fever. It was mine and it was the general understanding that the fatal illness the culmination of his old ailments – lung consumption—for which we thought he suffered for years, but he kept up pretty well for years. In fact he lived many years longer than we thought he would. He had _______(unreadable) cough, it was thought he had consumption when he came from the army, but he kept up pretty well for years; a few years then had hemorrhaging. I understand after that an invalid. He coughed and spit up often (rest unreadable.) Don’t know about night sweats, _______ flush or running off at the bowels not even at the last. No dropsy that I know of. No paralysis. Never knew him to complain of pain even about his heart & lungs. His voice kept up pretty well even to the last. He was much stooped and hollow-chested & very thin in flesh. No known bladder, stomach, liver or heart troubles then. Noticed no lameness that I know of. His whole trouble seemed to be about the lungs & coughing & hawking and spitting and shortness of breath. Never complained of his heart in particular that I can recall but he did complain of his lungs at times. Not much of a complainer anyway. No knowledge as to his condition, or pulse or as to his consumption, or whether his heart beat slow or fast, or whether it fluttered or palpitated. Good habits----very good. I wasn’t much acquainted with his people but I never heard that there was any consumption in the family. Neither claimant nor soldier was previously married. Not interested in this claim at all. I hereby understood the questions asked me and my answers are correctly recorded as read to me. J. T. Kincheloe – Deponent Subscribed and sworn to me before the 4th day of Sept. 1908, and certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing. George M. Beckett, Special Examiner ===== Thank you, Kathie Harrison Lancaster Co. Coordinator, NEGenWeb Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~nelancas/index.html