This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: CLARK, DYE Classification: Pension Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DFC.2ACI/2334 Message Board Post: Deposition Case of Ellen M. Clark, W.O. 606, 181 On this 25th day of June 1908 at Ionia, County of Jewell, State of Kansas, before me O. W. Goodwin a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared Ellen M. (Dye) Clark, who being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to her during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says: My post office address is as above; occupation, housekeeper. I am the widow of Abishia Clark who served in Co. G, 6th WV Inf., enlisting Sept. 1, 1861 and was discharged June 10, 1865, a sergeant. (Dates taken from discharge certificate, apparently genuine, O. W. G.) He never served in the army in any other capacity and was not in the Navy and never served in the Confederate Army. I married said Abishia Clark in either 1866 or 1867. I am not sure which. In filing my claim, I got it one year and the record gave it another and I presume that the record is right. We were not divorced and I have not since remarried. There were no children under sixteen years at the time of his death. Our youngest is about thirty-five. My husband was pensioned for “Cold on the measles” and lung trouble. He had the measles in the army and took cold and it left him with a cough that continued up to his death. I knew him before he enlisted and there were no signs of a cough or lung trouble before he enlisted. He was drawing $12, at the last and I was paid the accrued pension. Q. What was the immediate cause of his death? Ans. I am not a physician so I do not know. We had no physician and had not for years. He got discouraged and would not take any medicine, as it seemed to do him no good. He just seemed to keep “Going down and down and finally died.” The first doctor that treated him after his discharge, Dr. Scott, Parkersburg, W.Va., told him that he ought to have applied for pension on account of his heart too but he did not and I do not know as there was anything the matter with his heart. He did not know that his heart was diseased so did not apply for a pension on account of the heart trouble. He had always had the cough ever since he came out of the army. Usually about three or four times a day he would have a coughing spell, that is would cough from half a dozen to probably twenty times a day. With every coughing spell he would raise thick yellow phlegm, sometimes streaked with blood. The worst hemorrhage he ever had was about nineteen years ago when he discharged nearly a quart of blood, which as I now remember was of a dark color and I think it was pretty thick; all blood that just “Poured out of his mouth.” We had ridden to Parkersburg, eight miles; to have his pension papers executed and did not ride fast. He had been home probably an hour when the hemorrhage came on. Dr. James, who lived on a farm but is dead, now, treated him at this time and he said the hemorrhage was caused by riding horseback. So he never rode horseback after that and it was seldom that he was off the place. Dr. James was his main physician. There had been blood streaks in the sputum quite often before this and after that too, but I do not know, as it was any worse after this. He had light hemorrhages both before and after that one but I cannot tell the frequency and probably two or three times a year. Towards the last they were not as bad as he did not exert himself as much. When he had the hemorrhages, he said that he could feel the blood start from low down in his breast on the left side, mostly, in the region of the short ribs. He complained more of that side but both sides were pretty bad. He got to be very flat chested and it seemed as if his lungs were all gone. He had to sleep bolstered up in bed & there was a rattling in his chest, “Seemed like something loose in there, all up and down the breast.” I do not know, as it was any worse when lying down than when sitting up but it was so loud that I could notice it when in bed beside him. Usually two pillows of good size were all that he used but during the last day and a half it took five or six. Q. What was the duration of his final sickness and the manner of onset? Ans. On Saturday, I went to see a son who lives about a mile and a half away and who was sick and did not return till Monday. At this time there had been no noticeable change in Mr. Clark’s condition. He had been growing slowly weaker for years. When I went away Saturday, I told my niece who lived with us that she had better put another blanket on his bed. When I returned, he said, “I have not been warm since you went away.” He seemed to keep nearer to the stove but no other noticeable symptoms on Tuesday. Wednesday we had company for dinner and he went out in the dining room to eat. He did not want to go as he said he coughed so much but the neighbor insisted on it so he went. This did not hurt him anymore than it had done before, but even that little walking would put him out of breath and had done for years. One of the women asked later, if he had ever been so bad. I told her many times. On Thursday he drank some milk for dinner, never ate very much and yet had a pretty good appetite for one who did not exercise and after dinner he complained of pains in his left side and I got some hops and heated them and placed the bag on the left side over the floating ribs which eased the pain. He went to bed Thursday afternoon and did not complain of the pain anymore. Friday morning he got up and dressed as usual but soon went to bed again but there was no marked change in his condition. Friday night he was uneasy and “Mourned in his sleep as he did when he had a headache.” He slept some and about one o’clock he said he was sick at the stomach and I gave him about a teaspoonful of whiskey. A few moments later he said that it had made him worse. When our son, Oley, got up I dropped off to sleep. While I was asleep Oley said that Mr. Clark complained of being sick at his stomach again and he made tea of the lining of chicken gizzard which seemed to ease him and he did not complain of it any more. He usually coughed harder mornings but I do not remember that he coughed Saturday morning. If he did it was while I was asleep. He died about 8 o’clock Saturday, Feb. 4, 1905. About half an hour before he died he called for the “Chamber” which I got for him and he sat up in bed and used it. The discharge was scanty and of a milky white color and ropy. It had been normal always before this. His bowels were also normal and there had been no liver trouble. I suppose that it looked whitish and ropy this morning because “He was near gone.” We were sitting by the stove warming our feet before milking. Oley was hitching up the team to go for the doctor. My husband tried to speak and I went to see what he wanted and he never finished the sentence and I could not understand what he said. I saw that he was dying and sent my niece for a neighbor and he was dead when she returned. Oley came in and did not go for the doctor. Oley and I were the only ones in the house when he died. Oley, my niece, and myself were all that took care of him as we had no doctor or nurse and there was no autopsy. He had occasionally taken a bottle of “King’s New Discovery,” or something of that kind but as a rule he took no medicine and I have given you all in the line of medical treatment that he had. Doctors did not seem to do him any good. Lizzie Wharton, widow of Abner Wharton, Parkersburg, R. F. D. 7 was a neighbor and was in the day before he died and offered to come and stay with him that night but I did not see that it would do any good. Later she came in and told me that she saw him sitting up in bed that day and thought he was dying. There were no others in during his last illness except Alonzo Johnson, a nephew who lives on Route 7 also. He was in to dinner Thursday but not after that. J. N. Postlethwaite, Taylor and Florence Kincheloe, Emma & J. Deems, Merrick Smith and those who have testified in my claim were neighbors and would know of his general condition. Dr. Wise was at our house a few times but not to treat him. It was probably a couple of years before my husband’s death that he last saw my husband. All of these people live near Parkersburg, most of them getting their mail on rural routes from there. I do not care to be present during the examination although I understand I have the privilege. I have heard this deposition read, fully understood your questions, and my statements have been correctly recorded. Ellen M. Clark - Deponent Subscribed and sworn to me before the 25th day of June 1908, and certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing. O. W. Goodwin, Special Examiner Civil War Pension File Depositions http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~irishrose/civilwar/index.htm