Today, 25 July 2010, is the 145th anniversary of the 1st Ohio Heavy Artillery mustering out at Knoxville, Tennessee. In Company D was my ancestor Eber Johnson.
Eber was born in 1823 in Morgan County, Ohio to John and Eunice Johnson. John and Eunice remain a bit of an enigma. He was born in “Upper Canada” (Ontario) in 1794,1 came to the U.S. in 1817, and was naturalized in Morgan County in 18402. Eunice appears to have been born in New Jersey (according to the 1850 census). Unfortunately, I have been unable to track down any clues pertaining to her maiden name.
Eber married Ann Stevens, daughter of David and Rebecca (Dickinson) Stevens, 18 September 1853 in Morgan County3.
Although his service in the Civil War was brief (October 1864 – July 1865), Eber suffered long-lasting consequences to his health. On his declaration for an invalid pension on 23 May 1885:
“contracted Rheumatism & Rupture caused by exposure & hardships. That it was on a forced march from near Knoxville to Bean Station, Tenn. It was in the middle of Winter and we had to leave our overcoats, knapsacks, &c, and it was so severely cold that the water would freeze to our pantaloons. That he is now partly incapacitated from earning his living by manual labor in consequence of the above disabilities.”4
At the time of his death on 25 January 1894 in Lawrence County, Ohio, Eber received a pension of $17 per month and had very little other property. Ann’s application for a widow’s pension stated:
“My property consists of Forty one acres of land with a cheap frame house and log barn left to me by my husband in his will Valued at about 200 hundred [sic] dollars. My Tax on Said property is $4.50 anualy [sic]. I have no personal property out side of my house hold goods. I have no income of any kind out side of the Third I get off of the 41 acres of land and that there is no one legally bound to suport [sic] me. The above named 41 acres of land is located in Windsor Township Lawrence county Ohio.”5
Ann died 9 June 1923 in Windsor Township6. Both she and Eber are buried in Locust Grove Cemetery, Lawrence County, Ohio.
I have started pages for both Eber and Ann on WeRelate.org. I also have a series of pages devoted to members of the 1st Ohio Heavy Artillery.
Sources:
1. 1850 Federal census (population), Bloom Township, Morgan County, Ohio, p. 102.
2. Morgan County Historical Society, Genealogical Extracts from Naturalization Records, Morgan County, Ohio (McConnelsville, Ohio: by the Society, 1982), 23.
3. Morgan County, Ohio Marriage Book B, p. 560.
4. Declaration for Original Invalid Pension, Eber Johnson Civil War Pension File, Application 541396; Certificate 478879.
5. Affidavit of Ann M. Johnson, Ann Johnson Civil War Pension File, Application 593338, Certificate 402704.
6. Ann Johnson Death Certificate, certificate number 39359 (1923), Ohio Historical Society, Columbus.
