Indiana McCaslins

In the 1850 US Federal Census for Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, 48-year-old Hervey (recorded as Harvey by the census taker) and his 42-year-old wife, Mildred have in their household their daughters, 24-year-old Elizabeth and 17-year-old Rachel E, and their sons, 20-year-old William, 15-year-old Thomas A, 12-year-old Joseph B, and 6-year-old George. Thomas, Joseph and George have all attended school in the past year.

In the 1860 US Federal Census for Franklin Township, Johnson County, 57-year-old Hervey (spelled Harvey by the census taker)and his 47-year-old second wife, Sarah P[Price Carson Jeffery] McCaslin have in their household his sons by his first wife Mildred, 21-year-old Joseph B and 18-year-old George, his son by Sarah, 7-year-old Hervey, Sarahs 12-year-old son, James Carson and Ellen Jackson, a 16-year-old domestic. George is listed as a farmer who has $3,000 worth of real estate and $500 worth of personal property.

George enlisted in the Civil War twice, first on 15 May 1861 as a Corporal in Company D, 17th Regiment Indiana Infantry. This regiment was organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, and mustered in June 12, 1861. On 15 July 1861, George was wounded at Camp Morton by the accidental discharge of his gun which the officer of the day had loaded for the first time without telling anybody. The musket discharged while he was removing it from a stack of muskets before going on duty. The bullet removed the little finger of his right hand before wounding his neck behind his right ear. His pension has several indignant affidavits from fellow soldiers that state that George was not fooling around with his musket, that he was a careful and conscientious soldier and that the officer of the day had the responsibility for telling them that the muskets were loaded. His finger was amputated at the Camp Morton General Hospital where he was hospitalized for five or six days. No treatment is recorded for the wound in his neck. George was given 20 days leave and went home for further treatment of his finger and the 17th Regiment left for Parkersburg, West Virginia without him, however he rejoined the regiment after it was attached to the District of the Kanawha, West Virginia to September, 1861, and then to Cheat Mountain District, West Virginia to November, 1861 (Battle of Cheat Mountain, Greenbriar River). It was then attached to the 15th Brigade, Army of the Ohio to January, 1862, 15th Brigade, 4th Division, Army of the Ohio to January, 1862 and 15th Brigade, 6th Division, Army of the Ohio to September, 1862. The Army of the Ohio was under Major General Don Carlos Buells command. It was involved in the Battle of Shiloh as, on the evening of 6 April, reinforcements from Gen. Buell arrived to reinforce Gen. U.S Grants Army of the Tennessee. This turned the tide of battle the next morning, when the Union forces launched a counterattack along the entire line. The Confederates were forced to retreat from the bloodiest battle in United States history up to that time, ending their hopes that they could block the Union invasion of northern Mississippi. George contracted chronic diarrhea at Shiloh, from bad water and was sent to the regimental hospital at General Hospital Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee on 15 April 1862, where he remained until after the Evacuation of Corinth. He was then sent to the General Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky where he remained only four or five days when his parents came to take him home (about 20 June 1862). He was discharged while at home. The comment that he suffered from scrofula with suppurating pus, was not correct. This appearance was from the infection of his gunshot wound to the neck. A later doctors examination in 1920 confirms the gunshot wound, describing damage to the mastoid and skull.

The following McCaslins are listed in the US Civil War Draft Registration Records for the Sixth Congressional District in Indiana, Johnson County, Vol 2. They are living in the first half of Franklin Township. John C McCaslin, 25-years-old, white, farmer, married, born in Indiana, volunteer service, discharged; Allen F McCaslin, 33-years-old, white, farmer, married, born in Indiana; Gilbert McCaslin, 21-years-old, white, farmer, single, born in Indiana; David McCaslin, 28-years-old, white, farmer, single, born in Indiana; George McCaslin, 21-years-old, white, farmer, single, born in Indiana; volunteer service, discharged; William S McCaslin, 23-years-old, white, merchant, married, born in Indiana.

On 3 May 1864, George enlisted in the 137th Regiment, Indiana (100 days, 1864) which was organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, and mustered in 26 May 1864. The regiment was ordered to Tennessee and assigned to duty as Railroad Guard in Tennessee and Alabama, Department of the Cumberland, till September, 1864. Mustered out 21 September 1864. It lost 17 soldiers during service, by disease.

In the 1870 US Federal Census for Junction City, Davis, Kansas, George, a 27-year-old billiard player, is living with his wife, Sarah (age 22 and keeping house), one-year-old daughter Daisy and Sarahs brother James W Cochran, a 31-year-old laborer. His father-in-law, 57-year-old George Cochran and family are also living in Junction City.

In the 1875 Kansas State Census for Brookville, Saline, Kansas, 31-year-old laborer Geo [George] and his 24-year-old wife S [Sarah Cochran] McCaslin have in their household their two daughters, 6-year-old Daisy and 4-month old K. J. [Kate]. George has $50 worth of personal property.

1877 to 1880 George worked as a stockman between attacks of diarrhea.

On 2 November 1879 when he was living in Wakeeney, Kansas, George applied for a pension on the basis of chronic diarhea. He got a pension starting on 8 Feb 1886 with back pay of $2 a month from 29 June 1862 and $4 a month from 5 April 1881.

In the 1880 US Federal Census for 13th Township, Trego, Kansas, George, a 36-year-old farmer with chronic diarhea, has in his household his 30-year-old wife, Sarah, and their two daughters, 10-year-old Daisy and 5-year-old Kate. Both girls are attending school. McCaslin is misspelled as McCoslin.

Sarah Cochran has died before 11 Jul 1888, since an affidavit for an increae in George's Civil War pension, filed that day by a neighbor F H Eaton, states that George is the sole support of three motherless children. Another affidavit by Daisy McCaslin on 15 November 1889 for an increase in Georges pension states that he cannot work and has been bed ridden for nine months due to a accidental gunshot wound to his hand and ear as well as chronic diarhea and piles. She states that George is the sole support of three motherless children.

On 10 October 1891, George was living in Excelsior Springs, Clay, Missouri when he applied for an increase in his pension. He being duly sworn, declare in above case as follows: I have been confined to my bed seven months and ten days in the past twelve months with cronic diaree resultings flux., Rheum, and so on. I am Entirely Destitute not able to Do Work of any kind. have three children Depending on me for support. What pension I know get Dont near pay Doctor Bills and for the Medicine that I have to take. I have had to have one nurse hired all the time for seventy Days past and part of the time had to have two. I Would Respectfully ask that my case be Made spetial and acted on immeditly. He also states that he had to sell all his furniture and put his children out with friends as he could not support them. The GAR had paid his fare to Excelsior Springs in the hope that the mineral water would help his disease.

George married Sarah F Steele, widow of John S Steele, after Sarah Cochran McCaslin died, and she left him about 1905. He didnt know where she went. Her request on 5 Sep 1928 for an increase in her widows pension based on the service of her first husband, John S Steele (Private, Co D 13th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Widows pension claim no 425830), and signed as Sarah F Steele (not Sarah F Steele McCaslin), is included in George McCaslins pension papers.

In the 1905 Kansas State Census for Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas, 62-year-old George McCaslin is living with his 20-year-old son Hervey. George is listed as a farmer born in Indiana, and Hervey as a laborer born in Kansas.

In the 1910 US Federal Census for Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas, 66-year-old George McCaslin is farming rented acreage. He is recorded as having been married three times, but is living alone. He married his second wife twice.

By 30 July 1923, Georges pension had increased to $72 a month, but it was not retroactive, as proof had not been given of his needing full time assistance before that date, so 53-year-old Daisy [McCaslin] Smizer filed a general affidavit on 15 Aug 1923, stating that her father George had not been able to care for himself since the end of January or February 1920 and that she had taken care of him because of his physical and mental feebleness including loss of eyesight, deafness and incontinence. He was confined to bed much of the time and could not feed, dress or keep himself clean.

George was admitted to the Western Branch National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Leavenworth, Leavenworth, Kansas on 12 March 1926. He was protestant and was described as an 82-year-old Indiana-born widower farmer with a ruddy complexion, and gray hair. He could not read or write. His residence was in Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas. His disabilities, when admitted, were a malignant ulcer on his hand and valvular heart disease with mitral insufficiency, arteriosclerosis and chronic myocarditis. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 15 May 1926 at the Hospital, National Military Home, Leavenwotrh, Leavenworth, Kansas. The person to be notified of his death was a friend, P.W. Harvey at 525 Monroe Street, Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas. George's body was shipped to Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas for burial where he was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery (Find A Grave Memorial# 69149649).