Which was he….scoundrel or victim? That’s the question that surfaces as one reads Charles Hartwell’s pension file.
First let me say that the file contained 242 documents and probably more than 3/4 of were applications for pension increases, letters begging the government to increase his pension, and affidavits or letters of support or disagreement. The remaining documents were administrative orders, summaries of his case, acceptance and rejection letters, and other miscellany.
Charles applied for his invalid pension stating that he suffered from sciatic rheumatism and a shell wound under his left eye, both of these conditions resulting from his military service. He was granted a pension for service of one year, seven months and 29 days. The first payment on July 22, 1865 was $2, his monthly allotment.
Here are some excerpts from the file:
Basis of Claim: “Alleges in declaration file December 5, 1879, that he received a shell wound of left eye at Selma, Ala, April 2, 1865. That he contracted rheumatism at Montgomery, Ala., April 13, 1865.” This from a document approving a special investigation and reopening the claim.
“Approved for rejection on the ground that there is no record of the alleged shell wound of head or rheumatism and claimant having declared his inability to prove their incurrence in the service. Dated Nov 28, 1882.”
October 16, 1884 Charles wrote the following letter, original spelling and punctuation retained:
“To the Department of the interior
Sir I herby state under oath to the best of my knolage of the request you ask of me. First for three years before I inlisted I lived in East Haven an Island Pond Vt. my native home and worked at carpenter work that has ben my ocupation through life since I came out of the army I have lived in township of Hersey Oceola Co Mich and was treated by Dr. Wood I lived at Croton Newaygo Co Mich and was treated by Dr. Trask & Dr. Cory at Martin Hurts House then I moved to Hersey and six years last april I come to Victory where I now live I have ben treated hear by Dr. McConal of Ludington I have never recieved eny reilief from a Doctor for an I consulted verious Doctors an they all tell me that the sciatica canot be cured so I used Patent medisons.
The firs atack of my discease I think about the midle of April 1865 it lasted while the frost was don in the spring and it comenced in the fall when the first frost comes some seasons it is harder then others some of the time for 2 or 3 weeks I cant lay down nor sit Down an some of the time they give up all hopes of my living threw spill through this I can prove by my neighbors I have never had eney acute Discus I have performed manual laibor for that is all that surports my family but nevr have I don a days work without more or less pain I canot chop my fire wood at eney time I can work through the months of June July August an September very well I have a small farm of 4 acres and poor house to live in an seven in my family to surport an I help to surport – the consitution of the united states. Now will the united states help to surport me an mine as it has promised to do if not Burn this. (signed) C.W. Hartwell Victory, Mich.”
In 1887, 1888 and 1889 Charles filed for an increase of an invalid pension but had difficulty locating officers who could corroborate his statements. According to one statement by of the circuit court “he has made diligent efferts sic) to ascertain the whereabouts of …officers or two comrades who were present when he contracted his disability, but without avail. He requests that the hospital records be accepted to show that said disabilities were contracted in service and in the line of duty.” The file does contain some records of Charles time in the hospital, but doctors who he claimed treated him over the years didn’t remember him except for one who states he was never paid for his services.
There are numerous other letters in file, one from James Peale who was investigating the claim. He talked with Cyrus Luce, governor, who stated he’d known Charles Hartwell and described him as “a sort of Jack of all Trades…. who when he wanted to could do a good days work, but had formed a bad moral character in the neighborhood and after the war had led a vagrant sort of life.”
Dr. McConnell examined Charles and stated “I find a flesh wound trivial…there are no physical signs of rheumatism and claimant appears to be healthy and robust…..”
John Arnold’s deposition included the information “he came back (from the war) in uniform and lay around for quite a while, he, I think claimed to be on furlough, and my impression is that David M…. who was Provost Marshal at Coldwater came out and arrested him and took him off….”
Note: Part II of The Life and Times of Charles Warren Hartwell includes military muster roll information about his service as well as his record of desertion.
Despite the above troubles Charles had with military service he was granted an honorable discharge. His last pension payment increase was granted June 10 of 1918 increasing it to $38 per month. Charles died November 5, 1919.
I started this post asking whether Charles Hartwell was a victim or a scoundrel. If he had sciatica there’s no doubt he’d have times of major pain and be unable to work. However the overwhelming amount of data in his pension file points one in the direction of scoundrel. Maybe he was both, hurting and disabled, but working the system to get the most out of his questionable injuries.
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SOURCE: Form 85A Full Pension File #324743 for Charles Warren Hartwell
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Susan J. Edminster, Granite Falls Washington, February 25, 2011, All Rights Reserved
