John E. Mathias

Notes:

In the 1860 Hancock County, Ohio Ephraim and his wife Lucinda and their daughter reside in Blanchard Twp. He is a farmer with a Real Estate value of $600.00 and a Personal Estate value of $200. He lives two dwellings from his parents.

Through her research of Civil War records, Dorothy Weiser Seale explains in her book that

Ephraim enlisted in the Union Army on 4 November 1861
as a Private with Co. K. 65th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, at Hancock Co., Ohio for a period of three years.
On 8 November 1862 he was appointed Corporal, and on 2 May 1863 he was appointed Sergeant. On 31 December 1863 he mustered out and was discharged so that he might re-enlist as a Veteran Volunteer. He rejoined the following day 1 January 1864 at Chattanooga, Tenn., was again appointed Sergeant and received $160 bounty. Ephraim was taken prisoner in action at the engagement at Spring Hill, Tenn. on 29 November 1864 which was fought between Union troops under Gen. John Schofield and a Confederate army under Gen. John Bell Hood, 10 miles from Franklin. He was paroled at Vicksburg, Miss. on or about 21 April 1865. At Vicksburg, the steamer Sultana took on the paroled prisoners, comprising of 33 officers and 1, 833 men. On the night of 27 April 1865, the boilers exploded and the steamer sank. Seventeen officers and 1,084 men were lost. Ephraim survived the disaster, but was mistakenly reported killed. Following the explosion of the Sultana, he was admitted to Soldier's Home in Memphis for a short time. On 7 May 1865 he reported to Camp Chase, Ohio and was mustered out on 22 May 1865 as a Sergeant. Medical records after his return home from the service show that in 1865 he was suffering from rheumatism ans neuralgia...


Ms. Seale explains that it is alleged that Ephraim died in Saguache, Saguache Co., Colorado before 1896 although her search discovered that there is no tombstone on record for him there and there are no death records available for that time period. However, Saguache was his last known address. Government records indicate that in 1894 and "...in 1896 Lucinda, then residing in McComb, Ohio, was still trying to find out if a pension were being paid to..." him. Ephraim's health ailments may be the reason that he "...left his family and sought the dry climate in Colorado." However, Ms. Seale's research indicates that

His Civil War records indicate that he may have abandoned his family and remarried, for he was the subject of a search by his mother and his wife through the Bureau of Pensions. If he deserted his wife and children, Lucinda may have remarried, for in Ephraim's Civil War papers, obtained from National Archives in Washington, D.C., she was known as Lucinda Mathias, and later as Lucinda Lynn (page 332).

Ephraim married Lucinda Mullers on 22 Feb 1855 in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States. Lucinda was born in 1841/1842 in New Jersey, United States; died after 1900. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to Bureau of Pension records for Ephraim Mathias, she was referred to initially as Lucinda Mathias and then later as Lucinda Lynn, suggesting that perhaps she remarried after Ephraim went to Colorado.

Notes:

_STATMARRIED
Ephraim and Lucinda were married by a Justice of the Peace according to Dorothy Weiser Seale's Mat(t)hias Milestones.

Notes:

In the 1850 Hancock County, Ohio Census, Paul is a farmer whose Real Estate value is $5,000.00. He and his wife and children reside in Blanchard Twp. next door to his first cousin, Jacob, who is married to his wife's sister, Mary Ann, and their children. Dorothy Weiser Seale states on page 331 in her book Math(t)hias Milestones (1984) that "Paul and his wife Barbara moved from Stark Co., Ohio to Hancock Co., Blanchard Twp., Ohio sometime before 1840. In the 1850 Census, Paul was a landowner with considerable acreage in Hancock Co. and resided there with his wife and ten of their children. His farm adjoined that of Jacob and Mary Ann Mathias... his first cousin."

In the 1860 Hancock County, Ohio Census, Paul and Barbara continue to reside in Blanchard Twp. but their post office address was then identified as Gilboa. Paul is a farmer whose Real Estate value is $15,000.00 and whose Personal Estate value is $2,500.00.

On page 331 of Mat(t)hias Milestones, Ms. Seale explains: "Their farm was near the Putnam County border, and Gilboa was the largest town and closest delivery point. As one of his father's heirs, and as one of the beneficiaries of his sister Polly's Will, Paul inherited a share of the property in the Southwest Quarter of Section 3, Twp. 19, Range 7 in Stark Co., Nimishillen Twp., Ohio. On 3 March 1863, while they were residents of Gilboa, Putnam County, Ohio, Paul and Barbara Mathias did, by deed of quit claim, convey their interest in Section 3 to John Krabill who paid them the sum of $900."

Paul and Barbarey (as it is spelled on her headstone) are buried next to each other. His marker states that he was aged 53 years, 5 months 6 days when he died; that would make his year of birth 1813 though the Census records suggest he was born in 1808 or 1809. However, a letter written by Paul and Barbara's son, Captain John C. Mathias, in his Pension File states that Paul died in 1864.

Paul married Barbara (Barbary) Stambaugh on 16 Aug 1832 in Stark, Ohio, United States. Barbara (daughter of Henry Stambaugh and Catharina Walter) was born in 1812/1813 in Pennsylvania, United States; was buried in Dukes Cemetery, Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The payment voucher that Barbara (Barbary) signed for receipt of her inheritance from her father's estate showed that in November 1866 she resided in Hancock County, Ohio.

In the 1870 Hancock County, Ohio Census, Barbara is the head of household. Her single sons, David and Lewis, who work on the farm, reside with her at McComb, Blanchard Twp. Her Real Estate value is $3,000.00 and her Personal Estate value is $300.00.

She is buried next to her husband and her marker identifes her as "Barbarey", w/o Paul who died aged 57 years 10 months being born on 30 July 1826. That would make her death year 1884. The birth year suggested is more than a decade later than any Census records suggest It would also make her only four years old when she married Paul! Obviously there are some errors in the dates recorded, either on the cemetery marker or in the typing of that volume of records.

Notes:

_STATMARRIED