A Son of the Man Killed by Bushwhackers Serves from Missouri

The Bushwhacker post reminded me that had not taken a good look at the sons of John Lake who died in 1864 in Chariton County, Missouri, at the hands of Bushwhackers. My children descend from one of his younger children born during the war and much of my work has focused on that child and his descendants.

Then it dawned on me (which it should have earlier to be honest) that there were much older sons who might have actually served in the Civil War. And, since John Lake was an apparent Union man (that’s why he was killed), some of his sons might have served for the Union themselves. Union pension records tend to be more detailed than ones for Confederate service and one can frequently be surprised at what is in these files.

A little looking indicated that at least one son of John Lake, William, was in the Civil War, serving in a Missouri infantry unit. Fortunately William obtained a pension based upon his service.

I’m doubtful that the pension mentions his father having been killed in 1864. But one never knows who may have given testimony for William when it came time for him to apply for his pension. The index card indicated that William originally applied for an invalid pension in 1881, so there must have been some type of injury during service.

His widow filed an application for a widow’s pension on 23 December 1924 after William died on 1 December of that same year. I’m hoping she didn’t live too long after William died and that the records are at NARA and not located somewhere else.

Fold3_Lake_William_Organization_Index_to_Pension_Files_of_Veterans_Who_Served_Between_1861_and_1900 (1)

William Lake Card from the “Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900”, compiled 1949 – 1949, documenting the period 1861 – 1942–NARA microfilm publication T289; digital image from Fold3.com.

William’s death date on the card is probably correct, but it’s worth noting that the date could easily be off and if it is the only place I can locate his death date, then this card should be cited as the source of that date. Other records, more contemporary and less derivative in nature should be referenced for that information.

Stay tuned. I’m waiting for the receipt of these records and we’ll have an update

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