Pennsylvania Civil War Border Claims, 1868-1879

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 17, 2018

This post calls attention to a records collection now available on Ancestry.com. That records collection is of claims submitted by Pennsylvania residents for recompense for damages caused by the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

Ancestry gives the following background information and describes what could be found in the records:

Pennsylvania and Maryland bore the brunt of the Confederate Army’s two invasions of the north. The second invasion, which culminated in the Battle of Gettysburg, was particularly destructive. Pennsylvania passed at least three acts – in April 1863, April 1868, and May 1871 – that allowed some citizens in some counties to submit claims for damages caused by the Rebel troops.

This database contains records related to claims submitted for recompense for damages sustained to property and goods during the Civil War. The documents include claims, petitions, application, depositions, abstracts of claim applications and awards, receipts, and other items.

The claims typically contain the name(s) of the individual(s) making the claim, where they live, and a list [of] damage[s] sustained and a dollar value attached to said damage.

There can be multiple document associated with a claim. Once you locate an ancestor, use the arrow keys to move back and forth to make sure you have all the documents related to the claim.

For those with access to Ancestry.com, a direct link to the records collection is: https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2485.

In the course of compiling a list of veterans with a connection to the Lykens Valley area, a number of lists were consulted, including the one found in Captain Enders Legion, a book co-authored by Russ Ottens. That book gives biographical sketches and Civil War records of direct and collateral descendants of Capt. Philip Christian Enders is available from the Enders Family Association. Capt. Enders died in 1809 and is buried in Enders, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

One of those profiled in the book is John Baughman Jr. Although he was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, he was the great-grandson of Capt. Enders. John’s paternal grandmother was Margaret Martha Enders (1777-1864), the daughter of Capt. Enders.

The following is stated about his Civil War service:

John Baughman Jr. was born 8 February 1847 in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, son of John Baughman and Sarah [Bittinger] Baughman. There is very little record of John Jr.’s personal life in the Enders Genealogy. He enlisted 5 January 1865 in the 45th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry [45th Pennsylvania Infantry] regiment, Company A, as a substitute for his brother Jacob Baughman. The Civil War was just a few months from ending. john reported to the 45th Regiment where his first engagement was to assault the enemy’s position at Fort Rice, Virginia, in the vicinity of the Union’s Fort Hell on the siege lines around Petersburg. The Union forces were received with a storm of musketry, grape shot and canister, but the 45th pressed forward. Fort Rice and a six cannon battery were captured with moderate Union casualties and a rout of the Confederate forces.

On 3 April, the Fifth Corps entered Petersburg, Virginia, and General Wilcox advised that the Confederate forces had surrendered. Pursuing some of the retreating Army, the regiment was in contact from Petersburg to Farmville. The pursuit continued until 9 April 1865, when General Lee surrendered the remaining forces of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox to General Grant. On 19 April, the 45th marched via Petersburg to City Point and from thence moved by water to Alexandria, Virginia. The regiment participated in the Grand Review Parade in Washington on 23 May to 24 May. On 17 July 1865, John was mustered out with his company with the rank of Private. John Baughman Jr. died 27 January 1904, twelve days short of age 57.

John Baughman Jr. is buried at the Covananter Cemetery in Fayetteville, Franklin County. There are two Findagrave Memorials for him, both essentially saying the same thing, but with slightly different photographs.

John Baughman Sr. was a farmer in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. At the time Lee’s Army invaded Pennsylvania, John Baughman Jr. was about 14 years old and probably living at home and working on the farm. It is reasonable to assume that the younger Baughman was present at the invasion and property destruction to the family farm.

As can be seen by the cover document at the top of this post, John Baughman Sr. was one of the many Pennsylvania residents who applied to Pennsylvania for compensation for damages cause by Lee’s Army. Note: Click on any document to enlarge.

The cover notes that the claim of John Baughman of Franklin County was filed in 1871 for the amount of $114.00 and the claim was approved on 15 November of that same year.

The two documents shown below give the specifics of the claim:

The first document is an abstract of the claim of John Baughman of Green Township, Franklin County, on the act of 1868 for relief of the citizens of the counties of Adams, etc., where property was destroyed, damaged or appropriated in the Rebellion, for the amount of $114.00, specifically for one horse ($50.00), one milk cow ($50.00), one-fifth chain and mowing sythe [sic] ($4.00), and hay and grass destroyed ($10.00), taken by the Rebels under Gen. Stuart, October 1862. Then begins the affirmation of John Baughman, sworn before a Justice of the Peace.

The second document continues and concludes the sworn affirmation with a recapitulation of the amount of the damages along with concluding statements that he had not previously received any compensation for the damages and that the amounts requested are a fair valuation of the damages. The claim is dated 21 October 1871.

John Baughman Sr. died in 1884 in Fayetteville, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He is buried at the the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Fayetteville, Franklin County.

John Baughman Jr. died on 27 January 1904. A notice of his death was placed in the Valley Citizen, Chambersburg, Franklin County, 3 February 1904:

John Baughman, a well-known resident, of this place, died at his home on Wednesday morning. He had contracted a severe cold and his death was unexpected. He was a Civil War veteran and was unmarried. Surviving him are a number of brothers and sisters. He was aged 54 years.

Funeral services will be held at the home of his brother, Jacob Baughman, in Fayetteville, Thursday afternoon at 1:30; interment being made in the Covenanter Cemetery.

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