Grave #5144: Otis Pinkham

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Otis Pinkham, Private, Co D., 33rd Massachusetts. Enlisted July 14, 1862 at 18 years old and mustered in August 7, 1862. Described as 5' 11.5" tall with blue eyes and dark hair, a shoemaker before enlisting in the army. Died at a Division Hospital from chronic diarrhea on May 15, 1863.

Images

Compiled Service Record for Otis Pinkham

Pinkham's mother applied for and received a pension after his death.

Handwriting, Rectangle, Font, Material property

Pension file, page 1

Pension file, page 2

Letter from Colonel James Swain to Delia Bryant informing her of the death of Fernando Pinkham (February 26, 1863) (pension file, page 43)

Swain letter, page 2 (pension file, page 44)

Letter from James F. Chipman, Capt. Co. D, to James Bryant informing him of Otis' death (May 17, 1863) (pension file, page 17)

Chipman letter, page 2 (pension file, page 18)

Chipman letter, page 3 (pension file, page 19)

The Orderly Sergeant of Co. D, 33rd Massachusetts must have been acquainted with the Pinkhams because he addresses this letter to "Friend Pinkham" when writing about Otis Pinkham's death. This letter must have been to Alphonso Pinkham as he was the only brother remaining after Otis died. (pension file, page 45)

Letter continued (pension file, page 46)

The Brief in the pension case of Delia S. Bryant shows that she earned a pension of $8 per month, and that she lost all three sons in the war. (pension file, page 3)

Delia Bryant lost all three sons in less than a year: Fernando Pinkham died December 12, 1862, Otis Pinkham died May 12, 1863, and Alphonso Pinkham died September 14, 1863. (March 6, 1865) (pension file, page 4)

Pension file, page 5

Adjutant Report for Otis Pinkham (May 6, 1865) (pension file, page 6)

Pension file, page 7

Rectangle, Font, Tints and shades, Parallel

Adjutant Report for Fernando Pinkham (May 6, 1865) (pension file, page 28)

Adjutant General Report for Alphonso Pinkham (May 11, 1865) (pension file, page 67)

Confusing the record of Fernando Pinkham, the Surgeon General's Office reported that their records showed Pinkham having died December 24, 1862 from "injury from horse" not December 12, 1862 from disease as the other records claimed. (May 29, 1865) (pension file, page 34)

Handwriting, Font, Rectangle, Material property

Pension file, page 40 (notary for Mooes/Sylvester affidavit)

Affidavit of A. Joseph Mooes and Nathan C. Sylvester attesting to Bryant's financial circumstances and reliance on her sons for support (July 14, 1865) (pension file, page 41)

Pension file, page 42

Pension file, page 20 (notary for Wright affidavit)

Affidavit of E. M. Wight, Physician, confirming Joshua Bryant's health conditions and inability to work in order to support himself and Delia. Oftentimes dependents, widows, and parents applying for pensions had to prove that they were in need of the financial support and did not have other means to support themselves. (July 20, 1865) (pension file, page 21)

Pension file, page 22

Godfry Rider Jr., who was previously Captain of Company D, provided his evidence confirming the soldier's death by altering a form used to certify soldier disability. (February 7, 1866) (pension file, page 8)

Pension file, page 9

Pension file, page 10 (notary for Rider's Certificate of Disability)

Pension file, page 11

Pension file, page 12

Pension file, page 13

Pension file, page 14

1866 Adjutant's Report from the state of New York shows that Fernando Pinkham did appear on the rolls as ill in 1862 (February 28, 1866) (pension file, page 37)

Pension file, page 38

1866 letter from James B. Swain, attesting to the death of Fernando Pinkham at Camp Relief, Washington D.C. in December 1862. The note along the side states that this is not sufficient evidence because Swain did not name the disease that Pinkham died of. (March 8, 1866) (pension file, page 26)

From this note on the back of the Swain letter, it seems the family had difficulty finding an officer who knew the full details of Fernando Pinkham's death. (pension file, page 27)

This response from the New York Adjutant General's Office shows that Delia Bryant contacted the office for help in locating Colonel Swain and acquiring documentation of Fernando Pinkham's death to support her pension claim. (March 9, 1866) (pension file, page 31)

Pension file, page 32 (back of page 31)

James Swain provided a more formal certificate of Fernando Pinkham's death, modifying a certificate of disability (March 23, 1866) (pension file, page 29)

This letter from James Swain likely accompanied the certificate earlier in the pension file, also dated March 23, 1866, and references the letter written to Delia Bryant after Fernando's death. (pension file, page 53)

This note on the back of the Swain letter again states that the name of the disease must be stated. (pension file, page 54)

Handwriting, Font, Writing, Paper product

This April 1866 letter from the Pension Office confirms that the conflicting record of Fernando Pinkham's death injured the pension claim of Delia Bryant. (April 11, 1866) (pension file, page 35)

Back of the April 1866 letter with notes (pension file, page 36)

Pension file, page 30

Pension file, page 23 (notary for Edwards/Mayberry document)

In this document Daniel H. Edwards and Potter J. Mayberry testify to the financial situation of the Bryants, their dependence on their sons for support, and their inability to support themselves. (March 25, 1866) (pension file, page 24)

Pension file, page 25

Rectangle, Parallel, Font, Paper product

Swain responded to the additional requests for specific information by replying that he did not know or recall the exact disease that killed Fernando Pinkham. (June 15, 1866) (pension file, page 55)

Swain ends his June 1866 letter with "If the certificate I forwarded will not answer, I cannot do anything more." (pension file, page 56)

Pension file, page 57

Rectangle, Font, Parallel, Tints and shades

This July 31, 1866 letter from Delia Bryant likely came after she ran into issues not being able to provide exact evidence of cause of death for Fernando Pinkham. It speaks both to her financial stresses and to the frustration of navigating the pension process. (pension file, page 58)

Delia Bryant letter, page 2-3 (pension file, page 59)

Pension file, page 60

This January 1867 letter was sent by representatives of Delia Bryant to Joseph Borrell appealing for help on Bryant's Case. They restate her position as a mother who lost three sons and cannot provide the single piece of evidence of the name of the disease that killed her eldest son Fernando. They ask for help in her case or advice on how to proceed to secure her pension. (pension file, page 61)

January 1867 letter, page 2 (pension file, page 62)

January 1867 letter, page 3 (pension file, page 63)

Pension file, page 64 (back of January 1867 letter)

Second report from the Surgeon General's Office reporting that Fernando Pinkham died December 24, 1862 form "injury from horse." (February 8, 1867) (pension file, page 39)

The Bryants seemingly had issues gaining a pension through Fernando's death. This 1867 letter from the Adjutant General's Office reports that the only officers they found in the record for Pinkham's unit were two lieutenants named Smith. This may be in response to questions of whether Colonel Swain had intimate knowledge of Pinkham's death. (May 16, 1867) (pension file, page 33)

In August 1867 the case was still not resolved and the frustration is evident in this second letter by Bryant's representatives (August 29, 1867) (pension file, page 65)

August 1867 letter, page 2 (pension file, page 66)

After being unable to furnish the needed evidence to gain a pension from Fernando Pinkham's death, Delia Bryant requested her application be granted instead on her son Otis Pinkham's death for which she could provide the needed evidence (January 30,1868) (pension file, page 47)

1868 Bryant letter, page 2 (pension file, page 48)

Pension file, page 49 (notary for Bryant letter)

Affidavit of Daniel H. Edwards and Philip W. Edwards about Delia Bryant's financial situation and reliance on her sons for support, with the focus now on Otis Pinkham (January 30, 1868) (pension file, page 50)

Pension file, page 51 (notary for Edwards affidavit)

Pension file, page 52 (back of Edwards affidavit)

Second Adjutant's Report for Otis Pinkham (April 9, 1868) (pension file, page 15)

Pension file, page 16

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Otis Pinkham died days after the Battle of Chancellorsville, but was not a casualty of the battle. The 18 year old member of the 33rd Massachusetts fell ill at Brooks Station and entered a Division Hospital on April 27, dying of chronic diarrhea on May 15, 1863. Capt. James Chipman of Co. D, wrote Pinkham’s parents about his death saying he planned on marking the grave with a tablet so the remains could be located later if they wished, and sought to make arrangements for sending his effects. He also wrote to comfort the grieving parents:

I am very happy to inform you that your son was a promising young man and an excellent soldier and was beloved by his officers and comrades, and whether he died on the battlefield or in camp, his friends can have the satisfaction of knowing that he died an honorable death and was doing his humble part towards restoring the Union to its former position. (the entire letter is included in the photos)

Otis Pinkham's parents lost all three of their sons during the Civil War, in less than one year. Fernando Pinkham died December 12, 1862, Otis Pinkham died May 1863, and Alphonso Pinkham died September 14, 1863. Afterwards, his mother, Delia Bryant, applied for a Mother's Pension based on her eldest son's (Fernando) death. After several years of trying to navigate the process and furnish the needed evidence for her pension claim, she requested that her pension instead be granted off of the death of Otis Pinkham, the one son whose record was the clearest.

Sources

Pfanz, Donald C. "Where Valor Proudly Sleeps: A History of Fredericksburg National Cemetery, 1866-1933." National Park Service, 2007. (Available at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP)

Cemetery Roster & Book File, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Photo by Kathleen Thompson

Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Volunteer Organizations During the American Civil War, compiled 1890 - 1912, documenting the period 1861 - 1866. NARA Record Group 94, Catalog ID 300398. Accessed through Fold3, March 18, 2021.

Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900, compiled 1949 - 1949, documenting the period 1861 - 1942. NARA Record Group 15, Catalog ID 2588825. Accessed through Fold3, March 18, 2021.

Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows and Other Veterans of the Army and Navy Who Served Mainly in the Civil War and the War With Spain, compiled 1861 - 1934. NARA Record Group 15, Catalog ID 300020. Accessed through Fold3, March 18, 2021.

Additional Information

Where Valor Proudly Sleeps: A History of Fredericksburg National Cemetery, 1866-1933, by Donald C Pfanz