Pension File for George W. Fair

George Fair Private
Co. A 6th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery
enrolled August 30, 1864 at Allegheny City, Pa
for 1 year
mustered out June 13, 1865 at Washington, D.C.


Muster Roll

to December 31, 1864 present
To February 28, 1865 absent on furlough
absent of furlough February 18, 1865, March 1, 1865
(cause of furlough was to visit his house in Penn.)
To April 30, 1865 present

Names Mentioned in This File

• Henry J. Burns
• Philip Burtner
• Daniel Duffy
• John Emrick
• George W. Fair
• Elizabeth Fair
• Barbara Fisher
• George W. Fleeger
• George W. Hayes
• James Johnson
• Harrison W. McCandless
• Dr. E. B. Mershon

Declaration for Widow's Pension

Elizabeth Fair
Butler County, Pennsylvania
January 8, 1914
aged 81
resident of Butler Burough, Butler county, Penn
widow of George W. Fair
who died December 25, 1913
PO address Clarksburg, Harrison County, West Virginia

Facts presented in declaration were:

maiden name Emerick
married Clearfield Twp. Butler Co., Pa December 9, 1850
married by James Johnson, Esq. Justice of the Peace
neither previously married.
no record of marriage other than witnesses at the time

children:

A J. born June 25, 1852
L. C. born May 21, 1854
K.A. born November 30, 1856
M. J. born October 23, 1857
B.E. born Sept 17 1859
E born Feby 16, 1862
I M. born March 22, 1864
G. W. born April 21, 1866
H. G. born Jan 27 1868
W. F. born Feby 4, 1870
E. E. born October 13, 1872
C. A. born June 29, 1874

Application attested by
John Emrick of Butler Boro. Pa
Barbara Fisher of Butler Boro, Pa
Affidavit
Butler County, Pennsylvania
November 24, 1888
Daniel Emerick
aged 39
resident of Penn Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania

That affiant is well and intimately acquainted with George W. Fair the applicant for pension. That upon the return of George W Fair from the army in June 1865 affiant saw the said George W. Fair and knows that he had at that time a lameness of the right hip and affiant knows that the lameness of the said George W. Fair is worse and more noticeable than at other times--affiant knows the facts herein stated by reason of having worked frequently with the said George W. Fair and having seen him every year from 1865 up to the present time. Some years during the time from 1865, affiant has seen and been with the said George W. Fair as often as every week. Affiant further states that he knew the said George W. Fair before his enlistment and never knew him to be lame until the year 1865-upon his return from the army and upon affiant inquiring the cause of his lameness was informed by the said George W. Fair that the said lameness was occasioned by a fall he the said George W. Fair received while in the army. ---------------------------
(note from webpager: I have not corrected or changed the original spelling or punctuation)

Affidavit
Butler County,Pennsylvania
November 26, 1888


Harrison W. McCandless
aged 47
resident of Butler Twp, Butler Co., Pa

That affiant was 1st Lieut. of Co A, 6th H A Regt Pa that of which Co & Regt the applicant was a member. That during the time the said Co and Regt was in the service of the U.S. the said Co. and Regt being located at Fort Marcy Va the said George W. Fair fell and got hurt and was disabled from duty and was compelled to go about on crutches for some time. The said Geroge W. Fair received the said injury about January 1865. The afficant has no recollection of the said George W. Fair performing any duty from the time of his said injury until the discharge from the service-Affiant further states that he has been well and intimately acquainted with the said Geroge W. Fair continuously from the date of his discharge up to the present time and has seen and conversed with him frequently each year during all that time. Affiant knows that each year during that time the said George W. Fair has been troubled with a lameness and the said George W. Fair always claimed to affiant that the said lameness was occasioned by the fall he received in January 1865 while at Fort Marcy Va--that affiant knows that prior to January 1865 the said George W. Fair was not lame but was a stout strong and healthy man and always fit for duty prior to the said injury. ------------------------------------

Affidavit
Butler County, Pennsylvania
June 14, 1893
George W. Fair
aged 63
resident of Middlesex Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania

in the spring and summer of the year 1865 we were laying in Fort Marcey near Washington, during that time we where practiseing with the heavy guns I was allways the [illegible word] Man who fired the gun off, I found allways after firing a ringing sensation in my head, from which I claim I received the disibillity of deafness, from that time in 1865 it got worse every year up til the present time, in my right ear I can hardley hear anything and is allmost totaly deaf, and I never had consulted a doctor or surgeon about it.

signed by George W. Fair and Philip Burtner -------------------------------------------- Affidavit
Butler County, Pa
October 17, 1895
Daniel Duffy
resident of Butler, Butler County, Pa

I have been personally acquainted with George W. Fair now of Middlesex Tp Butler Co Pa. late private Co. A 6th Regt Pa Hy Artly since his early boyhood, lived in same neighborhood when we were boys and have every since lived near where he has lived and have seen him frequently--I remember when he came home from the army in the summer of 1865. I saw him within a few days after he got home. he complained to me at that time of a hurt in his right hip that he had received while in the service. He also at that time complained of a buzzing or roaring in his head, and that he did'nt konw what it was going to turn to, and that it was affecting his hearing. I noticed in taling to him at tat time that his hearing was defective--the reason I remember what he said about his hearing is that I was at that time hard of hearing in my right ear, and therefoe paid more attention to what he said about his hearing than I otherwise might have done--I can't remember whether it was one ear or both ears that he complained of at that time--I have seen and talked with him frequently every year since that time, and know that his hearing has been impaired ever since. In order to carry on a conversation with him I have always since that time, had to talk in a louder tone of voice than ordinary conversation and he has frequently said to me while in conversation with him that I would have to talk louder, that he couln't hear me: and I was satisfied from the appearance and expression of his face and his manner in asking me to speak louder that he didnt hear me at these times. I am satisfied that his hearing has been bad every since he came from the army in 1865- for a good while back he has complained of both ears. This affidavit was written in my presence by Geo W. Fleeger of Butler Pa at his office in Butler Pa from oral statements made by me to him at the time, and in making said statements I was not aided or prompted by and did not use any written or printed statement or recital prepared or dictated by any other person or persons. ------------------------------------------ Affidavit
Butler County, Pennsylvania
December 28, 1897
Dr. E. B. Mershon

That I have known George W. Fair for the past 6 years-That he lives on a rented place -That he is not able to perform manual labor sufficient to pay the rent on account of being disabled and financially he is in bad shape. That he had no visable means of suport. That he has been out of employment for the past year. That I have treated him for a period of about 3 yrs more or less That in my opinion he is not able to perform but little manual labor which would not be sufficient to pay for his rent and support his family.

That he is in indigent circumstances and in urgent need of pecuniary aid to procure the actual necesities of life. -----------------------------------

Affidavit
Butler County, Pennsylvania
December 29, 1897
Henry J. Burns of Flick Post Office

That I live neighbor to the claimant George W. Fair he lives on a rented farm and s not physically or financially able to make a living and pay rent as he has to get assistance to pay his rent he is not able to farm himself he used work an oil wells but on account of deafness he cant work at that now and has had no work for the last year. in my opinion he is not able to support his family without assistance from others and at present is in very urgent need of help. I further declare that I dictated the above affidavit to the said notary public. ---------------------------------------- Affidavit
Butler County, Pennsylvania
May 24, 1898
Harrison McCandless
aged 57
resident of Butler County, Pa

My knowledge of claimant is that we enlisted in 1864 august and was commissioned 1st Lieut of Co. A 6 Pa H artillery. Claimant was a private in our co in the latter part of September 1864 there was a number of our regiment detailed as a train quard and claimant was one of the quard and was the commission officer this was the orange & Alexandria RR at peidmont we was surrounded by the gurrillas for two days and the rebbles kept fireing cannon balls at us frequently we had to retreat at white planes a cannon ball passed very closed to claimants head and ever after that while drilling in for Marcy on the heavy guns it would affect his head so much that he was excused from duty at that time frequently and from the time of our discharge to the present he has always complained of his head giving him trouble and for a number of years his hearing as been very much affected I know this because I see him frequently. -----------------------------------

Affidavit
Allegheny County,Pa
July 20, 1899
George W. Hayes
resident of Pittsburg, Allegheny County, Pa.

I Geo W. Hayes being a sergeant in Co. A 6th Pa Heavy Artillery am personally acquainted with Geo W. Fair of above mentioned company and know that after the said Geo. W. Fair retunred to his Co. from special or ?? duty in guarding a Provision Train in Sept. 1864 or there about, Near White Plains Virginia I discovered his hearing to be very defective in giving him commands and his Lieutenant Harrison McCandless informed me that his deafness was caused by a shot passing so close to his head that it caused him to fall dwn and he was in a serious nervous condition unfitting him for duty altogether for over two weeks and from which he has never recovered. I have been in conversation with Geo Fair at intervals of two or three years ever since andwell know that his hearing has been growing worse steadily every since until now he is almost entirely deaf. --------------------------------

Letter
Primrose, Pa
April 10, 1900
No of claim 422.392
Co. A 6th Pa. H. art

To the Secretary of the Interior
Hon Sir

in appealing to your Hon body in my case I will state to you that after furnishing all the evidence called for my claim was rejected on the grounds that there was some discrepency in the evidence and that the Lieutenants evidence did not just corispond with my own statement, now my statement and the Lieuts was not made out together neither was they made at the same time and there might be some difference in the wording of somethings, but as to that I cannot say. I then wrote to the Hon. E. F. acheson, and he refered by case to the comisoner of Pensions and he the comisoner answered like this he says you have no claim pending as your claim has been regected and that will be strictly adhered to. I then wrote to my Lieut and asked him to duplicate his evidence as near as he could and send it to me as I wanted to give it to the Hon. E. F. acheson, when I got this evidence I went to Mr. acheson myself he examined it verry carefully and said he did not think it was possibe to get any more positive evidence and Mr. acheson says to me I will take this evidence and do all I can for you. some time after this I got a letter from the comisioner of Pensions and he says the Lieuts second evidence does not show anything new in your claim therefore we cannot open up the claim. now all I asked was a fair and honorable desison under the law and the evidence and by appealing to your Hon-body that is I ask now.
Very Respctly
George W. Fair
Primrose, Pa.
by the way I was seventy years old on March the first, 1900. ---------------------------------------

Letter
In the Matter of George W. Fair
Claimant for Pension late of
Co. A 6th Regt Pa. H.A.
on the 2nd day of February AD 1900
before me a Justice of the Peace
in and for Butler County came Harrison W. McCandless aged 59
years, whose P.O. is McCandless Butler County Pa;
upon his oath duly administered says,

In the fall of 1864 in the latter part of Sept or October there was an order came to our Regiment for forty five enlisted men and one Commisioned Office to go as a train guard on the Orange & Alexandria rail raod. I was detailed to go in charge of the men we got as far as Peidmont when we was surrounded by Mosby Guerrillas they opened fire on us with artillery the cannon balls fell amongst us and claimant was very close to me when we heard a ball coming very close we fell to the ground and the ball past very close to claimants head and went into the ground so near us the dirt was thrown over us. The reason I know this because I was there with the boys. Soon after the claimant complained to me that his hearing was injured from the time that cannon ball came so near his head, in nov same fall we were sent to Fort Marcy when we came to practice target shooting with artillery in fort Marcy claimant had to be excused from practice on account of his head hurting him so much.

After our experience as train guard he was a close friend of mine, and did often say to me he was afriad that his hearing would never be good again. I know he was excused from artillery practice frequently during this enlistment. Since his discharge he has been to visit me at my home very frequently and as he lived in Butler our county Seat for several years after his discharge I met him often during each year since his return from service and he has always told me his hearing was very much against him in Business transactions. I have noticed that he could not hear common conversation. I have no interest in this claim whatever believing him to be a worthy applicant.
Harrison W. McCandless
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