Samuel W. Cochran (Son of Thomas
B. Cochran) was born in Blackford Co.,
Washington, IN., June
27, 1828. Samuel
died after 1865. (Exact date and place of death are unknown)
He
married Minerva Palmer
in Indiana, Jan.
16,
1851. Minerva
was born in Perry Co., Ohio on March 21, 1835.
Minerva was the daughter of Samuel Hamilton Palmer
and Mary Nancy (Polly) Balsey. Minerva
died July 25, 1919 in Barada, Ne., at 84 years of age.
Her
body was interred 1919, in Harris Cemetery, Barada, Richardson County, Ne.
There
were a variety of ways to avoid being drafted during the Civil War. Both
the North and South had exemptions to the draft. Certain government
officials were exempt, as were people in certain occupations, i.e. clergymen,
telegraphers, etc. In addition, you could pay a commutation fee, which got your
draft postponed. In the North the fee was $300. You could also provide a
substitute. That is, get someone
not liable for the draft to serve in your place, such as a resident foreigner
or discharged veteran. The
substitute was paid a fee by the person desiring to avoid the draft. The substitute could charge as high a fee as the market would
bear, which was usually more than the commutation fee.
It was a common practice for substitutes to sign up for someone and
then desert, keeping the money and would often sign up again for someone else.
$300 in 1864, was equal to about $3,000.00 in 1999
dollars.
A
lawyer bonded Samuel to serve for him and he was paid $400.
(If Samuel
was born in IN., had he already served once?) He enlisted as a private for the North in the Civil War, 130th
Regiment, Company I, Infantry, Blackford County IN.
He mustered in at Camp Stillwell, Kokomo IN. (According to Civil War
records, from the National Archives Wash. D.C., the 130th was mustered in Dec.
1863 and mustered out on Dec. 2, 1865) Records
show Samuel, "joined for duty and enrolled" Jan 29, 1864, Hartford
City, for a three year enlistment. He
was to serve under Capt. Barnes, but he never joined the company. Instead he deserted on Feb. 1, 1864. He was arrested for desertion on Nov. 9, 1864 in Blackford
County, IN.
Samuel
was then re-assigned to the 14th Battery in IN.
His last letter was written from Kokomo Guard House on Nov. 15, 1864,
where he was confined for desertion. He
was sent to Indianapolis and after receiving his bounty and clothing; he was
reported as deserting again, on Nov. 19, 1864. This
time he never went home and was not heard from again. Editor's note:
(Some speculate he was shot for
desertion, which was a common practice for desertion in those days.
However, war records indicate only those that deserted several times or
deserted and went to the enemy with their
rifle were shot for desertion.)
Although
Minerva received the $400 Samuel received from the lawyer, she was either
unable to support her children, or she was saving up money to move to
Nebraska. As, (according to 1870
census of Blackford, Co., IN.) her daughter, Josephine stayed with her at
Carter's, her brother. The three boys, Samuel, Caleb and Leander, were bound out to live and work for families until
age 21. One story says Samuel,
Jr. died at age 19. However, when
Caleb and Leander reached 21, they moved with Minerva to Barada, NE. and lived
with Minerva's brother Astynax (Stein) Palmer.
Josephine stayed in Indiana. This
was in 1877. Minerva lived with
her brother until her son, Caleb, married and then she moved in with him.
She lived with Caleb, until his death in 1918.
She then moved back in with her brother, Stein and
lived with him until she
died in 1919.
(Above info provided by Janice Lynn Chase)
Minerva
kept the last letter (see below) she received from Samuel, her husband.
The letter was passed down with the family bible to Caleb's wife, Elizabeth, then to their daughter, Nell, and then to one of Nell's daughters, Violet
McTaggart, Falls City, NE. It was
written from the Kokomo, IN. guardhouse and dated Nov. 15, 1864.
| "Minerva,
I have not much to write. I am in Kokomo in the guardhouse. I expect to
go to Indianapolis this evening and I suppose be put in the 14th
battery. I am not certain
yet Minerva. It will go
hard with me. You must
cheer up under these afflictions. I
am treated better than I expected.
Minerva you must stay at home and do the best you can.
I know it will be lonesome if I don't get to come home.
Whenever I get any money, I will send it home to you.
Minerva I want you to write to me, be sure to write to
Indianapolis. When I get to
Indianapolis I will write some more." |
This was the last
anyone heard from Samuel.