Civil War pensions

[JanPennington]

Hi
 I was wondering whether it is possible to confirm whether a pension was paid to a 'widow'. 
Some of my relatives emigrated from Wiltshire, England to New York in the 1840's.  Three of the sons enlisted in the Civil War.  Two died - one at Andersonville prison and the other at Charlestown.  The third Frederick Moss returned to his wife and census records show him with his family up to and including 1875 census in Guyaga County New York.  He then gets married in Cuyahoga Ohio in 1878 - no evidence of a divorce.  Find a Grave has a record of his burial in 1893 in Cuyahoga County in a plot reserved for veterans.
HOWEVER on the 1890 veteran and widows 'census' his first wife Eunice (in New York) claims that she is a widow. The details of Frederick service enlistment date etc match other records.
If Eunice is listed on this record does it mean she is receiving a widows pension and if so when she claimed the pension how would she have proved she was a widow?
According to information on Find a Grave the second wife Mary tried to claim a pension after 1893 and I think was refused.
Any suggestions/ideas would be welcome.
Jan

[*Sandra*]

Think you might mean Cayuga County rather than Guyaga County New York. 

1880 Orchard Street Auburn, Cayuga, New York.

Eunice Moss born NY aged 41 years. widowed. servant.

Sandra

[JanPennington]

Yes it should have been Cayuga.
But Frederick, the husband of Eunice was still living and in Cleveland Ohio with his new wife Mary. He didn't die until 1893.  I was wondering how Eunice could claim a widow's pension.  Wouldn't she have to prove Frederick had died?
Jan

[*Sandra*]

Many women did refer to themselves as widowed on census after their husbands left home and either remarried or had another partner., that was not unusual.
Doesn't answer your question re pension though.

Sandra

[shellyesq]

This site gives more information about how the 1890 Civil War Veterans & Widows census was prepared.  https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1996/spring/1890-census-2.html  It doesn't sound like being on that census meant they were receiving a pension or that any proof of the veteran's death was required to be listed as a widow on the census.

[shellyesq]

There is an index entry about the pension applications regarding Frederick Moss - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9TBG-6XZ?i=2959&cc=1919699  It's a bit hard to read, but it looks like Frederick filed as an "invalid" on 14 Jan. 1870 and Eunice filed as a widow in New York on 26 Jan. 1894, which would have been after the death you mentioned.  It looks like Mary filed in Ohio on 19 Jun. 1893, so perhaps that was the unsuccessful attempt. 

[JanPennington]

That pension file is definitely the right one. the two 'wives' names and the states where they live are correct.  I wasn't aware that Frederick had a pension as an invalid but he was in hospital a few times during his military service so that fits.
And it is probably but to appear to be a war veteran's widow and a deserted wife to the neighbours.
It all leaves af ew questions that probably cannot be answered.
Did Mary think he was a widower when she married him 1878?
Did Eunice know he was in Ohio and and how did she know he had died so she could try to claim his pension?
The link to the archives is interesting.  I would seem unlikely Eunice was receiving a pension in 1890 if Frederick was still receiving an invalid pension.
 Shelleyesq and Sandra Thanks for your input.
Jan

[shellyesq]

Looks like Frederick's death made the Cleveland newspaper - https://cpl.org/newsindex/showrecord/?record=248478&type=necrology&searchType=both  Maybe Eunice heard through the grapevine.

I think this might be the marriage record for Frederick and Mary - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-BJLS-3?i=61&cc=1614804  It doesn't specify whether or not he was married before.

[JanPennington]

Thanks for both those bits of information. - I tried Family Search but didn't find that image.  It seems by signing the register, Frederick implied he was not married.
I would never have found the Cleveland Public Library site - it looks like a rich source of information for genealogists.
Jan