Cain Cheesman’s military service was in the Ambulance Corps. After the war he settled in Wilkes Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. His widow submitted statements from the doctor and nurse who attended the birth of her daughter. Statements made in 1929 report that a child’s 1852 birth was copied from one bible into a second bible published in 1874. Researcher beware! The likelihood of error has increased dramatically: Was the correct birth information recorded correctly the first time? Was the information copied correctly more than twenty years later?
Invalid — 866,956 / 710,889
Widow — 752,008 / 553,970, Emma Cheesman
Neighbor’s Affidavit, Joseph H. Bates & Alexander Long, 28 June 1894
[Bates] 53 years; residence, Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa.; post-office, 78 Darling St., Wilkes Barre, Pa. … [Long] 37 years old; residence, Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa.; post-office address, 716 Jackson St., Wilkes Barre, Pa. … “personally acquainted with Cain Cheesman for 30 and 25 years, respectively, and that we have lived in the same neighborhood together with the claimant nearly all of said time and have met him on an average of 3 to 4 times a week and held conversation with him; that we have visited at his residence quite frequently and have
Neighbor’s Affidavit, Thomas Dudley, 30 June 1894
63 years old; residence, Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa.; post-office address, 268 Market St., Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa. … “personally acquainted with Cain Cheesman for 20 years. I have worked at the same company with the claimant … Claimant has had to lay off from his work for three and four weeks at a time which happens quite frequently during the winter and spring months and in fact during the whole year.”
Neighbor’s Affidavit, John Bryant, 4 July 1894
48 years old; residence, Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa.; post-office address, 8 Bennett St., Wilkes Barre, Pa. …”personally acquainted with Cain Cheesman for 20 years …”
Questionnaire (Form 3-373), Cain Cheesman, 10 January 1898
[married] Emma Cheesman; before marriage, Emma Tucker
[when, where, by whom] March 9, 1880; by the Rev. Samuel Watts (colored)
[record] marriage license in the court and on record in the AME Church, this city
[previously married] no
[living children] Romaine Cheesman (a girl) born November 29, 1893
Neighbor’s Affidavit, Joseph H. Bates, 31 August 1898
59 years old; residence, Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa.; post-office address, 78 Darling St., Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa. … “personally acquainted with Cain Cheesman for 25 years … he is quite deaf and his eyesight is poor”
Neighbor’s Affidavit, Thomas Dudlick, 31 August 1898
65 years old; residence, Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa.; post-office address, 37 South Hancock Street … “personally acquainted with Cain Cheesman for 20 years.”
General Affidavit, Charlotte E. Wilson, 6 February 1901
48 years old; residence, 15 Cedar Ave., Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio … “I was personally acquainted with the late Cain Cheesman all my life. He boarded at my mother’s house in Williamsport, Pa. previous to his marriage to the applicant Emma Cheesman whose maiden name was Tucker. My acquaintance with Cain Cheesman prior to his marriage was such that if he had ever contracted a prior marriage I should have learned of it.”
Sworn Statement, Rev. Richard H. Bumry, 1 Nov 1901
“256 So. Fell Street
Wilkes Barre, Pa., Nov 1, 1901
This is to certify that Cain Cheesman, now deceased, and his widow who survives, Emma Tucker, were married March the Ninth 1878 by the Rev. Samuel Watt, now deceased. Certified by church record of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Richard H. Bumry, Pastor”
“City Clerk’s Office
Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, April 14, 1902
This permit was issued upon the certificate of
A.G. Fell, M.D.
and Wm. E. Soren [or Snow?], Undertaker
Attest the seal of the City
Fred [?] Gates,
City Clerk”
Sworn Statement, Sarah Stevenson, 25 April 1903
56 years old; post-office address, 53 Orchard St., Wilkes Barre, Pa. … “she was personally present at the birth of Romaine Cheesman, a minor child of above named claimant and above named soldier; that said child was born November 29, 1893; and that she, the affiant, was the nurse, and that said child is still living and is in the care and custody of claimant, who has not remarried since the death of said soldier.”
General Affidavit, J.F. Roe, M.D, 25 April 1903
“I attended the above named Emma Cheesman of the birth of her child Romaine. She was born Nov. 29, 1893 and is still living with her mother.”
Letter from Daniel Fell, Attorney, Suite 600, Coal Exchange Building, Wilkes Barre, Pa. to Winfield Scott, Commissioner, U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, DC, 24 January 1929
“In reply to your letter of December 21st, 1928 you will find enclosed affidavit of Mr. W.A. Johnson of No. 50 Moyallan Street, City of Wilkes Barre, Pa., certifying as to the age of Mrs. Emma Cheesman. I also desire to state that I have known Mrs. Emma Cheesman, virtually almost all my life; that I am now seventy years of age, born the 23rd of November 1858. Mrs. Cheesman came to my father’s house when I was very young to help take care of me and my brother and sister and I know that she must have been at least six or seven years older than I was otherwise she would not have been able to be assisting in the care of us.”
Sworn Statement, W.A. Johnson, 29 January 1929
residence, 50 Moyallen St., Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., Pa. … “that he is acquainted with Mrs. Emma Cheesman and has known her for over fifty years; that he has examined the record of the births in the old family Bible and among them is Emma Cheesman which reads as follows: ‘Emma Cheesman born June, 1852.'”
Sworn Statement, Emma Cheesman, 29 April 1929
95 Wyoming St., Wilkes Barre, Pa. … “she was born in the month of June 1852 but has no record of the exact date of the month. The record she now possesses of the date of her birth has been found by her daughter, Romaine, in a family Bible, which has been re-copied from the original family Bible by Isreal Holmes, who is now deceased. The family Bible has been printed by A.J. Holman & Co., 930 Arch St., Phila., Pa, in the year of 1874.”
“This is to certify that I, George M. Yencha, Alderman of the City of Wilkes Barre … have this day examined the record of the birth of Emma Cheesemond and find that the same has been entered into the family Bible, giving the date as June, 1852, together with an entry of one Lucy Cheesman, born June 15th, 1862, she being a niece by marriage to Mrs. Emma Cheesman and also an entry of Emily Rhomaine Cheesman born Nov. 29, 1893, she being a daughter of Mrs. Emma Cheesman. I further certify that I find no eraser marks or any changes in the same.”
Application for Reimbursement, Miss Romaine Cheesman, 26 September 1929
36 years old; residence, 281 Main Street, Wilkes Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania … [for sickness and burial of] Emma Cheesman … died April 28, 1929 at Wilkes Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania …
“[Full name of deceased pensioner] Emma Cheesman
[In what capacity was decedent pensioned?] widow
[Did pension leave a child under 16?] no
[Were sick or death benefits paid?] none
[Was there life insurance?] none
[Is there or will there be an executor or administrator?] none
[Money, real estate, or personal property left by deceased?] home in which she lived
[Last assessment of the property] $1500.00
[Disposition of the property] home left to me by a will made by my mother
[Your relationship to the deceased] daughter
[Are you married?] yes
[Cause of pensioner’s death] stroke
[When did the pensioner’s last sickness begin?] had stroke 4 yrs ago, left helpless
[When did the pensioner become so ill as to require the daily attendance of another person constantly until death?] January 1929
[Names and addresses of attending physicians] Dr. O.K. Grier, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania; Dr. F.C. Tongue, M.D.
[Person who nursed the pensioner] Miss Romaine Cheesman – Visiting Nurse Association
[Pensioner’s last address] 95 Wyoming St., Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
[Has payment been made or will application for payment be made?] nothing
[Complete statement of all expenses of last sickness and burial of pensioner] Dr. O.K. Grier, physician, partly paid, $13.00; Dr. O.K. Grier, medicine, paid, $10.00; Lewis P. Kniffler Sons, undertaker, $124.00, unpaid ($80.00 paid) [total amount = $204.00]
“Also appeared Mrs. Charles W. Miller and Mabel R. Robbins …
[Their statements corroborated Romaine Cheesman’s statements about children under 16 years old, pensioner’s death date, value of real estate — Leslie]
“We knew the deceased pensioner for 40 years and 20 years respectively … [Miller said] deceased was a cook for my neighbor; {Robbins said] friends of family …”
[Both women lived in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania — Leslie]
Letter from Earl D. Church, Commissioner, to Miss Romaine Cheesman, 281 North Main Street, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, 4 December 1929
“Dear Madam,
“Your claim for reimbursement in the above-cited pension case of Emma Cheesman is rejected on the ground [sic] that the pensioner left assets consisting of real estate the assessed value of which is $1500, sufficient to meet the expenses of the last sickness and burial, alleged to be $316.
“Under such circumstance the accrued pension cannot be paid for any purpose.”
Letter from Fred C. Tongue, M.D., 1 November 1929
“To whom it may concern,
“This is to certify that I attended Mrs. Emma Cheesman of 95 Wyoming St. continuously from May 1928 until April 1929. I kept no record of my visits inasmuch as I considered this is a charity and cannot therefore render an itemized list of calls.”
1st U.S. Colored Cavalry 