The Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter, Part 6

On June 12, 1888 Isaac Carter's Civil War Pension application was filed. The long, tedious process of red tape began, and one can only imagine how he and his family must have felt as it dragged on.

This letter from the War Department, Adjutant General's Office (document #7), dated October 10, 1888, Isaac's military career was encapsulated into a nutshell. The transcription follows:

Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions.
Isaac Carter, a private, of Company B, 14th Regiment U.S. Col'd Arty (Hvy) Volunteers, was enrolled on the 12th day of March, 1864 at New Bern, and is reported: On rolls from enrollment to June 30/65 present.
Roll for July & Aug/65, Co. G 14th U.S. Col'd Arty (Hvy) (to which transferred Aug/65) reported him present. Sept &
Oct/65 present. He was mustered out of service with Co. [--]
December 11, 1865, at Fort Macon, N.C. Promoted Corpl.
Sept. 1/65, promoted Sergt. Sept. 20/65.

Records of this office furnished no evidence of disability.

R. C. DRUM,

Adjutant General

PREVIEW (Document #8)

The next document in the Pension File is a three-page, handwritten affidavit of Isaac Carter, sworn on October 17, 1888 before the Clerk of Superior Court in Craven County. I have found that the most interesting parts of a Civil War Pension File are the affidavits where the prospective pensioner and witnesses describe what happened to cause the disability.

Within each affidavit lie points of interest which lead to more questions...

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