War of 1812 Pension File of Luther Gaylord (1800-1879) - transcript excerpts
The War of 1812 Pension File for Luther Gaylord has recently been uploaded at Fold3. It is 184 pages long, and all images are available to view. Since I have anxiously been awaiting an opportunity to review this file, and I know that there are a lot of descendants that will find the information useful, I have been annotating the file at Fold3 and am sharing the details here that I feel are most useful to family historians. As with all transcriptions, there may be errors in my reading or typing, if you find any, please post corrections for us all. I am a descendant of Luther and Rosina's son Sanford, and always welcome inquiries from those interested in this family.
MOST significant information that I found is a statement that Luther's father is listed as JOHN GAYLORD in a letter from Luther's son, Levi. This is the first hard documentation I've found for the identity of his father. The same letter also states that both John & Luther fought on the American side. There is a listing for a service record for a John Gaylord in Capt. John Lytle's Company. Luther also served in the Company of a Capt. John Lytle.
Enjoy, Cousins!
All the best,
Janet
Link to the file at Fold3:
http://www.fold3.com/image/313126357/http://www.fold3.com/image/313126357/
Family of origin of Luther Sr.:
p.183 – letter written by Levi Gaylord
...my grandfather John Gaylord and my father Luther Gaylord both help[ed] to get your independence...[Levi Gaylord]
p.181 – letter written by Levi Gaylord
Father has brothers yo[u]nger [than] him and co[u]sins on both sids of the line that [have?] nothing to do with this.[Levi Gaylord]
Personal information regarding Luther:
p.22 - Claim for Minor Children for Bounty Land
...the following is a full description of said soldier at the time of his enlistment, vis: (10) A blacksmith born in Connecticut, about 18 years old when he enlisted, about five foot 10, light complexion, light eyes... [Levi Gaylord]
p.133 – Application for Reimbursement
…The decedents last sickness continued uninterruptedly from October 10th, 1878, to date of death, and it's nature and degree were as follows: a swelling commenced in his right foot and was very painful and continued to swell Ran up his leg to the [knee?] Ran up to body… [Levi Gaylord]
p.73 -letter from Maria J. [Gaylord] [Nichols] Pleasants
...Luther Gaylord died...the 30th day of March 1879...
Marriages and Children of Luther:
p.110 – War of 1812, Declaration of Soldier for Pension
...that his wife's name was Rezina Hartman, to whom he was married at Bath, Canada, on the 9th day of August, 1831;...
p.22 & 23 - Claim for Minor Children for Bounty Land[by Levi Gaylord, guardian]
lists thirteen children of Luther Gaylord and Rosina Hartman: Levi, Emily, Sandford, Minerva, Margaret, Luther, Mary, Eve, Maria, Charles, Almira, Elizabeth, and Charlotte;
all thirteen still living at time of July 20, 1891 letter from Margaret G. [Gaylord] [Rawson] White and Almira L. [Gaylord] Beach (p.20).
* The following children have submitted documents contained in this Pension File: Levi Gaylord, Margaret G. (Gaylord) Rawson White, Mary Ellen (Gaylord) Moss, Maria J. (Gaylord) Nichols Pleasants, Almira L. (Gaylord) Beach, and Elizabeth (Gaylord) Smith.
p.67 – Marriage Certificate
Marriage CertificateThis certifies that Luther Gaylord of New York in the State of New York and Theresa Babcock of Elmira in the State of New York, were by me joined together in Holy Matrimony on the third day of April in the Year of our Lord One thousand Eight Hundred and Seventy-one. In the presence of Maria Nichols 208 E. 50th St [and] A. L. Rawson 326 E. 58th[signed] W. H. BooleMinister of the Gospel
p.72 – letter from Maria J. [Gaylord] [Nichols] Pleasants
…that the marriage took place in the church cor. of 2nd Ave. & 50th St…
p.73 – letter from Maria J. [Gaylord] [Nichols] Pleasants
...That after this marriage they lived together as man and wife, the first six months more or less, at the home of his daughter Margaret Rawson, wife of A. L. Rawson one of the witnesses on the marriage certificate, and whose name is now Margaret White..., and thereafter at diverse other places in the State of New York, until about the year 1873 when the said Luther Gaylord went to Canada...
p.78 – letter from Maria J. [Gaylord] [Nichols] Pleasants
…my Mother [Rosina Hartman Gaylord],… died about thirty (30) years ago in Canada, in the country, about two miles from Odessa, deponent [daughter Maria] then resided with them, and was nine (9) years old, about seven years after she went to New York to live, about three years later Father came to New York, and soon after in 1871 he was married to…Hulda, they lived together as man & wife for [possibly said “a few years” which was lined out and “some time” added]some time…
p.79 – letter from Maria J. [Gaylord] [Nichols] Pleasants
…until he went back to Canada, think it was about 1873.
They had no trouble, he went to Canada to look after some property. Do not think he intended to remain there.
He was not successful in business and his health was poor.
He finally went to live with my brother Levi Gaylord & died there in 1879.
I do not think he told his relatives in Canada that he married the claimant.
There was no divorce or proceedings for a divorce,…Mrs. Gaylord has been in Philadelphia ever since…
p.80 – letter from Maria J. [Gaylord] [Nichols] Pleasants
…deponent is very sure that there was never any trouble between her father and the claimant that should cause their separation. They were kind to each other, but he was much her senior and no doubt kept his marriage to her a secret from his friends in Canada till he died, which was in five years or so after he went there.Mrs. Maria J. Pleasants
p.82 – letter from Hulda Theresa Babcock Gaylord
I was the second wife of Luther Gaylord. There was no divorce or separation- either legal or otherwise. My husband went to Canada to make arrangements for me to follow, but as he was not successful - I remained in New York. [Hulda Theresa Babcock Gaylord]
p. 83 –letter from Hulda Theresa Babcock Gaylord
The reason Mr. Luther Gaylord did not acknowledge his having a wife was because he was not able to give me his support and Levi, his son, was in ignorance of the fact. [Hulda Theresa Babcock Gaylord]
p.85 – War of 1812, Claim of Widow for Service Pension
On this fifteenth day of November, A.D. on thousand eight hundred and ninety…Hulda T. B. Gaylord aged 50 years, a resident of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania...
Luther Gaylord Sr.’s service:
p.40 – Bounty Land Claim
...never having received a written discharge, and that when troopsleft Sackett's Harbor for Ogdensburgh he was left there & was consequently separated from his original Company at the time his service was completed...[signed Luther Gaylord]
p.141 - letter - refers to a certificate from Capt. John Lytle re: service
…Luther Gaylord...in an application made by him through [?] Mr. Osbrook Atty. who then resided at Ogdensburgh N.Y. (The Application was for land I think) he procured a certificate from Capt. Lytle showing his service as Musician in his (Capt. L.'s) Co. which he supposed was forwarded to Washington to the proper office and he thinks that would be sufficient to substantiate his claim for Pension…
p.34 - letter - statement re: being on Company Rolls for Sackett’s Harbor – 1853
...I would say that having had a converstion with [Luther] Gaylord, I am led to believe that if an examination of the records of the Adjutant Gen'ls Office showing the forces stationed at Sackett['s] Harbor at the time he claims service there will be found sufficient proof to sustain his claim.[written by F. E. HasslerDec. 28, 1853]
p.137 – letter - refers to a Company Roll possessed by F.E. Hassler - 1873
Mr. Gaylord insists that he saw a [Co.?] Roll which exhibited his name in the possession of F. E. Hassler, since deceased, at Cape Vincent. He has inquired of the widow who replies she knows nothing about it, so if he is correct about it & did actually see such a roll I presume it cannot now be found.
p.31- testimony to service by Benjamin Holcomb - 1854
…that Luther Gaylord now in his presence & standing before him, is the very identical person who entered in the aforesaid Company of Capt. John Lytle, Rifles, at Ogdensburgh, N.Y., previous to the said company leaving Ogdensburgh for Sacketts Harbor, that he remembers this fact from being well acquainted with the father of Luther Gaylord… [Benjamin Holcomb dated October 6, 1854]
p.29- testimony to service by William Babcock - 1868
...in service at the same time and place was Luther Gaylord who was a private musn [musician] under Captain John Lytle of the New York Militia Vols and served over fourteen days, and was honorably discharged with the rest of the Company; that this service was in about the months of from fall & winter to next year & I think 1813 but am not sure as to year...[William Babcock dated April 22, 1868]
p.123- testimony to service by John Vanorder - 1877
[I, John Vanorder]...have been personally acquainted with Luther Gaylord of the said township of Camden, Blacksmith, for the past sixty-three years...
...that I know that he served in the American Army during the late War with Great Britain, that he enlisted in or about the month of January AD 1814 in the Corps or Regiment of Riflemen commanded by Major Forsyth and was a member of the Company of Captain John Lytle, and that he was Discharged at Sackett's Harbor in the State of New York on about the month of January AD 1815...[signed by John Vanorder and dated July 11 1877]
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Re: Pension File of Luther Gaylord (1800-1879) - LINK
Janet K 3/22/14