Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - James Addleman

BRACKETT’S  BATTALION MINNESOTA VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
Organized: Fall, 1861
Mustered In: 11/1/61
Mustered Out: 5/1 - 6/1/66

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:

The military organization that was to become known as Brackett's Battalion Minnesota Cavalry began its existence in the fall of 1861 as three companies captained by Henning Von Mend, D.M. West and Alfred B. Brackett.  That grouping was known as the "Minnesota Light Cavalry."

Moved to St. Louis, MO the "Minnesota Light" was assigned to a regiment known as the "Curtis Horse" being so named for Major General Curtis who was in command of that region's military department. As for the regiment itself, it was composed of four companies from Iowa, the three from Minnesota, three from Nebraska and two from Missouri with Colonel W.W. Lowe commanding. Throughout the opening years of The War this western theater regiment took part in Union engagements such as Ft. Henry, TN, Ft. Donelson, TN, Shiloh, TN, Corinth, MS and Clarksville, TN.

In 1863 the Minnesota companies, re-enlisted and while on furlough were organized into Brackett's Battalion which then was detached from its original regiment and assigned to frontier duty in the northwest which, in those days, included Minnesota and the Dakota Territory.

1864 found the battalion under the command of Union Gen. Sully campaigning against Native American hostiles along the Missouri River. There, during the fight at Tahkahokuty Mountain, North Dakota it charged the Indians and drove them foot-by-foot across a ravine, up a hill, over the crest and down the slope, scattering them far and wide. For this action the Battalion was congratulated for gallantry and coolness.

During the winter of 1864/'65 the Battalion was stationed at Ft. Ridgley, MN. During that period - and until final muster - in 1866 it performed patrol duties along the 200 mile frontier line.

Unit losses (1861 - 1866): Officers killed or mortally wounded = 0; Officers died of disease, accidents, etc. = 1; Enlisted men killed or mortally wounded = 4; Enlisted men died of disease, accidents, etc. = 6.

SOLDIER:
Residence: La Crescent, Houston Co., MN   Age: 18.2 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 3/28/64   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 3/28/64
Mustered Out: 5/24/66
Highest Rank: Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

[FORWARD: If a reader gets the opportunity to visit the pioneer cemetery located near Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington he or she will find there a fairly tall  stele-like, “civilian” headstone addressed to James F. Addleman. Who erected the stone and when, is not known. What is known is that the remains of the former Civil War cavalryman are not buried beneath or near the stone monument. In fact, there is nobody buried there at all. Please read on to find out why.]

Life's numerical beginnings for James F. (middle name not known) Addleman are shrouded in the mists of time. Likely he was born in the month of January, but no birth day/date has been found within available documentation. Secondly, no birth year is definitively identified. According to U.S. Army records he was born around 1843, but no U.S. Census reflects that year. Census documents reflect both 1845 and 1846 and, since the latter year is named most often, that is the birth year that will be used herein.

James' parents were Caleb Way (b. ca. 1795) and Elizabeth (nee Brown b. ca. 1809) Addleman. In 1820 the U.S. Census tally found Caleb and family in Honeybrook, Chester Co., PA. By 1830 they had quitted the Keystone State and resettled in or near the community of New Garden located in Wayne County, IN, likely drawn there by new farm land. A decade later the Addleman family was still in Indiana but then associated with the Wayne County community of Franklin. As that is also where the family was residing in 1850 we will assume that Franklin, Wayne County, Indiana is where James came into this world of mortal men and women.

As the Addlemans were a farm family, Elizabeth and Caleb produced many children with James being one of the youngest. Documentally, siblings known to have been older than he were as follows: Benjamin (b. ca. 1827 IN); Lucinda (b. ca. 1836 IN); Sidn[e]y (b. ca.1834 IN); Hannah (b. ca. 1835/'37 IN); Louiza (b. ca. 1838 IN); Caleb W. (b. ca. 1839 IN); William H. (b. ca. 1840/'41 IN); Lydia C. (b. ca. 1842/'43 IN) and Lycias/Lysias M. (b. 1844 IN). Those documented to have been younger than James were: John H. (b. ca. 1847/'48 IN) and Marietta L. (b. ca. 1850 IN). As noted, all Addleman children were Indiana born.


Beyond having been raised a member of a large farming family, nothing is known about James' childhood, formative or early teenaged years. The first glimpse we get of him as a young man comes from his 3/26/64 enlistment in the U.S. Army. Enlistment and muster records indicate that by this date he was no longer residing with his parents or even in Indiana as his address was listed as La Crescent, Houston Co., MN.  His occupation was "farmer." What had drawn him to Minnesota and when the move was made is not known. However, here it should be noted that in mid-19^th century America it was not uncommon for a teenaged youngster to  leave  the  parental farm and hire on as a live-in farmhand on a neighbor’s or someone else’s farm.

Considering that his age at enlistment was officially listed as 21.2 years, it is obvious that to become Private Addleman James lied about his age because, by accepting January, 1846 as his birth month and year he, in reality, was only 18.2 years old. Other vital statistics we learn about James at enlistment include that he was five foot, eleven inches in height (fairly tall for the times), had blue eyes, a light complexion and brown hair. For signing up he received a tidy $300 enlistment bonus or "bounty", one third of which was generally - but not in this case - paid up front with the balance to come in increments during his (up to) three year period of enlistment.

Private Addleman's period of military service did not involve pursuing and fighting Johnny Reb. Instead, it was focused on Native American "hostiles" along our country's "then-western" frontier. In all, his enlistment would prove, for the most part, to be very benign. More on this, later. 

Company muster rosters from Private Addleman's first 1864 mustering to the final one in 1866, show him as present for duty at all times except for a period in March/April, 1866 when he was on "detached service" in Sioux City, IA.

Final muster came on 3/24/66 at Ft. Snelling located in St. Paul, MN. At that time the government owed Private Addleman $17 because of an earlier error in his bounty payment as well as an additional $2.20. Also due him was a final bounty installment of $80. In turn, he owed the government $11 for lost equipment including one carbine wrench, one curry comb, one brush and one pair of spurs/straps.

Departing the military James resettled in Minnesota. Exactly where, however, and whether or not he immediately returned to farming is not known. However, it is known that at some point he added carpentry to his list of occupational skills.

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Post War, the first solidly dated information we really learn about James comes from March 24, 1870 when, in either Peru, Madison Co. or St. Charles, Madison Township, Madison Co., Iowa he married Emma Catherine McLaughlin (b. ca. 1852 PA). The census for that year placed the young couple in Walnut, Madison Co., Iowa.  There, over the next two years, they would begin adding to their family household.

During their  years together, James and Emma would produce at least nine children: Olive Lorena "Rena" (b. 3/8/71 IA); Lura Ethel (b. 6/7/72 IA); Leonard F.(b. 1877 MN); Loron "Oron" Ethel (b. 4/83 MN); Oran "Oscar" E. (b. 4/83 MN); Pearl "Pearlie" Frances (b. 9/87 WA); Byron Milliard (b. 8/1 or 7/90 WA) Emma F.(b. 6/95 WA) and an unnamed male child who died (3/2/97 WA) following a premature birth.

As noted by the birth locations of the children, the Addlemans did not spend their together years entirely in Iowa as, it seems, there was always a better life beckoning just over the horizon…….Their Iowa time appears to have spanned approximately five years, the first two of which – as noted -  were spent  in or near the community of Walnut.  Around 1873, they removed to an undocumented location several miles from Walnut where they spent additional time.

Quitting Iowa, by 1875 the Addleman family had landed in Houston, Hokah County, Indiana and, from there, interestingly, to another Houston, this one located in James’ old stomping grounds, Houston Co., Minnesota. This latter Houston is where the U.S. Census of 1880 tallied them.

After 1880 the family remained in Minnesota, but resided first, in Otto Township and, secondly in New York Mills both in Ottertail County. In all, they would farm for approximately nine to ten years in Minnesota and add three more children - including boy twins - to their numbers before moving even further westward. Their household numbers would finally be completed in Washington Territory/State where they settled in 1889, the year of that territory's statehood.

In Washington Terr. /St. the Addlemans settled in a portion of King County located easterly across Lake Washington from Seattle. As best as can be determined, the area where they settled was initially named Avondale, Redmond Township and, finally, Houghton. Although once considered a separate community, Houghton is now a part of modern-day Kirkland.

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Before discussing the Washington years let us drop back a bit to Minnesota. While  there, on 5/6/86 James began the paperwork process that would ultimately garner him a U.S. Government disability pension based on ailments which he traced back to his days of Civil War soldiering. As one may recall, earlier it was said that his period of Civil War service had been "very benign." While the essence of that statement is true, there had been a physical "hiccup" which proved lingering far beyond his service time. That "hiccup" was a lingering cough initiated by a spell of bronchitis.

Referring to  that “hiccup” James would later relate the following set of circumstances: In October, 1865 while in the line of duty as part of an escort column for an army paymaster moving along the Missouri River from Ft. Berthold, Dakota Territory to Ft. Randall, Dakota Territory, he took cold in his throat. Upon reaching Ft. Randall he was hospitalized for several days during which he reportedly could not speak "above a whisper."  The cold then moved into his lungs as bronchitis. After treatment at Ft. Randall, during the months of March and April, 1866 the bronchitis lead to his being hospitalized and on sick call in Sioux City, Iowa. While there he also contracted asthma. Although not cured of his ailments, when his regiment "came down river" for discharge he rejoined them. A residual cough from the illness continued to plague this once healthy young man long after his leaving the service.

On 5/19/86 the former cavalry private's story of service-based illness rang true and he was granted a $6 monthly stipend. With the addition of sufferings from disease of the digestive organs and rheumatism, that pension would later be upped to $8 and would, at the time of his passing from this earthly existence, reach $12.

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A census in which James participated after moving to the Pacific Northwest was conducted on 5/20/89. That tally placed the Addleman family in the earlier mentioned Avondale which was located within the Redmond Township.  Residing in the household at the time were James (J.F.) and Emma as well as children Ethel, Leonard, Oscar, Loren and Pearl. James' occupation was noted as "carpenter." In this vein, the 1891 Seattle City Directory would list James, a resident of Houghton, as doing business as a building contractor under the name JF Addleman and Brother. The "brother" referred to was John H. It is not known which of the Addlemans - James or John - came first to the area. There is no documentation, however, that they came west to Puget Sound country together. Interestingly, a Kirkland, WA census for 1892 appears to note James, his wife and children residing with Brother John and his wife Estella..........

1898. During the winter and spring of that year gold was discovered in Alaska. Stricken with gold fever, James and around seven others formed a corporation called the Loyal Mining Company of which M.M. Holmes was the president and James the vice president. The "corporation" subsequently purchased a sixty eight foot schooner (Loyal) which had been built in New York in 1893. The vessel has been described as being 19 feet in width, having a 7.5 foot draft and weighing either 45 or 26.5 tons net. According to a later Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper article "She was once considered one of the staunchest sailing vessels in these waters" (9/13/99). Plan was for members of the Loyal Mining Company to sail to Alaska and make their fortunes mining and prospecting for gold.............

On 5/1/98 Loyal set sail from Seattle bound for Kotzebue Sound near Dutch Harbor in Alaska. While the size of the crew was never positively delineated (the number 18 has been suggested), Emma Addleman would later testify those aboard in addition to her husband were O.D. Butterfield (perhaps the capt?), (a mister) Johnson (perhaps the master?), Hagen E. Wicks, assistant navigator....Nelson...Donihue, Isaac Taylor and.....Bakewell of Seattle.

According to later testimony by Loyal president M.M. Holmes, on a later, undocumented date, he received a letter stating that the vessel and crew had arrived safely at Dutch Harbor. From that point on, what became of the big plans to hunt for gold is not known, but as best as could later be determined, on 9/7/98 the Loyal, having departed Dutch Harbor,  had arrived at St. Michaels, Alaska and, on 9/13/98, had cleared that port to set sail for Seattle. About that same time, several big storms swept the waters in and around Alaska's Behring Sea. The Loyal and those aboard her were never seen or heard from again.

1899. In the late summer and early fall of that year hearings were convened in Seattle to look into the loss of the Loyal and those aboard her. Referring again to the 9/13/99 article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer "The one to know the most of the condition and operation of the Loyal in the north is Captain C.D. Jones, of the schooner Moonlight. Since reading the article in the Post-Intelligencer he has been consulting the log of his ship when he was in Kotzebue Sound last year and since then, and reports seeing and speaking with (with crew members of) the Loyal several times."

"In Kotzebue Sound last July and August," says Captain Jones, "the Loyal was pounded on the bottom two or three times and was generally in a bad condition. Her steering gear was carried away and was repaired by a blacksmith and carpenter who had nothing to work with. The gear they (improvised) would not last and was very weak. One of the schooner's anchors was (also) carried away in a storm there.  We left St. Michael September 24^th, but the Loyal was already gone....There is no question in my mind that she foundered in one of the terrible gales that revailed in the Behring Sea last fall. When we were lying in Golovin  Bay September 14^th and 15^th there was a fearful southwest gale and I believe the schooner (Loyal) was lost in that.... It would be practically impossible for the Loyal, in the condition she was, to get through those gales....I believe she is at the bottom."

Although Alaskan waters had been searched by both military ships and civilian vessels, no trace of Loyal or her crew was ever found. Even so, a date-of-death of 9/13/98, the date Loyal cleared the Port of St. Michael's, was officially assigned to James. While it is not documentally known, likely, the same was also done for the other members of the Loyal crew.

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The U.S. Census for 1900 found the widow Addleman in Houghton, King County, WA with her five children. Her occupation was, at that time, noted as "laborer."

Although she may have begun the paperwork process earlier, on 3/6/03, after petitioning the U.S. Pension Department for any accrued pension her late husband may have had coming, Emma Addleman was admitted to the government pension system based on James' history. At the time of passing her monthly stipend would be $25.

In 1910 Emma, age 58, was residing in Monroe, Snohomish County, WA. At that time she was credited as having her own income. Also in her home was 14 year old daughter Emma.

Emma Catherine Addleman died on 1/28/18. The place of her death was the community of Duvall located in northeast King County. Likely, her passing was at the home of one of her adult children. Burial was in the Kirkland Cemetery beside the headstone erected there in memory of her husband, former Civil War cavalryman James F. Addleman.

Buried at Kirkland Cemetery