Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - John Allen

135^th INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: May, 1864 Indianapolis, IN
Mustered In: 5/25/1864 Indianapolis, IN
Mustered Out: 9/29/1864 Indianapolis, IN

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: 
 

In early May, 1964 Union forces under the command of General U.S. Grant moved southward into Virginia on the Overland Campaign. Nearly a year later the campaign would bring an end to four years of bloody American civil war.
 

To field as many "seasoned" troops as possible for the 1864 movement, established rear-echelon regiments were ordered into the field. To fill the vacuum created by the repurposing of these troops, many short-term, primarily non-combat units were created. The 135^th Indiana was one such organization.
 

The 135^th Indiana was a 100 day western theater infantry regiment. It was created in May, 1964 being composed of companies raised in Indiana's 8^th Congressional District. Mustered into Federal service at Indianapolis, it left the state at once for Tennessee.
 

Upon reaching Nashville the 135^th - along with sister regiments - was assigned to railroad guard duty along the lines of the Nashville & Chattanooga, Tennessee & Alabama or the Memphis & Charleston railroads. The 135^th was engaged in the work of keeping Union Gen. W. T. Sherman's lines of communications and supply open as his armies marched towards Atlanta, GA. In this vein, the regiment served beyond the time for which they had enlisted before being returned home for final muster.

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 0; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 0; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 0; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.: 28.

SOLDIER:
Residence:  Warren County, IN   Age: 18.11 or 19.0 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 5/12 or 24/1864 Crawfordsville, IN   Rank:  Pvt.
Mustered In: 5/24/1864
Mustered Out: 9/29/1864 Indianapolis, IN
Highest Rank: Cpl.
Rank At Discharge: Cpl.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY: 

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of John Allen was created in August, 2021 during the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
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John Beard Allen was born 5/18/1845. The place of his birth was Crawfordsville Montgomery County, IN.
 

Parents of John were Joseph Shepherd Allen (b. b.11/19/1814 PA - d. 6/11/1874 Olympia Thurston County, WT) and Hannah (nee Cloud b. 3/28/1820 IN - d. 12/23/68 Rochester Olmstead County, MN) Allen.  Joseph was a physician.
 

As best as can be determined from U.S. Census records, John was the fourth of seven children born to Samuel and Hannah. Older than he were Jane M. Allen (b. 1839 IN),  Irene Jemima , Allen (b. 1843 IN) and Caroline Letty Allen (b. 1844). Younger than he were Hanna K. Allen (b. 1847), Joseph Shepherd Allen (b. 1849) and Hiram E. Allen (b. 1857 IN).
 

In May, 1864 John left his parents' home located in Crawfordsville Ward 5 Montgomery County, IN and enlisted in the U.S. Army Infantry for a period of 100 days. Without accessing his military service records all that can be said about his enrollment period is that he was not subjected to the rigors of combat. He returned to civilian life in September.
 

In 1870 Joseph Allen, then a widower, and family remained residents of Montgomery County, IN.

But, when he died on 6/11/1874, he was residing in Olympia Thurston County, Washington Territory (WT). What had drawn the family to the Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest and when, exactly, they had moved here are unknowns.
 

One hint, however, as to when Joseph and his brood may have arrived here is that on 9/20/1871 in Thurston County, WT John had married. Thus, the family had arrived here sometime between the U.S. Census of 1870 and John's September, 1871 wedding date.
 

John's bride was Matilda Cecelia (nee Bateman b. 3/1848). Her birthplace was Lamont Ottawa County, MI. Why, how and when she had come to Washington Territory are questions that, for now, will remain unanswered. Also unanswered is when and where the two had met.
 

During their years together John and Cecelia produced five children. All five were living as of 1900. The Allen children were: John Beard Allen, Jr. (b. 9/1872 WT), Ruth H. Allen (b. 4/1875 WT), Grace C. Allen (10/1877 WT), George Hiram Allen (b. 2/21/1879 Olympia Thurston County, WT) and Harriet T. (or P.) Allen b. 5/11/1882 WT).
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In the 1800s the Allen family home was located in Olympia Thurston County, WT. Census tallies for that area from 1873 onward noted John’s occupation as being either attorney at law or lawyer. When, how and where he had acquired his legal expertise are unknowns.
 

From March to November, 1889 John served as a Washington Territory elected delegate in the United States House of Representatives. When, in November, 1889 the territory became a state, he was elected one of the State's first two U. S. Senators. He held the senatorial seat from 1889 to 1893.
 

By 1900 the Allen family had quitted Olympia and moved northward to Seattle King County, WA. The location of their residence was in that city's Ward #7.  At the dawn of the twentieth Century John was still practicing law.
 

John Beard Allen died on 1/28/1903 at his Seattle area - 505 Howard Ave - home. The cause of the fifty seven year old's passing is not known. He was buried in Seattle's Lake View Cemetery located on that city's Capitol Hill.
 

Interesting is the fact that on 11/13/1897 John had created his last will and testament. In that document he bequeathed most all of his estate to Cecelia. To his then-living children - John.., Jr., Ruth, Grace and Harriet. - he left to each, twenty five dollars.
 

It appears that after John's passing Cecelia remained in Seattle. As of 1910 she was still in that City's Ward #7. In the home with her was daughter Harriet, a sister and a young female servant.
 

During his lifetime John B. Allen never applied for, or received, a U.S. Government disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. On 7/12/1918, however, his widow did apply for such a stipend. While the request was granted, without access to pension documents the details of the grant are not available.
 

At the age of seventy three years and eight or nine months, on 10/12/1921 Matilda Cecelia Bateman Allen died in the Pierce County, WA community of (Ft.) Steilacoom. She was buried with John in Seattle at the Lake View Cemetery.

Buried at Lake View Cemetery Seattle