Daniel Caughlan

 

 

 Daniel Life and His Children

 

Daniel was born in 1837 in St. Louis Missouri to John O. Caughlan and Sarah Murray Byrd (Childers) Caughlan.

 

At the age of 10 his father John O. Caughlan died on the December 14, 1847. We think his father either died in the St. Louis Area or in Illinois in the Alton Illinois area.

The 1850 census finds him living in St. Louis Missouri with his mother and brother Adam. His mother has a boarding house.

 

At the age of 22 his mother, Sarah, dies on February 1859 in St. Louis Missouri.

 

Daniel enlisted in to the Army on May 1, 1861 as a private in the 1^st Missouri Rifle Battalion Company B, however he reported to Company F 1^st Missouri Volunteer Artillery.  He stayed with this company for the duration of the war.  He enlisted quite early on.  It was only 2 weeks before Daniel enlisted that Fort Sumter was fired upon and Lincoln called for volunteers.

 

According to the records he was a good soldier in that he always showed up for roll call.  At some point he was made a Company bugler.

 

Just before the battle of Prairie Grove in Arkansas, Daniel was kicked in the knee by a horse or a mule.  This was probably a good thing for him since this was a terrible defeat for the Union forces.  This injury would cause problems for Daniel later on. During the war Daniel’s Company saw action in Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Alabama.  There were probably other places as well, but these are the only places mentioned in the records.

 

After the Civil War, Daniel is discharged from the Army on June 25, 1864 in St. Louis, Missouri

 

An 1866 St. Louis lists Daniel as a machinist in his brother David’s bell and brass foundry and machine shop at 29 Locust. Daniel also lived with his brother David at 186 Locust.

 

In the1870 Censes we find Daniel living with is brother, John Wesley, in Mexico Missouri. His is listed as being 32 years old and his lists his occupation as farmer.

 

On September 12 1874, Daniel married Sarah N. Reed in Newbury, Macon County, Missouri. She must have gone by the name of Nancy because the Macon County marriage records list her as Nance E. Read. The census calls her Sarah, this must have been her nickname. 

 

The 1880 Census shows that Daniel and his wife moved to La Plata, Macon County, Missouri and that he is a farmer.

 

In 1881, Daniel’s first son Roscoe is born in La Plata, Missouri.

 

In August 1882 Daniel joins Company Forbes Post G.A.R in LaPlata, Missouri.

 

On 5 August 1883 Daniels second son, Orlow is born in LaPlata, Missouri.

 

In the History of Randolph and Macon Counties, Missouri, 1884, under business men, they list Daniel in La Plata County as a “drays”. Note: From my research found this is someone who drives heavy hoarse drawn cats without side.

 

According to Daniel’s pension record, on September 28, 1885 his wife Sarah N. Reeds dies.

 

An obituary found in La Plata shows that Daniel’s first son, Roscoe, died in January.1887. He was buried on January 5^th in the La Plata City Cemetery.

 

Daniel married again to Martha Canaday on 5 February 1887 in Adair County, Missouri. Note: She was divorce from her first husband, George Nelson, June 10, 1882.

 

Also in 1887, the Standard Atlas of Macon County, Missouri, lists Daniel owning 20 acres in Easley Township, very near Hamel Missouri.

 

Daniel died on January 25, 1899 in Hamel, Macon County, Missouri. He is buried at La Plata Cemetery, Macon County, Missouri. Block 02 row 9 where Roscoe and Mrs. Daniel are buried also. There are no grave markers. He didn’t die a rich man, according to a tax assessment record from 1898; Daniel’s property was assessed at $470. After Daniel's death, a lawyer for Martha in an affidavit stated that Daniel left Martha with 20 acres of land worth $100, a team of horses, wagon and harness worth about $50, something else perhaps corn worth 420., some hogs worth $10 and $150 in debt.

 

The 1900 Census lists widow Martha J. Caughlan, living in Easley Township, Macon County, Missouri, age 59 born in December 1840 and one step son Orlow R. Caughlan, age 16, born August 1883. Martha is living on a farm and Orlow is away at school. According to several family letters Orlow lived with his uncle, John Wesley from the time he was 14 years old.

 

In the 1910 Kansas, Allen County, Enumeration District 8 Orlow, telegraph operation is listed living with mother widow Martha J.

 

Funeral and Daniel’s pension record shows that Martha J. died on October 5, 1936. She is buried at Canaday Cemetery, Adair County, Missouri.

 

The 1930 Census list Orlow living in Kansas City Missouri, single and working for a telegraph operation.

 

On January 29, 1970 Orlow dies in Kansas City Missouri at the age of 84, retired railroad telegrapher, single with no children. This  is the end of the Daniel Caughlan line.

 

 

 

Last Modified on April 13, 2005