Teachman
Jenkins Teachman
|
|
|---|---|
| Luke N. Teachman |
Margaret A. Jenkins Teachman |
Luke N. Teachman is a good example of how family stories may carry many elements of truth but still lack complete accuracy. What is known is that, for whatever reasons, his life was not an easy one. From census records his date of birth varies from 27 in the 1850 census to 46 in the 1860 census. When he enlisted in the Union Army in the Civil War in August of 1861, he was 42. And when he applied for his Civil War pension, he insisted he was born in 1818.
Little information has been found on his early life. He was probably born in New Jersey. The earliest documented information is in New York State Census and Federal Census records. He is first found in 1845, Monroe Township, Enumeration District 3, fifth page of the ED: Luke Teachman, 2 males including head; 1 male eligible for military duty; 1 person entitled to vote; 1 married female between 16 and 45; 3 persons born in New York State; 1 child between ? and 16; 2 sheep, 1 under 1 year old, 1 over 1 year old; 1 fleece, 3 lbs. of wool. In September of 1847, Luke and Margaret welcomed their first daughter, Mary. The family was still living in Monroe for the 1850 Federal Census, p. 286, dwelling 569, family 569. No place of birth was listed.
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Luke Teachman | 27 |
| Margt. A. Teachman | 26 |
| Leonard Teachman | 6 |
| Joseph Teachman | 4 |
| Mary A. Teachman | 3 |
| Hannah M. Teachman | >1 |
The growing family did not stay in Orange County and after 1850 began moving, as did other family members, toward western New York State. In the 1855 New York State Census, the family was living in Hancock Town, Delaware County. They are listed as Dwelling 5 and living in a frame house with a value of $30. By the 1860 Federal Census, the family was settled in Walton, Hancock Town, Delaware Co., p. 8, dwelling 46, family 52. The value of their personal estate was listed as $100.
| Name | Age | Relationship | County/State of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke N. Teachman | 39 | Orange | |
| Margaret A. | 29 | Wife | Orange |
| Leander | 11 | Son | Orange |
| Joseph K. | 9 | Son | Orange |
| Mary Adelia | 8 | Daughter | |
| Hannah | 5 | Daughter | Broom |
| Jane | 3 | Daughter | Orange |
Households faced many changes between 1860 and 1865. The Luke Teachman family moved to Schuyler County and three members - Luke Sr., Leander and Joseph - served in the Union Army during the Civil War.
At age 42 and five feet eight inches tall with black hair and brown eyes, Luke enlisted as a musician on 15 August 1861 in Elmira, New York in Company F of Stuart's Independent which became the 50th New York Infantry. Military duty did not suit Luke. He was discharged for disability with a surgeon's certificate on 28 March 1862 at Camp Woodbine, VA. According to Hayward A. Potter, surgeon of the 50th New York Volunteers, "He (Luke) has done but very little duty since his enlistment, has no constitution, and can be of no service in the regiment." Luke's service record would present problems for him later in his life.
Like his father, Leander mustered in on 15 August 1861 in Company F, Stuart's Independent, or the 50th New York Infantry. On August 26, the 18-year-old, five foot almost eight inch young man was in Elmira, New York. He became a private first class during the summer of 1862 and in the spring of 1863 he was an artificer with the 50th New York Engineers helping to build bridges. At the end of 1863 he was discharged for reenlistment.
After a furlough, Leander returned to his unit as a Veteran Volunteer. The 50th New York Engineers took part in the Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1863, the Chancellorsville Campaign in April and May of 1864, the Gettysburg Campaing in June and July of 1864, and in siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond from June 1864 to April 1865. Leander was wounded in the trenches on August 12, 1864 and sent to the brigade hospital in Washington, D.C. He returned to duty in the engineer workshops at the end of the year. He remained there until May of 1865 when he returned to active duty. He mustered out in June of 1865 at Ft. Berry, VA. During its service, the regiment lost ten men by death, seven men to wounds received in action and 214 men to disease.
Joseph was the last to enter the service. The 18-year-old enlisted in Company H of the 15th New York Engineers in late August of 1865. He took part in siege operations against Petersburg and muster out in June 1865 at Fort Berry, Va.
Perhaps the most revealing census that the family is found together is the 1865 New York State Census. It lists the relationships of the family members, the number of children to which the mother of the household has given birth and the county of birth. Margaret said she had 12 children. Eight survived to adulthood. Their home was valued at $100. At the time of the census, the Luke Teachman family was living in the fourth election district of Hector in Schuyler County, NY. They were number 223 in the census.
| Name | Age | Relationship | Co. of birth | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Teachman | 50 | New Jersey | Laborer | |
| Margaret Teachman | 42 | Wife | Orange | |
| Leander Teachman | 21 | Son | Orange | Soldier |
| Joseph Teachman | 19 | Son | Orange | Soldier |
| Mary Teachman | 18 | Dau. | Orange | |
| Hannah Teachman | 15 | Dau. | Broome | |
| James Teachman | 9 | Son | Delaware | |
| George Teachman | 8 | Son | Delaware | |
| Luke Teachman | 5 | Son | Delaware | |
| Samuel Teachman | 2 | Son | Delaware |
Luke's first attempt to get a pension for his Civil War service came in January of 1870 in Schuyler County, New York. In his testimony he said he was a carpenter and that "in the line of his duty he was atacked (sic) by a fever while serving at Camp Leslie near Washington City on or about the 1st of January in the year 1862 and when he recovered from the same this sickness had nearly made him blind and from that time to this his eye sight has been very bad so much so as to materily (sic) hinder him from obtaining his living by manuel (sic) labour." He listed his post office address as Lawrence, Schuyler County. The application was denied.
Luke N. Teachman, his remaining family at home, and his son and daughter-in-law, Joseph and Sarah, decided to make a big move in the spring of 1870. Luke and Joseph took homesteads in northern Lancaster County in Nebraska. Luke took the NE1/4 of S2R7E. He made settlement on the land on 6 November 1871 building a 16'x16' house with one door and one window. Additionally he built a 12'x20' stable, a 8'x6' granery, set out a few forest trees and a few fruit trees and cultivated 20 acres of land. Luke's family appears on the 1874 State Census of Rock Creek Precinct.
| Name | Age | Birthplace | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teachman, James | 22 | Indiana | Farmer |
| Teachman, L.N. | 55 | Indiana | Farmer |
| Teachman, Mrs. L.N. | 54 | Indiana | Farmer |
| Teachman, George | 18 | Indiana | |
| Teachman, Luke | 13 | Indiana | |
| Teachman, Samuel | 11 | Indiana |
However, the life of a farmer did not suit Luke. He fulfilled the necessary requirements for the homestead on 21 May 1877. He filed for the record at 10 a.m. Shortly thereafter, he transferred the property to H.H. Blodgett. According to family lore, Luke and Margaret had a disagreement concerning the property. In May of 1877, Margaret took Luke to Lancaster County Court over the sale of the property. The judge found in favor of Margaret and Luke was ordered to pay court costs. They separated and never lived together again.
After the separation, Luke moved to Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1879, he again attempted to get a Civil War pension. According to the examining surgeon's report, Luke had disease of the eyes due wholly to service in the line of duty and recommended he receive 3/4 ($6.00 a month) pension. The appeal for the pension continued through 1882. Harrison H. Blodgett stated that between 1870 and 1877 he saw Luke once a week and after that he saw him every day and supported him through charity. Drs. L.H. Robbins and Chas. S. Hart examined Luke and noted his eye problem due to the "consequence of typhoid pneumonia and its results." They recommended he receive the pension. In March of 1886, the pension was rejected by the examiner. In February 1887, Luke again submitted an invalid claim for his Civil War pension. It was rejected in September of that year. Another claim was quickly submitted. It was approved in October of 1889. He received $4 per month from March 1862; $6 per month from October of 1879; and $10 per month from March of 1887.
In 1877, Margaret moved to Rooks County, Kansas with sons James and Luke. The three lived there for a number of years. Samuel remained in Nebraska with his brother, Joseph.
The relationship between Margaret and Luke remained somewhat volatile. In October of 1889, Luke sued for divorce. He stated that the couple was married in December 1842 and he "cheerfully provided a home and the necessities of life for his wife." Margaret responded and the motion was dismissed in December 1889 with Luke paying court costs.
Luke's income, other than his pension, was meager. In various Lincoln city directories between 1886 and 1891, he had an office in room 7 at 109 S. 10th in Lincoln. His occupations were listed as inventor and president of Wood Preserving Mfg. Co., and physician, although he had no formal medical training.
An underlying cause to many of Luke's problems was probably his drinking. In 1891: "Luke Teachman was up this morning on the charge of being drunk and disturbing the peace of James Knittle, but the matter was settled, and he was released on payment of costs."
Luke died in January of 1894 of La Gripp and Pleuro Pneumonia. He was buried in Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln by the GAR. He, however, had one last card to play. He left a will and in the petition for appointment of special administrator the petitioner stated: "...your petitioner is informed and verily believes, and that deceased has no relations in Nebraska, and H.H. Blodgett is his creditor... and that he (Luke) was possessed of personal estate to be administered of the value of about $225.00 as your petitioner is informed and verily believes." The petitioner asked that H.H. Blodgett be appointed special administrator of the estate. In his will, Luke left one dollar each to his wife, Margaret Ann; sons, James, Luke and Samuel; and daughters, Mary McKey (sic), and Hanner Rhods (sic). He continued: "...and all the balance of my estate, both real and personal, of every name and nature, I give and bequeath to H.H. Blodgett and all I may hereafter acquire, I give and bequeath to H.H. Blodgett." The family protested the probate for, among other reasons: "...the said pretended will was procured by the said H.H. Blodgett by procuring the said Teachman to become intoxicated, and that the said Blodgett procured and furnished the said Teachman with intoxicating liquors and furnished the said Teachman with intoxicating liquors and caused him to become so far intoxicated as to be unfit to transact business, and while in such state of intoxication procured the execution of the instrument filed herein." Blodgett insisted that Luke was of sound mind when he made the will. Blodgett insisted that he was left the estate because he took care of Luke "when his children had deserted him." The court ultimately found in favor of Blodgett, but there was little estate for the attorney to claim.
Margaret lived in Kansas for a time on land she had purchased in Rooks County. She sold the land to her son, James for $1 and other valuable consideration in August of 1884. In 1900, she was living with her son, James, in Saunders County, NE. Her daughters, Mary and Hannah were willing to look after her, but she didn't want to leave the west. She died in Grant County, Oklahoma.
Leander worked as a carpenter after the Civil War. In 1866, he lived in Elmira, New York. Later he went to work for the railroad our west and, in 1870, sent word back that the land was good. By the time the family arrived, he had moved on. The family received word that he had been murdered in Clay County, Missouri. He received a pauper's burial.
Joseph Teachman and Sarah Linderman were married in Schuyler County, New York, on January 28, 1868 by the Rev. T. Stacey at the Parsonage. In August of 1870, he was living in Elmwood and working for the railroad. He filed for a homestead and proved up in late 1875 on the SW1/4 of S34T13NR7E. Additionally, he entered into the merchantile business in Ceresco with A. Andrus of New York. Life took a turn for him in the early 1880s. He died about six months after his wife, Sarah. His part of the store was sold to pay expenses. In his will, he left $25 to his brother, George, a resident of the Lancaster County Poor Farm, to purchase a suit of clothes.
Mary Adelia Teachman married John Mackey in 1865. Soon thereafter the couple moved to Kent County, Michigan. In 1870, John worked for the railroad. Later he turned to farming. The couple lived and died there, an integral part of their community.
Hannah Maria Teachman remained in New York. She married George Rhodes in July of 1865 and the couple made their home in Ithaca in Tompkins County. She was active in the State Street Methodist Church.
James Henry Teachman took a leadership role in both his family and his community. He, his mother Margaret and brother Luke went to Kansas and in the spring of 1878 he filed for a homestead on the SE1/4 Section 13 Township 6S of Range 17W in Rooks County. He moved onto the land in June of that year. Turning the homestead into a working farm took a good deal of time, energy and money. He had to leave the homestead on occasion to earn money to make necessary improvements. His home was 14'x13'. He also had a stable, a well and he planted over 50 fruit trees. He received certificate no. 5812 proving ownership in June of 1883. Although Nebraska called him back, he owned the property all of his life. Saunders County, Nebraska was his home for many years. In the late 1880s, he met and married Emma Biggerstaff. They had a daughter, Grace, and in 1893, Emma died. James carried on. In 1894, he courted a cousin of his first wife. James and Ruth Miller Van Dyke were married April of 1895. The couple lived and began raising their children in Saunders County, NE. The family was involved, as most farm families were, in work, school and church. A fiddler and entertainer, James often played at social functions. In the early 1900s the family moved to Lincoln for the education of the children. A couple attended Wesleyan University there.
George Teachman lived a quiet life. He followed the family in their moves. His last days were spent at the Poor Farm in Lancaster County. County commissioner minutes recognizing the contribution from Joseph Teachman's Estate indicate that he was mentally handicapped. No burial site for him has been located, however he was not buried in an indigent grave.
Luke Teachman, like his brother, James, chose to homestead in Rooks County, Kansas. He married Etta Mae Marsh and his first four children were born in Kansas. In the early 1890s, he decided to try for free land in Oklahoma and he did the paperwork on his homestead enabling him to make the run in 1893. In early September he set out and on the sixteenth of that month he secured his flag on the SW1/4 of S25N, R3W in Grant County. The family first lived in a dugout until their first house could be built - a 10'x12' sod house. A school was constructed a short distance away in 1894 and in 1895 a small community with a post office, named Dayton, was formed. In 1896, a new school was built on the Teachman farm. In the early 1900s, Luke and Etta moved their family several miles away into Lamont, OK. Luke entered the real estate business with the motto: "L. Teachman, the land man." He kept his homestead and a portion of it is still owned by family members (in 2006).
Sam Teachman was a jeweler and watchmaker. He traveled a bit and in 1896 had a business in Ward, Colorado. He returned to Oklahoma and in 1905 married Mary Boyd. The marriage did not last, however.
