He was born in Essex County, Delaware, in 1810/20. [sources: date: 3 (46 in 1863), 11 (45 in 1864), 13 (44 in 1863), 14 (43 in 1861), 18 (39 in 1850), 21 (45 in 1864). place: 3, 13, 18 (PA)]
On 6 October 1833, he married Rebecca Betterton, apparently in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was born in 1811/12, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They had six living children in 1864, one of whom was less than 16 years old, including:
[sources: 18, 23, 24 (77 in 1889)]
In 1850, he was living in West Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a laborer. He was living with his wife Rebecca, and with their children Mary Ann and Robert. [source: 18]
When he enlisted, he was a butcher, and was living in Philadelphia when he was enrolled. [3, 13, 14]
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 6-3/4 inches tall, had a dark complexion, brown eyes, and dark hair. [sources: 3, 13 (5'7"), 14 (5'7", dark complexion, dark eyes, brown hair)]
He was mustered into service for three years as a private in company E on 20 August 1861, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (The muster roll was dated 9 September 1861, but he was mustered in as of 20 August 1861.) [sources: 1, 13, 14, 25, 26]
The 31 October 1861 and 31 December 1861 muster roll do not state whether he was present or absent. [source: 13]
He was present on the March/April 1862 muster roll. He was present on the May/June 1862 muster roll. He was present on the special muster roll for 18 August 1862. He was present on the muster roll for July/August 1862. [source: 13]
He was absent on the September/October 1862 muster roll, having been detailed as brigade butcher on 15 September 1862. He was present on the November/December 1862 muster roll, as the brigade butcher. [source: 13]
He was present on the 1 November 1862 to 28 February 1863 muster roll (but the remark says "Connected to Dunton"). [source: 13]
On 2 March 1863, he returned to the regiment, from being brigade butcher. [source: 9]
On 11 April 1863, he returned to the regiment from the Ambulance Corps. [source: 10]
He was present on the special muster roll for 10 April 1863 (with the same remark). He was present on the 28 February to 10 May 1863 muster roll, and on the May/June 1863 muster roll. [source: 13]
He fought at the battle of Gettysburg. [source: 5]
He was present on the July/August 1863 muster roll. [source: 13]
He was detailed to serve in the ambulance corps on 3 September 1863. [sources: 6, 7]
He was present on the September/October 1863 muster roll. [source: 13]
He was mustered out on 25 December 1863 (for reenlistment). He had been paid through 31 October 1863, and was owed $100, along with 45 for clothing not drawn in kind. [source: 13]
He re-enlisted for three years, as a veteran volunteer on 24 December 1863, at Bealton, Virginia. He was enlisted by Lieutenant Carpenter and was mustered into service by Lieutenant Swann (this may relate to his original enlistment). He was present on the November/December 1863 muster roll, and had received one months pay in advance. [sources: 1, 3, 13, 14 (26 Dec), 23 (enrolled 22 Dec, mustered 26 Dec)]
He was present on the January/February 1864 muster roll. He had received one month's pay--$13--in advance. He was present on the March/April 1864 muster roll, and had received $60 of his reenlistment bounty and was due $50. [source: 13]
On 15 April 1864, Lieutenant Colonel Sinex recommended him for a detail, in compliance with general order 18 (8 April 1864) from the Army Headquarters. He does not say what the detail was for. [source: 8]
He was wounded by a Minie ball in his left thigh while charging the enemy works at Petersburg, Virginia, on 23 June 1864. He was absent, wounded, on the May/June and July/August 1864 muster roll. He was then due both the second and third installments of his reenlistment bounty ($100). He was treated by tonics and water dressings [?]. [sources: 4, 13 (18 June), 23]
He died on 22 September 1864, of those wounds, in the US General Hospital, Broad and Cherry Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died of "exhaustion after g[un] s[hot] wound" of the left thigh. (The company muster-out roll has him killed in action on 22 December 1864.) He was a private, in company E. He had been paid through 26 December 1863, and was due pay from then to his death. His wife, who lived at the corner of 12th and Monroe in Philadelphia, received these effects: 2 caps, 1 dress coat, 1 jacket, 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of shoes, and 61 cents from his pocketbook. [1, 2, 11, 13 (some records have 22 Sep, some have 4 Sep; the most reliable seem to have 22 Sep), 14 (22 Sep), 15 (no date), 16 (no date), 21, 22, 23, 25, 26]
He was buried on 27 September 1864 in the Union Methodist Episcopal Church Burial Ground, at South 10th Street, near Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (The remains from that cemetery have been moved to Arlington Cemetery, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, which does not have a record of his burial.) He was buried from 725 Federal Street, the residence of Samuel Crap [?], his father in law. [sources: 11, 12, 21]
On 26 January 1865, company E published resolutions mourning his death (and fifteen others), and sympathizing with their families. [source: 17]
On 5 October 1864, his widow, Rebecca Ellingsworth, applied successfully from Pennsylvania for a pension, under the Act of 14 July 1862. Her post office address was 1944 Amber Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her application was accepted on 1 February 1865, and she received $8 per month retroactive to 22 September 1864. [sources: 4, 20, 23]
In 1870, his widow, Rebecca Ellingsworth, was living in the 1st ward, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She owned $1,000 of real estate. She was living with Robert, Samuel, William, and Thomas (presumably their children). [source: 19]
On 21 December 1875, the Pension Office instructed the Philadelphia Pension Agency to suspend payment. This is presumably because her attorney, Joseph E Devitt & Company, had executed documents illegally, swearing people in their office and then taking the documents to court to be executed as though the people had appeared personally at the court. On 24 January 1876, the Pension Office instructed the Pension Agency to resume payment. [source: 23]
On 21 May 1877, her pension was transferred from Philadelphia to San Francisco, effective 4 March 1877. On 4 April 1879, her pension was transferred back to Philadlephia from San Francisco. [source: 23]
On 9 December 1889, Rebecca Ellingsworth died, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She died at 1832 Gerhard Street. She died of cardiac disease--mitral regurgitation. On 13 December 1889, she was buried in Philanthropic Vault. [sources: 24]
Contact Gay Raab at [email protected].
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster) (killed in action)
2 list of deaths, company E
3 descriptive roll, company E, entry 33 (Robert Ellingsworth)
4 Veterans' administration. Pension index, by name. (Searched 17 Jan 2001, at <www.ancestry.com>.) (Robert Ellingsworth)
5 Pennsylvania Memorial, 91st Pennsylvania plaque, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (R Ellingsworth)
6 letter, Sinex to Marvin, 3 September 1863
7 special order 70, HQ 91st PA, 3 September 1863
8 letter, Sinex to Marvin, 15 April 1864
9 compiled morning report, 91st PA, 2 March 1863 (Rob't Ellingsworth)
10 consolidated morning report, 11 April 1863 (Private Ellingsworth)
11 Philadelphia death register, reel 4, file 2, book 1864, July, page 322 (thanks to Gay Raab for the transcription!) (Robert Ellingsworth)
12 e-mail, Gay Raab
13 compiled military service record, Robert Ellingsworth (thanks to Gay Raab for the transcription!)
14 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 6 May 2004 (Robert Ellingsworth)
15 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 25 September 1864 (Private Ellingsworth)
16 'Deaths of soldiers', 23 September 1864 Philadelphia Inquirer p.2 (Robert Ellisworth)
17 'Headquarters company E', Philadelphia Inquirer 26 January 1865 page 5 (Robert Ellingsworth)
18 1850 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, microfilm series M432, film 823, page 511 (Robert Elingsworth)
19 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1st ward, microfilm series M593, film 1387, page 368 = 50 handwritten (Rebecca Ellingsworth)
20 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company E (Robert Ellingsworth)
21 death certificate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 22 September 1864 (Robert Ellingsworth)
22 death notice, Public Ledger 26 September 1864 page 2 (Robt Ellingsworth)
23 widow's pension certificate file, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 15, widow's certificate 40,166 (Rebecca Betterton widow of Robert Ellingsworth)
24 death certificate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 9 December 1889 (Rebecca Ellingsworth)
25 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (Robert Ellingsworth)
26 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (Robert Ellingworth)
| line | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Dwellings visited | 150 | |||
| Families visited | 167 | |||
| Name | Robert Elingsworth | Rebecca " | Mary Ann " | Robert " |
| Age | 39 | 38 | 15 | 13 |
| Sex | M | F | M [sic] | M |
| Color | ||||
| Occupation of males over 15 years | Labourer | |||
| Real estate owned | ||||
| Birthplace | " [Pa] | " | " | " |
| Married within year | ||||
| Attended school within year | ||||
| Over 20 & can't read/write | ||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| Dwelling-house number | 457 | ||||
| Family number | 419 | ||||
| Name | Ellingsworth Rebecca | - Robert | - Samuel | - William | - Thomas |
| Age | 55 | 32 | 27 | 23 | 20 |
| Sex | F | M | M | M | M |
| Color | W | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Keeping House | Laborer | Laborer | Laborer | Laborer |
| Real estate value | 1000 | ||||
| Personal estate value | |||||
| Birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| Father foreign born | |||||
| Mother foreign born | |||||
| Birth month if born within year | |||||
| Marriage month if married within year | |||||
| Attended school past year | |||||
| Can't read | |||||
| Can't write | |||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. | |||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old who can't vote ... |
DEATHS OF SOLDIERS.--The following deaths were reported yesterday at the Medical Director's office, in this city:-- Broad and Cherry streets--ROBERT ELLISWORTH, Co. E, 91st Pa. Vols. [etc.]
ELLINGSORTH--On the [several illegible words] Hospital, Broad and Cherry sts., ROBT ELLINGSWORTH, company E, 91st Regiment P.V., in his [illegible] year
His relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral, on Tuesday afternoon [illegible words], from the residence of his father-in-law [?] Samuel Crap [?], 725 [?] Federal street.