He was born on 10 October 1835, in Milton, [Northumberland County,] Pennsylvania. [sources: date: 12; 3 (27 in 1861), 7 (35 in 1870), 8 (24 in 1860), 9 (45 in 1880). place: 3, 7, 8, 9]
He married Elisa [unknown family name]. She was born on 27 February 1837, in Pennsylvania. In 1900, she had had 13 [?] children, 9 [?] of whom were alive. In 1910, she had had twelve children, six of whom were alive. Their children seem to include these:
[sources: 6, 12, 13]
In 1860, he was living in Delaware Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Eliza and children Susanna and Sarah. He was a farm hand. [source: 8]
When he enlisted, he was a farmer. [source: 3]
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 8 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, gray eyes, and dark hair. [source: 3]
He was enlisted and mustered into service on 27 November 1861. He was enlisted for three years, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Captain Gilbert. He was a private in company F. [sources: 1 (27 Nov), 3 (12 Nov), 4 (12 Nov), 15]
He was discharged at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on 22 September 1862, or possibly 2 September 1862, on surgeon's certificate of disability. He was a private, in company F. [sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 15]
In June 1863, he seems to have registered for the draft (but his former military service was not listed). If so, he was a farmer, living in Turbot Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. [source: 14]
In 1870, he was living in McEwensville Borough, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Eliza, and children Susannah, Sarah, George, and Irvin. He was a laborer. His wife, Eliza, owned real estate worth $500 and personal property worth $100. [source: 7]
In 1880, he was living in South Ward, Lewisburg, Union County, Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Eliza, and children Susannah, Edward, Harry, and Bill. He was a laborer, and had been out of work for ten months in the previous year. [source: 9]
On 5 August 1881, he applied successfully from Pennsylvania for a pension. [sources: 5, 10]
On 12 August 1887, he died. He was buried in Watsontown Cemetery, Watsontown, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. [sources: 11, 12]
On 2 September 1887, his widow, Eliza Fordsman, applied successfully from Pennsylvania for a pension. [sources: 5, 10]
In 1890, his widow, Elisa Fordsman, was living in Watsontown, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. [source: 4]
In 1900, his widow, Elisa Fordman, was living in Watsontown Borough, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. She was living with her son Reuben. [source: 6]
In 1910, his widow, Liza Fordsman, was living on Ash Street, ward 2, Watsontown Borough, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. She was living with her son Elwood and his family. [source: 13]
On 4 April 1918, his wife, Eliza Fordsman, died. She was buried in the Watsontown Cemetery with her husband. [source: 12]
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) (David M Fordman)
2 company F, register of men discharged (David H Fordsman)
3 company F, descriptive roll, #80 (David Fordsman)
4 1890 US census, veterans' schedule, Pennsylvania, Northumberland County, Watsontown, supervisor's district 4, enumeration district 162, page 8 (David Fordsman)
5 pension index, by name (David H [?] Fordsman)
6 1900 US census, Pennsylvania, Northumberland County, Watsontown Borough, ward 2, supervisor's district 12 [?], enumeration district 165, microfilm series T623, film 1450, page 270 = 10 B handwritten (Elisa Fordsman)
7 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Northumberland County, McEwensville Borough (post office Watsontown), microfilm series M593, film 1384, page 176 = 9 handwritten (David Foresman)
8 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Northumberland County, Delaware Township (post office McEwensville), microfilm series M653, film 1149, page 194 = 88 handwritten (David Foresman)
9 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Union County, Lewisburg, South Ward, supervisor's district 7, enumeration district 161, microfilm series T9, film 1197, page 520 = 22 B handwritten (David Foresman)
10 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company F (David W Fordsman)
11 Pennsylvania veterans burial records, available on Ancestry (transcribed 4 December 2010) (David W Fordsman)
12 Kathie Wertman, 1 February 2012, post on MyWatsontown.com (message #72) (David W Fordsman 10 Oct 1835 to 12 August 1887; Eliza Fordsman 27 Feb 1837 to 4 April 1918; both buried in Watsontown Cem; identification confirmed by reference to his service in the 91st) (accessed 12 June 12) (David W Fordsman)
13 1910 US census, Pennsylvania, Northumberland County, Watsontown Borough, ward 2, supervisor's district 12, enumeration district 124, microfilm series T624, film 1384, pages 310 = 10 A to 310 = to 10 B handwritten (Liza Fordsman)
14 Consolidated lists of Civil War draft registrations, 1863-1865, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 110 (D H Fordsman)
15 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (David W Fordsman)
| line | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| Dwelling number | 630 | |||
| Family number | 616 | |||
| Name | David Foresman [sic] | Eliza do | Susanna do | Sarah A do |
| Age | 24 | 24 | 3 | 1 |
| Sex | M | F | F | F |
| Color | ||||
| Occupation | Farm hand | |||
| Value of real estate owned | ||||
| Value of personal estate | ||||
| Place of birth | do [sc. Pennsylvania] | do | do | do |
| Married within year | ||||
| Attended school within year | ||||
| Cannot read & write | ||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| Dwelling-house number | 70 | |||||
| Family number | 74 | |||||
| Name | Foresman David | - Eliza | - Susannah | - Sarah A | - George | - Irvin |
| Age | 35 | 36 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 3 |
| Sex | M | F | F | F | M | M |
| Color | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Laborer | Keeping House | At home | At home | At home | At home |
| Real estate value | 500 | |||||
| Personal estate value | 100 | |||||
| Birthplace | Pennsylvania | 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 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Can't read | ||||||
| Can't write | ||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. | ||||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old | 1 | |||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old who can't vote ... |
| line | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 |
| street name | ||||||
| house number | ||||||
| dwelling visit # | 214 | |||||
| family visit # | 222 | |||||
| name | Foresman David | - Eliza | - Susannah | - Edward | - Harry | - Bill [sic] |
| color | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | F | M | M | F [sic] |
| age | 45 | 45 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 5 |
| month born if born in year | ||||||
| relationship | Wife | Daughter | Son | Son | Daughter [sic] | |
| single | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| married | 1 | 1 | ||||
| widowed/divorced | ||||||
| married during year | ||||||
| occupation | Laborer | Keeping house | Works in Woolen Factory | At School | At School | |
| months unemployed | 10 | 2 | ||||
| currently ill? | ||||||
| blind | ||||||
| deaf/dumb | ||||||
| idiotic | ||||||
| insane | ||||||
| disabled | ||||||
| school this year | 1 | 1 | ||||
| can't read | ||||||
| can't write | ||||||
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| father's birthplace | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna |
| mother's birthplace | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna |
| line | 64 | 65 |
| street | ||
| house number | ||
| dwelling number | 254 | |
| family number | 259 | |
| name | Fordsman [?] Reuben [?] | Elisa [?] |
| relationship | Head | Mother |
| color | W | W |
| sex | M | F |
| birth date | [illegible] | [illegible] |
| age | [illegible] | [illegible] |
| married? | [illegible] | [illegible] |
| # years married | [illegible] | [illegible] |
| mother of how many children? | 13 [?] | |
| # of children living | 9 [?] | |
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| father's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| mother's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| immigration year | ||
| # years in USA | ||
| naturalized citizen? | ||
| occupation | Laborer shoe factory | |
| # months not employed | 0 | |
| # months in school | ||
| can read | yes | yes |
| can write | yes | yes |
| speaks English | yes | yes |
| owned/rented | R | |
| free or mortgaged | ||
| farm/house | H | |
| # of farm schedule |
| line | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 |
| street | Ash Street | |||
| house nr | ||||
| dwelling nr | 197 | |||
| family nr | 198 | |||
| name | Fordsman, Elwood | Fordsman, Mary A | - Jennie E | - Liza |
| relationship | Head | Wife | Daughter | Mother |
| sex | M | F | F | F |
| color | W | W | W | W |
| age | 28 | 27 | 2 | 74 |
| marital status | M1 | M1 | S | W |
| #years present marriage | 7 | 7 | ||
| mother of # children | 2 | 12 | ||
| mother of # living children | 1 | 6 | ||
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| father's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| mother's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| immigrated | ||||
| naturalized/alien | ||||
| speaks English | English | English | English | |
| occupation | Brakeman | Seamstress | None | None |
| nature of industry etc. | Rail Road | At Home | ||
| employer etc. | W | OA | ||
| out of work 15 Apr 1910? | No | |||
| # weeks out of work 1909 | 0 | |||
| can read | yes | yes | yes | |
| can write | yes | yes | yes | |
| school since 1 Sep 09 | ||||
| owned/rented | O | |||
| owned free or mortagaged | F [?] | |||
| farm/house | H | |||
| nr on farm schedule | ||||
| civil war vet | ||||
| blind | ||||
| deaf & dumb |
| RESIDENCE. | " [sc. Turbot Township] |
| NAME. | 20 Fordsman D. H. |
| AGE 1st July, 1863. | 29 |
| WHITE OR COLORED. | " [sc. White] |
| PROFESSION, OCCUPATION, OR TRADE. | " [sc. Farmer] |
| MARRIED OR UNMARRIED. | Mar. |
| PLACE OF BIRTH. | " [sc. Pennsylvania] |
| FORMER MILITARY SERVICE. | [blank] |
| REMARKS. | [blank] |