He was born in 1830/31 (16 (30 in 1861), 17 (30 in 1861), 22, 26 [44 in 1880], 27 [28 in 1860], 28 [38 in 1870]). He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (22, 26 [England], 27, 28).
On 19 May 1853, he married Jane [unknown family name] (34).
In 1860, he was living in the first ward of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (27). He was a bookbinder, with $150 in personal property (27). He was living with his wife Jane, and two of their children (27):
When he enlisted, he was a bookbinder, and was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (17, 22)
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, and had a sandy complexion, light eyes, and light hair (22).
He enlisted and was mustered into service 2 October 1861 or on 21 October 1861 (1 [21 Oct], 16 [2 Oct], 17, 22 [2 Oct], 24, 34 [2 Oct]). He was enlisted for three years, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Captain Dye (16, 17, 22). He was mustered in as a private, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (16, 17 [as sgt]). He was a private, in company D (15, 37, 38).
He was transferred to company F on 31 October 1861 (15).
He was promoted to first sergeant on 1 November 1861 (17, 21).
He was promoted on 5 August 1862 from first sergeant to first lieutenant (1 [from sgt], 9 [from 1st sgt]), 17 [from 1st sgt], 20 [from 1st sgt], 21 [from 1st sgt], 22, 34). He was mustered in by Captain Wood [?] (20).
He returned from a leave on 25 February 1863 (10).
He fought at the Battle of Gettysburg (33).
He received a leave of absence on 3 September 1863 (11). He was reported absent with leave from 5 September through 12 September, and had returned on 13 September 1863 (12, 13, 14).
He was promoted on 10 May 1864 to captain (1, 9 [1 March 1864, 17, 34 [28 Apr 63]). He was reported mustered in as captain, on 13 April 1864 (18).
He led picket details on 22 August 1863 (4), and on 13 September 1863 (5, 14).
Lieutenant Michael was ordered to report to him for duty, on 22 September 1863 (6)
He was appointed to a board of survey on 6 March 1864, which was supposed to investigate deficiencies of items for which David Baker and John Brass were responsible (7).
He was wounded on 1 June 1864 at Cold Harbor, Virginia (1 [roster and p.191]). He received a gunshot wound in his left shoulder (34). He remained absent sick until he was discharged (30).
He was discharged on 22 September 1864 by general order 315 [?], War Department (1, 2, 20, 24, 31, 34), because of physical disability from wounds received in combat (6)--in particular, from a gunshot wound of his left shoulder, which he received in the Battle of Cold Harbor (34). He was captain of company F (38).
On 14 November 1864, he applied successfully for a pension (25, 36, 37).
In 1870, he was living in the first ward of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (28). He was a bookbinder (28). He was living with his wife Jane, and four of their children (28):
In 1880, a Henry Francis was living at 4659 Stile Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (26). While I have not found any other Henry Francis who could be the one who served in the 91st Pennsylvania, I suspect this is not the correct Henry Francis, especially because of the children's names. He was a car inspector (26). He was living with his wife, Jane D Francis, three children (list below), and his uncle, Thomas McDonough (26):
He was in the Nebraska Grand Army of the Republic, in an unknown post (19).
Probably in the early 1880's, he testified in support of James Etter's request for an increased pension (32).
In 1890, he was living in Omaha, Nebraska (24).
He died on 8 November 1899 (23, 34, 37). He was accidentally asphyxiated in a fire in his boarding-house (34). He was then receiving a pension of $20 per month because of his disability (34). He was buried in Arlington Cemetery (23).
On 16 February 1900 [?], his widow, Jane Francis, applied successfully from Nebraska for a pension (25, 36, 37).
In 1900, Jane Francis was living on Harvey Street, in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska (29). She had had 5 children 4 of whom were alive (29). She was living with her daughter Ida N [illegible surname] (born October 1868, Pennsylvania, widowed), Ida's brother George W Francis (born March 1871, Pennsylvania), and four nieces and nephews of Ida (29).
On 10 January 1905, the Senate Committee on Pensions recommended approving an increase in Jane Francis's pension from $8 to $20 per month (34). She was then living at 623 S 28th Street, Omaha, Nebraska (34). She was in very feeble health, and completely dependent on her pension (34). On 23 January 1905, the House Committee on Invalid Pension recommended approving the bill.
Bruce Barr is researching Francis. Contact him 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, and on page 191)
3 letter, Francis to Tayman, about a deserter (11 September 1863)
4 special order 59, HQ 91st PA, 22 August 1863
5 special order 79, HQ 91st PA, 13 September 1863
6 special order 91, HQ 91st PA, 22 September 1863
7 special order 16, HQ 91st PA, 6 March 1864
8 special order 315, War Department, Adjutant General's Office, 22 September 1864
10 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 26 February 1863 (Lieut Francis)
11 special orders received #25, received 4 September 1863 (Lieut Henry Francis)
12 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 5 September 1863 (not named)
13 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 12 September 1863 (not named)
14 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 13 September 1863 (Lieut Francis)
15 company D, register of men transferred, entry 7 (Henry Francis)
16 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 8 August 2004 (Henry Francis [co.D])
17 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 8 August 2004 (Henry Francis [co.F])
18 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 13 April 1864 (Lieut Francis)
19 Nebraska GAR membership index, searched 30 December 2004 (Henry Francis)
20 company F, list of commissioned officers ([Henry] Francis)
21 company F, list of non-commissioned officers (Henry Francis)
22 company F, descriptive roll, #1 (Henry Francis)
23 Veterans' cemeteries, on Ancestry (searched 31 Mar 2005) (Henry Francis)
24 1890 US census, veterans' schedule, Nebraska, Douglas County, Omaha, supervisor's district [3], enumeration district [2], page 2 (Henry Francis)
25 pension index, by name (Henry Francis [co.F + D])
26 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Frankford, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 484, page 263 stamped = 3 handwritten (image 3 of 28) (Henry C Francis)
27 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia ward 1 precinct 8, page 371, lines 29-32 (Henry Francis)
28 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1st ward 7th division page 348 = page 10 handwritten, lines 29-34 (Henry Francis)
29 1900 US census, Nebraska, Douglas County, Omaha 4th ward, supervisor's district 2, enumeration district 43, page 184 = sheet 3 handwritten, lines 21-29 (Jane Francis)
30 consolidated morning report, 9 June 1864 (and subsequent reports) (not named)
31 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 28 September 1864 (Capt Francis)
32 James M. Etter. House Report 570. Serial Set volume 2254, session volume 2, 48th Congress, 1st Session. Ordered printed 29 February 1884. (Capt H Francis)
33 Pennsylvania Memorial, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Henry Francis)
34 'Jane Francis', Senate Report 2889, 58th Congress, 3rd session, in Serial Set volume 4755 (session volume 1)
35 'Jane Francis', House Report 3889, 58th Congress, 3rd session, in Serial Set, volume 4762A (session volume A)
36 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company D (Henry Francis)
37 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company F (Henry Francis)
38 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (Henry Francis)
| line | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 |
| Dwelling number | 825 | |||
| Family number | 916 | |||
| Name | Henry Francis | Jane " | Joseph " | Ann E " |
| Age | 28 | 27 | 6 | 3 |
| Sex | m | f | m | f |
| Color | ||||
| Occupation | Book Binder | |||
| Value of real estate owned | ||||
| Value of personal estate | 150 | |||
| Place of birth | " [sc. Penna] | " | " | " |
| Married within year | ||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | |||
| Cannot read & write | ||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| Dwelling-house number | 89 | |||||
| Family number | 92 | |||||
| Name | Francis Henry | - Jane | - Joseph | - Laura | - Ida | - George |
| Age | 38 | 37 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 |
| Sex | M | F | M | F | F | M |
| Color | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Book Binder | Keeping House | At School | |||
| Real estate value | ||||||
| Personal estate value | ||||||
| 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 | |||||
| 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 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| street name | Stile[s] St. | |||||
| house number | 4659 | |||||
| dwelling visit # | 23 | |||||
| family visit # | 23 | |||||
| name | Francis, Henry C | _ Jane D | _ George G. | _ Anna C | _ Henry W. | McDonough Thomas |
| color | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | M | F | M | M |
| age | 44 | 44 | 22 | 16 | 1 | 70 |
| month born if born in year | ||||||
| relationship | Wife | Son | Daughter | Son | uncle | |
| single | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| married | 1 | 1 | ||||
| widowed/divorced | ||||||
| married during year | ||||||
| occupation | Car Inspector | Keeps House | Cooper | Weaver | Notion Weaver | |
| months unemployed | ||||||
| currently ill? | ||||||
| blind | ||||||
| deaf/dumb | ||||||
| idiotic | ||||||
| insane | ||||||
| disabled | ||||||
| school this year | ||||||
| can't read | ||||||
| can't write | ||||||
| birthplace | England | England | England | England | Frankford | Ireland |
| father's birthplace | Eng. | Eng. | Eng. | Eng. | England | Ireland |
| mother's birthplace | Ireland | Ireland | Eng. | Eng. | Eng. | Ireland |
| line | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| street | Harvey Street | ||||||
| house number | [illegible] | ||||||
| dwelling number | [31] | ||||||
| family number | [42] | ||||||
| name | [illegible; perhaps Ashley?] Ida N | Francis Jane | Francis George W | Barr Robert J | - Laura | - Jennie | - Frank |
| relationship | Head | Mother | Brother | Nephew | Niece | Niece | Nephew |
| color | W | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | F | F | M | M | F | F | M |
| birth date | Oct 1868 | Mch 1831 | Mch 1871 | Nov 1881 | Apr 1883 | Mch 1885 | May 1886 |
| age | 31 | 69 | 29 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 |
| married? | Wd | Wd | S | S | S | S | S |
| # years married | |||||||
| mother of how many children? | 1 | 5 | |||||
| # of children living | 4 | ||||||
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Ireland | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| father's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Ireland | Pennsylvania | Canada (Eng) | Canada (Eng) | Canada (Eng) | Canada (Eng) |
| mother's birthplace | Ireland | Ireland | Ireland | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| immigration year | 1845 | ||||||
| # years in USA | 55 | ||||||
| naturalized citizen? | |||||||
| occupation | Laborer | Clerk [?] | At School | At School | At School | ||
| # months not employed | [illegible] | 0 | |||||
| # months in school | 9 | 9 | 9 | ||||
| can read | yes [?] | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| can write | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| speaks English | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| owned/rented | R | ||||||
| free or mortgaged | |||||||
| farm/house | H | ||||||
| # of farm schedule | |||||||
The Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (S. 4135) granting an increase of pension to Jane Francis, have examined the same and report:
This bill as amended proposes to increase from $8 to $20 per month the pension of Jane Francis, widow of Henry Francis, late captain Company F, Ninety-first Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.
The military history of Henry Francis, as it appears in the papers on file in the Pension Bureau, shows that he was enrolled October 2, 1861, in Company F, Ninety-first Pennsylvania Infantry, and that he served as a private and noncommissioned officer until August 5, 1862, when he was promoted first lieutenant same company and regiment. He was promoted captain April 28, 1863, and was honorably discharged September 22, 1864, on account of disability from gunshot wound of left shoulder received in battle at Cold Harbor, Virginia, June 1, 1864.
Captain Francis died November 8, 1899, being at the time of his death a pensioner under the general law for gunshot wound of left shoulder at $20 per month. His widow is now pensioned under the act of June 27, 1890, at $8 per month. She has made no claim under the general law for the reason that her husband was accidentally asphyxiated in a fire in his boarding house in this city, and his death has therefore no relation with his military service.
Claimant was married to the soldier May 19, 1853, and is now 72 years of age. It is shown in the evidence that she has absolutely no property of any kind, and is entirely dependent upon her small pension for support. It further appears that she is in very feeble health and unable to support herselt. She lives at No. 623 South Twenty-eighth street, Omaha, Nebr.
Claimant is a war widow, and in her old age and destitution appeals to Congress for relief. It is believed that the long and distinguished character of soldier's service (he being promoted from private to rank of captain) and the claimant's necessitous circumstances warrant an increase of her pension to $20 per month, which is the rate she would receive if the soldier's death had resulted from his pensioned disability.
The bill is therefore reported back favorably with a recommendation that it pass when amended as follows:
In line 6, after the word "captain," strike out the word "of."
In line 8 strike out the word "twenty-five" and insert in lieu thereof the word "twenty."
The Commistee on Invalid Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (S. 4135) granting an increase of pension to Jane Francis, have examined the same and adopt the Senate report thereon, and recommend that the bill do pass.
[The Senate report is reprinted next. The only changes are that 'as amended' is not present in the second paragraph, the last two paragraphs are omitted, and "when amended as follows" is omitted from the antepenultimate paragraph.]