He was born on 13 October 1822, in Pennsylvania. [sources: date: 13, 14; 3 (42 in 1865), 7 (37 in 1860), 12 (25 in 1850), 15 (42 in 1865). place: 7 (Maryland), 12 (Pennsylvania), 15 (Pennsylvania)]
On 4 February 1847, Cornelius L Rice married Elizabeth Robert She was born in 1827/28, in Pennsylvania. They had three children:
[sources: 9, 12, 15]
In 1850, he was living in Somerset Borough, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Elizabeth, two children (Charles and Ellwood), and Samuel Brown. He was a tailor. [source: 12]
In 1860, he was living in Somerset Borough, Somerset County (post office Benford Stone), Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Elizabeth and two children (Charles and Elwood). He was a tailor, and owned $600 in real estate and $150 in personal property. [source: 7]
When he enlisted, he was a tailor. [source: 15]
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 7 inches tall, and had a fair complexion, hazel eyes, and dark hair. [source: 15]
He was drafted. He was examined and accepted by Surgeon Lane. His service was credited to the 16th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. He was mustered into service as a private, in company B, on 11 March 1865 or 24 March 1865, at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. [sources: 1 (11 Mar), 3 (24 Mar), 15 (11 Mar), 16 (11 Mar), 17]
He may have been charged for a lost wrench, tompin, and equipments, perhaps when the regiment mustered out. [source: 2]
He mustered out with his company on 10 July 1865. He was a private, in company B. [sources: 1, 3, 15, 16, 17]
After returning, he was 'suffering from chronic inflammation of the liver', which 'made a slow and gradual progress to a fatal termination'. He 'never enjoyed a day's good health from the time he returned from the Army'. [source: 15]
On 4 December 1866, he died. He was buried in Union Cemetery, Somerset, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. [sources: 13, 14, 15, 16]
All of the Rice's property was sold to pay Cornelius's debts. [source: 15]
On 29 January 1868, A H Coffroth sent a petition to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, requesting a pension for her. Although she had never applied for a pension under the general laws, Coffroth claimed that it was impossible for her to prove by 'some commissioned officer having personal knowledge of the facts, stating when, where, and under what circumstances the disease was contracted which was the cause of the soldiers [sic] death', as the Pension Office required. [source: 15]
On 20 July 1868, an act granting a pension to his widow Elizabeth Rice and child William TS Rice was approved. [sources: 11, 15]
On 27 August 1868, his widow, Elizabeth Rice, successfully applied for a pension, under the Special Act of 20 July 1868. The Pension Office did request evidence of service from the Adjutant General's Office. They accepted her application in October 1868, and she initially received $8 per month retroactive to 4 December 1866, and $2 for William as long as he was less than sixteen years old, also retroactive to 4 December 1866. [source: 5, 6, 15]
In 1870, his widow Elizabeth was living in Somerset Borough, Somerset County, Pennsylvania (post office Lavansville). She was living with Charles, Elwood, and William (presumably her children). She owned $800 in real estate and $200 in personal property. [source: 8]
On 10 September 1870, the Pension Office told the Pension Agent that the special act giving Elizabeth Rice a pension did not specify a rate, and that her pension was '[s]ubject to [the] provisions + limitation of [the] pension law'. [source: 15]
On 10 [?] April 1879, Elizabeth Rice applied for the arrears of pension due her under the Act of 25 January 1879. On 14 October 1879, the Pension Office rejected her claim. (Although the certificate file does not explain why the Pension Office rejected her claim, I assume it was because she wa not owed arrears, since her pension was paid retroactive to her husband's death.) [source: 15]
In 1880, his widow Elizabeth was living in Somerset Borough, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She was living with her children William, Elwood (and Elwood's wife), and Frank. [source: 9]
In 1890, his widow, Elizabeth Rice, was living in Summit, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. [source: 4]
In 1900, his widow Elizabeth was living in Somerset Borough, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She was living with her son William. [source: 10]
On 1 September 1909, Elizabeth Rice died. She was dropped from the pension rolls on 6 December 1909. She had last been paid through 4 July 1909, at a rate of $12 per month. [source: 15]
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) (Cornelius Rice)
2 list of men who owed money [?] (CL Rice)
3 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 23 June 2004 (Cornelius Rice)
4 1890 US census, veterans' schedule, Pennsylvania, Somerset County, Summit, supervisor's district 11, enumeration district 23, page [2] (Cornelius Rice)
5 pension index, by name (Cornelius L Rice)
6 pension index, by regiment (Cornelius L Rice)
7 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Somerset County, Somerset Borough (post office Benford Stone Pa), microfilm series M653, film 1183, page 445 = 67 handwritten (Cornelius L Rice)
8 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Somerset County, Somerset Borough (post office Lavansville), microfilm series M593, film 1452, page 508 = 14 handwritten (Elizabeth Rice)
9 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Somerset County, Somerset Borough, supervisor's district 8, enumeration district 24, microfilm series T9, film 1195, page 486 D = 4 handwritten (Elizabeth Rice)
10 1900 US census, Pennsylvania, Somerset County, Somerset Borough, supervisor's district 13, enumeration district 193, microfilm series T623, film 1487, page 146 A = 6 handwritten (Elizabeth Rice)
11 'An act granting a pension to the widow and child of Cornelius L Rice', Statutes at Large, 40th congress, 2nd session, p.398 (Cornelius L Rice)
12 1850 US census, Pennsylvania, Somerset County, Somerset Borough, microfilm series M432, film 828, page 9 verso = 18 handwritten (Cornelius Rice)
13 Find a Grave, memorial 50223100, created by Linda Rose, added 25 March 2010, accessed 1 April 2011 [identification is confirmed by reference on the memorial--but not on the pictured tombstone--to his service in the 91st] [the pictured tombstone reads: "CORNELIUS L. RICE OCT. 13, 1822 DEC. 4, 1866. ELIZABETH HIS WIFE FEB. 14, 1826 [blank]"] (Cornelius Rice)
14 'RiceAllenVarneyGloeckler', a gedcom, available on RootsWeb WorldConnect, contact Laverner1, updated 22 March 2011, accessed 1 April 2011 (Cornelius L Rice)
15 dependent's pension certificate file, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 15, certificate WC 120,143 (Elizabeth Roberts widow of Cornelius Rice)
16 Pennsylvania, veterans burial cards, Somerset County (Cornelius L Rice)
17 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (Cornelius L Rice)
| line | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| Dwellings visited | 118 | ||||
| Families visited | 125 | ||||
| Name | Cornelius Rice | Elizabeth Do [?] | Charles Do | Ellwood do | Saml Brown |
| Age | 25 | 22 | 2 | 4/12 | 19 |
| Sex | M | F | M | " | " |
| Color | " [sc. W] | " | " | " | " |
| Occupation of males over 15 years | Tailor | Tailor | |||
| Real estate owned | |||||
| Birthplace | Do [sc. Penna] | Do | Do | Do | Do |
| Married within year | |||||
| Attended school within year | |||||
| Over 20 & can't read/write | |||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Dwelling number | 470 | |||
| Family number | 449 | |||
| Name | Cornelius L Rice | Elizabeth " | Charles S " | Elwood " |
| Age | 37 | 33 | 19 [?] | 18 [?] |
| Sex | m | f | m | m |
| Color | ||||
| Occupation | Tailor | |||
| Value of real estate owned | 600 | |||
| Value of personal estate | 150 | |||
| Place of birth | Md. | " | " | " |
| Married within year | ||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | 1 | ||
| Cannot read & write | ||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Dwelling-house number | [74] | |||
| Family number | 80 | |||
| Name | Rice Elizabeth | - Charles S | - Ellwood | - William T [?] |
| Age | 44 | 22 | 20 | 5 |
| Sex | F | M | M | M |
| Color | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Keeping house | Printer | ||
| Real estate value | 800 | |||
| Personal estate value | 200 | |||
| Birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |
| 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 | |||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old who can't vote ... |
| line | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |
| street name | |||||
| house number | |||||
| dwelling visit # | 32 | 32 | |||
| family visit # | 39 | 40 | |||
| name | Rice Elizabeth | W. P. [?] | - Elwood | - Annie | - Frank E [?] |
| color | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | F | M | M | F | M |
| age | 56 | 15 | 30 | 26 | 2 |
| month born if born in year | |||||
| relationship | Son | Wife | Son | ||
| single | 1 | 1 | |||
| married | 1 | 1 | |||
| widowed/divorced | 1 | ||||
| married during year | |||||
| occupation | Keeps House | Printer | Keeps House | ||
| months unemployed | |||||
| currently ill? | |||||
| blind | |||||
| deaf/dumb | |||||
| idiotic | |||||
| insane | |||||
| disabled | |||||
| school this year | |||||
| can't read | |||||
| can't write | |||||
| birthplace | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna |
| father's birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |
| mother's birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |
| line | 46 | 47 |
| street | ||
| house number | ||
| dwelling number | [122] | |
| family number | 125 | |
| name | Rice Elizabeth | - William |
| relationship | Head | Son |
| color | W | W |
| sex | F | M |
| birth date | Feb 1820 [?] | Jan [?] [illegible year] |
| age | 79 [?] | [illegible] |
| married? | Wd | S |
| # years married | ||
| mother of how many children? | 3 | |
| # of children living | 2 | |
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| father's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| mother's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| immigration year | ||
| # years in USA | ||
| naturalized citizen? | ||
| occupation | Day Laborer [?] | |
| # months not employed | [illegible] | |
| # months in school | ||
| can read | yes | yes |
| can write | [illegible] | [illegible] |
| speaks English | [illegible] | [illegible] |
| owned/rented | ||
| free or mortgaged | ||
| farm/house | H | |
| # of farm schedule |
Pension to widow and child of Cornelius L. Rice
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to place on the pension rolls, subject to the provisions and limitations of the pension laws, the names of Elizabeth Rice, the widow, and William T. S. Rice, the child under sixteen years of age, of Cornelius L. Rice, late a member of company "B," ninety-first Pennsylvania volunteers, commencing December fourth, eighteen hundred and sixty-six.
APPROVED, July 20, 1868.