Perhaps he is the John Walton in Bates who enlisted on 14 October 1861, and served in company B.
He was born in 1825/26, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, perhaps to John and Maria Walton. [sources: date: 3 (35 in 1861), 5 (37 in 1863), 7 (37 in 1863), 10 (36 in 1861), 11 (24 in 1850). place: 5, 10, 11. parents: 11 (?)]
In 1850, he may be the John Walton living with John and Maria Walton (apparently his parents), along with Richard, Albert, and Sarah (perhaps siblings, though Sarah could easily be his sister-in-law). They were living in ward 2, Moyamensing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. If so, he was a druggist. [source: 11]
On 31 January 1856, he married Elizabeth Thompson. She was born in 1830/31, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were married by John Alexander Roche. They had two known children:
[sources: 10, 15]
In 1860, he was living in ward 14, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Elizabeth, their children William H and Hannah, with Charlotte Walton, and with Margaret and Mary Comly. He was apparently not working. [source: 12]
When he enlisted, he was a warehouseman. [source: 10]
When he enlisted, he was a 5 feet 6 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, dark eyes, and black hair. [source: 10]
He enlisted and was mustered into service, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 4 October 1861. He was mustered in as a private, in company D. [sources: 1, 3, 10 (14 Oct), 17]
He was discharged on surgeon's certificate of disability either on 27 December 1863 or on 1 February 1863. He had been unfit for duty twentyfour days in the last two months, and was 'unable to march and entirely unfit for Service'. Captain Joseph Sinex (commanding the regiment) signed the certificate on 30 January 1863, at Camp near Falmouth, Virginia. The regiment seems to have learned about his discharge on 7 February 1863. He was a private. [source: 1 (27 Dec), 2 (1 Feb), 3 (27 Dec), 10 (7 Feb), 14 (served in co.D and co.B)
He died on 16 February 1863, at the Home of the Sanitary Commission, in Washington DC, of chronic diarrhea. He was married, and was a soldier. He was buried from his family's residence, 1126 Olive Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Probably in fall 1862, JD Walton, a druggist, was living at 1126 Olive.) He was buried on 19 February 1863, in Philadelphia. [sources: 5 (chronic diarrhea), 7 (of disease), 8, 10 (chronic diarrhea)]
On 27 February 1863, Elizabeth Walton, his widow, applied successfully for a pension from Pennsylvania, under the Act of 14 July 1862. Her post office address was 1126 Olive Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her application was approved on 16 July 1863; she initially received $8 per month, retroactive to 16 February 1863. [sources: 4, 9]
On 24 September 1866, Elizabeth Walton applied for an increase in her pension under the Act of 25 July 1866. Her post office address was 924 Poplar Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her application was approved on 1 August 1867, and she received an additional $2 per month for each child less than 16 years old, retroactive to 25 July 1866. [source: 10]
On 22 September 1867, Elizabeth Walton remarried, to Thomas Kahmar. He was a day laborer, and was born in 1829/30. The marriage was recorded in the 19th Street Methodist Episcopal Church records. They apparently had at least these children:
[sources: 10, 13, 14]
On 15 February 1868, the Orphans' Court of Philadelphia appointed Elizabeth Kahmar guardian of her and John Walton's children William Henry and Hannah M, on $1,200 security. [source: 10]
On 9 March 1868, his remarried widow, Elizabeth Kahman, applied successfully from Pennsylvania for a pension as guardian of his two minor children, under the Acts of 14 July 1862 and 25 July 1866. (The clerk recorded the birthdates of her children incorrectly, and she had to file another application, on 22 May 1868.) Her post office address was 3915 Story Street, West Philadelphia. Her application was approved, and she received $8 per month, plus $2 per month for each child less than 16 years old, retroactive to 23 September 1867. [sources: 4, 6, 9, 10]
In 1870, his remarried widow, Elizabeth Kahner, was living in ward 24, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was living with her second husband Thomas Kahner, their child George Kahner, and with her and John Walton's children William and Hannah. [source: 13]
On 13 June 1871, Elizabeth Kahmer asked the Pension Office to return John Walton's discharge, care of her attorney (J E Devitt + Company). They sent it on 28 June 1871, but Devitt + Company returned it with a note claiming that it had been sent to them by mistake. On 12 October 1871, she again requested it, and they sent it to her on 12 October 1871. (She also requested her marriage certificate, but they claimed it could not be returned, without explanation.) On 6 March 1875, she asked where his discharge and her marriage certificate were. On 15 May 1875, the Pension Office summarized what had happened, and said they had no information. A memorandum in his file claims:
There has been wretched bungling on the part of this Office in the correspondence about this lost Discharge, or else a great loss of papers from this case. ...
[source: 10]
In 1880, his remarried widow, Elizabeth Kahmer, was living on Merion Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was living with her (second) husband, Thomas Kahmer, and with George T and Mary E Kahmer (apparently their children). [source: 14]
On 19 July 1883, his widow's second husband, Thomas Kamer, died, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was accidentally killed on the Pennsylvania Railroad. On 22 July 1883, he was buried, in Fernwood Cemetery, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. [source: 16]
On 28 March 1884, his widow, Elizabeth Kahmer, died, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She died of an ovarian tumor (left side). She died at 4648 Merrion Street. On 30 March 1884, she was buried, in Fernwood Cemetery, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. [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)
2 consolidated morning report, 7 February 1863 [reports him in company D]
3 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 10 August 2004 (John Walton)
4 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company D (John Walton)
5 death certificate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 16 February 1863 (John Walton)
6 pension index, by name (John Walton)
7 death notice, Public Ledger 19 February 1863 page 2 (John Walton)
8 Biddle and McElroy's city directory, 1863, page 782
9 dependent's pension certificate file, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 15, certificate 3,998 (John Walton)
10 dependent's pension certificate file, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 15, certificate 114,144 (Elizabeth Kahner)
11 1850 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Moyamensing, ward 2, microfilm series M432, film 809, page 312 verso = 622 handwritten = 162 handwritten (John Walton)
12 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 14, division 1, microfilm series M653, film 1164, page 6 = 6 handwritten (FamilySearch) (Jno D Walton)
13 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 24, district 78, page 376 verso = 54 handwritten to 377 recto = 55 handwritten, microfilm series M532, film 1411, FamilySearch) (Elizabeth Kahner)
14 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 513, microfilm series T9, film 433C, page 433 = 15 C handwritten FamilySearch) (Elizabeth Kahmer)
15 death certificate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 28 March 1884, (FamilySearch) (Elizabeth Kahmer)
16 death certificate [not transcribed], Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Thomas Kamer, 19 July 1883 (FamilySearch; see also the death register derived from that certificate, at FamilySearch)
17 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (John Walton)
I hereby certify that John Walton Co D 91 Penn Regt died at this Home last night of Diarrhea [?] and that he had no contagious disease about him.
Age 37 yrs.WALTON.--On the 16th inst., in Washington city, of disease contracted in the army before Fredericksburg, JOHN WALTON, member of Co. D, 91st Regiment P.V., Col. Gregory, aged 37 years.
The relatives and friends of the family, the Provost Guard, and members of the regiment that are now in the city, are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, from the residence of his family, No. 1126 Olive st, above Coates, this (Thursday) afternoon, at 2 o'clock.
| line | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Dwellings visited | 1139 | |||||
| Families visited | 1336 | |||||
| Name | John Walton | Maria do | Richard do | John do | Albert do | Sarah do |
| Age | 52 | 48 | 30 | 24 | 18 | 20 |
| Sex | m | f | m | m | m | f |
| Color | w | w | w | w | w | w |
| Occupation of males over 15 years | Printer | Druggist | do | Plumber | ||
| Real estate owned | none | |||||
| Birthplace | do [sc. Pennsylvania] | do | do | do | do | do |
| Married within year | ||||||
| Attended school within year | ||||||
| Over 20 & can't read/write | ||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Dwelling number | [29] | ||||||
| Family number | 41 | ||||||
| Name | Marg Comly | Mary E | Eliz Walton | Jno D | Charlotte | Wm H | Hannah |
| Age | 30 | 9 | 25 | 30 | 25 | 3 | 2 |
| Sex | f | f | f | m | f | m | f |
| Color | |||||||
| Occupation | Sempstress | ||||||
| Value of real estate owned | |||||||
| Value of personal estate | |||||||
| Place of birth | Penna | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Married within year | |||||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | ||||||
| Cannot read & write | |||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 40 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Dwelling-house number | 396 | ||||
| Family number | 396 | ||||
| Name | Kahner Thos | Elizabeth | George | Walton Wm | Hannah |
| Age | 39 | 39 | 2 | 13 | 11 |
| Sex | M | F | M | M | F |
| Color | W | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Car Inspector | Keeps House | |||
| Real estate value | |||||
| Personal estate value | 300 | ||||
| Birthplace | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna |
| Father foreign born | |||||
| Mother foreign born | |||||
| Birth month if born within year | |||||
| Marriage month if married within year | |||||
| Attended school past year | 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 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | |
| street name | Merion Avenue | ||||
| house number | |||||
| dwelling visit # | 136 | ||||
| family visit # | 149 | ||||
| name | Kahmer Thos | Kahmer Elizabeth | Kahmer Geo T | Kahmer Mary E | |
| color | W | W | W | W | |
| sex | M | F | M | F | |
| age | 49 | 49 | 12 | 8 | |
| month born if born in year | |||||
| relationship | Wife | Son | Daughter | ||
| single | 1 | 1 | |||
| married | 1 | 1 | |||
| widowed/divorced | |||||
| married during year | |||||
| occupation | Laborer | Keeping House | School | School | |
| months unemployed | |||||
| currently ill? | |||||
| blind | |||||
| deaf/dumb | |||||
| idiotic | |||||
| insane | |||||
| disabled | |||||
| school this year | 1 | 1 | |||
| can't read | |||||
| can't write | 1 | ||||
| birthplace | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna | |
| father's birthplace | UnKnown | Penna | Penna | Penna | |
| mother's birthplace | [UnKnown] | Penna | Penna | Penna | |