John McLeland, father of Thomas Asher McLeland, took the unusual step of applying for a Civil War Service Pension based on the service of his deceased son James R. McLeland. J.R. McLeland (the first in a long string of J.R. McLelands in this family culminating with my father) died, unmarried, of disease at Fort Scott Kansas, in 1861, before he had the chance to fire a single shot. His rank at his death was 2nd Lt., Company F, 3rd Kansas Infantry Volunteers.
J.R. was John McLeland’s second son. But John was far from running out of sons with James R.’s death. At the time of J.R.’s death there were 3 other sons in the household and another on the way. However, at the time John McLeland applied for his son’s pension, the family had lost 2 sons and 3 daughters and John McLeland had outlived 3 wives.
I wasn’t sure, when I wrote away for this pension file, exactly what I’d receive. I’d never seen a pension application of this type before. When the thick packet arrived I put it aside for a few days. I was busy with other things. Then, in the quiet of a Sunday evening I opened the envelope and almost immediately started cheering. I hit the biggest jackpot of my 20 years in Genealogy.
Not only does this affidavit give me the names of all of John McLeland’s wives and the dates of their marriages, it also gives me the dates and places of their deaths. And if that wasn’t enough, the affidavit names each of John’s surviving children and gives their complete birth dates! What more could I possibly ask?
Well, in the packet there are affidavits signed by John’s oldest daughter Caroline McLeland Gallaher Livesey and documents signed by his oldest daughter by his second marriage Mathilda McLeland Hill and by her husband John Hill.
In addition there is a date and place of death for John McLeland and a record of the guardianship procceding undertaken by John and Matilda Hill shortly before her father’s death that detail his extremely poor physical and mental health. And there is an affidavit from James Frazier who witnessed the wedding of John and his first wife Mathilda Asher and who is perhaps the oldest son of Polly McLeland Frazier and therefor John’s oldest nephew (I can’t be sure of that since he doesn’t give his relationship to John in his affidavit but his age aligns perfectly!)
I guess you could say, not only did James R McLeland give his name to my father, but he gave his family to me!
Your really hit pay dirt. I found your blog while looking for Rulon/McClellan info. My husband is related to James McLeland.
Did you ever contact Illa McClellan Bolton who wrote a book on the family?
I see you are a librarian. I am a retired librarian.
Yes. Much of the information on John McLeland’s family in Ila’s book comes from my cousin Kathi and I. Tell me more about your husband connection to the family
Here is what I have. Oscar is my husband’s grandfather.
1 Isaac McLeland
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Birth: 1802, Clark County, KY
Death: 23 Oct 1866, Clinton County, Indiana
Burial: Orr Cemetery, Clinton County, Indiana
Father: James McLeland (1772-1847)
Mother: Jane Rulon (1782-1854)
Spouse: Jane Galbreath
Birth: 23 Dec 1809, Wayne County, Indiana
Death: 21 Jul 1889, Carroll County, Indiana
Father: David Galbreath
Mother: Margaret
Marriage: 15 Mar 1827, Rush County, Indiana
Children: James (1828-)
Jefferson (1830-)
David (1831-)
Emily (1832-)
John (1835-)
Fanny (1836-)
Isaac M (1838-1916)
Mahala (1840-)
Lydia (1842-)
Eliza (1844-)
Robert (1848-)
1.1 James McClellan
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Birth: 1828
1.2 Jefferson McClellan
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Birth: 1830
1.3 David McClellan
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Birth: 1831
1.4 Emily McClellan
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Birth: 1832
1.5 John McClellan
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Birth: 1835
1.6 Fanny McClellan
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Birth: 1836
1.7 Isaac M McClellan
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Birth: 3 May 1838, Henry County, Indiana
Death: 4 Mar 1916, White County, Indiana
Burial: Idaville Cemetery
Spouse: Mary J Hobbs
Birth: 1 Jan 1842
Death: 4 Apr 1928
Father: William Hobbs
Mother: Elizabeth
Marriage: 7 Mar 1860, Clinton County, Indiana
Children: William Hardy (1861-)
Elizabeth (1864-)
George B (1866-)
Malinda (1870-)
Mary L (1879-)
1.7.1 William Hardy McClellan
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Birth: Oct 1861, Indiana
Spouse: Elizabeth C. Kistler
Birth: Jul 1863, Indiana
Marriage: 1880
Children: Oscar Wilfred (1883-1955)
Rosa B. (1888-1902)
Della M. (1890-)
George L. (1892-)
Fred H. (1894-)
Ora Nathan (1896-1953)
John Franklin (1899-1978)
Elizabeth
1.7.2 Elizabeth
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Birth: 1864
1.7.3 George B McClellan
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Birth: 1866
1.7.4 Malinda McClellan
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Birth: 1870
1.7.5 Mary L McClellan
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Birth: 1879
1.8 Mahala McClellan
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Birth: 1840
1.9 Lydia McClellan
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Birth: 1842
1.10 Eliza McClellan
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Birth: 1844
1.11 Robert McClellan
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Birth: 1848
Small world. My mother is a librarian and does most of our genealogy. She has focused on her maternal roots and traced her roots back to the Mayflower. But she’s done a lot of the McClellan roots too, back to James for sure and possibly Robert, our Scottish link.
Back to small world, my great grandfather is Oscar W McClellan. My grandfather is Willian Oscar McClellan.
I know Al didn’t have any sons, that I am aware of, so I’m assuming your husband’s father was Ralph?
Unless diggin4 is my Mom. Mom?