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James H. Shepard register of Civil War pension applications, November 1891-November 1892
SPC.00049
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Collection Overview
Title:
James H. Shepard register of Civil War pension applications, November 1891-November 1892Register of Civil War pension applications, November 1891-November 1892
Creator/Contributor:
Shepard, James H., 1843-1917, creator, recorder.Creator/Contributor:
Owen, Ray, researcher.Abstract:
This collection contains several items related to the work of San Francisco pension attorney James L. Shepard (born Jan. 1843
in Bergen, New Jersey; died Apr. 10, 1917, in Oakland, Calif.). The primary item is a ledger book Shepard of clients he used
to record 559 chronological name entries from Nov. 9, 1891 to Nov. 7, 1892 of Civil War veterans that identifies them by name,
service unit, residence, pension application/certificate numbers, disability and other data. The collection includes a partially-completed
form filled out by Abby (aka Abbie) L. McChesney (nee Abigail Lincoln Hunt; Aug. 31 1856-Oct. 5, 1917) of San Francisco, Calif.
, widow of Robert Watson McChesney (Aug. 17, 1831-Nov. 23, 1908), full 2nd Sergaent in Company B, Iowa 36th Infantry Regiment.
Also included are a memo from Ray Owen, researcher, to Tony Hoskins, Local History & Genealogy Librarian, dated Agu. 5, 2014,
providing a summary of information on Shepard, and several pages of background information printed from Ancestry.com and other
sources.
Date:
2009 (issued)Contents:
Ledger -- Pension claim form -- biographical information.
Subject:
n-us-caMilitary pensions -- California -- History -- 19th century
Veterans -- California -- Sonoma County -- Registers
Veterans -- California -- Registers
Veterans -- United States -- Registers
Survivors' benefits -- California -- History -- 19th century
California -- Genealogy
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Veterans
Note:
Repository: History & Genealogy Library, Sonoma County Library, Collection no. SPC.00049.
This collection is unprocessed. Please contact the Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library for access; for contact info
and current hours, see https://sonomalibrary.org/locations/sonoma-county-history-and-genealogy-library
Access: No restrictions. Available for research during Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library business hours (see https://sonomalibrary.org/locations/sonoma-county-history-and-genealogy-library
for current hours).
Finding aid available online via the Online Archive of California.
Prior to an Act of Congress in 1892, a veteran had to demonstrate a service-related disability to be eligible for an "invalid"
pension -- the only type available to veterans. Many petitioners engaged the service of an attorney, commonly called a "pension
attorney" (the 1892 Act eliminated the disability requirement, though "invalid" pensions could result in higher allotments).
James L. Shepard of San Francisco and Oakland was one such "pension attorney," apparently working on his own in San Francisco
in 1891 and as a partner of Shepard & Norton, Oakland, Calif., in 1892. Shepard was married to the much younger Eliza London
Shepard (1866-1939) and they were listed as living in Oakland with their two children in the 1900 Census; Eliza Shepard was
the step-sister of Jack London. James E. Shepard had reportedly accompanied Jack London to the Yukon during the 1898 gold
rush. Their marriage ended in divorce before Shepard's death in 1917. Eliza Shepard and a son, "Irving," moved to Glen Ellen
and was associated with his ranch and the construction of the "Wolf House." She remained associated with the London estate
and Jack London's widow, Charmian, until Eliza's death in 1939.
Materials in English and Spanish.
Gift: Sonoma County Museum, Aug. 5, 2014
Ledger book and form likely donated to the Sonoma County Museum by the Shepard family.
[Identification of item], James H. Shepard register of Civil War pension applications, November 1891-November 1892 . SPC.00049,
History & Genealogy Library, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CA.
Collection does not circulate and may be photocopied or photographed by arrangement only.
Type:
Archival materialsPhysical Description:
1 (1.0
Language:
English
Identifier:
https://oac.cdlib.org/search?query=SPC.00049
SPC.00049
Origin:
No place, unknown, or undeterminedCopyright Note:
This collection is unprocessed. Please contact the Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library for access; for contact info
and current hours, see
Access: No restrictions. Available for research during Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library business hours (see https://sonomalibrary.org/locations/sonoma-county-history-and-genealogy-library
for current hours).
Collection does not circulate and may be photocopied or photographed by arrangement only.