Did George Mentzer Contract Measles During the Civil War?

Comparing Military Service Records and Pension Files

Have you ever found information in one genealogical record that you couldn't verify in another?

That's the situation I encountered while researching my ancestor George Mentzer, who served in Company C of the 24th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.

I've recently been working with both his compiled military service record and his pension file. While these records document different aspects of his life, I was particularly interested in comparing what they revealed about his health during the war.

In his pension application, George claimed that he contracted measles while serving at Annapolis, Maryland, in January 1862. He believed that this illness caused health problems that continued long after his military service ended.

But did his military service record document that illness?

I decided to compare the two files.

George Mentzer's Military Service

George Mentzer was born on June 12, 1838, in Stow, Massachusetts.

On September 25, 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army at the age of twenty-three. He served as a private in Company C of the 24th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

George remained in military service for approximately three years, until September 1864.

His compiled military service record consists primarily of company muster rolls. These documents were created to track soldiers' military service, including whether they were present or absent during particular reporting periods.

The records also contain information about his enlistment, pay, clothing accounts, and discharge.

However, they provide very little information about his health.

The Pension Application Tells a Different Story

On January 3, 1889, nearly twenty-five years after leaving the army, George filed a Declaration for Original Invalid Pension in Woodson County, Kansas.

In that application, he claimed that he had contracted measles while serving at Annapolis, Maryland, around January 1862.

He believed that this illness had caused several chronic health problems, including disease of the lungs, heart disease, kidney disease, and problems with his eyes.

George stated that he had been healthy when he entered military service but that his subsequent illnesses had affected his ability to perform manual labor.

By this time, George was living in Woodson County, Kansas, where he worked as a farmer.

Since farming required considerable physical activity, his reported health problems could have significantly affected his ability to support his family.

But the question remains: Was George's illness documented when it occurred?

What Do the Military Muster Rolls Reveal?

To answer that question, I reviewed the transcription of George's compiled military service record.

Most of the documents are company muster rolls covering two-month periods.

These records typically identify a soldier as present or absent and sometimes provide an explanation for an absence.

I was particularly interested in the muster rolls surrounding January 1862, when George claimed he contracted measles.

Unfortunately, the available transcription does not contain a January–February 1862 muster roll.

The November–December 1861 roll does not state whether George was present or absent.

The March–April 1862 roll also leaves his attendance status unspecified.

Thus, the records immediately surrounding the reported illness do not provide an answer.

Later muster rolls identify George as present for numerous reporting periods, including July–August 1862, September–October 1862, and November–December 1862.

The same is true for several reporting periods in 1863 and 1864.

However, being marked present on a muster roll doesn't necessarily mean that a soldier was healthy throughout the entire period.

A soldier could have been ill while remaining with his company.

Therefore, these entries do not disprove George's claim.

An Interesting Absence in December 1863

One entry in George's military service record caught my attention.

His company muster roll for November–December 1863 identifies him as absent.

The remarks state:

Absent Mass. furlough 30 days. Dec 3, 1863.

This indicates that George was absent on a thirty-day furlough associated with Massachusetts.

Could that absence have been related to his health?

Possibly, but there is nothing in the record to support that conclusion.

The muster roll does not identify illness as the reason for his furlough.

Since George claimed to have contracted measles nearly two years earlier, it would be tempting to connect this absence to his reported health problems.

However, doing so would be speculation.

For now, I can document the furlough but cannot establish why it was granted.

Was George Discharged Because of Illness?

Another question I wanted to answer was whether George's health problems contributed to his discharge from the army.

His military service record provides a fairly clear answer.

The September–October 1864 company muster roll states that George was mustered out because his term of service had expired.

His individual muster-out roll provides an effective date of September 24, 1864, while other records contain slightly different dates.

However, the reason for his discharge is consistent.

George was discharged because his term of service had expired, not because of a documented medical disability.

Again, this doesn't prove that he was healthy.

It simply means that his surviving military service record does not identify illness as the reason he left the army.

What About the Medical Evidence in His Pension File?

While the military service record provides little information about George's health, his pension file contains considerably more.

When George applied for a pension, he needed to provide evidence supporting his claim.

The file includes statements from neighbors and physicians describing his physical condition years after the war.

One of those witnesses was Abraham Smith, who reported knowing George for approximately eighteen years.

Smith described George as physically weak and recalled that he frequently complained of problems with his lungs and kidneys.

He also remembered occasions when George was confined to his home because of illness.

Two physicians, Dr. O. J. Skinner and Dr. S. G. Bacon, also provided statements.

Skinner described George as suffering from a chronic cough, bronchial congestion, and kidney and liver problems.

Bacon reported treating George for pneumonia in February 1882.

These statements provide evidence that George experienced health problems during his years in Kansas.

However, there is an important distinction.

Evidence that George suffered from chronic illness after the war is not necessarily evidence that those illnesses were caused by measles contracted during military service.

The physicians' statements help document his later physical condition, but they do not independently establish that he contracted measles in January 1862.

Why Did George Eventually Receive a Pension?

George's original pension application was based on his belief that his disabilities resulted from military service.

However, he eventually received a pension under a different law.

On June 27, 1890, Congress passed legislation allowing qualifying Union veterans to receive pensions for permanent disabilities that interfered with their ability to earn a living, even when those disabilities were not directly caused by military service.

George submitted an application under this new law on July 22, 1890.

His application was successful.

He received a pension of $12 per month, effective July 25, 1890. His pension certificate was issued on June 16, 1891.

This distinction is important.

George's successful pension application does not necessarily mean that the government accepted his claim that measles caused his later illnesses.

Under the 1890 law, he did not have to prove that connection.

Instead, he needed to establish that he was a qualifying veteran who suffered from disabilities affecting his ability to earn a living.

Comparing the Two Records

After reviewing both files, I summarized the evidence.

Research Question	Military Service Record	Pension File
Did George serve in the 24th Massachusetts Infantry?	Yes	Yes
Did George contract measles in January 1862?	Not documented	George claimed that he did
Was George hospitalized during military service?	Not documented in the compiled service record	Contains references to treatment during service
Was George absent because of illness?	No illness-related absence identified	George described illnesses he attributed to military service
Was George discharged because of illness?	No; his term of service expired	Does not change the recorded reason for discharge
Did George experience chronic illness after the war?	Not addressed	Supported by statements from neighbors and physicians
Did George receive a military pension?	Not established by the muster rolls	Yes, beginning in 1890

This comparison demonstrates why it is important to consult multiple types of records.

The military service record was created primarily to document George's service.

The pension file was created years later to evaluate his eligibility for benefits.

Because the records served different purposes, they contain different types of information.

Does the Lack of Evidence Mean George Wasn't Sick?

Absolutely not!

The absence of a medical notation in George's compiled military service record does not prove that he never contracted measles.

It simply means that I haven't found contemporary documentation of that illness in the records I've examined.

Company muster rolls were not designed to provide a complete medical history for every soldier.

A soldier might have been ill without being absent from his company.

In addition, the compiled military service record does not necessarily contain every surviving document related to a soldier's military experience.

Medical records, hospital registers, and other documents may exist in separate collections.

Thus, George's statement about contracting measles remains an important research clue.

It just hasn't been independently verified.

Where Should I Look Next?

One detail in George's pension file may provide a lead for additional research.

The file contains references to medical treatment associated with a vessel identified as the Vidette.

That raises several questions.

Was George treated aboard the Vidette?

When did that treatment occur?

Do medical records or hospital registers survive that might document his illness?

I would also like to investigate hospital records associated with Annapolis, Maryland, during January and February 1862.

If George was treated for measles during that period, a hospital register or other military medical record might provide the evidence missing from his compiled service record.

Of course, it is also possible that no such record survives.

For now, these are research questions rather than established facts.

What Have I Learned?

Comparing George Mentzer's military service record with his pension file has reinforced an important genealogical lesson.

A statement in a historical record is evidence, but it isn't necessarily proof that the event occurred exactly as described.

George's pension application provides evidence that he believed he contracted measles while serving in the Civil War.

His later medical records and supporting affidavits document chronic health problems that affected his ability to work.

However, the available military service record does not independently confirm the measles diagnosis or establish that his later illnesses resulted from it.

That doesn't mean George was mistaken.

It simply means that the evidence is incomplete.

I also learned something about the importance of understanding why records were created.

The military muster rolls documented George's service and attendance.

The pension documents were intended to establish his eligibility for government benefits.

Neither record collection was created to provide a complete account of his life.

Yet, when examined together, they help tell a much more detailed story.

The Research Continues

George Mentzer's pension file has already provided valuable information about his military service, health, family, and life in Kansas.

Comparing it with his military service record has helped me identify both the strengths and limitations of the available evidence.

For now, I can document that George claimed to have contracted measles during military service and that he suffered from chronic health problems later in life.

What I cannot yet establish is whether he actually contracted measles in January 1862 or whether that illness caused his later disabilities.

Those questions remain open.

And that is one of the things I enjoy about genealogy. Even after examining two substantial record collections, there are still questions to investigate!

Have you ever compared an ancestor's military service record with their pension file? Did the records agree, or did they leave you with additional questions?