I recently learned of a new addition to the Minnesota Digital Library (MDL). The Northwest Minnesota History Center at Minnesota State University Moorhead recently contributed the Solomon G. Comstock collection, which includes documents and correspondence “with over 200 Civil War veterans or widows of veterans about their pension claims, from about 1889-1891.” I knew that many attorneys had clients trying to get their pensions approved and have seen some other collection descriptions from around the U.S. but have not read any of the correspondence. I suggest if you find some preserved files from attorneys that may connect to a family member, check out the collections. ArchiveGrid is one place to search for such things.
In this case, some of Comstock’s files for individuals are a handful of pages and others like the item below are part of dozens of pages. Most of the pension seekers are from Northwestern Minnesota, a few from other places in the state, and I noted at least a couple from North Dakota. This page below is part of a letter and continuing correspondence over a span of one year as several people strove to get William Blaisdell of Pelican Rapids, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, his continuing pension. As the “Letters and documents related to William Blaisdell’s Civil War pension claim. Includes a year of correspondence with letters from Maria J. Blaisdell [William’s wife and guardian], Maria’s brother [actually her son] E.H. Blaisdell, and family attorney Chas. L. Lewis to U.S. Congressman Solomon G. Comstock.” A separate file for Maria Blaisdell appears to be a duplicate of some pages in the main file. Maria does not hold back in her letters to Comstock as she complains of a stoppage in money that was being received, of William’s insanity, of the politicians not doing what she wished, and of William’s time at the St. Peter State Hospital due to the insanity. William, a New Hampshire native, served in the war from Minnesota, and died on 26 August 1895 in Pelican Rapids. Many online family trees to learn more about the family.
Records from the state hospital are part of the state archives collection in the Minnesota Historical Society. I did check and there is a pension index card for William and the widow. I’m imagining that the pension file at the National Archives must be extensive. This is the link to the Blaisdell files on the MDL.
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