He was born in Bedford County, Pennsylvania (4, 7, 8, 9). He was 23 years old when he was enlisted (4, 7 [19 in 1860], 8 [30 in 1870], 9 [39 in 1880]).
In 1860, he was living in Southampton Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania (7). He was a farm laborer (7).
He was a farmer when he was enlisted (4).
He had a fair complexion, gray eyes, and light hair (4).
He was drafted from the sixteenth congressional district (1, 4). He was enlisted and mustered into service on 21 September 1864 (1, 4, 11). He was enlisted for one year, at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania (4). He served as a private in company F (1).
He was transferred to the Veterans' reserve corps, 42nd company, 2nd Battalion (1, 2, 11).
He was discharged by special order on 1 May 1865 or by general order on 29 June 1865 (1 [29 Jun, general order], 3 [1 May, special order], 11 [29 June]).
In 1870, he was living in Southampton Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania (8). He was a farmer, and owned $500 in personal property (8). He was living with his wife Jane and children Mary Francis and John A (8).
He successfully applied for a pension on 18 October 1871 (2, 11). He claimed a pension because he had been disabled by "lung fever and varicose ulcerations of the right leg" (6). The pension office rejected that application on 17 February 1879 because he had varicose veins before he was enlisted (6). He appealed this rejection to the US Congress (5, 6). The House initially recommended approving a pension (6). However, in April 1880, the Senate Committee on Pensions recommended that the HR 2041, granting him a pension, be postponed, because his leg was diseased before he joined, he was in hospital within two months of joining, and spent most of his year in service in hospital (5).
In 1880, he was living in Southampton Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania (9). He was a farmer. He was living with his wife L Jane, and children Mary F, John, and David H (9).
In 1890, he was living in Southampton Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania (10).
He died on 29 November 1916, at Flintstone, Maryland (11).
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 Veterans' administration. Pension index, by name (James Aarons)
3 company F, register of men discharged (James Arons)
4 company F, second descriptive roll, #35 (James Aarons)
5 Serial Set number 1896, session volume 5, 46th congression, 2nd session, Senate Report 490 (ordered printed 16 April 1880) (James Aaron)
6 Serial Set number 1934, session volume 1, 46th Congress, 2nd session, House of Representatives, Report No. 67 (ordered printed 9 January 1880) (James Aarons)
7 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Bedford County, Southampton Township (post office Elbinsville), microfilm series M653, film 1072, page 573 (James Aarons)
8 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Bedford County, Southampton Township (Chaneysville Pa), microfilm series M593, film 1304, page 618 = 1 handwritten (James Aarons)
9 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Bedford County, Southampton Township, supervisor's district 8,enumeration district 236, microfilm series T9, film 1098, page 327 = 7 C handwritten (James Aarons)
10 1890 US census, veterans' schedule, Pennsylvania, Bedford County, Southampton Township, supervisor's district 7, enumeration district 89, page 1 (James Aaron)
11 pension index, by regiment (James Aarons)
[I did not find an entry for him in Rootsweb WorldConnect (searched October 2006)]
The Committee on Invalid Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 2041) granting a pension to James Aarons, late private in Company F, Ninety-first Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, have had the same under consideration, and beg leave to submit the following report:
James Aarons, the claimant, enlisted on the 21st day of September, 1864, in Company F, Ninety-first Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, and was honorably discharged on the 29th of June, 1865. He filed an application for pension, alleging that whilst in the Army of the United States he was disabled in consequence of severe exposure and hardship of the service, by contracting lung fever and varicose ulcerations of the right leg. His claim was rejected on the 17th of February, 1879, on the supposition that the varicose veins existed prior to enlistment.
The committee have carefully reviewed all the sworn testimony filed in support of this claim, and they are of the opinion that the rejection is erroneous; that there is not a syllable of evidence to show that the claimant suffered from varicose ulceration of the right leg before he enlisted in the Army.
John G. Leasure and Joseph Bennett, members of Company F, Ninety-first Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, and comrades of the claimant, swear "that at the time of his enlistment they were well acquainted with him, and that he was an able-bodied man, and was examined by a physician appointed for that purpose. That on or about the 26th of November, 1864, at or near Hatcher's Run, Virginia, said James Aarons was disabled in the line of his duty, by reason of an aggravated disease (by camp life) of the right leg, as reported by the hospital steward of that place, and was sent away from the regiment unfit for duty, and never returned, he being unfit for excessive fatigue or duty."
Zachariah Shaffer, a private in the same company, swears that the claimant "was an able-bodied man at the time of his enlistment, and that at or near Petersburg he was attacked by some slow fever, which appeared to create a severe sore or running ulcer on his right leg, and still (August 8, 1878) remains a running ulcer." This witness also says he was "acquainted with the claimant, James Aarons, at the time of his enlistment, whilst in the Army, and, since his return, to the present." Other witnesses sustain this testimony.
On the 11th of September, 1871, Dr. D. Helm Hite swears "that I [page 2] have examined James Aarons, formerly of Company F, Ninety-first Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, and find his affliction to be a chronic ulcer of the right leg, extending almost from the knee to the ankle joint, on the inner and anterior aspects of the limb."
On the 22d day of February, 1877, Dr. John G. Hughes swears that he graduated at Jefferson Medical College, in March, 1853, and that he has been well acquainted with James Aarons for eighteen years, and had been his family physician prior to his enlistment, and says: "I never knew him (prior to his enlistment) to suffer from any pulmonary disease, or give any evidence or indication of pulmonary weakness. I saw him at his home soon after his return from the service. I was called upon to visit him professionally and give him treatment. I found him at that time very much debilitated and broken down in general health, but suffering particularly from diseased lungs." He further swears that he was then the "unfortunate bearer of varicose ulcers of the lower limb, from which he suffers greatly much of the time. Indeed, they never heal up entirely, but are open and discharging, more or less, all the time. As they seem to be the result of the enlarged and varicose condition of the veins of the legs, they render walking about often almost an impossibility. In closing my statement of this case, I would add that I do consider the applicant, James Aarons, a most worthy claimant; that he is a confirmed sufferer from ailment contracted in the service."
On the 16th of August, 1878, O. P. G. Clark, Acting Commissioner of Pensions, addressed a letter to Philip Knee, a resident of Chaneysville, Pa., where the claimant resides, asking him, "Will you please inform this office of any knowledge you may have, either personal or from information, relative to this man's (James Aarons) physical condition before enlistment in 1864 and since his final discharge in 1865?"
Mr. Knee answered as follows:
SIR: I have known James Aarons for twelve years, and have seen him more or less every day during this time. He has had a bad leg ever since he has been discharged out of the Army; know that his physical condition was good before he went in the Army, and that he ought to be entitled to pension above others that are getting pensions.
The examining surgeon, Jacob A. Baird, in 1878, fixes the disability at one-half loss of foot, or $9 per month, and says: "Judging from his (the applicant's) present condition, and from the evidence before him, that the said disability did originate in the service in the line of duty."
In the opinion of the committee, this is a meritorious claim, and report the bill back to the House and recommend its passage.
The Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 2041) granting a pension to James Aaron, private company F, Ninety-first Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, have carefully examined the same, and report:
That the record of the applicant shows that he entered hospital within two months after he was drafted into the military service; that he continued in hospital almost the whole time until his discharge in June, 1865, less than a year after he entered the service.
That he admitted to the examining surgeon that his leg was diseased before he entered the service.
Your committee have not found in the evidence submitted satisfactory proof that the applicant's disease was contracted in the service and in the line of duty, and therefore recommend that the bill be indefinitely postponed.
| line | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Dwelling number | 717 | |||
| Family number | 684 | |||
| Name | Matilda Groove | Elizabeth " | James Aarons | Lovina J Gordon |
| Age | 43 | 60 | 19 | 16 |
| Sex | f | f | m | f |
| Color | ||||
| Occupation | Farm laborer | Serving | ||
| Value of real estate owned | $2000 | |||
| Value of personal estate | $500 | |||
| Place of birth | Pennsylvania | " | " | " |
| Married within year | ||||
| Attended school within year | ||||
| Cannot read & write | 1 | 1 | ||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| Dwelling-house number | 5 | |||
| Family number | 5 | |||
| Name | Aarons James | " Jane | " Mary Francis | " John A |
| Age | 30 | 21 | 8 | 2 |
| Sex | M | F | F | M |
| Color | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Farmer | Wife | At Home | At Home |
| Real estate value | ||||
| Personal estate value | 500 | |||
| Birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |
| Father foreign born | ||||
| Mother foreign born | ||||
| Birth month if born within year | ||||
| Marriage month if married within year | ||||
| Attended school past year | 1 [sic] | 1 | ||
| Can't read | ||||
| Can't write | 1 | |||
| 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 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| street name | |||||
| house number | |||||
| dwelling visit # | |||||
| family visit # | 59 | ||||
| name | Aarons James | - L. Jane | Mary F. | John | David H. |
| color | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | F | M | M |
| age | 39 | 36 | 18 | 12 | 3 |
| month born if born in year | |||||
| relationship | Wife | Daughter | Son | Son | |
| single | 1 | 1 | |||
| married | 1 | 1 | 1 [sic] | ||
| widowed/divorced | |||||
| married during year | |||||
| occupation | Farming | Keeping house | At home | Work on farm | |
| months unemployed | |||||
| currently ill? | |||||
| blind | |||||
| deaf/dumb | |||||
| idiotic | |||||
| insane | |||||
| disabled | |||||
| school this year | 1 | ||||
| can't read | |||||
| can't write | |||||
| birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |
| father's birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |
| mother's birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |