Gone for Soldiers: George W. Abbott or Francis M. Coker (1844 - 1908), Soldier

Recently an old friend called with a question about someone in the family tree I've done for him and while I was rooting around for the answer I was reminded of one of his maternal great great grandfathers who used at least two different names, as shown on his Civil War Pension Index card.

[National Archives and Records Administration. U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Original data: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T288, 546 rolls.]

Here, from the Tacoma Daily News of September 26, 1893, was what the man had to say about the situation to an obviously sympathetic reporter: his true name was George W. Abbott--he had only called himself Francis Coker to keep his wealthy relatives learn that he was serving in the army as a private.

[Date: Tuesday, September 26, 1893 Paper: Tacoma Daily News (Tacoma, Washington) Page: 1 

This entire product and/or portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004.

Source: GenealogyBank.com]

The next day's newspaper informed its readers that George W. Abbot had been arrested in default of bail; however he was released two days later.

[Date: Wednesday, September 27, 1893   Paper: Tacoma Daily News (Tacoma, Washington)   Page: 3  This entire service and/or content portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or its content providers.

Source: GenealogyBank.com]

[Date: Friday, September 29, 1893   Paper: Tacoma Daily News (Tacoma, Washington)   Page: 3  

This entire service and/or content portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or its content providers.

Source: GenealogyBank.com]

Had he actually earned a pension? As a soldier, there isn't much in the way of records--an 1872 enlistment record for a 25-year-old Francis M. Coker (born in Missouri) who deserted six months after he joined.

[Ancestry.com. U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M233, 81 rolls); Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780’s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

["United States Index to General Correspondence of the Pension Office, 1889-1904," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-13030-34759-79?cc=1834308 : accessed 5 January 2016), Cod-Cold > image 1379 of 1853; citing NARA microfilm publication M686 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).]

I haven't been able to figure out what the outcome of Mr. Abbott's disagreement with the United States government over that pension but that's not the end of this story because Mr. Abbott continued to use his Coker identity in an 1897 Tacoma city directory, the 1900 U.S. Census and his obituary. In fact, according to cemetery records he was buried as Francis M. Coker.

[Title : Tacoma, Washington, City Directory, 1897. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Original sources vary according to directory. ]

[Year: 1900; Census Place: Tacoma Ward 6, Pierce, Washington; Roll: 1749; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 0187; FHL microfilm: 1241749. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.]

[Date: Wednesday, October 14, 1908   Paper: Tacoma Daily News (Tacoma, Washington)   Page: 3.  

This entire service and/or content portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or its content providers.

Source: GenealogyBank.com]

And since I haven't been able to locate any records for a likely George W. Abbott before the 1880 U.S. Census when he, his wife and their baby daughter were living in St. Louis, Missouri, it wouldn't surprise me if his true name wasn't either of the names we know he used.







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