The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Need advice re: ordering pension file

So I would have to order three separate files? That's pricey. I suppose I could start with Elizabeth's application. In researching Richard Courtright/Edward Carlton, I found a short article mentioning a Richard Courtright who escaped jail with three other young men in January of 1866 in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, which is a county adjacent to Coshocton County where the Richard I am interested in was from. Richard Courtright, as you know, served under his birth name and apparently didn't start using an alias until after the war. So, this newpaper story has me thinking that he committed some crime, escaped jail, and went west to Missouri under an assumed name, then met and married Mary Elizabeth Steakley.
Here is the link to the article, if you're interested. It's at the bottom of the fourth column:

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042437/1866-02-06/ed-1/seq-2/

This Steakley family certainly is interesting. First James and Mary Elizabeth Steakley's mother was arrested in 1843 for murder and escaped jail and came with her husband and James to Missouri, then James Steakley's "colorful" life, and now his sister filing for a widow's pension with her husband still living. I wonder if James, acting as attorney, and Mary Elizabeth intended fraud?

Anyway, I appreciate the link; I hadn't seen that before. Also I thank you for your help. It's always appreciated.

Pamela Hahn Pierce

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Need advice re: ordering pension file
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