Pension Application File for George R. COVART (b.1837 d.1908), Wright Co., MN

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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Deane Dierksen


REPORT ON COVART PENSION APPLICATION FILE:

Prepared by Deane Dierksen, November 2000

George R. Covart, my great-great-grandfather served one year, 1864-1865, 
in Company B, 11th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry.   He later applied for 
and was awarded a pension based this service.  The resulting file was 
lengthy - more than 75 pages - and provided a great deal of information 
on both George Covart and his wife, Eliza (Leonard) Covart.   

Summary of information from the file.

George was born 26 September 1837, in Sullivan County, New York.  
His birth date and state of birth is listed on other documents, but 
this file contained the first statements as to county.

He injured his knee about 1857.   Several documents attest to the 
fact that the injury was first incurred at age 19 at Beaver Dam, 
Wisconsin, caused by a fall while wrestling.    Isabella Covart 
(widow of George's brother William) gave an affidavit in 1893
that she didn't see him get the injury, but saw him shortly thereafter.  

George Covart and Eliza Leonard were married 3 July 1857, in 
Beaver Dam, Dodge County, Wisconsin in a ceremony performed 
by Justice Stahl. [Until I got this information I did not 
know where in Wisconsin they had been married.]  In an 1898 
document George said they had no record of the marriage unless 
the Justice kept one. Other documents relating to the marriage are:
1.  Statement from the Register of Deeds for Dodge County, 
    Wisconsin, who certified that all county  marriage records 
    for the period were destroyed by fire 6 September 1877.   
2.  Affidavit from Isabella Covart that she attended the marriage 
    and that neither had ever been married to anyone else.   
3.  Affidavit from Walter W. Leonard who said he was present 
    at the marriage and that she had never been married to 
    anyone else.  

The living children of George & Eliza are listed in George's 
reply, dated 4 July 1898, to a circular from the Bureau of Pensions:
1.  George H., 18 April 1858
2.  Addie, 4 October 1859
3.  Ella, 20 October 1860
4.  Ernest W. 29 June 1862
5.  Smith R., 23 March 1867.  

George's military service:   He enlisted as a private in 
Company B, 11th Minnesota Volunteer Regiment at Fort Snelling, 
Minnesota, 28 July 1864. While in the service he was company 
cook.  He was mustered out at Gallatin, Tennessee, 26 June 1865.  
When he entered the service and throughout the rest of his life, 
he and his wife lived in or near Buffalo, Wright County, Minnesota.  

George's pension history is outlined below.  
17 March 1892.  Pension application was filed. Pension of $6 per 
month also starts from this date.
15 June 1892.  Surgeon's Certificate.  George is 55,  5' 11" in 
height, and weighs 250 pounds. Service related injuries include 
the injury to left knee; lameness of back; and chronic cough.  
Disability rating: 16/18 (6/18 for heart disease; 4/18 for catarrh; 
6/18 for knee injury). 
13 February 1893.  Pension payment was increased to $10 per month. 
19 Dec 1894.  Surgeon's Certificate.  George is 5' 9", weighs 230 
pounds, and is 57 years old.  The disability rating was not filled 
out, but in the narrative the same conditions were discussed.  
This doctor seems a bit less convinced of George's disability, 
but does find a heart murmur, increased pulse while standing, 
some adhesion of right lung, cough upon exertion, tender back
muscles, and notes that he cannot properly extend his left knee.  

18 Dec 1901.  George applies for a pension increase because of 
disabilities: spinal degeneration causing inability to use his 
legs; rheumatism and partial paralysis of legs; swollen knees.
4 June 1902.  Surgeons' Certificate.   George is 5' 10" tall, 
weighs 240 pounds, age 65.   He has a medium complexion, blue 
eyes, dark hair, and is a farmer.  He stated "I was kicked on 
the knee by a cow four years ago.  I have been bothered by 
rheumatism for fifteen years.  Have had partial paralysis of 
legs since nine years ago.  I have had chronic bronchitis for 
20 years, and have had disease of the heart for 10 years."   
The Board thought he was entitled to $12/month based on his 
disabilities.  
6 September 1902.  George's application for an increase was rejected.   
He had no attorney at this time, but did by 1904.
4 March 1904.  George again filed for an increase, based on the 
above complaints and noting that "for the last 4 years have been 
entirely unable to do any work of any kind, nature or description." 
His disabilities are said to be incurable.   
26 September 1904.  Dr. G.M.F. Rogers of Buffalo, Minnesota, examined 
George and found him unlikely ever to recover or even partially 
recover and that his physical condition is such that he cannot 
make the trip from Buffalo to Minneapolis without assistance.  
Even with assistance, such a trip would be very hard on him and 
Dr. Rogers would not recommend it.  
10 December 1904.  Surgeon's Certificate.  George is 67, 5' 10", 
weighs 240 pounds, and is 67 years old.  His complexion is fair, 
eyes blue, and hair gray.  The lengthy comments cover the same 
ailments as above, note that his "movements of walking are impaired 
very much, has to use crutches to walk a step.  There is a constant 
tendency to fall forward..."  His disabilities are "a great deal 
more than compatible with age."   The doctor found his disability 
to be 17/18 on each of three counts:  knee, heart disease, and 
spinal paralysis; and 12/18 for respiratory disease.  The writer 
concludes by noting that George's "mental condition is sound 
except for a tendency toward melancholia.  There is no evidence 
of syphilis." [I can't help but comment that anyone might be 
melancholic after filling out all these papers!]
15 February 1905.  Pension payment increased to $12 per month.  
4 November 1907.  George filed a Declaration for Pension under 
the provisions of the Act of 6 February 1907,  by which he would
be entitled to $15 per month if he were over 70, had served 90 
days or more, and been honorably discharged.  This is the first 
document on which he made his mark rather than signing his name.  
George is 70, 5' 11", light complexion, blue eyes, black hair, 
was a farmer.  
6 November 1907.  Pension payment increased to $15 per month, 
under 1907 Act.
08 Mar 1908.  George died at his home in Buffalo.  See below.

George died 08 March 1908.  There were a number of documents 
attesting to George's death, including a death certificate.  
They are:

1.  Statement by Smith Covart and Maud Covart (son and 
granddaughter of George and Eliza) that they were present 
at his death and attended his funeral.
2.  W. W. Thompson, undertaker, said he prepared the body 
of George Covart for burial and saw it buried.  
3.  J. H. Wendell said he was present at George's death 
and saw him buried.    

Eliza Leonard was born 5 December 1838 in Burns, Allegany 
County, New York.  The pension file provided the first 
documentation for the place in New York state where Eliza 
was born.  

The history of Eliza (Leonard) Covart's widow's pension is 
as follows.  After filing numerous documents, on 1 May 1908 
she was awarded a pension for $12 per month.  Before 5 April 
1909 [date document  received at the Pension Office; month 
and day of Eliza's affidavit cut off], Eliza stated again 
that she was married George and never to anyone else; they 
were never divorced.  As to her income, she owned a house 
and lot in Buffalo, Minnesota, in which lived and from which 
she received no income.  She also owned a 315 acre farm that 
"is rented for the share in crops and that I have not kept 
an account of the exact amount received but that to the best 
of my knowledge and belief such income will not exceed two 
hundred dollars."   7 January 1917.  Eliza applied for a 
pension increase.  She was awarded a pension of $20 per month, 
commencing 8 September 1916.  


Eliza died 17 June 1924 at Buffalo, Minnesota.  She had been 
living in the Minnesota Soldier's Home, but was "absent on 
furlough" at the time of her death, according to a letter to 
the Commissioner of Pensions from R. R. Henderson, Adjutant 
of the home.  

Just as a matter of interest, I note the (mostly) unstated 
relationships of those individuals whose affidavits are in 
the file:  

Isabella Covart, widow of George's older brother, William.  
In addition to commenting on his knee injury, she stated 
she had known him since he was 12 years old.  Since then, 
except for one year and the time he was in the service, 
she said she had seen him often. George has no vicious habits.
Warren D. Leonard, a brother Eliza Covart, said in 1893 he 
had known George for about 42 years, that one of his (Warren 
Leonard's) brothers told him (Leonard) he had seen the knee 
injury occur about 40 years ago during friendly wrestling in 
Beaver Dam, WI. George is a man of good habits and has never
had any vicious habits.  
Angus McEachern, not a relative as far as I know, said in 1894 
that he had known George for 36 years and served in the army 
with him.  They lived on neighboring farms from 1865 until about 
two years ago.  George has had no vicious habits and is "an 
orderly and respectable citizen." 
Walter W. Leonard, brother of Eliza Covart.  He was living 
in Madison County, Montana, when this document was made and 
it enabled me to find him in several censuses and to learn 
his death date and burial place.  
J. H. Wendell, George's nephew by marriage, married to a 
daughter of Isabella and William Covart.  

One would expect that witnesses to some of the documents 
would have a personal relationship with George and/or Eliza, 
and that is the case here:  

James Sturges, whose son married George and Eliza's daughter, 
Addie (my ancestors);
O. L. Dudley, brother of James Sturges' wife;
Louise Miller, about whom I know nothing;
Hannah E. Leonard, wife of Warren Leonard and therefore George's
sister-in-law; 
Smith Covart, son of George and Eliza; and 
Maud Covart, daughter of Smith Covart.  

Citation for Pension Application file of George R. Covart:
George R. Covart and Eliza B. Covart, widow, Civil War Pension 
Application File SO 1,100,194, SC 886,677, WO 887695, WC 678,934; 
Records of the Veterans Administration, Record Group 15; National 
Archives, Washington, D. C. 

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