Robert Richardson Moulton, Civil War soldier

For many years, all I knew of my ancestor, Robert Richardson Moulton was that he was born June 3, 1809 in Lyman, New Hampshire and that he and a brother had come from New Hampshire and settled in Maxfield, Maine.  Robert married Mary Weymouth, probably in 1835, based on the birth of their first child in 1836.  His wife Mary died in 1869 and was buried in South Maxfield Cemetery where there is a gravestone for only herself and not her husband.  I had assumed that he either had no gravestone or it had probably broken or fallen over and lost to history.

Maxfield, Maine Vital Records solved the mystery of his death when I found that Robert had enlisted as a volunteer in Company D, 14th Maine Regiment on January 3, 1862, but died at sea on his passage from New Orleans, LA.  The Archivist confirmed that at that Robert would have been buried at sea and hence no gravestone with his wife in South Maxfield.   For many years, that was all I knew of him.  But as my interest in the Civil War period of history and the affect it had many of my ancestral families, convinced me to order his pension records from the National Archives.   From the widow's pension records, I was able to learn so much about Robert and the sad ending to his life during the Civil War.  I have been able to pull together a variety of sources to document his War experience.

First, his widow had to prove her marriage to Robert.  Her widow's pension claim included the date of their marriage as  May 14, 1836 in Howland. Maine, just 6 months before the birth of their first child, Orrin Moulton.  The Town clerk of Howland confirmed that all records before 1860 were lost in a fire.  However, Mary was able to get sworn testimony from James and Mary Edgecomb of Howland that Robert and Mary Moulton were married in their house and they had witnessed their marriage.  Robert and Mary would have eleven children together.  They were all living in Maxfield, Maine on the 1850 and 1860 census records.  The Civil War began the following year in 1861.

Civil War Registration Card for Robert Moulton

 Robert lied about his age to enlist.  The age for enlistment was for men between ages 18-44.   Robert was 52 years old in 1862, but conveniently stated at his enlistment he just turned 44, the maximum age to join.  All of Robert's children were still living at home at the time of his enlistment and hopefully he had the support of his wife and family as his length of his enlisted was for 3 years.  He had older sons and daughters, who probably were all ready working on the family farm and helping their mother while he would be away for the next 3 years.

Robert was mustered in at Augusta, Maine and was there from January 10th to February 4th 1862.  They marched to Boston, Massachusetts where his company boarded the transport North America to  Ship Island, Mississippi.

Illustrations of Ship Island, Mississippi
from Harper's weekly, January 4, 1862
Shortly before Robert's arrival in February 1862

His regiment remained at Ship Island until May 19th 1862.  The regiment then marched between the 19th to the 25th of May to New Orleans, Louisiana.  They would remain there until July 7th 1862.  It was during this time at Ship Island in April 1862, Robert was taken sick with fever, probably Typhoid as stated in his widow's pension and was said to be unable to do little duty.

After the regiment arrived in New Orleans. Robert contracted Diarrhea and continued to grow sicker and weaker.   His Sergeant, William Chase wrote in detail his attempts over the next three months to get Robert discharged and when he finally was given his discharge for disability, it was 3 more weeks before transport could be arranged to go home.

The written testimony by Sgt. William Chase of the 14th Maine to the health of Robert Moulton and how he tried to arrange for his discharge and transport home.

On October 27th 1862, Robert was carried aboard the ship "Cahawba" to go North.

Drawing of the ship from the National Archives

Sadly it was too late for Robert as he died the next night, October 28th 1862  on the ship and buried the next day at sea.  A testimony by Oliver M. Brown of Foxcroft, Maine who was also on the same ship was a witness to Robert's death and burial at sea.

The Boston Daily Advertiser, November 5, 1862 picked up the arrival of the Cahawba in New York and the deaths of it's passengers.

The news of Robert's death must have been quickly carried back to Maine as his widow filed her first petition for a pension on November 17th 1862.  She received her pension beginning the following year in 1863.