Ephraim Spaulding, Builder of many buildings of Anson and Madison, Maine

One of my visits to Madison, Maine revealed more about my ancestor, Ephraim Spaulding of North Anson, Maine.  He was a carpenter or a framer as he was sometimes called.  It was recently I realized that some of his buildings as a carpenter still exist today.

Ephraim Spaulding was born on June 3, 1794 in Westminster, Massachusetts.  According to his granddaughter, Hattie (Spaulding) Rand, "Ephraim Spaulding who as a youth came from Westminster, Mass., to the Providence of Maine seeking employment as a carpenter.  He had heard that frame houses where being built in Embden so he came up the valley to what is now Madison, Maine and crossed the Kennebec river in a ferry boat.  On the trail to Embden he became weary and paused for a rest on a hill side overlooking the river.  He was impressed with the amount of cleared land and decided to someday build on the spot, which he did in a few years."

                                                              Ephraim Spaulding colorized

Ephraim became acquainted with the Weston Family across the river in Madison, Maine, boarding with the family while finding work building or framing houses. Benjamin Weston had received a large amount of property from his step-father, John Moor, who had married Benjanmin's mother, Eunice (Farnsworth) Weston, after his father's death and raised Benjamin with a promise to his mother to give him land once he reached the age of 21.  Benjamin settled on the land in Madison which at the time consisted of 200 acres.  A log cabin had been where the family lived and Benajmin hired Ephraim to build his frame house.

                                                
                                                    Benjamin Weston farm in Madison, Maine

The house was finished in 1817 and as with many of the homes Ephraim, Ephraim would build, were based on plans of his grandfather, Ephraim Heald's home in Temple, New Hampshire.  During this time, Ephraim became acquainted with Benjamin's daughter, Mary Weston who he wed in her parent's home in 1820.  Eventually Ephraim bought the land he had discovered several years before and began building his own home which he completed in 1828.  The granite foundations, huge timbers rugged construction and generous dimentions indicate that he thought in terms of large buildings.  The wide planed boards, handmade wood finish, double chritian doors, inside window shutters, were evidence of his accurate work, though most of it with tools that he made himself with handmade nails.  The house had a brick oven and five fireplaces.

                             Undated old photo of Ephraim Sapulding house in North Anson, Maine

                                            The same house in 2011

Another somewhat famous landmark, Ephraim Spaulding is credited to building is the Patterson covered bridge bridge that spanned the Kennebec River between North Anson and Madison, Maine.

                                            Patterson Bridge

The Patterson Toll Bridge as it was called was built by Ephraim Spaulding between 1839 and 1840 and remained in existance until it burned in 1926.

Several other home in Madison and Anson area are credited built by Ephraim Spaulding according to the Madison Historical Society and most are in similar shape to his own home and his father-in-law's.

Ephraim is also credited to building the Union Church in North Anson.

Ephraim left his mark on many homes and buildings of the area.  He died on November 25, 1851 in North Anson, Maine at age 57.

"In Anson, Nov. 25th, Mr. Ephraim Spaulding, aged 57.  An esteemed citizen, a faithful and exemplary Christian, a liberal supporter of the Gospel, the church, of which he was a member; and the community in which he lived, with his deeply affliected family, sustain, in his death, a more than ordinary loss.  But to him, the event is gain.  He honored his Savior in life and in death.  And the Savior honored him.  Favored with reason to the last, and almost to thwe last with the power of speech, he gave to each of his family present, and to numbers of his friends, his parting words of affection and advice.  He repeatedly said, with an aspect of serenity and delight, "I am going to be with Jesus."  A sermon was preached on the occasion, from Pslams 12:1 - "Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men." [Christian Mirror, issue of December 23, 1851]

He was buried in Sunset Cemetery in North Anson, Maine with his wife and two sons.

The death of 3rd Great Uncle, George F. Skinner

My cousin Teresa Lagrange makes yearly calendars combining her artistic talents of artwork and adding lines and quotes from family diaries and letters. This year she used a line from a letter from our 3rd great-uncle, George F. Skinner from 1863 for the month of March. 

I wanted to add to his story and recently discovered his death was covered in a Medical Journal of the time which had been unknown to me. Sadly, I learned more about his death than his life.  His passing Hopefully provided a benefit to medical science for future doctors' knowledge if they came across the same wound.

George F. Skinner was born on November 10, 1833, in Raymond, Maine as the eighth child of Peter Skinner and Sarah Meserve.  He was raised in that part of Raymond that was set off to form the town of Casco, Maine.   He was living at home on the 1850 census of Casco at age 15 and listed as attended school during the year.  

At some point George left home and moved to Dexter, Maine before 1860.  His older brother, Andrew Skinner was also living in Dexter as a wheelwright with his wife, and son and his wife's sister and her family. George, age 25, was also a wheelwright, living with the family of Hannah Luce probably as a boarder.  Hannah was a widow with 6 children and appears to have rented rooms out from her home to make an income. It was likely that Andrew and George worked together as wheelwrights for the same person or in their own business.  Andrew named his first-born son, George which shows they must have been close as brothers.

The following year the Civil War would break out and despite being the youngest son in his family, he was the first to enlist.  His older brothers, John and Andrew Skinner would enlist in 1862 while his other brothers, Elias, Joseph and Frederick would appear on the draft records, but they never volunteered to serve or were called to serve.

George F. Skinner, age 27, enlisted on May 28,1861 as a private in Company H, 6th Maine Infantry; mustered in at Portland, Maine on July 15, 1861, for 3 years.  He was single with a fair complexion; gray eyes; brown hair; and stood 5ft 8in tall.  He listed his occupation as farmer despite being listed as wheelwright on the census the year before.  Born in Casco, but a resident of Dexter, Maine when he enlisted.  

The 6th Maine was involved in many big military battles.  George must have seen a lot by March of 1863.  George had been promoted to Corporal like his older brother, Andrew who entered the War in 1862. However, it was by his own request to that he be made a private from Corporal.  George may have found being a Corporal did not suit him.  He had survived both several battles and disease until this time.  The letter was likely written by George to his sister-in-law, Mary (Brown) Skinner, wife of his brother Andrew.  He may have been close to her as they had all lived in Dexter for him to refer to her as "sister Mary."  He mentions Andrew in his letter who at the time was in Louisiana during the War. The letter had been in the possession of Alice Skinner, his grandniece until her death in 1987 and was passed to her grandniece, Rosie (Walsh) Russell, until it was donated to the Dexter Historical Society August 22, 1991.  The letter being written to Andrew's wife, Mary explains how our family line came into possession of the letter.  There was no punctuation in his letter.

March the 13, 1863, Camp near bell plains [Virginia]

Dear Sister Mary, it is with plisure that I seat myself to rite a few lines to let you no that i am well at present and i hope that these few lines will find you in joying the same blessing  the last time that i hurd from home and that was yestersay the folks was all well at present  i haint hurd from andrew since you rote him after   all is quiet a long the rappahant to day  i don't hear of any movement yet i dont hear of any  i had my minature taken yesterday and i will send it to you to morrow it haint taken vary well it is hard getting a good one out hear  it is a vary fine hear to day and warm  i am going on gard to morrow  i wish that i was down to dexter to day  i don't no of much to rite to you that will interest you  i send my love to you and george and give my my love to An and mary,  An where is Ema Brown now I had a letter from vestia hill the other day, she red that you and she were going up to dexter and she was going to gat a chance to work in the mill.  This is all yours    G. F. Skinner.

No one in the family has ever seen the "miniature picture" of George.  He sent his love to "you and George" which would be Mary (Brown) Skinner and his nephew George Skinner.   His love to "An and Mary" were Mary's sister, Sarah Ann and her daughter Mary, both who were living with Mary in 1860 in Dexter, Maine and Emma Brown was Mary's niece.  

Just two months later, George was wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville.  His wound and eventual death were recorded in The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. Part III, Volume II. [1883]  (3rd Surgical volume) by U.S. Army Surgeon General's Office.

He died on May 17, 1863, in Washington, D.C.   He was buried in Washington, District of Columbia in the Military Asylum Cemetery.  His Company of 207 men would lose 21 to disease and wounds, 35 killed in battle.  

Although no photo of George has been found in the family.  The diagram of his fractured leg bone will continue on.

Eleanor Smith, wife, step-mother, mother, widow and divorcee

Eleanor B. Smith was born aboiy 1814 in Loudon, New Hampshire, the daughter of Jonathan and Hannah (Sleeper) Smith.  Little is known of her childhood in Loudon.  Her father died in 1832, when she was 18 years old.  The entire family appears to left Loudon for Hallowell, Maine by 1838. Several relatives on the Smith side of the family had previosuly settled in Hallowell, Whether it had been the plan for the family to move to Hallowell or parts of Maine, Eleanor arrived with her mother and siblings at that time.

She married 1) John Buswell, November 3, 1839 in Hallowell, Maine as his second wife.  He was born  February 23, 1812 in Hallowell, Maine, the son of Ebenezer and Abigail (Merrick) Buswell.  He was a distant cousin to Eleanor through her great-grandmother, Mehitable (Buswell) Smith.  John Buswell married 1) Mary Tapley, who died in 1839 and they had 5 children with only three living at the time of his marriage to Eleanor.  They would have 5 more children together.  She was now a step-mother and a mother.

In 1850. John Buzzell, age 38, laborer, with a real estate value of $1600 [$63,000 in 2024], was living in Hallowell, Maine with Eleanor Buzzell, age 36; Clara Buzzell, age 9; Albert Buzzell, age 6; Angeline Buzzell, age 4; Elenaor Buzzell, age 2; Laura Buzzell, age 2/12; Hannah Smith, age 63; Olive Blake age 18; Augustus Taylor, age 22, laborer; Charles Runnells, age 19, laborer (USC, p. 203).

John Buswell drowned on November 28, 1850, leaving her a widow.

                                    Kennebec Journal, issue of December 5, 1850

John had accumulated some debts.  Inventory of his estate was taken February 21, 1851.  Guardians were awarded for the four youngest children (Kennebec County Probate).  The Probate of the estate shows that house was sold at public auction, December 2, 1851.  Kennebec County deeds reveal that Eleanor B. Buswell of Hallowell, administrator of the estate of John Buswell, late of Hallowell, deceased, sold for $200 paid by Hannah Smith [her mother] of Loudon, New Hampshire, widow on December 2, 1851 (Kennebec County Deeds vol. 178, p. 267).  Eleanor also sold for $80 paid by Abigail Smith, wife of her brother, Ezra Smith, a lot of land in Hallowell (ibid. vol. 178, p. 373).

Eleanor married 2) Thomas Paine, February 17, 1852 in Hallowell, Maine.  He was born about 1814, son of Joseph and Love Paine.  Ot is not know if she was really in love or if this was a marriage of coveinence.  She was a widow with 5 children under the age of 10 years and 3 step-children and with selling off property to cover herr husband's and family debts, may not have been enough to live a comfortable wife a widow.  

Eleanor B. Paine petitioned for a divorce from Thomas Paine stating that they were married February 18, 1852, but on June 16, 1852, he deserted her and has lived separately from her for more than 5 years, libel dated July 10, 1857.  In the August 1857 term of Court, the divorce was granted (Kennebec County Supreme Judicial Court, vol. 19, p. 569, docket #1250).  She was now a divorcee.

Eleanor B. Paine also petitioned to have her name changed legally by the Maine Legislature to Eleanor B. Buswell on March 18, 1858 (Maine Genealogist vol. 20, [1998] p. 89).

Eleanor died March 13, 1860 in Hallowell, Maine.  The 1860 mortality schedule gives that she died in March 1860 at age 46yrs of consumption.

John and Eleanor are buried in the Village cemetery, Hallowell, Maine.  There are only stones for John Buswell and his daughter Eleanor Buswell in the lot and her mother, Hannah Smith, but burial records show that four people are buried in the lot with Eleanor being there as well.

Andrew Jackson Skinner, a year in the Civil War

 

So often when we are writing about our ancestors beyond our grandparents and no family stories are passed down, we must rely on records to piece together their lives.  Modern technology has helped with so much information being put on line and to easily access records.   These records are only part of the process in creating the stories of ancestors.

I recently received the pension records of my 2^nd great grandfather, Andrew Jackson Skinner and his service during the Civil War.  It provided me with some new information of the various places he lived as well as his health issues later in his life.  The pension and other sources showed me details for almost a year in his life.

Andrew Jackson Skinner was born on March 25, 1828 in Raymond, Maine, the son of Peter and Sarah (Meserve) Skinner.  He remained at home until after 1850.  He removed to Atkinson, Maine where he eventually would become acquainted with his wife, Mary Elizabeth Brown of Exeter, Maine.  They married April 30, 1855 in Bradford, Maine and the birth of their first son, George Washington Skinner followed in 1857 in Stetson, Maine.   By 1860, Andrew was living in Dexter, Maine with his family where he was listed as a carriage maker.  Within a year the Civil War would begin and Andrew would join the cause for the Union.

                                          Bangor Daily Whig, 1862 advertising for volunteers

Andrew enlisted September 10, 1862 as a Corporal in the 22^nd Maine Infantry, Company K.  The duties of corporal were simple and depended on their successful performance mainly on their capacity to control and direct soldiers in the performance of their duty. They took charge of the smaller details for fatigue and police duty in camp and garrison duty; their most important duty was that of "Corporal of the Guard." They frequently succeeded in the responsibilities of sergeants in their absence and should therefore be familiar with their duties.  Andrew must had shown he was able to be a leader before enlistment.  His company consisted of 134 soldiers of various ages; the majority were younger than Andrew’s 34 years of age. Among these young soldiers was an 18-year-old private, John Lawson Pease from Exeter, Maine who was probably familiar with Andrew’s wife’s family, and would play a role in Andrew’s family later in his life.  Andrew would leave his wife and 5 year old son in Exeter and go to War, not knowing if he would return home alive.  

Andrew was mustered in October 18, 1862 for service of 9 months at Camp John Pope in Bangor, Maine under Colonel Simon G. Jerrard.  They left for Washington, D.C on October 21^st and arrived on the 24^th.  They remained at Arlington Heights, Virginia until November 3, 1862.  The 22^nd was ordered to Fortress Monroe in Hampton, Virginia to form part of the expedition to New Orleans.  Andrew who probably never left Maine was now in a part of the country different from New England and going to an area vastly different.   His infantry embarked by boat from Newport News, Virginia on December 4^th to New Orleans. They arrived  on the 15^th at Ship Island and then occupied Baton Rouge, Louisiana by the 17^th.   Andrew remained in Baton Rouge through Christmas on 1862 and well into the new year of 1863.

                                        Harper's Weekly drawing of Ship Island from 1862

His infantry participated in the reconnaissance in the rear of Port Hudson March 13th to 16th, and on March 26th formed a part of the expedition up the Atchafalaya to attack the enemy's works in the rear where they moved to Donaldsville, Louisiana, then moved on to Brashear City, Louisiana (now Morgan City).  His infantry took part in the first Bayou Teche campaign to drive back the Confederate forces from Western Louisiana. 

Andrew’s first fighting experience came on April 14th at the Battle of Irish Bend, Louisiana.  The Union side had overwhelming numbers and the Confederate side retreated, the result was 400 men on the Union side dead or wounded.  They defeated the enemy in a sharp engagement at Irish bend and then were garrisoned at Franklin, Loiusiana until the 25th, when they went on to New Iberia, Louisiana. 

                                    Battle of Irish Bend, drawing of  the 22nd Maine Infantry

On May 6th, the infantry moved toward Port Hudson, where it arrived on June 1st, having marched over 500 miles during the campaign. Over the next month, Andrew would see the most fighting and loss of men. The Battle of Port Hudson began May 22nd and lasted until July 9^th.  His infantry arrived on May 28^th and remained engaged until the surrender of the Port on July 8^th.  They participated in two assaults on the works at Port Hudson, June 9 and 14, and after the surrender of that place was quartered inside the works until July 24th.  The Confederates began with 7500 men with 750 of them being killed during the siege and 250 dying of disease.  The Union side with 30,000-40,000 men had 707 men killed, 3,336 men wounded, 319 men went missing and about 5000 men dying from disease.   The 22^nd lost 180 men with only 9 being killed and 171 dying from disease.  If Andrew didn't witnesses soldiers being killed, he certainly was aware of the desease strking soldiers down.

                                    Port Hudson Battery photo

Andrew’s Col. Simon G. Jerrard disobeyed a command during the attack on Port Hudson when he would not order his men over a wall in battle.  His letter of dishonorable discharge of June 22, 1863 stated they Col. Jerrard in the presence of officers and enlisted men had stated to the effect “rather than attempt to lead or put his command over that parapet (wall), he would relinquish his command and go to the rear.”  It is unclear if Andrew and his company felt the Colonel was being brave to stand up and protect his men or cowardice in a time of battle. 

The 22^nd Infantry was ordered home on July 24, 1863.  They took a boat from Louisiana to Cairo, Illinois.  From Cairo they went by train to Bangor, Maine arriving on August 6^th.  

                            Photo of the river and railroad at Cairo, Illinois 1861

The Company was mustered out on August 15, 1863 at Camp John Pope where they had began almost a year earlier.  Andrew’s company lost 11 men in battle, 9 from disease and only 2 were wounded from 134 who started originally.

No stories were passed down about Andrew’s service in the Civil War.  We can only wonder what he thought about the cause, the parts of the country he saw and was stationed at.  The Battles and loss of life from fighting or from disease he witnessed.  How much did it affect him?  We will never know.

Andrew’s pension does mention the many places he had lived from Casco, Biddeford, Saco, Bangor, Dexter to Exeter, Maine.  In 1870, Andrew was living in Casco, Maine as a wheel maker, where his parents and siblings were living. He had had one more son, Myron Leslie Skinner in 1868. By 1880, Andrew had finally settled in Exeter, Maine where he and his wife, Mary inherited her parent’s farm. 

                                      Andrew Skinner and granddaughter Velma, 1905

His neighbor was John Lawson Pease, the teenager from Exeter, Maine who enlisted with him.  John and his wife Mary adopted a girl, Edna Estelle Pease as a child.  She would marry Andrew's son Myron Skinner in 1891 and have four granddaughters for Andrew.

                                                    Mary and John Lawson Pease

Andrew belonged to the G.A.R. [Grand Army of the Republic] from his receipt of paying his dues to the J. Knowles Post in Corinna, Maine in 1889.  

Andrew applied for a pension on  November 14, 1890 claiming disability due to kidney trouble, rheumatism and heart disease.  He was granted $12 a month pension.  He applied again in March 1907 and was granted a pension of $20 a month.   His wife Mary died August 15, 1907.  Andrew died August 23, 1910 in Exeter, Maine and buried in Chamberlain Cemetery. [For more on his gravesite, see blog  Who is buried in the family lot?]