Civil War Pension File of Reuben Westfall
SC 190.517
Unit: Private, Company I, 39th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Enrolled: 13 Feb 1864 - LeRoy, McLean Co, Illinois
Discharged: 10 Jun 1865 - Fort Monroe, Virginia
Description: 5 feet 8 inches high, light complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair
Documents:
(1) Certificate of Discharge – 10 Jun 1865 – Fort Monroe, Virginia
Reuben Westfall, a Private of Captain Samuel Gilmore's Company I, 39th Regiment of Illinois Volunteers enrolled
on 13 Feb 1864 to serve three years, is honorably discharged on 10 Jun 1865 at Fort Monroe, Virginia, by reason of
Order of the War Department dated3 May 1865. The said Westfall was born in Indiana and is 31 years of age.
He is 5 feet 8 inches high, light complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. By occupation when enrolled he was a
farmer. Given at Fort Monroe on 10 Jun 1865.
D. B. Wilson, 1st Lieut [unreadable]
(2) Handwritten Declaration – 28 Sep 1878 – McLean Co, Illinois
Reuben Westfall, aged 40, of LeRoy, McLean Co, Illinois, declares he is the identical Reuben Westfall who enlisted
as a private in Company I, 39th Regiment of Illinois Infantry Volunteers on or about 13 Feb 1864 for the term of three
years. He was honorably discharged at Fort Monroe, Virginia on or about 10 Jun 1865 on account of an order from
the War Department dated 3 May 1865. His personal description is age 40, height 5 feet 8 inches, complexion light,
hair brown, eyes hazel. While in the line of his duty as a soldier he was wounded in the left shoulder by a minnie
ball. The ball passed in the upper part of his arm and came out on the opposite side. Said wound was received
while in a charge near Petersburg in the state of Virginia on or about 2 Apr 1865.&mbsp; He was treated for several months
in Hospital at Fort Monroe. He has not been employed in the naval or military service of the United States since his
discharge from the said Company and Regiment. He has resided since the date of his discharge in McLean Co, Illinois
and his occupation has been that of a laborer. Prior to his enlisting in the service he was a man in good sound
physical health with no disease or disability or wound in any way before his duty as a soldier. By reason of the
physical condition resulting from the said wound he is largely incapacitated from performing all kinds of hard manual
labor. He has never before applied for or received a pension. He hereby appoints James R. Brooks of
Bloomington, McLean Co, Illinois, his attorney. His Post Office address is LeRoy, McLean Co, Illinois.
Signed: Reuben his (X) mark Westfall
Witnesses: Marcus E. Ferguson, Robert H. Silvey
(3) Handwritten Affidavit – 4 Oct 1878 – McLean Co, Illinois
Affidavit of Thomas D. Fisher, practicing physician, residing at LeRoy, McLean Co, Illinois. Affiant has been
in the active practice of his profession in the town of LeRoy McLean Co, Illinois some years. He states that he
was and still is acquainted with Reuben Westfall and knew the said Westfall prior to the date of his entering the
service as a soldier in the month of February 1864. He has acted as the family physician and knows of his
personal knowledge that prior to his entering the service the said Reuben Westfall was a man of good health, sound
and able bodied with no diseases.
Signed: T. D. Fisher, MD
(4) Handwritten Affidavit – 9 Oct 1878 – McLean Co, Illinois
Affidavit of Samuel Gilmore, Post Office LeRoy, McLean Co, Illinois. He was a Captain in Company I, 39th Regiment
of Illinois Infantry Volunteers. He was and still is acquainted with Reuben Westfall who was a Private in the said
Company. He states that the said Reuben Westfall, while in the line of his duty as a soldier, in a charge before
Petersburg, Virginia, was wounded by a minnie ball. The said wound was received in the upper part of the left shoulder
and occurred on 2 Apr 1865. The affiant was commanding the company and testifies from his personal knowledge of the
said facts.
Signed: Samuel Gilmore
(5) Adjutant General's Report – 20 Mar 1879 – Washington D.C.
Information from the Rolls on file at the Adjutant General's Office. Reuben Westfall was enrolled on 13 Feb
1864 as a Private. The rolls of Company I show "present" March and April, 1864, and so reported until
the roll of March and April, 1865 which reports him absent in hospital. Wounded 2 April 1865. Mustered out
10 Jun 1865 with the remark, "wounded in Charge on Ft. Gregg, Virginia, 2 Apr 1865." The Regiment was
in action before Petersburg, Virginia, 2 Apr 1865. The records of the office do not show the nature or location
of the wound received in action.
(6) Declaration For Invalid Pension – 18 Jul 1891 – Christian Co, Illinois
Reuben Westfall, aged 51, resident of Edinburg, Christian Co, Illinois, who was enrolled 13 Feb 1864 and discharged
20 Jun 1865 in Company I, 39th Illinois Volunteer Regiment states he is three-fourths unable to earn a support by
reason of a gunshot wound in the left shoulder, rheumatism, chronic diarrhea, heart disease and general disability.
He is a pensioner under Certificate #190517 and he has not been in any arm of the U. S. service since his discharge in
1865. He makes this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the pension roll of the United States under the
provisions of the Act of 27 Jun 1890. He hereby appoints John M. Wagner of Taylorville, Illinois, as his true and
lawful attorney to prosecute his claim.
Signed: Reuben his + mark Westfell
Witnesses: T. F. Russell, John H. Peters
(7) Circular, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions – 15 Jan 1898 – filled out by Reuben his (X) mark Westfall on 30 Apr 1898
· Married? Wife's maiden name: widower – Elizabeth Walden
· Married: married in 1866, DeWiitt Co, Illinois, by James Walden, Justice of the Peace
· Record of Marriage: Clerk's Office, Clinton, DeWitt Co, Illinois
· Previously married: No
· Living children: Elmer Westfall, Lillie Westfall, twins, b. 14 Jun 1865
(8) Soldier's Declaration New Law – 6 Oct 1904 – Shelby Co, Illinois
Reuben Westfall, aged 74, resident of Shelby Co, Illinois, Post Office Clarksburg, declares he was a member of Company I,
39th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted 13 Feb 1864 and was honorably discharged 10 Jun 1865 having served more
than 90 days. He now draws a pension of $6.00 a month from the Chicago agency, Certificate Number 190517, due to a
gunshot wound of the left shoulder. He is wholly disabled from earning his support by manual labor by reason of the
wound mentioned above and his advanced age. He was born near Terre Haute, Indiana on 7 Mar 1830. "I apply
for $12.00 per month upon my age." The said disabilities are permanent in their nature, and are not the result of
vicious habits.
Signed: Reuben his (X) mark Westfall
Witnesses John Graybill, Thos. Wertenhaver
(9) Affidavit – 4 Nov 1904 – McLean Co, Illinois
Angeline Westfall Barr, aged 66. Resident of Bloomington, McLean Co, Illinois declares, "I am a sister of the
above soldier and have known him all my life. Ever since I can remember his birthday has been counted as Mar 7, 1830,
born near Terre Haute Indiana. He was so called as to age long before the war and if he was not born then I would
know it."
Signed: Angeline Westfall her (X) mark Barr
Witnesses: Lee B. Ellis, Robert Wood
(10) Soldier's Declaration, Act 6 Feb 1907 – 28 Feb 1907 – Shelby Co, Illinois
Reuben Westfall, aged 76, resident of Clarksburg, Shelby Co, Illinois, Post Office Clarksburg, declares he was a private
in the U. S. Services in the Civil War in Company I, 39th Illinois Infantry. He was born in Vigo Co, Indiana on 7
Mar 1830 and is 76 years of age. He has lived in Indiana, "till quite a lad," then moved to McLean Co,
Illinois, then to Christian Co, Illinois about 1869, then to Shelby Co, Illinois about 3 years ago. His discharge
is in the pension department. His description "as I have it from memory" is height 5 feet 5 inches,
complexion dark, hair black, eyes black, occupation farmer. He applies for a pension under the Act of 6 Feb 1907.
His address is Clarksburg, Illinois.
Signed: Reuben his (X) mark Westfall
Witnesses: E. C. Graybill, George R. Babs
(11) Drop Notice – 15 Mar 1910 – Chicago, Illinois
Reuben Westfall, Company I, 39th Illinois Infantry, last paid $20 to 4 Jul 1909, has been dropped because of death,
Aug 2nd or 3rd, 1909.
Compiled Service Record, Reuben Westfall, Private, Company I, 39th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, File Designation SC 190.517, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *OLD MAN FOUND LIFELESS IN YARD
SHELBYVILLE, Aug 5 – Reuben Westfall, 80 years old, and for many years a resident of this county, was found dead under
a tree at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Mary Burress, at Clarksburg Tuesday evening. He had gone to the yard
shortly after dinner at noon, had lain down and gone to sleep. When he was called to supper he failed to respond,
and upon investigation he was found to be dead. Mr. Westfall had been suffering from heart trouble for some time,
and this trouble was responsible for his death. The deceased was a widower, but is survived by several children.
The funeral was held from Union church Thursday.
(From The Daily Review, Decatur, Illinois, Thursday 5 Aug 1909. Digital image of newspaper from Newspapers.com.)