Abel Austin Bozarth was born on 20. Mar. 1821 at New Jersey. He was the son of
William Austin Bozarth and
Abigail Downs. Abel Austin Bozarth married
Rebecca Ann Gaunt, daughter of
John Gaunt and
Rebecca Birkett, on 19. Nov. 1845. Abel Austin Bozarth died in 1895 at Williamsburg, Virginia. What follows is a Brief of the Civil War Pension (MOC 299-285) claimed by William's parents. This information was provided by a visitor to these pages; e-mail me for more info.
William A. Bozarth (1844-1864) H Co, 10th NJ Inf. - William Austin Bozarth, of Atlantic Co., NJ: The recruit who died of the measles June 25, 1880 Dec for original pension of father or mother by Austin Bozarth, 61, father of William A. Bozarth who enlisted in H Co., 10th Inf at Trenton, NJ, on February 23, 1864, contracted measles while in camp and died May 22, 1864. He married mother of said son on November 19, 1845 in Philadelphia, PA, before ___ Curtis, Justice of the Peace and the mother died in Batsto, Burlington Co., NJ on September 10, 1856, At his death the soldier was survived by following brothers and sisters under the age of 16: *(Full names added in parentheses and birth dates derived from other sources are shown at right in parentheses. The father included the dead soldier by error. See also Cramer bible records in Bozarth Beacon, II, 3, page 61 TWB)
William A. Bozarth October 21, 1846 [Dec. 22, 1844 per mother]
Lucy [Ann] Bozarth April 5, 1849 [c 1846, 4 in 1850 Census Records; the 1849 date is from a family bible]
John [Hammond] Bozarth December 20, 1857 [Feb. 1849, per 1850 Census]. He died Aug 4, 1906 [acc. to family bible]. He was married to Elizabeth Arbor (b. Mar 9 1858, d. 25 Aug 1924)
Charles [Ridgeway] Bozarth September 13, 1853 [Mar. 1850 per 1900 Census][born Mar 5 1851 per family bible], died 22 Feb 1924 [acc. to family bible]. He married Amanda Cain Dayton (1866-1900).
[Mary] Jane Bozarth March 30, 1855 [c. 1853, 27 in 1880 Census]
Claimant signed “Austin Bozarth”, witnessed by Nathan B. Covert and Joseph Barnett before an unnamed Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, Mercer Co. NJ. Because the second witness signed by “X”, his signature was witnessed by J.M. Crouch and M.C. Runyan.
November 19, 1881 Dec. for Original Pension of a Mother by Mrs. Rebecca A. Bozarth, 60, of Elwood, Atlantic Co., NJ, states she is the wife of Austin Bozarth and mother of William Bozarth who enlisted in H Co. 10th NJ Infantry at Beverly, NJ, on February 23, 1864, and who died on May 22, 1864 at Pleasant Mills, Atlantic Co., NJ of measles and brain fever. She was wholly dependent upon her son as her husband Austin Bozarth, 60, on March 20, 1881, had parted from her when that son was 9 years old and has not supported her since. She believes that he is still living, and signed with an X, witnessed by D. [?] Iszard and J.S. Risley, before an unnamed Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, Atlantic Co., NJ.
An Affidavit dated April 25, 1883 by Rebecca Bozarth states that her residence in 1863 was Elwood, Atlantic Co., NJ, and she has had the same residence and post office address ever since, except when at the cranberry bogs in picking time. The only members of her family in 1863 were her mother, Rebecca Bozarth 70, since dead; her sister, Rachel Foster, born 1816, since dead; and her brother John Gaunt, born 1819, and there has been no person legally bound to support her since the death of her son, William Bozarth. She signed with an X, witnessed by Lizzie J. Bozarth before an unnamed notary public, Atlantic Co., NJ.
An October 27, 1883 Report of the Adjunctant General’s Office states that William A. Bozarth, Private (recruit) for H Co., 10th NJ Inf., enrolled February 22, 1864 at Camden, NJ, for three years but his name is not borne on H Co., Descriptive Book. Claim 288, 024.
November 9, 1883 Medical History of William A. Bozarth, enrolled as a recruit of H Co. 10th NJ Inf at Camden, NJ, on February 22, 1864, died at draft rendezvous, Trenton, NJ [Pleasant Mills] May 22, 1864.
An August 4, 1884 affidavit by Jane Johnson, 52, of Hammonton, Atlantic Co., NJ, states that she was present at the birth of William Bozarth, son of Rebecca A. Bozarth, on December 22, 1844 at Coles Mill, Camden Co., NJ; that the mid-wife, Hope Foster, and the nurse, Prudence Ackley, are both now dead. The soldier William A. Bozarth, always acknowledged Rebecca A. Bozarth as his mother as was well-known in the neighborhood. She signed her own name in a quite similar manner to the signature of Mary Jane Johnson below, before an unnamed Justice of the Peace, Atlantic Co., NJ.
*(Mary Jane (Bozarth) Johnson 1832 - ? was the half-sister of Rebecca Ann (Gaunt) Bozarth 1822-1897 and would have been 12 years old when William Austin was born.)
In an affidavit dated September 2, 1884, Issac Miller, 45, Haddonfield, Camden Co., NJ, states that he remembers when William A. Bozarth and his mother Rebecca A. Bozarth, lived near Old Hammonton, and that William A. Bozarth acknowledged Rebecca A. Bozarth as his mother, and she acknowledged him as her son, as affitant knows from 1848 on. He signed as “Isaac Mailler” before an unnamed notary public, Camden Co., NJ. (Bears mirror imprint of seal: B. Elmer Clement/Notary Public/Haddonfield, Camden Co., NJ)
An affidavit dated only "1884", of Samuel Stille, MD, 60, Atlantic City, Atlantic Co., NJ, that he has known Mrs. Rebecca A. Bozarth for more than 30 years and has no doubt that she is the mother of William A. Bozarth, deceased, who died May 22, 1863 of chronic dysentery and diarrhea. Signed own name before an unnamed notary public, Atlantic Co., NJ
Another 1884 affidavit, this one by Mrs. Levina Murphy and David F. Albertson, who have known Rebecca A. Bozarth for 46 and 34 years, respectively, state that William Bozarth died on/about May 22, 1863; that at the time of death he left no widow or children as he was unmarried; that his mother never had any property and all she has to live on comes from her daily labor. Unsigned, prepared for unnamed notary public, Atlantic Co., NJ.
August 31, 1885 Certified by W.S. Miller, Assessor of Mullica Twp, Atlantic Co., NJ, that Rebecca A. Bozarth has never been assessed for real or personal property since 1863.
September 5, 1885 *(first date was August 5, 1885. August was crossed out and replaced with September). Affidavit by John Foster and Mary Dayton that they have known Mrs. Rebecca A. Bozarth since 1863 and now that she has not owned property of value. John Foster signed his own name, Mrs. Mary Dayton apparently wrote both her statement and her signature, both before William Collins, Justice of the Peace, place not indicated. *(Mary Jane Bozarth Dayton c 1853 - ? is undoubtedly the youngest daughter of Rebecca A. (Gaunt) Bozarth. John Foster may be Rebecca A. Bozarth’s nephew, son of her sister Rachel Foster )
January 20, 1887 Report of Adj. General’s Office: William A. Bozarth, Private [recruit] from H Co., 10th NJ Inf., was received at Trenton, NJ, rendezvous February 23, 1864 and is reported died May 22, 1864, cause not stated.
Affidavit, date uncertain...thought to be 1893, based on known birth dates of Affiants, affidavit of Evan Johnson, 67, and Mary Jane Johnson, 61, Hammonton, Atlantic Co., NJ, that they have known Rebecca A. Bozarth for over 40 years, that she had no property in 1881 or since, that her only income is from her own labor and a pension of $12 a month starting September 29, 1890 on a certificate dated August 6, 1891, and that her husband abandoned her in 1856. Statement was dictated to James B. Wright, notary public and written by him in our presence. (Rebecca A. Bozarth made an X where affiants should have signed and they signed own names in the witness box at left, apparently before the notary public named. Mary Jane Johnson signed her full name; the last part is identical to the Jane Johnson on August 4, 1884 Affidavit. She is the half sister of claimant Rebecca A. Bozarth)
September 19, 1895 Deposition of Charles R. Bozarth, 44, sawyer, Elwood Post Office, NJ, before R.M. Morris [or R. McMorris], Special Examiner on the Pension Office at Elwood, Atlantic Co., NJ. Charles R. Bozarth states that he is the son of Austin Bozarth and the brother of William A. Bozarth, that his father and mother lived together until he was 8 or 9 (circa 1858) and never again. His father remarried and lived with his second wife until his death last Spring (April 14, 1895 per grave stone) Neither parent applied for divorce to the best of his knowledge but his mother lived with Somers Conover for many years and he heard they were married. Although much younger than his mother, Conover is in poor health and unable to give his mother a comfortable living and the last few years as he doesn’t earn over 50 cents a day. They are very poor and depend upon her pension and his pension. (Somers Conover served in E Co., 10th NJ Inf from October 1, 1861 to January 2, 1864.) Signed C.R. Bozarth before R.M. Morris, Special Examiner.
ca. 1895 - Exhibit C: September 3, 1875 marriage certifitcate for Somers Conover and Rebecca A. Gaunt, both of Absecon, NJ, before A. Stephany, Justice of the Peace, Atlantic Co., NJ, witnessed by W. Schielz. Bears impressed seal: Egg Harbor City, Atlantic Co., NJ. August Stephany, JP.
January 18, 1896 Affidavit of Mark Foster 56, and Somers Conover, 55, both of Elwood, Atlantic Co., NJ, state that William A. Bozarth became disabled in the following manner: Foster says the soldier was sick with chronic diarrhea at Trenton, placed in a hospital tent there. Soldier’s father came for him and took him back to Atlantic Co. and Foster soon left Trenton for the war. Conover states that he was a member of E Co. 10th NJ Inf and thought William A. Bozarth was in K Co., same regiment, that he became sick in the Spring of 1862 and that William A. Bozarth father came to camp and took him out of the hospital tent and took him home but William A. Bozarth died soon after getting back to Atlantic Co., NJ. Mark Foster signed his own name but Somers Conover signed with an X, witnessed by Abby J. Wright and Georgia K. Wright, before James B. Wright, NP, Elwood, Atlantic Co, NJ. (Apparently Henry D. Phillips, pension attorney of Trenton, NJ, was requested to re-open the claim. Claimant, Rebecca A. Bozarth, died December 23, 1897 at Mullica Twp., Atlantic Co., NJ, under the name of Bozarth. Somers Conover 1841/43-Oct 10, 1927, age 84, is buried in the Elwood Cemetery off the Pleasant Mills Road; next to him is Annie Conover 1854-1943).
January 30, 1896 Drop order for Rebecca A. Bozarth, Certificate 299-385, last paid $12 per month to November 4, 1895, dropped by Order C. P January 28, 1896.