G2G: U.S. Civil War Nurse Mrs. Mary A. Robert’s falls in love at Kentucky Hospital Feb’ 1863

Question

Hi Wikitreers

Mrs. Mary A. Robert’s was a U.S. Civil War nurse at a Frankfort, Kentucky hospital during the U.S. Civil War where she met her future husband Benjamin who with his brother Thomas arrived about February of 1863 as Thomas would later pass away from the dreaded typhoid fever on February 14, 1863. The story is partly mentioned in Benjamin Bunnell’s obituary however who was Mrs. Mary A. Roberts? Maybe a war widow serving in the Union cause? We do know she had 4 children with Benjamin before herself passing sometime in 1870-1871. One of her children a twin died in infancy.

She met two brothers who both served in the 103rd Ohio infantry regiment in same Company H.

One brother would die while the other lived to a promising future.

Any collaboration is appreciated

Thank you

Answer 1

There is a possible 1870 census record match in Illinois, see comment added to Mary's WT profile.

Enjoy Genealogy, Warren

Comments

Thank you Warren 

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The daughters of Mary all 3 have been added and their husbands. The twin boy is unknown. They need the places of burial.

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Also added all the children for his 2nd wife to which can be improved upon by the pm

Answer 2

It would be interesting to track her before being a nurse in the Frankfort, KY hospital.

The FamilySearch profile for her has a LNAB of Cummins. In the Notes Section a comment said that came from the 1925 Iowa Census of daughter Nettie.  I looked at the 1925 Iowa Census image. No where on the page is there a place for parents' LNAB. I question the accuracy of the comment in support of Cummins.

One of the sources in Mary's FamilySearch profile is that she is mentioned in the 1889 marriage record of daughter Almedia. The record lists the mother's maiden name as Semmons, (No image attached, so I could not verify that). That could be a spelling variation for Simmons.

Assuming the 1870 Census record added to her profile is correct (I think it looks to be the right record for her - family names match). There are no children from her first marriage in the household. Likely recently married when husband Roberts entered the War.

What brought her to Frankfort, KY? If she was from Ohio and wanted to assist in the War effort, there were several locations within the state of Ohio. Cincinnati had a large hospital. Camp Chase had a hospital. Just to mention a couple.  So, why leave the state?  Did she and Roberts move to KY?  Or, is that where her 1st husband died?   Could check Ohio regiments deaths for a someone named Roberts who died at Frankfort.

(Now that the Source-a-Thon is over, I can catch up on all I missed).

Comments

Hi Norman, I left the note on the Mary Cummins Bunnell LHNY-4L2 and since you've claimed that my note is inaccurate; I need to reply.

The census image linked within the note does indeed show the names of Nettie's parents and their place of birth; it's the entry at the very bottom of the page.  The URL needs the ol' cut and paste routine into a web browser, but the link does lead directly to the image that has the information.  The 1925 Iowa State census has information  spread across three sheets instead of a single sheet commonly seen in federal census records.  I added the note to the FamilySearch profile because prior to finding her name in the 1925 Iowa census, 'Cummins' as her maiden name was  not sourced.

The records for the family are incomplete and have conflicting information.  Nurse Mary's place of birth is shown as Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee in her children's census records.  Civil War veteran Ben's death certificate shows his wife's name as Mary Johnston Bunnell; a portmanteau of his two wives: Mary A (Cummins) Roberts and Lievera C Johnson.   Complete and accurate records would certainly clear things up, but that's not what is available; Cummins may not be correct.  Time and careful research may provide a correct and verifiable understanding of these individuals.  As genealogists,  that's what we do.

Enjoy Genealogy, Warren

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Thanks for the clarification. Mary Cummins from Kentucky. The writing is clear enough. No doubt about what was written.

The image at Family/Search showed 2 page survey. that image covers 7 sections. It has a summary on the far right which lead me to believe that was all. By clicking to move to the next page there are more sections to the survey. It covers 3 images. I see they placed that summary on the right side of every image.

I think this is the first mention of her being from Kentucky. If that was her home (and not Ohio) it makes sense for her to be working in Kentucky, That aspect was troubling. Why was she in Kentucky if she was from Ohio. So many opportunities to serve as a nurse in the War effort in Ohio.

The marriage record of Almedia which has her name as Semmons, does not have an image available. I would like to see that image to see if the letters could be deciphered as any other.

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Here is something more to ponder - 1925 Iowa State census record for another daughter, Jennie Beach.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9XG-T37Y?view=index&cc=2224537&lang=en

Image 121 of 230
Line 10:
Beach, Jennie, Illinois; Bunnell Bejiman, Ohio, 89; Cummins Mary, Virginia, 63; place of their marriage, Ohio.

There is another daughter, but she doesn't seem to be in the 1925 Iowa census. By 1930, Almedia Garrett was in Kansas.

BTW, if anyone can source a death certificate or grave location for Elisha Beach, husband of Jennie, who died in Arkansas Feb 1900; there's major research kudos set aside to celebrate your feat.

Enjoy Genealogy, Warren

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This apparently is the fathers memorial https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32364010/thomas_ellis-beach

It shows Elisha Allen Beach in posted sources in images. Might be helpful?

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More about Elisha A. Beach Image at his fathers memorial. This indicates a Elisha who has different dates. Same name

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Adding under research notes on his wiki profile sources. One mentions the illness etc… https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Beach-8822