Andrew J. Foster Pension Applications: 1897 Deposition to Commissioner of Pensions
Deposition A.
Case of Andrew J. Foster, No 401,765
On this 9th day of March, 1897 near North Bend Washington, County of King State of Washington, before me, H.C. Sharp, a Special Examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared Andrew J. Foster, who, being by me duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this Special Examination of aforesaid pension claim, deposes and says: I am 54 years old, a rancher living 7 miles from North Bend Washington, my P.O. address. I have resided here nearly six years. I am the identical Andrew J. Foster who served in the 2nd Battery Kansas Light Artillery.
I enlisted at Fort Scott Kansas August 19, 1862 and served right through until discharge at Fort Leavenworth Kansas August 11 1865. I was not in any (other) service during the late war or since.
I am an applicant for pension for rupture of left side in the testicle under the general law. I don’t claim for anything else originating in the army. I did put in a claim for injury to left arm resulting from vaccination which bothered me for many years, but of late years it has not troubled me to speak of and I waive that claim.
I have also filed a claim under Act of June 27, 1890 for stomach disease and a sort…
Page 2 of 11
…of soreness or rheumatism in left side and back and left hip. I had diarrhea in service and a touch of scurvy on service and my stomach became weak, and consequently, I have always attributed my stomach troubles to those diseases in service.
I have been bothered with the pain in my back and hip ever since. I was injured in the service which produced the rupture I claim for. It did not bother me much at first. I mean the pain in back and hip, but has of late years. It commenced with a quivering and pain in the lower of my abdomen on left side and worked around to the back and hip and from what I have always supposed that pain was due to the injury to my testicle or from the same injury that produced the injury to my testicle.
None of my disabilities are the result of intemperance or vicious habits. The only bad habit I have ever had was _____ tobacco if that may be called one. You can trace me from boyhood and find my habits have always been correct.
I was raised near Carthage, Jasper Co. Missouri and lived in that country until I moved to Bourbon Co, Kansas and settled near Marmaton City, about 3…
Page 3 of 11
…miles west on a farm with my father and family. The family was comprised of father and mother – both dead, and one brother Francis M. Foster now in Joplin, Missouri.
We moved to Kansas in the early spring of 1861 and we lived right on the one place until I went to Fort Scott to enlist in August 1862. My brother was younger than I and not in the army.
I was perfectly sound and free from rupture of any nature at time of enlistment. The only examination we had at enlistment was to be drawn up in line and an officer passed along in front of us and looked us over and we were accepted.
When we went to Kansas we rented Parly Foster’s place (no kin) and he lived in Marmaton City Kansas. Uncle Johnny Prigmore lived near us and had known me from a boy up but he was as old as my father and must be dead now. Our neighbours were – M. Dougall, Levi Cooper, Lee Watkins and his brother I think named George. A Mr. Dunkel was a neighbour. Nottley Osbourne, Fernando Osbourne, two Cooes boys – given names forgotten, enlisted at the same time I did. Middleton (called ‘Mid’) Cunningham came in a few days after I enlisted from my neighbourhood.
In Missouri, I lived during my young days 8 miles south of Carthage Missouri on Center Creek and our neighbours were: John and Abram Oustol and Frank…
Page 4 of 11
…William Hammer, John Hammer, Strung Zachery, Old man Kirkpatrick and his sons, Giles and William. John Dale, James Dale and Thomas Martin and Ed Halsey.
During the latter years we lived in Missouri we were located 11 miles north and west of Carthage. Our neighbours were: Ransom and Isaac Smiths, _____ Fletcher, John and Fleury Flecher, his sons. Miles Coffelt, Thomas Leone, old man Berry and his sons John and James: Irvin ____ ____ and John Likes.
I was in swimming with Irvine ___ and John Likes and John Flecher and Isaac Smith and they knew I never complained and was free from any injury.
Years I batched in Kansas but don’t know of anyone who was with me but my brother Francis. My rupture was incurred under the following circumstances. We were at or near Mayville Arkansas in the fall of 1862 – the very last of October or first of November when I was riding a vicious horse…
Andrew J. Foster Deponent
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9th day of March 1897 and I certify the contents were fully made known to the deponent before signing. H.C. Clark Special Examiner
Page 5 of 11
Deposition A
Case of Andre J. Foster, No. 401,765
CONTINUED
as a wheel driver on the gun. We were getting ready or trying to start for Fort Scott Kansas. The horse I rode had been owned by Simon Washburn and had been worked to the off wheel on the caisson but he kicked so bad it was not safe for the men who rode on the caisson to ride up on the limber. I spoke to Captain E.A. Smith and offered to trade my horse for that one as I thought I could ride him on the wheel. I was young and used to horses and not afraid of any horse. In getting ready to start off I was mounted and had one rein of the bridle (which had a double rein) tied in a knot and drawn over the horn of the saddle. I did this so the horse could not put his head down suddenly to kick. When we started, the horse tried to kick but found he could not get his head down and then set …
Page 6 of 11
… back holding all the horses for a time, I finally got him started. He began to plunge and ____ and twisted sidewise, like and threw me on the horn of the saddle and at the same time the pole caught my lef shield and drew me over to the right. In that bucking and being thrown on the horn of the saddle my left testicle was hurt and mashed some and made me sick and faint but I stuck to my horse and we finally got started and went on to Fort Scott. My testicle pained me all the time but I would not give up. We were about two days on the way.
On arrival at Fort Scott my father was there and the Captain Smith let me go home with father where I remained a week or ten days or perhaps two weeks. Old doctor Elder living on a creek about 8 or 9 miles from us (I think called Coolomine Creek) was sent for and he came and examined me and called my trouble a rupture. The testicle was swollen about twice its natural size. He gave me some kind of a wash like a linament. In the first place mother crushed up an egg and made some sort of a preparation and bound on the injured part which helped reduce the swelling. After Dr. Elder was there my mother knitted four suspensories out of silk and I put one on at home and carried…
Page 7 of 11
…carried the others with me back to service and wore a suspensory all through the service. I always supposed from what Dr. Elder told me and others that my injured testicle was a rupture. I never heard anything said about a varicocele as being my trouble until the last two medical examinations I had here in Seattle Washington when the surgeon called it a varicocele, Dr. Snow who examined me at Bellvue Idaho some years ago – I think 1n 1882 or 3 called it a hernia. I never had but the one trouble of that nature, whatever the proper name for it is.
After returning to my Battery from going home in the fall of 1862 I was continually with the command during the balance of my service as I now remember. We remained that winter 1862 and 3 at Fort Scott and next spring went out to Fort Gibson. My testicle gave me pain all during the service – a sort of dull aching feeling and has been that way ever since. I did not give up and go to hospital, but stuck it out and did my duty. But that pain and deadening sensation has always bothered me and wore upon my nerves and at times it has been so bad that I was unable to do any work and have been laid up with these pains.
The other men on the same gun when I was hurt were: John H. Requa, Duty Sergt. ‘Tip” Everett, gunner, James…
Page 8 of 11
…B. Parker, Sergant, John Waldon, Cook. William Bowers – cannoneer, James Laughlin, driver, Dallas Butte- driver. Those are all I remember now, John Thompson and John Harris cannoneer I now recall.
All these people knew about the accident when I was hurt. Lieutenant Stark Wilson was the officer in charge of our section I think – it might have been Lieutenant Clark. My particular _____ in service to me Andrew Stigenwalt and the other gunners or men on the same gun with me. Stigenwalt and I were in washing one day in the Arkansas River in 1863 and I spoke to him about my injured testicle and he looked at it and I told him that it was the result of the horse bucking at Mayesville on getting ready to start for Fort Scott in the fall of 1862.
I have furnished the affidavit of Andrew J. Stigenwalt, Sergeant Geo H. Requa and Captain E.A. Smith as to origin and existence of my rupture in service.
I don’t know of anyone else who will know that I had the injured testicle in service. I tried to keep the matter a secret like any foolish young fellow. Of course all the men of my gun know of the bucking scrape when I was injured if they will remember it.
Andrew J. Foster
Deponent
Page 9 of 11
DEPOSITION A
Case of Andrew J. Foster, No. 401765
Continued
Andrew J. Stigenwalt was at Alamoso California when I found him and he gave an affidavit but I have written him twice there since then and the letters have been returned to me.
Captain Smith was in San Bernadino California and George H. Requa was at Fort Scott Kansas and was County Clerk there at the time he gave me testimony. I don’t know where Tip Everrett and the other men on the gun with me are. I remember all the men read me from the list of O & C but don’t know____ any of them would know of my being injured in service.
Q: The records show as absent sick in camp during January and February 1864 – who was the matter then?
A: I don’t remember just what it was. It might have been diarrhea or scurvy, can’t say. After discharge, I returned to my father in Bourbon Co. Kansas…
Page 10 of 11
… and that same fall I think we moved back to the old location near Preston, Jasper Co. Missouri but found the house burned out. went three miles up the creek – The Big Muddy and lived over a year, when we built on the old place and lived there until 1869 when Father and I moved out to near Coffeyville, Montgomery Co. Kansas and lived until the spring of 1880 when I came to Idaho and settled at Bellevue.
The first doctor I had for the rupture after service was Dr. Goodwin of Preston Missouri. But come to think he gave me an ointment for my back and hip. I haven’t had any treatment for the rupture since service by a physician.
I have not been injured by being thrown or in any other way since the war to produce a rupture or a varicocele.
My brother Francis will know how I was at discharge and we were together some three or four years after that.
I was married first to Amanda Chester in the late part of 1873. She is dead – died near Neodesha, Wilson Co. Kansas in 1874 from childbirth. I again married Hannah C. Morgan April 19, 1875 and she is my present wife. There is no one in this part of the country who will know about my…
Page 11 of 11
…condition in service or at discharge.
I have given as correct a statement as possible as to incurrence of my rupture – as I have always called it- in service and it is due to my injury I received there at Maysville Arkansas in the fall of 1862.
Captain Smith knew of my injury when he granted me permission to go home with my father.
The wear and tear on my rupture has disabled me to such an extent that I feel I have been disabled fully one half since the war.
At the present time on account of that testicle and back and hip trouble and my stomach disease, I am unable to do any hard work, or much of any work for that matter and unable to earn my support by manual labor.
I have fully understood all questions and my rights in the premises and I am correctly reported.
Andrew J. Foster Deponent.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9th day of March 1897, and I certify that the contents were fully made known to the deponent before signing.
H.C. Stark Special Examiner.