Vital Records, Otsego County, NY (1862)

 Oneonta Herald, Oneonta, NY, July 2, 1862

Marriage

In this village [Oneonta, Otsego Co. NY] on the 20th ult. by Rev. D.L. Pendell, Mr. Charles J. Alger to Miss Roxy A. Spencer both of Oneonta.

News Item

Capt. R.T. Johnson of the gallant 72d Regiment is home for a short time for the benefit of his health and to recruit more men for his company.  We are glad to see (says the Delaware Republican) that he is in good spirits and, although his wound, received at Williamsburg, is not yet healed, in nearly as good health as when he led his company, the first offering of Delaware County, out from among us.  Since that day, what momentous events have marked the history of our country!  The brave boys who followed his leadership have won laurels, and on one hotly contested field, sealed with blood their devotion to the Constitution and the Union.

Oneonta Herald, Oneonta, NY, July 16, 1862

Marriage

At the Hotel of Mr. Barton in East Oneonta [Otsego Co. NY] on the 2d of July, by Rev. E.C. Hodge, Mr. George P. Parish of Oneonta and Miss Rulannah Chamberlain of Maryland [Otsego Co. NY].

Death

Coronel Dr. Thomas J. Bailey was called on the 5th inst. to hold an inquest upon the body of John Curtis, an aged citizen, lately resident in the town of New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY], near Ambler's Settlement.  From the testimony before the Coroner's Jury it appeared that deceased was 68 years of age; that he had been for several years afflicted with aggravated hernia, which caused him much distress; that for three days previous to his death, he had eaten nothing and had grown weak, and during that time he had heard the intelligence of the death of a favorite grandson; that he got out of bed about 2 o'clock on Saturday morning, put on his pants and shoes and started for the kitchen.  His wife awakened and alarmed, went into an adjoining room for a light and when she and her aroused daughter reached the kitchen, Mr. Curtis was found upon his knees, his throat cut from ear to ear, the windpipe and carotid artery complete severed.  His razor lay upon the floor.  He died in a very few minutes.  Dr. Gibson was the physician in attendance.  The verdict of the Jury was, suicide in a fit of mental abstraction.

Dr. Bailey held another inquest in the afternoon upon the body of Gaius C. Brooks in Plymouth [Chenango Co. NY].  The evidence showed that Mr. Brooks had for some time past been troubled with short breathing and palpitation; that he attended the celebration in Norwich [Chenango Co., NY] on Friday, and stayed until after the fireworks.  The last that was seen of him on that day was about 11 o'clock at night, when he was noticed walking homeward, very slowly, in the road near Coxville.  He was found dead in his bed next morning near 6 o'clock, his body yet warm.  He was not heard to enter his house, but there is no doubt that he went directly home.  A supper which had been placed upon a table for him had been partially eaten.  Dr. Blin Harris, (Drs. Baker and Beecher attending) made a postmortem examination of the body.  From his testimony the jury rendered a verdict of death by enlargement of the heart, occasioned by a mass of fat three inches in length in the cavities of the heart.  Mr. Brooks was in his 67th year.

Oneonta Herald, Oneonta, NY, july 30, 1862

Deaths

Killed in battle, near Richmond, Va. Alonzo Jenks of Laurens, Otsego Co., N.Y., a member of the 61st Regiment and son of John G. Jenks of Laurens.

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Died near Humbolt, Tennessee of fever contracted while camping in a swamp, Benjamin B. Comstock of Laurens, Otsego Co. N.Y.

"By feeble hands their shallow graves were made; / No stone memorial o'er their corpses laid.  / In barren lands and far from home they lie, / No friend to shed a tear when passing by."

Laurens weeps for her honored dead.  She is called to mourn the loss of one of her noble sons.  Benjamin B. Comstock died July 16th, from disease contracted by exposure to the swamps of Tennessee.  But a short time since he left his native town, to go forth into the world and brave the rugged storms of life.  He went forth with bright visions of future happiness, leaving all the fond endearments of home and its loved associations.  His future career promised to be one, not only of honor to himself, but of usefulness to his fellow man, and it was while laboring for the welfare of others that he heard the call of his country for aid.  He was among the first to respond to that call.  He could not forget his country and while toiling manfully for her, he did not forget his God.  He prayed fervently for his country. He labored earnestly for her and for her, he nobly died. The fever contracted while camping in the swamps of Tennessee was too much for his feeble constitution and in a few short weeks it hurried him from earth.  Yet when the summons came it found him ready to go.  No fear blanched his cheek, but all was peace.  He told his weeping comrade, who gathered around his dying couch, to write to his mother and tell her that he was willing and ready to die.  In his death that mother has lost an affectionate son, and our country one of its gallant defenders.

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We regret to learn the death of Lieut Washington B. Fairman, who with other young men of this village [Cooperstown, Otsego Co. NY] joined the Ellsworth Regiment as a private.  He was soon chosen 2d Lieutenant in the 25th N.Y. Regiment, where he served with courage and fidelity.  He was wounded in the recent battles before Richmond and taken prisoner.  On the 17th inst. he died in a hospital in Richmond from the effect of his wound.  He was a young man of fine character, whose loss is mourned by many friends here and elsewhere.  Cooperstown Journal.