Samuel Lewis Benn
of Clarion County Pennsylvania

On the 16th day of April 1909, Samuel L. Benn, appeared before a Justice of the Peace in Clarion County Pennsylvania and completed a "Declaration for Pension" under the act of February 8, 1907. He declared that he was 70 years of age, a resident of Toby Township, county of Clarion, State of Pa. and that he was the identical person who was enrolled at Rimersburg Pa under the name of Samuel L. Benn, on the 4th day of July, 1861, as a Private in Co. E, 62 Regt Pa Vol Inf, in the service of the United States, in the Civil war, and was Honorably Discharged at Pittsburg Pa, on the 13th day of July, 1864. That he was not employed in the military or naval service of the United States otherwise than as stated above. That his personal description at enlistment was as follows: Height, 5 feet 10 1/2 inches; complexion, dark; color of eyes, Black; color of hair, Dark; that his occupation was Laborer; that he was born April 13th, 1840, at Toby Twp Clarion Co Pa. That his several places of residence since leaving the service have been as follows: Clarion Co Pa.

Form number 3-389 was sent by the Department Of The Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D. C., on January 2, 1915, to Samuel L. BENN, Rimersburg, PA., requesting that he answer, "at his earliest convenience," all the questions on the form. There is a number below the name, 321137, which may be a pension application number.

Question 1. Date and place of birth? Answer "i was Born 1/2 mile from rimersburgh"

The name of organization in which you served? Answer company 62 co E pennyslvania
Question No. 2. What was your post office at enlistment? Answer. my postoffice was rimersBurgh
No. 3. State your wife's full name and her maiden name. Answer mrs. Rebeca Jane Benn
No. 4. When, where, and by whom were your maried? Answer. her name was Rebecca Jane Baker. We was married by John Mcfarland
No. 5. Is there any official or church record of your marriage? Not any; __(illegible) ___
If so, where? Answer. never was married but once, 50 years in July?
No. 6. Where you previously married? If so, state the name of your former wife, the date of the marriage, and the date and place of her death or divorce. If there was more than one previous marriage, let your answer include all former wives. Answer. There is none. To me, she never was married but once.
No. 8. Are you now living with your wife, or has there been a separation? Answer. Were still living togather
No. 9. State the names and dates of birth of all your children, living or dead. Answer.
(This is almost impossible to read. I'm sure I won't get it typed exactly right.)

"our first child was Sadie Florence Benn September the 10; 1865 - february ___
george Henry Benn Was Born ___ The 11; 1867
Samuel Lewis Benn September the 27 1869
Mary ada Benn Born September the 8; 1871
Curtis Wane Benn Born August the 27, 1872
rosy Blanch Benn september the 26 1874 she is dead
James Luther Benn Born november the 27 1876
Jennie Ann Benn Born september the 5; 1883 she is at home"

As proof of his birth, the pension applicant included the following when returning his pension application. State of Pennsylvania, County of Clarion, Before me, Geo. B. Stopp, one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said county, personally appeared Samuel L. Benn who being duly sworn according to law, says That the within Statement is a true copy taken from the family Bible of Birth of Samuel L. Benn. The enclosure, handwritten, says "Samuel Lewis Benn born April 13th, 1840." Stamped in at the U. S. Pension Office on Aug 24, 1905.

Samuel Lewis Benn died 23 Nov 1918 and is buried at Rimersburg Cemetery, Clarion County, Pennsylvania. (Personal visit by this writer)
On the 27th day of December 1918, Mrs. Rebecca J. Benn, Widow of Samuel L. Benn, a soldier, Co. "E", 62 Regt. Pa. Vol. Inf., deceased, No. 1,133,409, made application for a widow's pension. S. V. Barr, aged 57 years, a resident of Rimersburg, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, appeared before a notary public and gave the following affidavit. "That he is an Undertaker and Funeral Director; that his place of business is in Rimersburg, Clarion Co. Penna.; that on the 23 day of November, 1918, he was called upon to take charge in the preparation of the body of Samuel L. Benn who had just died, for burial; that he took charge of said funeral and interred the body of the said Samuel L. Benn in the Cemetery at Rimersburg, Pa., November 25th, 1918; having known him and transacted business with him and for him over a period of 30 years or more; that the said Samuel L. Benn resided in Toby Township, Clarion County, Pa., about one mile distant from Rimersburg, aforesaid; that he knew that he was a soldier and veteran of the Civil War, to the best of his knowledge and belief of Co. "E." 62 Regt. Pa. Vol. Inf. and the identical Samuel L. Benn mentioned in the above claim of Mrs. Rebecca J. Benn for Pension. Also, that he has known Mrs. Rebecca J. Benn, claimant above, for 30 yars or more; that she has lived the wife of the said Samuel L. Benn all those years until his death, and the mother of his children; and is esteemed in her community as a person of respectability and probity. he further declares that he has no interest in said case and is not concerned in its prosecution."

On the Sixteenth day of January, 1919, Mrs. Rebecca J. Benn, age 75 past, completed a "General Affidavit" before a notary public. Concerning her marriage to Samuel Lewis Benn, she made the following statement: "That there are no public records of marriages kept at the time when claimant was married with soldier above named, to wit: July 18th, 1865; that the ceremony was performed by and at the Office of Justice of the Peace. John McFarland, in Rimersburg, Clarion Co. Pa.; that the said John McFarland is dead; that upon inquiry for his records and Memo. of his Office it is found that all were burned in a fire that destroyed the dwelling house of William Stopp, Esquire, a successor in the Office of Justice of the Peace in and for Rimersburg Boro,; that the only living witness to her wedding with said Samuel L. Benn, is a sister, Mary, intermarried with John McCoy, of Toby Township, Clarion Co., Pa. whose affidavit is filed herewith in this matter, with affidavits of persons who knew her and the said Samuel L. Benn, before their marriage, during their wedded lives, and at the present time which she begs to be permitted to so file in this matter.
Further, that since the death of Samuel L. Benn, aforesaid, she has been making her home with a daughter, Mrs. William E. Riddle, in Foxburg, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and until further notice that will be her residence, and her Post Office Address instead of Rimersburg Pa., and asks that communications addressed to her in connection with this matter be so directed.
/s Rebecca J. Benn

The Declaraion for Widows's Pension was attested to by John D. Riddle and Mrs. Anna L. Baker.