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I am in the process of transcribing a letter from Brevet Major General JL Chamberlain to my Great-Great Grandmother about her widows pension upon the death of her husband, Corporal George A Toothaker, Company K, 20th Maine Vols. Interesting as it confirms what the family had long said that he did not take part in the fight on Little Round Top as he had fallen out of the march, was given the 'proper pass' to care for himself as best he could and come up when he was able. He did rejoin his regiment, but as Maj Gen (Brevet) Chamberlain states, "he was never as robust as he had been". He does speak well of her husband and stated he has known George for many years, he enlisted as the regiment was being formed in Portland and both lived in Brunswick. He is buried about 50 feet from Chamberlain along with other boys from Maine in the 20th and other Maine units.
The writing is rather hard to transcribe because as he continued writing he scrawled more and more. So far I have gotten about 2/3 of the document done and have only a couple of words I cannot decipher. The letter was written in 1882 as my Great-Great Grandfather had died of complications of injuries and sickness he got during his 3 years in the 20th Maine Vols. I also have his discharge papers, with he and I being about the same build although I carry a bit more weight.
His wife was Harriet A Toothaker, my grandmother, my father's mother was Alice Harriet Toothaker. They took her grandmother's name and swithced the first and middle names.
I had another relative in the 6th and 9th Maine Regiments, but have little documentation on him. James P Hayward, my mother's Great Grandfather.
The writing is rather hard to transcribe because as he continued writing he scrawled more and more. So far I have gotten about 2/3 of the document done and have only a couple of words I cannot decipher. The letter was written in 1882 as my Great-Great Grandfather had died of complications of injuries and sickness he got during his 3 years in the 20th Maine Vols. I also have his discharge papers, with he and I being about the same build although I carry a bit more weight.
His wife was Harriet A Toothaker, my grandmother, my father's mother was Alice Harriet Toothaker. They took her grandmother's name and swithced the first and middle names.
I had another relative in the 6th and 9th Maine Regiments, but have little documentation on him. James P Hayward, my mother's Great Grandfather.
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