The Life of Franklin McDaniel
Contributed by Robert McDaniel

William soon grew into a young man and, at age 22, married Elizabeth Weaver on Jan 12, 1809. The couple had a son born around 1810 and named him Enoch. Their son grew to manhood in Pulaski County, Kentucky, and married Elizabeth Sawyer Jan 12th of 1830. The couple worked their land and raised a large family. Enoch and Elizabeth had seven children before Franklin was born in 1846.

The first census in which Franklin's name appears is the 1850 Federal Census. This census indicates that in 1850 he was three years old and was living with his parents and five brothers and three sisters

On a farm in Pulaski County, Kentucky. Franklin's great-uncle, Spencer Jr., had moved his family from Pulaski County up to Washington Township of Morgan County, back in 1835. Spencer's wife was named Martha and they had eight children. It is possible that Uncle Spencer Jr. and Martha had been encouraging Enoch and Elizabeth to do likewise and move to Morgan County, for in 1853, Enoch and Elizabeth did move the family north to Washington Township, Morgan County, Indiana. At the time of the move, Franklin was six or seven years old. This family of eleven people settled into a log cabin on the banks of a stream called Jordan Creek, which was located in an area known as Cold Spring Hollow. His father, Enoch, made a living raising crops on their small farm.

Ten years later, Franklin's name was again mentioned in the Federal Census. The 1860 Census indicated that he was 13 years old, still living with his parents and two brothers and three sisters on his father's farm in Cold Spring Hollow in Morgan County, Indiana. The farm, at that time, had an estate value of $800. The family personal property was valued at $200. Two girls had been added to the household since the 1850 Census-- Martha, in born 1851, and Elizabeth, born in 1853. [At age 21, Elizabeth would die tragically from burns in 1875. Note 1875 newspaper report below] The youngest of the family, Harvey, born in 1856, for unclear reasons, does not appear in the 1860 or 1870 census.

By 1860, Franklin's three older brothers and older sister had moved away. The oldest at home was John R., age 20. John would join the 7th Indiana Volunteers Infantry in March of 1861 and would fight in the battle at Philippi, West Virginia, on June 3, 1861. He died two weeks after the battle at age 21.

At age 17, on March 22, 1864, Franklin McDaniel was enrolled at Newport Indiana as a Private in Company K of the 129th Regiment of Indiana Volunteers. He was soon to take part in an immense military operation crucial to preserving the Union: the Atlanta Campaign. Making preparations near Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the advance to Atlanta was General Sherman's Army of the Military District of the Mississippi, which was comprised of over 98,000 men. This great Army was divided into three wings. The largest wing was The Army of the Cumberland, led by Major General George Thomas, and consisted of 60,000 men. A second wing, The Army of Tennessee, headed by 32- year-old Major General James McPherson, was comprised of 25,000 men. The smallest wing was the 14,000 man Army of the Ohio, which was under the command of Major General John Schofield. It was the Ohio to which Franklin's 129th was assigned. The Ohio wing of Sherman's Army was making preparations for the Atlanta Campaign near the town of Charleston, Tennessee, about 30 miles northwest of Chattanooga.

After being ferried across the across the Ohio River from Indiana, the 129th probably traveled by rail from Louisville, Kentucky, to Nashville, Tennessee. The final leg of the journey, from Nashville to reach the Army of the Ohio's campsite near Chattanooga, required a 128-mile march, which took from 10 to 14 days.

Meanwhile, under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston, 60,000 Confederate troops had been deployed to northern Georgia with the mission of driving back the Union advance. Thirty to forty thousand of these Confederate men were destined to be war casualties. Sherman's Army would likewise suffer thirty to forty thousand casualties.

On May 3, 1864, Sherman ordered all three wings to move out toward their objectives in northern Georgia, and the Atlanta Campaign was underway. Franklin found himself on the march with General Schofield's Army of the Ohio heading directly toward the enemy's heavily fortified positions around Dalton. His knapsack was probably loaded with clothing, a blanket, half tent, several days' rations, ammunition and a rifle. The Ohio was the left-most of three wings advancing on northern Georgia. On the first day the Ohio marched 10 miles from Charleston, Tennessee, to Cleveland, Tennessee. The next day they arrived at the town of Red Clay, on the Tennessee-Georgia state line, after a 15-mile march. After two days at Red Clay, the Ohio advanced to a position north of Dalton and east of Rocky Face Ridge after another 15-mile march.

Franklin's first engagement with the Rebel army was at Rocky Face Ridge May 8-10, 1864. The battle was a Union victory. As they retreated to the south, the Confederate Army set fire to buildings, crops, or any materials, which might be of use to the Union Army. Franklin next marched with his wing to the town of Resaca where Rebels charged his brigade with bayonets. The pitched battle continued for two days; however, by May 15th the Rebels began to fall back. A soldier from another Indiana regiment in Franklin's brigade recalled his experience at Resaca:

As the Confederates retreated, The Army of Ohio continued its push south, passing through Cartersville, Georgia. From Cartersville, the Ohio continued forward to the railroad bridge over the Etowah River. Once south of the river the Army of the Ohio was involved in skirmishing with the enemy but did not engage in any of the heavy fighting that involved the other two divisions at nearby New Hope Church. In June of 1864, the Army of the Ohio switched its position from the left to the right of the other two Union divisions. The Rebel defensive line at Kennesaw Mountain halted the Ohio's advance. During the Battle at Kennesaw Mountain the Army of the Ohio was positioned to secure the right flank of the other two union divisions and was not engaged in the battle on Kennesaw Mountain. Nevertheless, the Ohio was repeatedly attacked by the Rebel corps of General John Bell Hood. These attacks proved costly for the Rebel army, which suffered over 1,000 casualties during these attacks. In contrast, General John M. Schofield's Army of the Ohio lost fewer than 300 men. The total causalities of the Army of the Ohio for the month of June were about 700 men or approximently 5% of the fighting force. According to his granddaughter, Doris McDaniel, one of Franklin's roles was to carry the American flag on the battlefield. Franklin was a member of the 129th's Company K of which about 10% died during the War. It has also been passed down that Franklin had become a close friend with soldier named Luford. Luford was killed in combat; Franklin grieved the loss of his friend and never forgot him. According to memoirs of soldiers who fought in the Atlanta campaign, May and June were rainy months; the streams were swollen and the mud was deep. In the chaos of war men easily became separated from company supply wagons and would go hungry. Water and food was contaminated and typhoid was widespread. The deafening sound of the cannonballs exploding and the whizzing-hum of rifle shells passing overhead were terrifying. Soldiers often worked all night making bridges, or burying the dead in unmarked two-foot deep graves. Those assigned retrieve the injured were witness to hundreds of mutilating wounds and unspeakable suffering. Soldiers on both sides were wet, dirty, hungry, exhausted, and often ill.

Three days after the battle at Kennesaw Mountain, on June 30, 1864, Franklin McDaniel was reported sick. According to military records, he suffered from "diarrhea, shock, and general nervous prostration." He remained in an infirmary at Marietta until November, when he was transferred to a military hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. He remained hospitalized there for the next seven months. In the Civil War, illness was the rule rather than the exception. Dysentery with diarrhea affected 78% of the soldiers annually. Typhoid, malaria, smallpox, measles, mumps, scurvy and tuberculosis killed twice as many men as battle deaths. By most estimates, 164,00 Confederates and 250,000 Federals died of disease during the war.

On June 7, 1865, two months after the war had ended, Franklin was still not well enough to return to regular duty and was transferred to the 5th Regiment of Veteran Reserve Corp, a.k.a. the "Invalid Corps." The Invalid Corps, later called the Veteran Reserve Corp, consisted of men who were too physically or mentally ill to perform frontline duty but not completely incapacitated. The 5th Regiment of Veteran Reserve Corp was assigned to the Camp Morton prison camp in Indianapolis. During the previous year, over 1,600 of 3,700 Confederate prisoners had frozen, starved or died of disease at Camp Morton. By the time of Franklin's arrival in June of '65, however, exchanges of prisoners between North and South had cleared the camp of Rebel prisoners. Franklin was discharged 10 weeks later on August 25, 1865. The war's end allowed Franklin to pass the next two years with his family in Morgan County.

Franklin McDaniel re-enlisted in the United States Army on the 12th of September 1867, at Cincinnati, Ohio, and was assigned to Company C of the 21st Regiment of the Infantry. He was 20 or 21 years old. From Ohio he was sent to Virginia (then the First Military District) where he would spend the next 19 months. He was paid $16.00 a month. The regiment was engaged in a number of duties pertaining to reconstruction. Companies were assigned to temporary camps in different parts of the state. On October 1, 1868, Private Franklin was promoted to the rank of corporal. In order to protect new American settlers in the West, the 21st Regiment was ordered in March of 1869 to eight different stations in the Arizona territory. The following month, on the twelfth of April, a regiment of 1,180 enlisted men departed from Richmond by military train and arrived in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 17. On May 4th, 1869, the soldiers departed from Omaha traveling on the nation's first transcontinental railway, which was in its last days of construction. Six days later the Regiment arrived at Promontory Point some six miles west of Ogden, Utah, and was present at the celebration of the "driving of the golden spike," symbolizing the completion of the most ambitious engineering project in railroad history. The Regimental band played for the celebration. The military train then proceeded to San Francisco and camped at the Presidio (garrison) of San Francisco, which faces the Golden Gate inlet of the San Francisco Bay. They remained in San Francisco until June of 1869. From this point, the ten companies of the 21st were put en route for their stations in the Arizona territory. Approximately eight months of service remained of Franklin's 3-year term of enlistment. He was a member of Company C, which was assigned to Camp Verde, in central Arizona. The men arrived at Camp Verde on August 27, 1869. During the Civil War the territory had been virtually abandoned to the Indians, and settlers of the area had been subject to widespread murder. Indians greatly outnumbered Army troops. The soldiers of the 21st Regiment became actively employed in scouting after hostile Indians, escorting United States mail-wagons, building wagon roads, and erecting public buildings. The heat was unbearable and soldiers were often clad in only shorts and buckskin moccasins. The soldiers would march day after day, hundreds of miles. Many men deserted. One soldier described his post as "the most thoroughly Godforsaken post of all . . ." Clashes with Indians were frequent. As an example of the dangers, two months before Franklin had arrived, two soldiers from Camp Bowie had been captured and tortured to death. Near Dragoon Springs, Arizona, about a month after Franklin's arrival, Apaches under Conchise massacred a detail of men from D Company escorting mail. Franklin remained at Camp Verde until his discharge on February 12, 1870. He had served three years.

The 1870 Census indicated that Franklin was back home in Morgan County, living with his parents Enoch and Elizabeth, both age 58, and his sister Clarinda, age 20. Also living in the cabin was Martha, age 18, and Elizabeth, 16. At that time Franklin was 23 years of age and helped his father raise crops.

The next important milestone in Franklin's life was his marriage in December of 1872 to 20-year-old Mary Ellen Stephens. Before the marriage could take place it was necessary for Mary Ellen to obtain a divorce from Peter Stephens. Stephens had disappeared years before and had presumably abandoned Mary Ellen. Franklin was 26. The couple moved into a small two-room frame house, which Franklin had purchased with money he had saved while in the Army. He earned his living by tending the small farm and hauling logs to nearby sawmills. Franklin's parents, Enoch and Elizabeth, lived a short distance away in the log cabin. After his father Enoch passed away around 1875, his mother, Elizabeth, moved into the frame house with Franklin and his family.

By 1879 three children had been born to Franklin and Mary Ellen: John, Sophia, and Hoag. In that year, the family decided to move west to Spickard, Missouri. The wagon trip took three weeks. The family, however, was dissatisfied with Missouri and returned to Morgan County, Indiana, after about one year. They lived briefly in Ray Township near Paragon, Indiana. According to the 1880 Federal Census, Franklin and his family then resided in Ray Township. He had been unemployed for seven months. His mother, Elizabeth, was 68 and could neither read nor write and neither could his wife Mary according to the Census. Children in the home included John Jefferson, 6 1/2, Sophia, 4, Hoag, 2, and Luford, age 6 months. The family was anxious to return to their friends and family in Coldspring Hollow; however, tenants occupied their two-room frame house. Once the tenants left, the family returned to their home. Their last child, Susie, was born there in July of 1882.

Franklin played the violin and taught his son John to play when he was only 6. He promised his son that if he would learn to play a tune before he turned seven that he would give John the violin. Young John met the challenge and learned to play a simple tune. True to his word, Franklin gave his son the violin, but not until John married 16 years later.

No grandchildren of his has ever mentioned to me that Franklin had been the subject of an insanity hearing , nevertheless, on June 10, 1884, D.P. Kennedy, M.D. made the following statement to the Court regarding the sanity of Franklin:

James Neal, a neighbor who had known Franklin for 20 years, gave the following answers to questions asked on the Record of Inquest as to the Insanity of Enoch F. McDaniel.

Doctor J.J. Johnson made the following statement:

Franklin was admitted to the Indiana Hospital for the Insane in Indianapolis on June 14, 1884. His admitting diagnosis was "mania" and "been drinking heavily." What types of treatment did Franklin most likely receive? The dispensing of watered down alcohol and the use of restraint chairs and cribs was in the process of being abolished during the mid 1880's. No useful medications for depression or psychosis existed. I assume that the only "treatment" that Franklin received then was being allowed to tend the crops on the vegetable farm, which was on the hospital grounds. He remained hospitalized for 25 months until his release on July 12, 1886. At the time of discharge his condition was listed as "cured."

Three years later, in 1889, at age 43, Franklin applied for an army pension, stating that he was 3/4 disabled due to illnesses he suffered during the Civil War. Dr. Kennedy's statement above hints that he had been turned down for an Army pension in 1884 and that Franklin was frustrated in his effort to convince officials of his disability. Can modern concepts of mental disorders be applied to make connections between (1) Franklin's 12-month hospitalization at age 18 during the Civil War for "diarrhea, and nervous prostration,"(2) his alcohol abuse, (3) his profound depression with hallucinations in 1884 and (4) his statement in 1889 that he was 3/4 disabled? Facts are too sketchy to be certain, but one possibility is that during the Atlanta campaign, Franklin, weakened by dysentery, was terrified and horrified by the mutilation and carnage that surrounded him, not only on the battlefield but later in the makeshift hospitals where he was a patient. The trauma and stress to which he was exposed at age 17 may have resulted in a permanent nervous condition referred to today as post-traumatic stress disorder. Persons with post-traumatic stress disorder have an increased rate of alcohol abuse and are more likely to experience bouts of depression.

A few years ago, a researcher, Eric T. Dean Jr., examined the medical records of 291 Civil War veterans who were admitted to the Indiana Hospital for the Insane between 1861 and 1920. He concluded that in 40% of cases studied, a clear connection existed between a soldier's military experience and his eventual mental instability. Regardless of how clear the connection was between Franklin's military experience and his episodes of mental instability, in 1889 he finally received good news: At last his pension was approved. He was awarded the amount of $12 to be paid on a quarterly basis.

After returning home from the Indiana Hospital for the Insane, Franklin resumed drinking and was a frequent visitor at Martinsville taverns. One tavern story, which has been passed down, occurred in 1898. Franklin at age 52 was drinking at a bar on the Martinsville Square with his 26-year-old son John when a local roughneck, Ben Johnson, began to pick a fight with the older, smaller Franklin. As the largest and most powerful man in town, Ben Johnson felt free to bully or insult anyone he pleased. John, however, stood up to Ben Johnson and the two men began to scuffle, resulting in a stack of metal wash basins crashing to the floor.

"Whee hoo! Fight!" exclaimed the elder Franklin and John invited Ben Johnson to continue the scrape in the alley in back of the tavern. Being much larger and much stronger, Ben was happy to oblige. A certain precaution, however, had been taken to offset Ben's unfair size advantage. Waiting in the alley and primed for action was younger brother Hoag, armed with an iron stovetop plate. Ben walked into the alley and bam! He was immediately struck with the heavy plate, which resulted in a large triangular flap of scalp being torn loose from his head. Ben stoically repositioned the flap to its rightful position and continued fighting as if nothing had happened. John and Hoag, fearing involvement of the authorities, fled the scene. Ben Johnson was taken to the local hospital where his wound was repaired with several sutures. John escaped to his home while Hoag jumped on a passing freight train heading to Indianapolis where he joined the Army and was soon shipped out to the Philippines. Several days after the melee John paid Ben's sizable doctor bill and the Johnson family considered the squabble settled. From that day forward, Ben never again insulted or bullied Franklin or any of his sons.

Franklin McDaniel died on a Saturday evening, February 3, 1900, in a hardware store on South Main Street in Martinsville. The cause of death was alcohol poisoning. The sad facts of his final day are recorded in detail in the in the obituary that accompanies the article. That evening Franklin's nephew Bill Scales and Harry Burleigh rode from town on horseback to the McDaniel farm where they found his son John unharnessing horses. They delivered the news of his father's death. John hitched his horses to the wagon and headed for the hardware store to retrieve his father's corpse. He did not return home until well after midnight. The February night was very cold and the blankets John had placed around his father's body had frozen solid during the long trip from town. He worked the remainder of the night constructing a coffin of wood. Franklin McDaniel was laid to rest in The Liberty Christian Church Cemetery on the following Tuesday. He was 53.

[Mark McDaniel found the obituary below in the Thursday, February, 8th, 1900 edition of The Republican newspaper.]

[It not fitting to let the writer of the above obituary have the last word on the life of Franklin McDaniel. Without men like Franklin McDaniel, peace in the western territories could not have been established. Without men like Franklin McDaniel, the Union could not have been preserved. He served in these causes under the harshest and most brutal of conditions. He did so at great risk to his health and personal safety. Franklin McDaniel merits the recognition and gratitude of the community he served. ]


Franklin McDaniel's Family Tree

Generation No. 1

1. SPENCER McDANIEL¹, Sr. (1761? -1841) and ELIZABETH (RANDALL) McDANIEL (1765? -?)

Children of SPENCER McDANIEL Sr, and ELIZABETH RANDALL are:

2. Spencer Jr.

3. Polly

4. Elizabeth

5. John

6. William (Franklin's grandfather)

Generation No. 2

2. SPENCER McDANIEL Jr. (SPENCER ¹) was born 1782, and died January 21, 1871. He married MARTHA DEROSET. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, 3rd Infantry.

Children of SPENCER McDANIEL Jr., and MARTHA DEROSET are:

Clarinda

Mary

Hardin

Elizabeth

Channa

Samantha

Julia

7. Harvey

3. POLLY McDANIEL (SPENCER ¹) was born October 5, 1783, and died June 1852 (buried in Weddle Cemetery, Pulaski Co. Ky.) She married August 8, 1803 JOHN MILTON WEDDLE Sr.(3 Sep 1776 - 3 Jul 1842)

Children of JOHN MILTON WEDDLE Sr., and POLLY McDANIEL are:

John Milton (Jack) Weddle Jr. (12 Dec 1807 - 10 Apr 1891)

4. ELIZABETH McDANIEL (SPENCER ¹) was born 1790. She married THOMAS EMERSON.

Children of THOMAS EMERSON and ELIZABETH McDANIEL are:

Francis (son) (1816-?)

5. JOHN McDANIEL (SPENCER ¹) was married to UNIA ELIZABETH LITTLEJOHN. They were both natives of Kentucky.

One of the children of JOHN McDANIEL and UNIA ELIZABETH LITTLEJOHN is:

8. John

6. WILLIAM McDANIEL (SPENCER ¹) was born 1787 and died June 5, 1874. He married ELIZABETH WEAVER (1790?-?) on January 12, 1809. He was a veteran of the War of 1812.

Children of WILLIAM McDANIEL and ELIZABETH WEAVER are:

9. Enoch

John

Harvey

Steve

Daniel

Elizabeth (1816-?) [married her cousin, Francis Emerson, on 14 Dec 1831]

Spencer

Abel

William Jr.

Mary

Generation No. 3

7. HARVEY McDANIEL (SPENCER ², SPENCER ¹) was born in 1825. He married REBECCA DORREL (? - 25 May 1853)

Children of HARVEY McDANIEL and REBECCA DORREL are:

Martha E. (1850?-?)

Elizabeth (1853-died young)

8. JOHN McDANIEL (JOHN ⁵, SPENCER ¹) was born in January 1834, Pulaski Co., Kentucky. He married MARY A. MARTIN on January 11, 1866. Like Enoch, John apparently was assisted by Uncle Spencer Jr. to get established in Morgan County.-for more information see biographical sketch of John that follows.

Children of JOHN McDANIEL and MARY A. MARTIN are:

James H.

William Franklin

John E.

Clinton H.

Kelle B.

Elle J.

9. ENOCH McDANIEL (WILLIAM ⁶, SPENCER ¹) was born abt 1810, he died in 1875. He married ELIZABETH SAWYER (1813?-1880's) on January 12, 1830

Children of ENOCH McDANIEL and ELIZABETH SAWYER are:

Stephen G. (1831 -?)

Mary J. (1833-?)

James H (1833-?)

Harmon R. (1837-?)

John R. (1840-~1861) [died in Civil War]

Surrelda (24 Feb 1843-?)

Daniel (1845-?)

Franklin (1846-1900)

Clarinda (1848-?)

Martha A. (18 Nov 1850-?)

Elizabeth (1854-April 1875)

Harvey (1856-?)

CENSUS DATA:

PULASKI COUNTY, KENTUCKY
1850

P.97B-342


ENOCH McDANIEL, AGE 42?   BIRTHPLACE: KY, FARMER, ,$400,


ELIZABETH           42?               KY


STEPHEN G.          19                KY


MARY J.             17                KY


JAMES H.            15                KY, STUDENT


HARMON R.           13                KY,      "


JOHN R.             10                KY       "


SORILDA             06                KY       "


DANIEL              04                KY       "


FRANKLIN            03                KY


CLARINDA            01                KY

MORGAN COUNTY, INDIANA
1860

ENOCH McDANIEL     50    ESTATE VALUE, $800, PERSONAL, $250


ELIZABETH          50


JOHN               20


SURELDA            18


DANIEL             17


FRANKLIN           13


CLARINDA           11


MARTHA             09


ELIZABETH          07 [DIED 1875, AGE 22 OF BURNS]

MORGAN COUNTY, INDIANA
1870

ENOCH McDANIEL    58  FARMER


ELIZABETH         58  KEEPING HOUSE


FRANKLIN          23  FARMER


CLARINDA          20  AT HOME


MARTHA            18  AT HOME


ELIZABETH         16  AT HOME

MORGAN COUNTY, INDIANA
1880

RAY, VOC. 25,ED.274. SHEET 18, LINE 39. M235 JUNE 10

FRANKLIN McDANIEL, 33, LABORER, UNEMPLOYED, 7 MONTHS


MARY ELLEN         28?, CANNOT WRITE, KEEPS HOUSE


JOHN JEFFERSON     06


SOPHIA             04


HOGUM JAMES        02


LUFORD             03 MONTHS


ELIZABETH          68, CANNOT WRITE

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

KNOW YE, THAT FRANKLIN McDANIEL, A PRIVATE OF CAPTAIN JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ COMPANY K 5TH REGIMENT OF VETERAN RESERVE CORP VOLUNTEERS, WHO WAS ENROLLED ON THE 22 DAY OF MARCH 1864 TO SERVE THREE YEARS OR DURING THE WAR , IS HEREBY DISCHARGED FROM THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES THIS 25TH DAY OF AUGUST, 1865, AT INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA BY REASON OF G.O.# 116 SAID FRANKLIN McDANIEL WAS BORN IN MORGAN COUNTY[SIC] IN THE STATE OF INDIANA AND IS 18[SIC] YEARS OF AGE FIVE FEET SIX INCHES HIGH, DARK COMPLEXION, DARK EYES AND DARK HAIR AND BY OCCUPATION WHEN ENROLLED A FARMER GIVEN AT INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA THIS 25TH DAY OF AUGUST 1865 TRANSFERRED FROM CO.K 129 IND VOL. INFANTRY TO THE 5TH VOL. RESERVE CORP.ON JUNE 7TH 1865 ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES



TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: KNOW YE, THAT FRANKLIN McDANIEL, A CORPORAL OF CAPTAIN WM. H. BROWN'S COMPANY E OF THE TWENTY-FIRST REGIMENT OF THE INFANTRY WHO WAS ENLISTED THE TWELTH DAY OF FEBRUARY 1867 TO SERVE THREE YEARS IS HEREBY DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE EXPIRATION OF HIS TERM OF ENLISTMENT.

SAID FRANKLIN McDANIEL WAS BORN IN MORGAN COUNTY IN THE STATE OF INDIANA, IS 21 YEARS OF AGE FIVE FEET, FIVE INCHES HIGH, DARK COMPLEXION, DARK EYES AND DARK HAIR, AND BY THE OCCUPATION WHEN ENLISTED FARMER.

GIVEN UNDER MY HAND, AT CAMP VERDE, ARIZONA, THIS TWELFTH DAY OF FEBRUARY 1870.
WM. HARRY BROWN
CAPTAIN, 21st INFANTRY

CHARACTER. VERY GOOD,
WM. HARRY BROWN
CAPTAIN, 21st INFANTRY



DECLARATION FOR INVAID ARMY PENSION

ON THIS 4TH DAY OF MARCH,1889... FRANKLIN MCDANIEL... IN THE COUNTY OF MORGAN... WHO ENLISTED.. IN INDIANAPOLIS ON THE 22 OF MARCH 1864 AS A PRIVATE IN "K" COMPANY OF THE 129TH REGIMENT OF INDIANA COMMANDED BY JOHN WASHBURN AND WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED AT INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA ON THE 25TH OF AUGUST 1865 THAT PERSONAL DESCRIPTION IS AS FOLLOWS : AGE 18, HIGHT 5 FEET 6 INCHES; COMPLEXION DARK;HAIR BLACK; EYES DARK THAT... AT A PLACE , THE STATE OF TENNESEE, ON OR ABOUT THE WINTER OF 1864: HE INCURRED DIARRHEA, GENERAL NERVOUS PROSTRATION, WAS SENT TO NUMBER "1" HOSPITAL, WARD "B", NASHVILLE, TENNESEE SHOCK AND NERVOUS PROSTRATION AT THE SAME TIME AND PLACE AND HAS NOT BEEN IN THE MILITARY EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS: 21ST REGIMENT, UNITED STATES INFANTRY FOR 3 YEARS AND IS NOW 3/4 DISABLED FROM OBTAINING HIS SUBSISTENCE BY MANUAL LABOR BY SEASON OF HIS INJURIES RECEIVED HE THERFORE MAKES THIS DECLARATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING PLACED ON THE INVALID PENSION ROLL OF THE UNITED STATES . HE HEREBY APPOINTS... J.J. JOHNSON OF MARTINSVILLE IN, HIS TRUE AND LAWFUL ATTORNEY TO PROSECUTE THIS CLAIM.



FRANKLIN McDANIEL
IN THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES...


DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF PENSIONS
JULY 9, 1889
FRANKLIN McDANIEL
K, 129 IND. INFANTRY
21 US INFANTRY

SIR:
I HAVE THE HONOR TO REQUEST THAT YOU WILL FURNISH FROM THE RECORDS OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT, A FULL REPORT AS TO THE SERVICE, DISABILITY, AND HOSPITAL TREATMENT OF FRANKLIN McDANIEL, WHO, IT IS CLAIMED, ENLISTED MARCH 22, 1864 AND SERVED AS A PRIVATE IN CO. K 129TH REGIMENT AND ALSO IN THE 21ST U.S INFANTRY AND WAS DISCHARGED AT INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA AUGUST 25 1865. WHILE SERVING IN CO. K 129 IND. INFANTRY HE WAS DISABLED BY DIARRHEA AND NERVOUS PROSTRATION AT TENN.-WINTER OF 1864 AND WAS TREATED AT NASHVILLE, TENN.

VERY RESPECTFULLY,
JAMES TANNER, COMMISIONER



War Department
Record and Pension Division
WASHINGTON, AUGUST 21, 1889

RESPECTFULLY RETURNED TO THE COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS. FRANKLIN MCDANIEL, A PRIVATE OF COMPANY K, 129TH REGIMENT, INDIANA VOLUNTEERS, WAS ENROLLED ON THE 22 DAY OF MARCH, 1864, AT NEWPORT, INDIANA, FOR 3 YEARS, AND IS REPORTED ON ROLL FROM DATE OF ENROLLMENT TO JUNE 30, 1864. ABSENT, SICK AT MARRIETTA, GEORGIA. SAME REPORT TO OCTOBER, 1864. NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, ABSENT,SICK AT NASHVILLE, TENNESEE. TRANSFERRED TO VRC.
CAUSE OF TRANFER TO VRC, NOT STATED.

WAS ASSIGNED TO CO. K, 5TH REGIMENT AND MUSTERED OUT WITH A DETACHMENT AS PRIVATE , AUGUST 25, 1865, AT INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. NO FURTHER EVIDENCE OF ALLEGED DISABILITY DATED CLAIMED.

tc winsworth
Capt. and Asst. Surgeon
U.S.A.



WAR DEPARTMENT
ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. APRIL 22,1890
RESPECTFULLY TO THE COMMISIONER OF PENSIONS

FRANKLIN McDANIEL, WAS ENLISTED ON THE 12TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 1867, AT CINCINNATI, OHIO, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO COMPANY "C" 21ST REGIMENT OF THE UNITED STATES INFANTRY; MUSTER ROLL, FEBRUARY 28, 1870, REPORTS HIM: DISCHARGED AT CAMP VERDE, ARIZONA, FEBRUARY 12, 1870 BY EXPIRATION OF SERVICE, A CORPORAL (APPOINTED CORPORAL OCTOBER,1, 1868.)

NOT REPORTED SICK ON ANY MUSTER ROLL DURING THE SERVICE IN THE REGULAR ARMY. BOOKS OF ORGANIZATION ARE NOT ON FILE IN THIS OFFICE.

S.C. NELTON
ASSISTANT ADJUTANT GENERAL



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF PENSIONS
JULY 9, 1889
FRANKLIN McDANIEL
K, 129 IND. INFANTRY
21 US INFANTRY

SIR:
I HAVE THE HONOR TO REQUEST THAT YOU WILL FURNISH FROM THE RECORDS OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT, A FULL REPORT AS TO THE SERVICE, DISABILITY, AND HOSPITAL TREATMENT OF FRANKLIN McDANIEL, WHO, IT IS CLAIMED, ENLISTED MARCH 22, 1864 AND SERVED AS A PRIVATE IN CO. K 129TH REGIMENT AND ALSO IN THE 21ST U.S INFANTRY AND WAS DISCHARGED AT INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA AUGUST 25 1865. WHILE SERVING IN CO. K 129 IND. INFANTRY HE WAS DISABLED BY DIARRHEA AND NERVOUS PROSTRATION AT TENN.-WINTER OF 1864 AND WAS TREATED AT NASHVILLE, TENN.

VERY RESPECTFULLY,
JAMES TANNER, COMMISIONER



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF PENSIONS
WASHINGTON D.C. JANUARY 15, 1898

SIR:
IN FORWARDING TO THE PENSION THE EXECUTED VOUCHER FOR YOUR NEXT QUARTERLY PAYMENT, PLEASE FAVOR ME BY RETURNING THIS CIRCULAR TO HIM WITH REPLIES TO THE QUESTIONS ENUMERATED BELOW:

ARE YOU MARRIED?

YES , TO MARY ELLEN GUM

WHERE, WHEN, AND BY WHOM WERE YOU MARRIED?

1871[ACTUALLY 1872]MARTINSVILLLE IND. MORGAN COUNTY, SQUIRE BURNS

WHAT RECORD OF THE MARRIAGE EXIST?

MARINTSVILLE IND. MORGAN COUNTY

WERE YOU PREVIOUSLLY MARRIED?

NEVER MARRIED BYT ONCE.

ARE THERE ANY CHILDREN LIVING? IF SO STATE THEIR NAMES AND DATES OF BIRTH.

JOHN, 6 OF OCT. 72 [ACTUALLY 1873]
SOPHIA, 6 OF FEB, 1875
HOAG, 15 OF MARCH 1877
LUFORD, 18 OF APRIL 1880
SUSIE, 20 OF JULY 1882

DATE OF REPLY, AUG 4, 1898      SIGNATURE, FRANKLIN MCDANIEL



Comment:
His descendents and other readers may be disturbed by the derogatory tone employed by the writer of Franklin McDaniel's death notice in The Republican. I keep in mind that the writer however did not have the advantage of a century of progress in the fields of substance dependence and mental health. As a teenager, Franklin was exposed to the death mayhem and cruelty of the Civil War and the Indian Wars. In my view it is plausible that these events left psychological scars which could never be erased. This residual of war was never treated until the First World War when it was described was "shell shock"and today is described as "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." This disorder is often associated with alcohol abuse and the abuse of other drugs. Treatment protocols for PTSD were not developed until the 1970's. Alcohol rehabilatation was not available to most until the 1930's.

Had modern techniques been available, Franklin would have been properly detoxified, would have received follow-up counseling perhaps prescribed Antabuse to help make a return to alcohol more difficult. He would have received ReVera, which may have reduced the cravings for alcohol. He could have received the support of fellowship of an organization such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Medical, group and individual therapies for PTSD would have been initiated and his pre-mature death would never have taken place. The greatest accolade for Franklin McDaniel was the love that his children had for him.