Daniel Neff is Cory’s 3X Great Grandfather and a Civil War Veteran. Cory’s line to Daniel is through his Grandmother Geneva Perlette Storer. Geneva’s parents are John Perlette and Hannah Hastings. Hannah’s parents are Francis Hastings and Susan Neff, Susan’s parents are Daniel Neff and Sarah Rector.
From my recently acquired copy of his service records we learn the following about Daniel Neff.
On September 17, 1861 he enlisted in the Illinois 4th Cavalry Company E and later transferred to Company F in November of 1861. He lists his age as 26 years old, 5’7″ and the records say he has Florid complexion, brown hair and gray eyes. He enlisted from Ottawa, Lasalle County, IL.
This infantry unit was engaged in Ft Donelson, Shiloh, Siege of Corinth and the Siege of Vicksburg. This site is a good resource for all things 4th Cavalry
Some of the dates in Daniel’s pension differ and here’s what I can gather.
In either February of April of 1862 near Ft Donelson/Ft Henry/Shiloh Daniel contracted diarrhea and was taken to the regimental hospital. The reports through his pension differ slightly. Most do say that at Pittsburg Landing in June of 1862 he was transferred on board the Hospital Steamer Empress. From there he was taken to St Louis and eventually released from Quincey, IL. He was discharged with papers stating he had disease of the liver and spleen. It was also noted that he had the ringer finger of his left hand broken by falling from a horse near Cairo, IL. As time went on his disability papers also included dyspepsia, piles, rheumatism, heart disease, disease of abdominal viscera and debility. It sounds like these conditions often had Daniel bedridden and often unable to work for periods at a time. In 1881 he was declared over half incapacitated for his job as a teamster and in 1904 at 69 years old he was declared totally unable to earn a living.
In 1863 Daniel’s pension was $6 a month and that gradually increased until in 1933 his widow was receiving $36 a month.
Cory and Nicole Family History 