A Civil War Sailor: Boatswain's Mate Washington Foster JUDD (c. 1832 - 1896)

Signature of William Foster Judd, a.k.a. Charles F. King, from Civil War Veteran's Widow Pension Application of Cornelia (McClellan) Fredenburg Judd Crawford.

How Related: Second husband of my 3rd-great-grandmother, Cornelia McCLELLAN

Born: c. 1832 in New York (probably in Madison County)

Parents: Franklin Foster JUDD (c. 1797 - aft. 1880) and Julia BURLINGUETTE (c. 1797 - 1878/80)

Siblings: known siblings include John (b. c. 1835), Charity (b. c. 1839), and Abigail JUDD (b. c. 1841), and possibly a sister named Harriet (b. c. 1821)

Married: Celis RABAR (d. aft. 1873) in February 1854 at a Catholic Church in Chatham, Kent Co., Ontario, Canada. He divorced her 11 December 1873 in Lapeer, Lapeer Co., Michigan on the grounds of desertion. Married widow Cornelia (McCLELLAN) FREDENBURG (my ancestor) on 18 May 1893 in Lapeer.

Children: With his first wife, Washington had two daughters: Elvira C. (b. 1854) and Rosa JUDD (b. 1857).

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Source: Navy Survivors' Certificate of Washington F. Judd, alias Charles F. King. Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Civil War and Later Navy Veterans (Navy Survivors' Certificates), 1861-1910. National Archives and Records Administration. Publication M1469. Certificate Number 16826. Pages 1 - 3. Digital image purchased at Footnote [http://www.footnote.com/].

Enlisted: 15 September 1861 at Buffalo, Erie Co., New York

Side served: Union

Ship: U.S.S. Signal

Discharged: 29 July 1863 at Memphis, Shelby Co., Tennessee

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Source: U.S.S. Signal on the Western Rivers, 1863-64. Digital image found at Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Signal_%281862%29]. Photo in the public domain. Photo number NH49977.

Biography or Information of Interest: Before I obtained the pension record of my 3rd-great-grandfather, Sylvester FREDENBURG, I did not know that his wife, my ancestor, Cornelia McCLELLAN, married twice after his death. Thus, I had not known about Washington Foster JUDD. Sylvester's and Washington's pension applications were combined, as both were applied for by Cornelia after their respective deaths. While there were not many documents about Washington, what existed has given me great details of the events in his life. For instance, I learned that he was 5' 8" tall, with light hair and complexion, and blue eyes. There was no hint, however, of why he used an alias during the war, although he was not the only one between my husband's and my families to do so. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Signal, which, as a gunboat, served as a convoy escort. On 12 December 1862, the U.S.S. Cairo encountered a mine while attempting to clear the river of these dangers (the Signal and another ship had already discovered these mines while patrolling), and sank in 12 minutes. While assisting the crew of the Cairo to safety (all survived), Washington slipped and fell, rupturing his right side. He was treated by the surgeon of the flag ship of the convoy. By 1890, at age 58, his physician testified that he was still suffering from the rupture, as well as from chronic diarrhea, heart disease, and lumbago. Like many who survived the war only to suffer for years afterward, he died of the dehydrating effects of diarrhea. Washington was fortunate that he was discharged when he was; his ship was later burned by the Confederates and the crew held as prisoners of war at Camp Ford near Tyler, Smith Co., Texas.

Died: of chronic diarrhea on 23 May 1896 in Arcadia, Lapeer Co., Michigan

Buried: unknown, possibly in Arcadia Township Cemetery, Lapeer Co., Michigan?