1854 Annuity Roll - under Chief O saw waw bun
#6 Shaw baw ne gonse, 1 man, 1 woman, 1 child, receiving $4.92 [Thomas was still with his parents.]
On 6 Jan 1859 in Taymouth, Saginaw, Michigan, Thomas, 23, married Mary/Wawwawsawmoquay, 18, the daughter of James Fisher. [Mary is also referred to as Jane and Mary Jane.]
A son, Maw-ze-naw-se / Masenoss died Oct 1859, age 3 years. He was buried in Chippewa Indian Cemetery, Burt, Saginaw, Michigan
1859 Annuity Roll - under Chief Saw gaw che way o say
#20 Thomas Nelson, 1 man, 1 woman, 1 child, receiving $12.81
1861 Annuity Roll - under Chief Saw gaw che way o say
#17 Thomas, 1 man, 1 woman, 1 child, receiving $18.36
[No last name listed, but next to Jacob Fisher and James Fisher, same as 1859]
Draft registration, 6th Congressional District, state of Michigan, June 1863
Taymouth, Nelson, Thomas, 26, farmer, married, born in Michigan
Thomas was described as 6 feet 1 inch tall, black eyes and hair, dark complexion.
Muster in roll
#5 (in second set) Thomas Nelson, 27, enlisted 18 May 1863 in Isabella as a corporal, enrolled by Wm. J. Driggs for 3 years. Mustered 26 May 1863 by Col. J. R. Smith in Detroit.
On 7 Feb 1864, while on duty at Camp Douglas in Chicago, Illinois (where his regiment was guarding Confederate prisoners), Thomas became ill with remittent fever and sent to the USA Post Hospital. He returned to duty on 3 Mar 1864.
Thomas suffered a gunshot wound in his right thigh near the hip on 12 May 1864, during the Battle of Spotsylvania, Virginia. He was treated at the division hospital until moved to the depot hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia on 17 May 1864. On 24 May 1864 Thomas was moved by ambulance wagon to Belle Plain Landing, Virginia and placed aboard a hospital ship. He was admitted to Harewood USA General Hospital in Washington, DC on 25 May 1864.
Thomas received a 45 day furlough from the hospital on 6 Jun 1864 and returned to his home in East Saginaw, Michigan.
On 23 Jun 1864, while talking to an old friend, W.H. Beach, a man named McDonald began a fight with Thomas. As Thomas threw McDonald down on the sidewalk, another man, Wallace, came up beat Thomas severely in the face. Then Wallace beat Beach so badly that Beach died two days later.
Because of the beating Dr. H.C. Farrand, of East Saginaw, wrote to Harewood Hospital on 6 August and Thomas was granted an extension of his furlough. He returned to Harewood on 3 Sep 1864.
1864 Annuity Roll - under Chief William Smith
#17 Thomas Nelson, 1 man, 1 woman, 1 child, receiving $18.96
Daughter Elizabeth was born 15 Sep 1864.
Another furlough was granted on 25 Oct 1864, with Thomas returning to Harewood again on 16 Nov 1864.
On 28 Nov 1864 Thomas was examined for transfer to company A of the Fourteenth Regiment Veterans Reserve Corps. His transfer was granted on 15 Jan 1865.
It soon became evident that Thomas could not do even light duty and was given a certificate of disability for discharge on 10 Jul 1865 in Washington, DC.
On 10 Apr 1866 Thomas submitted application #106,301 for an invalid pension.
Daughter Lucy / Louise was born 20 Aug 1866.
1865 Annuity Roll - under Chief Elijah Pilcher
#14 Thomas Nelson, 1 man, 1 woman, 1 child, receiving $27.57
1866 Annuity Roll - under Chief Elijah Pilcher
#11 Thomas Nelson, 1 man, 1 woman, 2 children, receiving $37.32
1867 Annuity Roll - under Chief Elijah Pilcher
#10 Thomas Nelson, 1 man, 1 woman, 2 children, receiving $35.44
Thomas received a $100 bounty in January 1868, given to any soldier given a discharge due to incapacitation woulds received in battle.
Gruett rolls - dated 1868
#196 Thomas Nelson
Waw-waw-saw-mo-quay, wife
Elisabeth Nelson, 5, daughter
Pe-taw-baw-no-quay, 1
Waw-say-che-waw-no-quay, wife
Ke-she-ge-waw-no-quay, 26, daughter, married to Daniel Wheedon
Waw-waw-saw-no-quay, 24, daughter, married to Thomas Nelson
Tay-baw-gwaw-se-gay-quay, 22, daughter, married to Nathaniel Wheedon
Kaw-waw-naw-no-quay, 20, daughter, married to Charls Chatfield
Shaw-waw-ne-ge-zhe-go-quay, 18
Shaw-waw-ne-pe-nay-se, 9
Daughter, 5
The Leach/Smith register includes Maw-ze-naw-se, son of Thomas Nelson and Waw-waw-saw-no-quay, "died 10 yrs ago, was not of age"
Son Frank was born 15 Sep 1868.
Son Daniel was born 10 Oct 1870
Land Certificate dated 27 May 1871, for the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of section 5, T15N, R4W, consisting of 40 acres.
Daughter Jane was born 3 Aug 1872.
Wife Mary died in 1875.
Thomas applied for a civil war pension.
On 2 Feb 1876 Thomas received Invalid Pension Certificate #97878, granting $4 per month, retroactive to 11 Jul 1865.
Thomas died 4 Aug 1877
He was buried in the Chippewa Indian Cemetery in Burt, Saginaw, Michigan.
On 20 May 1878 Peter Gruett Jr. was appointed quardian for the youngest of Thomas and Mary's children. Peter's wife Julia was sister to Thomas' wife Mary.
1880 Federal Census - Town of James, Saginaw, Michigan
Gruett, Peter, 34, laborer
" Julia, 35, wife, keeping house
" Sally, 16, daughter, at home
Nelson, Lucy, 15, niece, at home
" Frank, 14, nephew, at home
" Daniel, 13, nephew, at school
" Jane, 6, niece, at school
A dependent children's pension application #289,420 was filed on 30 Jan 1882. Unfortunately it was not approved as Peter Gruet had died.
A headstone for Thomas was applied for in 1886. [Notice incorrect death date.]
Son Frank died 10 May 1890 in Taymouth, Saginaw, Michigan
Daughter Jane/Jennie married Minor James Stevens on 5 Jan 1918. [This is after the birth of their children and is listed as his 1st marriage and her 2nd.]
She died 9 Jun 1929 in St. Charles, Saginaw, Michigan.
Information from military and pensions records as abstracted in "Warriors in Mr. Lincoln's Army" by Quita V. Shier. Copies of the actual records to be added to this post soon.
