Monday, March 15, 2010

Timothy Pendergast - update 5/2/2017

Timothy Pendergast was born in 1838 in London, Ontario, Canada.

Timothy left Canada and had settled in western Michigan by the time war had broken out.

He stood 5’10” with blue eyes, light hair and a light complexion and was 23 years old and probably working as a bricklayer in Barry County when he enlisted in Company F on May 13, 1861. He was eventually detached as a teamster and was serving in the Brigade trains in October of 1862, and driving an ammunition train from November through January of 1863. On May 2, 1863, during the early action at Chancellorsville, Virginia, Timothy was shot in the right side of his head

by a round ball which struck him on the right side of the OS frontis, about an inch and a half anterior to the coronal structure, fracturing both tables of the bone. Patient states that he was insensible for a long time, but finally recovered himself so far s to be able to walk to the field hospital where the surgeon extracted the ball. He entered this hospital [St. Mary’s in Detroit] Aug. 3d, wound in a bad condition -- the probe revealing necrosed bone, an operation was deemed necessary. The patient was accordingly placed under the influence of chloroform, and the wounded surface of the cranium exposed by making two incisions at right angles, and dissecting away the flaps, a necrosed ring of bone was then removed completely encircling the original wound, 1/4 inch in width . . . so that the dura-mater was exposed for a space as large as a half dollar. The wound was properly dressed, gave the patient but little trouble, and is now nearly well.

He returned to the Regiment on October 26, 1863, was detached in November to bring conscripts from Michigan and discharged on November 12 at Detroit, by reason of the gunshot wound to the frontal bone on the right side of the head and neuralgia.

On November 28, 1863, Timothy applied for and received a pension (no. 23692); his surname was listed as “Pender.”

Timothy gave his mailing address on his discharge paper as Grand Rapids but he eventually settled in Detroit.

He married Canadian Sophie Raymond Holmes (1840-1898) and they had at least three children Henry (b. 1860), a daughter Osillie (b. 1862) and Mary (b. 1872). Sophie had been married once before

By 1870 he was living with his wife and two children in Detroit’s 4th Ward. In 1880 timothy was working as a and living with his wife, daughter Mary and stepson George Holmes and stepdaughter Matilda Holmes in Detroit. In 1883 and 1888 Timothy was living in Detroit, and in 1890 he was residing at 181 St. Aubin Street in Detroit (listed as “Pindergast, alias Pinder”). He was probably residing in Detroit’s 9th ward by 1894.

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