That having been said, it is still necessary to present theories or speculation in many cases, because we just do not have the primary documents needed. That is exactly the case with James Corbin. So far as I know, none of the Corbin genealogists have ever found a death record for James' father, Nathan Corbin, yet there are other court documents which indicate he died and his children were assigned guardians. Nathan owned land and his "widow" had to go to court to sell it, even though her new husband was the buyer. So sometimes we can try and make the pieces of the puzzle fit, and hope for the best. I did not find a tombstone for Nathan Corbin when I visited the Laurel Cemetery.
It has been verified that John Corbin of Baltimore County, Maryland had at least three sons: Nathan, Shadrack and Abraham. They are all mentioned in his Last Will and Testament. According to the writings of Leonard Simmons, who personally knew all three of these men, Nathan and Abraham decided to leave Maryland and make a trip west to Ohio. They first settled in Butler County, Ohio in about 1805 and then moved to Clermont County, Ohio in 1812. For students of American History, we know that much of The War of 1812 was fought in southern and eastern Ohio. The fighting with Native Americans was particularly intense in the very areas where these two men and their families lived. Cincinnati was the military center for much of the War of 1812. I have often wondered if Nathan did not join the US Army and was killed in action, but I have never been able to find any record of his service. Eventually, John Corbin Sr. and his other son, Shadrack Corbin all joined Nathan and Abraham in Clermont County, Ohio.
From my last blog, you will remember that James Corbin's mother, Mary (Anderson) Corbin married second Elijah Lindsey. Nathan and Mary Corbin had two children, Sarah and James. Mary, Elijah, two of Elijah's children and Mary's two children all lived in Clermont County on the farm which had belonged to Nathan and Mary Corbin before his death. On April 22, 1821, Sarah Corbin was married to Miles Harper Mattox at Laurel, Clermont County, Ohio. Sometime between 1832 and 1835, the family moved from Clermont County, Ohio to LaPorte County, Indiana.
The 1835 US Census, records that Elijah Lindsey, his wife, Mary (Anderson) Corbin Lindsey, Sarah (Corbin) Mattox and her husband Miles Harper Mattox, and James Corbin were all living together in Winfield Township, Lake County, Indiana. It isn't known why they removed from Clermont County, Ohio but there was a great movement westward after the lands of Native Americans were opened to settlement and there was little fear of uprisings. There was inexpensive farm land and jobs were plentiful so the "grass was always greener on the other side of the fence."
The Casteel family lived near the Lindsey and Corbin families in Clermont County, Ohio. This was an extended family that included the grandparents and the parents of Cynthia Ann Casteel, who would become the wife of James Corbin on February 5, 1837 in LaPorte County, Indiana.
The parents of Cynthia Ann were William Henry and Mary E. (Blevins) Casteel. William H. was born in 1796 in Virginia and died in 1891 in Jackson, Clay County, Missouri. He was married to Mary Blevins in 1819 in Clermont County, Ohio. Mary was born in Virginia in 1799 and died at West Liberty, Putnam County, MO in 1875. They were the parents of at least six children:
Cynthia Ann born October 8, 1819; George Washington (1823-1890); John R. (1826-1865); Nancy (1828-1896); Margaret (1832-); and Anna (1841-1896.)
It is interesting that some members of the Casteel family seem to move in tandem with the Corbins. We will find that they moved from Ohio to Indiana, then to northern Missouri, on to Nebraska and finally to Oregon. It was always easier to make a major move by covered wagon when you had relatives at your destination that could help you become established.
The grandparents of Cynthia Ann were Joseph and Nancy Anna (Cooper) Casteel. Joseph was born in 1770 in Virginia and died in 1840 at Dodge, Putnam County, Missouri. Nancy Anna (Cooper) Casteel was born in 1773 in Virginia and died in 1850 at Chariton, Missouri. They were the parents of at least seven children: Thomas (1795 - ); William Henry (1796 - 1891); Elijah (1801 - ); Ison (1805 - 1880) Siron Solamon (1808 - ); John (1810-1850); and Lewis (1813-1867.)
Both of these families are to be found near the Corbins and Lindseys in Clermont County, Ohio on the 1820 and 1830 US Census. Many of them moved to Lake and LaPorte Counties in Indiana at or near the same time as the Corbins, Lindseys and Mattox families. As you can determine from reading the two preceding paragraphs, these families continued to move to the same locations in succeeding decades.
James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin were the parents of at least nine children:
William T. Corbin born February 10, 1838 at Lake County, Indiana.
Griffin Corbin, born December 7, 1839 and died December 14, 1839 at Lake County, Indiana.
Nathaniel born January 22, 1841 at Lake County, Indiana.
Mary Elizabeth, born February 4, 1844 at or near Michigan City, Lake County, Indiana.
Sarah Catherine, born February 1, 1847 in Winfield Township, Lake County, Indiana
James Peter, born July 13, 1850 in West Liberty, Putnam County, Missouri
George Washington, born May 16, 1853 in West Liberty, Putnam County, Missouri
Martha Jane, born May 27, 1856 in West Liberty, Putnam County, Missouri
Nancy Anna, born February 2, 1860, in West Liberty, Putnam County, Missouri.
Okay---I'll apologize in advance---but with little to prevent conception families often had to either turn to abstinence or be faced with having babies about every two years. My own paternal grandmother, Mabel R. (Jones) Clark was one of those rare Victorian women who would talk about such things with a grandson but....she told me that after the first two or three children, sex was often an annual birthday present for the husband. It doesn't take much mathematical calculation to determine that James Corbin's birthday was on May 15, and most of his children were born nine months later in late January or early February. Otherwise, women used baking soda or vinegar douche in order to try and keep from getting pregnant. Talking about speculation.........I'm glad my Mom and both Grandmothers are deceased!!
Eight of the nine children of James and Nancy Anna (Casteel) Corbin lived to maturity, a rather unusual phenomenon for that period of time.
According to a newspaper interview with Mary Elizabeth Corbin, given on her 95th birthday, James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin briefly moved their family to Texas during 1848 and 1849. Unfortunately she does not say where in Texas but her exact quote is: "I was born in Michigan City, Indiana, moved to Texas as a small girl of eight, and then settled in Putnam County, Missouri when I was about ten years old."
A map showing the location of Putnam County, Missouri. Putnam County is on the northern border of Missouri and Iowa.The James Corbin farm in Putnam County, Missouri was originally 80 acres. James added 40 acres more and land patents for the 120 acres were obtained in 1851.
Although older than most volunteers, James Corbin enlisted in the US Union Army and fought in the Civil War. His oldest son, William T. Corbin also fought in what became known as "The War of the Rebellion." James enlisted on August 11, 1864 at Unionville, Missouri for one year. He was listed as 44 years of age, a farmer, of fair complexion, with blue eyes and dark hair. He was 5'8" tall. If this record was correct, James would have been born in 1819. However, we know that he was born in 1813, so he was actually 51 years old when he enlisted. He most likely lied about his age because he needed the enlistment bonus and monthly salary to help pay for his recently obtained farmland. This was not uncommon at all. He was paid a bounty of $100 for enlisting. On September 11, 1864 he was promoted to sergeant from the ranks and marched south with Company "C" of the 42nd Regiment of Missouri Infantry. He was discharged at Nashville, Tennessee on June 28, 1865 because of ill health. Several pages of his war records are included in this blog. I have re-typed the records because they were either in very faint, faded ink, or were very difficult to read. I have traced all signatures.
On January 20, 1865, James Corbin was stricken with an illness which he claimed began after wading a river in Tennessee. This may have been the dreaded chronic diarrhea, which was easily contracted from water. He took pneumonia which left him with a weakened heart. Without antibiotics, diarrhea was very difficult to cure and often lead to complications of the lungs, heart and other organs. Diarrhea was the number one cause of death during the Civil War, causing many more deaths than bullets and cannon balls. A combined 620,000 died one way or another during the Civil War. Of that number about 175,000 were killed by gun shot or cannon. The rest died as a result of amputation, infections, poor water, and an estimated 210,000 from diarrhea.
James Corbin was in Cumberland Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee from late January 1865 until May 1, 1865. James returned to his farm home in West Liberty, Putnam County, Missouri but was never able to work hard physically again. He applied for and received a government pension almost as soon as he returned home. He also had to dispose of his farm and depend on his children for his livelihood. On December 26, 1879, he was declared totally disabled and awarded a pension of $2.00 per month. At the time, he was nearly an invalid but lived for more than ten years.
William T. Corbin was the oldest son of James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin and was born on February 11, 1838 in Lake County, Indiana. William was married to Emily Hulbert on March 15, 1859 at West Liberty, Putnam County, Missouri by James F. Rogers, Justice of the Peace. To this union, one son, James William Corbin, was born on August 11, 1863. Since William was serving in the Army, he was not present at the birth, which was attended by Margaret Hodson, a midwife. William Casteel, William's grandfather and father of Cynthia Ann Casteel, was a witness on the birth certificate.
William T. Corbin volunteered for the Union Army and was assigned to Company M, 7th Regiment of Missouri Calvary for three years. The enlistment date was March 18, 1862. William was an ambulance driver and died on September 2, 1864 at Union General Hospital, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Official papers list the cause of death as Remittent Fever owing to Chronic Diarrhea. Emily Corbin moved to Lemmonville, Putnam County, Missouri after his death (this village is also shown as Lemons on some Putnam County maps.) It was just to the south of West Liberty, and there she occupied an 80-acre farm until her death on April 29, 1904. Between 1864 and 1904, she received a pension of $8.00 per month as a widow. From 1864 untl 1882, she received an additional $2.00 for one dependent child. After James William became 18, the amount was reduced to $8.00 again.
James William Corbin, was married to Miss Annie A. Miller on December 24, 1887 at the county courthouse in Unionville, Missouri. Annie Miller was the daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Phillips Miller and died August 29, 1898 at the age of 27. Annie was born in Scotland County, Missouri on August 29, 1871.
To the union of James W. and Annie (Miller) Corbin, was born one son, Merit William Corbin, on December 26, 1888. Merit's grandmother, Emily Corbin, and his mother Annie Corbin, lived on the farm until their deaths.
Merit was married to Edith Fightmaster on Ausut 7, 1910 and they were members of the Bethany Church in Putnam County, Missouri. One son, William Clark Corbin was born to their union on December 15, 1917. He died at birth and is buried in the Lemon Cemetery. Merit Corbin died on July 11, 1934. Edith Corbin was still living in 1980 when I last visited Unionville, Missouri. I phoned her home but she said she was too old and her memory to poor to visit with me.
In 1977, I visited the site of the Corbin farm with Todd cousin, Mrs. Reva Todd Dixon. Emily Corbin raised Mrs. Dixon's mother, Phoebe Montgomery and Mrs. Dixon has many fond memories of the Corbins. She said a sweeter woman never lived than Emily Corbin.
Documents relating to the Civil War Service and Estate of William T. Corbin.
With that, I believe I'll bring this writing to a close. Happy trails!
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