| Notes |
- Robert Emmitt Montgomery was born ca. 1823 in Missouri and died 2 May 1865 at Benton Basrricks, St. Louis, Missouri. Death records of Wayne County, Missouri, list his birth place as Van Buren, MO.
This was likely part of Wayne County at that time, or it may be an error. Emmitt was married 2 September 1839 at the home of Ephraim Bollinger, marriage performed by Robert Yancey, J.P., to Matilda C. Sullivan. She was born 1824 in Tennessee. Matilda, called "Till", died 4 August 1897. She is buried at Twidwell Cemetery, Silva, Missouri. Emmitt was buried at Benton Barricks, where he died.
Emmitt enlisted in the Union Army (Civil War) - mustered in at Pilot Knob on 4 September 1864. He and Matilda had 5 children living at this time. (Although Matilda stated on pension application that they had 8 children, with 2 being dead in 1865) with the youngest (Cassia Jane) being about 8 months old. Like so many of the men who served in this war, Emmitt lieft a wife and children at home to carry on while he served the Union cause. Many of these families suffered greatly, and many were driven from their homes, or left because of fear of violence.
Both Emmitt and his brother Frank, are reported as deserting.
Emmitt's pension record states that he "deserted on 12 December 1864, on the amrch from Patterson to Pilot Knob, when the Company was ordered to Nashville, Tennessee. He rejoined his company at Pulaski, Tennessee on 13 February 1865. The charge of desertion was removed, with the condition that he make up the lost time of two months and one day. He was assigned to Co. A, 39th Mo. Vols..
Emmitt died before his time was completed. His brother Frank Montgomery was with him at his death. He wrote that Emmitt had been sick three weeks. Copy of letter follows:
"Dear Sister Benton Barricks St. Louis May 2 1865
I set down to writ to you in troubel and have to tell you a hard thing or it has bin so to me. Brother Emet has bin sick for 3 weeks and he dyed last night at 2 oclock and he will be bured this eaving or in the mornting. He first had the mumps and then the measels and last of all the Erecplis and that is what killed him. He had it in his face. I would bring him home if I had the mony but I have not got it. I don all I could for him after I got hear and that is all I culd do. I am not well my self tho I can nock arond and do my part of the duty. I dont have much to do. I have got vary pore and lean. Tho I think I will git better before long if I have no bad luck. So Close
B.F. Montgomery to Metildy Montgomery:"
Matilda kept the children together and raised all 5 of them to adulthood. She applied for widows pension 12 June 1865, with Emmitt's father James Montgomery (1786) signing for her. In 1868 she again applied for pension increase, with Elizabeth Bounds and Elizabeth Collins singing an afadavit for her, stating that they had known Matilda for 20 years. On Matilda's tombstone at Twidwell Cemetery her death date is listed as 1890. This is an error, as is proven by her pension records which states her death date as given here.
During a talk with my Aunt Lillie (Twidwell) Carpenter, she told me that her Grandmother Till had told her that grandfather Emmitt came home from service because the children were all sick, then he left and went back and took sick and died in service. This was made clearer after obtaining his war record.
At this time we do not know the parents of Matilda Sullivan Montgomery. In the 1850 census of Wayne County, Missouri is found Emmitt, Matilda and their first child, and living with them is Elizabeth Sullivan, age 60 (which would place her birth ca. 1790) in Tennessee. This was very likely the mother of Matilda. By 1860 she is not found and likely had died.
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1823 - 1865 (42 years)
