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John's father Jean Joseph of Belgium, arrived in New York City in August 1842
along with his wife Anna Maeles & son Peter three. Anna was 8 months pregnant
and John Benjamin Rahier was born in Green Bay, Territory of Wisconsin a month
later on Sept. 9, 1842. (Wisconsin did not become a State until 1848) He is
listed as only "John", the Benjamin was added later, possibly at christening.
He may have been the first child of Belgian parents born in Green Bay as there
are no Belgians in the 1840 census.
He served as a "landsman" (a term meaning "recruit", a person with no prior
naval experience) aboard the following ships :
- CLARA DOLSEN- Nov. 26, 1963 to Dec. 1, 1863 (The Clara Dolsen was a "Receiving
Ship" where recruits spent several days to several weeks awaiting assignment to
a permanent ship. This ship was a "sidewheel steamer" that was captured by the
"Mound City" in 1862. It was used as a "Receiving Ship" throughout the War &
returned to its owners at the end of the War.)
- MOUND CITY- Dec. 2, 1863 to May 21, 1864 along with Alexander Fashant. (John &
Alexander later became brothers-in-law) George Rahier, John Rahier &
Alexander Fashant all 3 married Maurice sisters.(See Alexander Fashant's record
for a description of the "Mound City").
- RED ROVER- May 22, to June 4, 1864 (The "Red Rover" was a hospital ship that
transported the injured to Naval Hospitals) John spent June 4, to July 27, 1864
in Pinkney Naval Hospital. The "stomach injury" for which he later drew a
starting pension of $4 a month, was a hernia he received while attempting to
lift cannon out a gun port.
- TYLER- July 28, to Nov. 26. Became a "Seaman" on Oct. 1, 1864, and was
discharged on Nov. 26, 1864.
In 1867 John married Mary Maurice, sister to Kate Maurice, the wife of his
"Mound City" shipmate Alexander Fashant. A third sister Pauline married his
brother George Rahier. In 1891, after bearing 12 children Mary died at the age
of 42.
He received a pension after the war for "Injury in the abdomen", $4 per month, allowed November 1877.
In 1896 John married a widow with 7 children & they had two children. When John homesteaded Itasca County Minnesota in Jan. of 1903 at the age of 61, his "household" consisted of 23 people including children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law & grandchildren.
In addition to John's family, his brother Robert arrived the same year with 8 children and brother George with 5. By the time the next generation came along there were so many Rahiers in a small area of Itasca County that anyone named George, John, James or Robert had a "nickname". John was called "Captain John" likely in honor of his Naval service.
John's Pension Record is over 200 pages spanning a 60 year period from 1877 until his death in 1927. An additional 20 pages were filed by his widow between 1927 and her death in 1937.
It seems that John fought as hard for his pension as he did in the War. His
age was always in question, he maintained he was born in 1840. The Army said
1844. Each time he reached an age where he felt his pension should be raised
(60, 65, 70) He would appeal to the Government.
One letter from the Pension Dept. in 1914 states:
"The claimant has alleged he was born on the following dates- August 18,
1840. October 18, 1840. October 18, 1841 He has filed 21 affidavits, three
indicate 1841, ten indicate 1842 & eight indicate 1843. This office has
fixed his birthdate as Oct. 18, 1844 as his enlistment on Nov. 26, 1863 shows an
age of 19." (As it turns out they were both wrong as he was born in 1842)
John died in Itasca County, Minnesota on July 3, 1912, leaving 12 children, 33
grandchildren & 33 great-grandchildren.
Thanks :
to Len Knotts for providing
the biography and photograph of this soldier
Sources :
J. H. Mertens : "The Second Battle"
Leonard Orvill Knotts web site :
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/k/n/o/Leonard-O-Knotts/index.html