Noah Norris Civil War Pension R

Although distant (2nd cousin 4x removed), this is a Civil War veteran to whom I'm related.

The last portion is from a 1996 newspaper article entitled, "Last Civil War Vets in Zanesville Were Black Soldiers".

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Morris* - When enlisting in military his name was mistaken for "Morris", and as a result some records for Noah may be found under Morris rather than Norris.

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Ref. Noah Norris' Civil War National Archives Pension Records by Jerry Barker Devol:

Birth Record: Noah Norris was born in Philippi, Barbour County, West Virginia [Virginia], February 28, 1844, the son of Wilmer Norris, born April 8, 1821, and Eva (Colens) [Collins], born June 8, 1821 [or 1831] (in 1813, resided in Zanesville, Ohio).

Physical Description: 5 feet 10 inches to 6 foot, 160 to 170 pounds, dark complexion, black hair, dark eyes.

Marriage Record:
1. He was married August 10, 1862, in Amesville, Athens County, Ohio, by Esq. Owens; to Harriet M. Gibson, born in Albemarle County, Virginia, June 6, 1844, died near Bartlett, Ohio, May 25, 1882. She was a daughter of Pasco and Lucy J. (Davis) Gibsone [Gibson].

Children:
1. Noah M. C. Norris, born September 20, 1863 in Hillsbourgh, Ohio; and died April 20, 1882, in Bartlett, Ohio.

2. Eva Jane Norris, born March 23, 1867, in Kilvert, Ohio.

3. Ellery Rose May "Ella" Norris, born April 12, 1868 in Kilvert, Ohio; and died February 11, 1868 or 1869 in Kilvert.

4. Elizabeth Frances Norris, born September 4, 5, or 6, 1880 in Bartlett, Ohio; and died December 27, 1880 in Bartlett.

5. Thomas Jefferson Norris, born January 15, 1882, in Bartlett, Ohio; died October 9, 1903 in Cutler, Ohio.

[Marriage] 2. Lydia "Lidda" (Croston) Kennedy (former husband was Levi Kennedy, who died January 16, 1892) of Wesley Township, married July 26, 1892, near Cutler, Ohio, by Ambrose Coret [?]. Department of Interior, Bureau of Pensions, January 15, 1898: "...on being refused my certificate and lands in her name she left home November 5, 1892, ?? to one her daughters and little in real and personal property now and forever hereafter -- in case of my death, please barr her from the pension role...." Divorced May 14, 1910 in Marietta.

Civil War Record: Resided in Cutler, P. O., Ohio, when he enlisted for three years at Big Run, Athens County, Ohio, June 22, 1863, in Co. C (on the muster rolls from organizations to October 31, 1864 to June 30, 1865 -- absent, sick in hospital July and August), 5th U.S. Colored Troops, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th A.C., commanded by Captain Fearing, mustered in July 23, 1863 at Camp Delaware, Ohio, for three years, as a Private, promoted to the rank of corporal in 1864. He took part in the battles of City Point, Petersburg, Black Swamp, Bottom's Bridge, Fair Oaks, Deep Bottom, Fort Gilmore, Fort Harrison, Dutch Gap, Chapin's Farm, and many skirmishes. "Near Dutch Gap, Virginia, on or about September 29, 1864, from exposure in wet and rain, he contracted chronic rheumatism, totally disabling him for duty at the time and affecting his whole left side -- being caused by fatigue in battle of Chapin's Farm and standing in rain in entrenchments, the night after the battle. Treated in Field General Hospital at Deep Bottom, Virginia, February 1865, for three days; then sent to General Hospital at Bermuda Hundreds, Virginia, till February 13, 1865; to ? General Hospital at Hampton, Virginia, till July 15, 1865; then across the street in Ward No. 9 till November 9, 1865; then to Ward No. 17 General Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland till December 1865; then sent home at Columbus, Ohio, where discharged." September 20, that year, he was honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio, by Captain Douglas. An uncle, William Norris, and two brothers-in-law, served in the same Co., and Regiment.

Church Affiliation: Member of the United Brethren Church.

Occupation: Farmer.

Residences:
1. Philippi, Barbour County, West Virginia [Virginia]: 1844-.
2. Bartlett, P.O., Washington County, Ohio: 1879.
3. Amesville, Athens County, Ohio:
4. Taylor County, West Virginia:
5. Zanesville, Ohio: in 1913 at State Street and Licking Road; in 1933 at 520 Beech Street; in 1936 at 1530 Railroad Street.

Pension Record: Drew a pension.
WITNESSES:

1. James Norris, resided in Bartlett, Ohio, November 12, 1879.

2. Isaac Norris, resided in Bartlett, Ohio, November 12, 1879.

3. A. B. Frauce, M.D. Examining Surgeon's Certificate, May 23, 1879: "...The disability is probably permanent and likely to grow worse. A more particular description of the applicant's condition is subjoined: Height, 5 foot, 10 inches, 170 pounds; complexion, colored; age 35; pulse, 100; respiration, 20. Tongue covered with white coat, appetite fair, bowels regular, ? high colored. He complains of pain in left leg, also in ankle, knee and hip joints. The ankle joint is some enlarged -- structure of knee joint seems unaffected. There is atrophy of muscles of left leg, measures 2-1/2 inches less around the calf than right one. There must be considerable loss of power in left leg. He says he has shortness of breath and attacks of dyspepsia on exercise. The action of his heart is abnormally strong, there is a murmur with first sounds of heart, there is undoubtedly a lesion of mitral valves, would rate his present disability at three fourths "total," six dollars per month...."

4. R. Haubrich, Field Examiner. Veterans Administration, Examiner's Contact Report, August 31, 1936: "...Noah Norris resides at 1530 Railroad Street, Zanesville, Ohio. The house in which he resides is a frame house in a poor colored district. Thomas North who lives with the veteran is not related and appears to be about twenty-one or twenty-two years of age. He claims that he stays there all the time, does the Cooking and takes care of the house, which is more or less dirty inside. The veteran could not say what year he was born, which is characteristic of most old colored people. From appearance, however, he must be over ninety years of age. He appears to be well fed and nourished and his mental condition is fair although he is practically blind...."

Death Record: Died July 19, 1942.

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Ref. Amos Joseph Norman's Civil War National Archives Pension Records: WITNESSES: 3rd -- Noah Norris, in 1877 resided in Morgan County, Ohio. Age 49 in 1894, farmer, resided near Bartlett, Ohio, while a resident of Washington County, Ohio, enlisted June 22, 1863 (mistakenly recorded as Morris), Private, Co., C, 5th U.S.C.T., transferred to Co. G, mustered out with regiment, September 20, 1865, discharged from hospital December 19, 1865.

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Ref. Aunt Mertie (Mayle) Adams' newspaper collection (The Times Recorder of July 20, 1942): Aged Veteran Is Called From Life. Noah Morris [Norris], 98, of 1530 Railroad Street, died at his home at 8:30 o'clock Sunday night [July 19, 1942] following an illness of two weeks. The deceased was one of three surviving Civil War Veterans of this county, he serving in the Civil War with Company C, 5th U. S. Regiment. Mr. Morris [Norris] was born in Barbour County, West Virginia, and came to Zanesville in 1905. Surviving are one daughter, Mrs. Eva Jane Tablear [Tabler] of Willow Street, a sister, Catherin Morris [Norris], of 1368 Licking Road, and a number of other relatives. The body was taken to the Don Baker Funeral Home on Pine Street and will be removed to the family residence...services...Park Street Wesleyan Methodist Church...Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.

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Ref. The Times Recorder (Zanesville newspaper) of February 17, 1996, pg. 8A: Last Civil War Vets in Zanesville Were Black Soldiers. "...Eventually, approximately 200,000 black men donned the union blue and fought for their freedom and the preservation of the Union. Three of them eventually became the last Civil War veterans living in Muskingum County: John B. Reynolds, Noah Norris and John H. Parker...Noah Norris (also known as Morris) of 1530 Railroad Street, died July 20, 1942, at the age of 98. According to genealogy information compiled by Ben Bain of Marietta and provided by Glenn Barnett of Columbus, Norris was born February 28, 1844, at Philippi in Barbour County, VA (now West Virginia). John Taylor was still president. Norris was 19 when he enlisted in Co. C, 5th U.S.C.I., on June 22, 1863, in Washington County. The unit mustered at Camp Delaware and was originally designated the 127th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. It was the first black regiment recruited in Ohio, although individual black Ohioans were already serving in other regiments, including the 54th and 55th Massachusetts. Norris was described as being about 5-foot-10 to 6-0 in height and weighing 160 to 170 pounds. He was of mixed race, including Delaware Indian.

According to Jerry Devol of Devola, who provided information on Norris's war record and the 5th infantry, Norris originally enlisted in a white regiment, the 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in October of 1861. He was discharged for 'disability' two months later, but Devol has been unable to determine if that was because of illness, injury or other reasons. When en enlisted in the 5th, a mistake occurred which would affect the rest of his life. The recruiting officer apparently misunderstood his name and recorded it as Morris. When Noah later applied for a pension, he was told his name would have to be Morris to receive his pension. As a result, he often went by Morris, which is on his tombstone at Woodlawn Cemetery. As part of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps in the Army of the Hames, the 5th infantry saw a lot of action in Virginia and North Carolina and recorded 280 deaths. Norris took part in fighting at City Point, Petersburg, Black Swamp, Bottom's Bridge, Fair Oaks, Deep Bottom, Fort Gilmore, Fort Harrison, Dutch Gap and Chapin's Farm. However, at the end of September 1864 he was disabled by chronic rheumatism and spent the remainder of the war in various hospital, missing the expedition to Fort Fisher in February and the spring campaigns in 1865. After the war Norris returned to farming, living at various times in Washington and Athens counties and in Taylor County, West Virginia, until moving to Zanesville in 1905. His first wife, Harriet Gibson, died in 1882. In Zanesville he lived at State St., and Licking Road, then on Beach St., and in 1936 moved to his final home on Railroad St...."

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