BIOGRAPHY
PHILIP BENJAMIN (BUCK) WALTERHOUSE, sometimes spelled WATERHOUSE, was born in Fingal, Elgin, Ontario, Canada in 1813. His parents are not known.
About 1835 PHILIP married MARY ALICE MORRIS also born in Fingal, Ontario, Canada. They were the parents of seven children all born in Fingal.
SYLAS C., b 1836/d 1900, Cecil, Paulding, OH
MARGARET MATILDA, b 1837/d 1926, Liberal, Seward, KS
WILLIAM LAFAYETTE, b 1839/d 1919, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
MARY M., b 1840/d 1895, Grovertown, Starke, IN
ELIZA CATHERINE, b 1842/d 31 May 1917,Ridgeway, Welland, Canada
ISREAL MORRIS, b 1844/d 1924, Harpster, Wyandotte, OH
SARAH E., b 1846
MARY ALICE apparently died in Fingal sometime before 1848 at which time PHILIP came to the United States. ELIZA remained in Canada where, as a 9-year-old, she can be found in the 1851 Census of Southwold Twp. Ontario, Canada living with William and Mary Taylor in Fingal.
On 24 Sep. 1848, PHILIP married REBECCA MAPES in Marion Co. OH. The 1850 Census of Blanchard Twp. Marion Co. OH lists PHILIP, age 37, REBECCA, age 24 and 3 children: SYLAS, 14, b Canada; MARGARET M, 12, b Canada and GEORGE W, 3 months, b 1850 OH. PHILIP's occupation is listed as farmer and no real estate value is given. He may have been renting farmland or working as a farm laborer.
A document dated 06 Aug 1851 in Paulding Co OH assigns a parcel of land from Leonard and Elizabeth Kimble to A. L. Darling, David Green and PHILIP WALTERHOUSE to be used as a public burying ground with the condition that the three men would clear the premises and "a good decent fence put around the same and to keep the same decently inclosed; and that the said party of the second part shall not use or permit the said premises to be used for any other purpose than a public burial ground."
The 1860 Census of Washington Twp. Paulding Co. OH lists PHILIP, age 47, REBECCA, age 34 and 4 children, all born in the US: GEORGE W, age 10, b OH; JOSEPH, age 8, b OH; ALMINA (this is probably ELLEN), age 6, b OH; CHARLES, age 3, b OH. PHILIP worked as a farmer but probably not on his own farm. $50.00 personal property is listed.
On 28 Mar 1861 PHILIP married LAURA JANE MAPES at Henry Co. OH. The date of REBECCA's death is not known. LAURA may have been related to her.
On 19 Aug 1861 PHILIP enlisted as a Pvt. in the 38th Ohio Regiment Volunteer Infantry, Co. B at Napoleon, Henry Co. OH for 3 years.
At the end of Mar 1862, LAURA gave birth to a daughter, CATURA or KITTURA ANN.
On 18 Apr 1862 at Clifton, TN PHILIP received a disability discharge from the Army. He had been unfit for duty for 90 days. "The said soldier was injured on the Cumberland River while acting as teamster for the Regiment by his horse running away". The regimental surgeon found him "incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of an injury of the spine occasioned by being thrown from a horse in the act of running away on the morning of the 6th day of Dec. 1861. Since which time he has been unfit for duty nor will he be at any future time able to perform the duties of a soldier." This document also gives a description: "44 years of age, 5' 9" high, dark complexion, grey eyes, dark hair". The spaces for his place of birth are not filled in. If one believes the ages given in the 1850 and 1860 census his age should be 49.
In March of 1863 papers were filed in Probate Court, Hancock Co. OH by Charles H. and Mary Long to adopt the child KITTURA. The natural mother, LAURA WALTERHOUSE, stated that she was unable to care for and raise the child as the father, P. B. WALTERHOUSE, "has wholly abandoned said child and its mother". The completed papers were filed 7 Nov 1863. LAURA left the area and was not heard of again. Her estate was settled in Oct 1877.
On 29 Sep 1865 in Defiance OH, PHILIP submitted a "Declaration for Invalid Pension" which stated that "in the line of his duty at Sommersett, KY on or about the first day of Feb 1862 he was driving a government wagon and while acting in that capacity he was thrown from his horse and kicked by said horse breaking his right arm, his right hip and injured his right side severely from the effects of which at this time he is disabled being lame and suffering from pain in his right side".
On 5 Oct 1865 at Defiance, OH. PHILIP was examined by a surgeon. The certificate states that he is an "applicant for an invalid pension by reason of alleged disability resulting from injury to the right hip" due to service injuries sustained when "kicked by a horse, fracturing 3 ribs on the right and 2 on the left side. They trouble him but little. The right hip joint was injured which makes it painful both in stooping and walking". The degree of disability is "one half incapacitated for obtaining his subsistence by manual labor from the cause above stated".
On 26 May 1870 the Pension Office sent a letter to the Adjutant General's office for regimental evidence as to the "applicant's service, disability and discharge". Another Pension Office form requesting and outlining further information to be submitted by PHILIP is also dated 26 May 1870. There is a handwritten notation from his attorney across the form: "This claimant neglects to furnish any evidence. Please drop the claim. Respectfully, J. F. Deatrick".
A letter dated 9 Jun 1870 from the Adjutant General's office, in response to the Pension Office query of 26 May 1870, stated that "On the Muster Roll of Co. B.....for the months of January and February 1862, he is reported "Private absent. Sick in hospital at Louisville since 28 Feb 1862. Roll for March and April 1862 reports him "Discharged 18 Apr 1862 on Surgeon's Certificate of Disability". The cover sheet for this file is stamped "ABANDONED" and hand written with "Claim abandoned by attorney". It is also stamped "Suspended 30 Jun 1873. No response for two years".
On 15 Jan 1866 PHILIP married JULIANN BLUE TURNBULL THOMAS in Starke Co. IN. Their son JOHN WESLEY WALTERHOUSE was born in 1867.
On 18 Jul 1868 JULIANN married James Hendrix in Marshall Co. IN. There is no record of divorce from PHILIP or record of his death.
A document entitled "Register of Elections" for Marshall Co. IN dated "first Monday of August, 1868" includes the name of "WALTERHOUSE, P. B." The staff at the Marshall Co. Historical Society, where the document is located, told me that there were no "voters rolls" at that time. Voters were recorded as they came in to vote.
At this point it is not known how, where or when PHILIP died.