Military Monday : Charles E. Sickman, 1st Class Boy

Military Monday this week focuses on Charles E. Sickman. At age 15 he enlisted in the Navy and served in the Civil War as a 1st Class Boy. Not quiet sure what a 1st Class Boy was I did some sleuthing and found that they were also called Powder Monkeys. Their duties were to carry gun powder from the hold up to the large cannons on Civil War gun boats. Young teenage boys on the shorter side were chosen for this task so that their heads were not above the side rails and targets for sharp shooters. Also the teenagers could move very swiftly about. Below is a colorized photo of an unknown 1st Class Boy from the Civil War.

Charles E. Sickman was born in 1849 in Brooklyn to Mathias Henry Sickman (1814-1872) and Ellen Cummings (1824-?). Charles served enlisted on 07 March 1864 and was discharged on 26 August 1865. He served aboard the following ships:

• North Carolina
• New Hampshire
• Wissahickon
• Huntsville

Below is a scan of the gun boat New Hampshire.

According to his pension records Charles stood at 5'-1 1/2" when he served. Below are miscellaneous papers from his pension files.

After being discharged from service, Charles never married and appears to have spent the rest of his life working as a peddler in Brooklyn. Charles died at age 78 on 11 September 1926 and was buried three days later at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Elizabeth Sickman; Week 2

This week's bio is on Elizabeth Sickman, my ggggg grandmother.  This post will not be a long because as with most females in this era; she was a housewife and mother.  Little than that nothing else in known.  She was chosen for this week's entry because for many many years she was the furthest back ancestor that I had found.

Elizabeth was born 1 January 1769.  The location of her birth is unknown.  Was she born in New York, England, Germany, or elsewhere in Europe? More research may determine this.  At the same time, her maiden name is unknown at this point.  What is known is that she was living in Niskayuna in 1806 when she married Frederick Waltz on 13 July 1806 at the First Lutheran Church in Albany.

Also found in the marriage records from Albany's First Lutheran Church is that Elizabeth was married a second time.  On 12 March 1809, she married Henry Sickman.  Elizabeth and Henry had the following children:

• Margaret Ann (1812-1892) married Aistroppe Robinson Hitchcock on 13 April 1833
• Mathias Henry (1815-1872) married Ellen _____?

I believe these children to be born in Gibbonsville or West Troy, New York.  Elizabeth was a long time resident of Gibbonsville.  Below is a scan of the 1850 Census from West Troy showing Elizabeth living with her daughter, Margaret, and her son-in-law, Aistroppe Robinson Hitchcock.

1850 New York State Census

At some point Elizabeth moved to Albany with her daughter Margaret and family.  They resided in the South End at 198 Green Street.

Elizabeth died in Albany on 11 September 1861.  Her obituary was listed in the 18 September 1861 copy of the West Troy Advocate stating:

In Albany on the 11th inst. Mrs.

Elizabeth SICKMAN, formerly of this Village in the 93d

year of her age.

She was buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in her son-in-law's plot.