Miami County
KSGenWeb
Floyd Cornwell was born Apr 4, 1834 in Middleton, Jefferson County, Kentucky. He died Jan 17, 1909 in Richland Township, Rural Route 7, near Paola, Miami County, Kansas at the age of 74.
He married Julia Maria McKimmey on Oct 22, 1857 in Medora, Jackson County, Indiana. The marriage is recorded in Marriage Record D, page 119, in the Jackson County Circuit Court records. They were married by the Reverend John Walls, the Methodist minister. Floyd's brother Thornton was at the wedding. Julia Maria McKimmey was the daughter of Gideon McKimmey and Catherine Hubbard. Catherine apparently remarried after her husband Gideon died to a man named Cauble. Julia was born Feb 29, 1840 in Medora, Indiana and died Nov 6, 1928 in Paola, Miami County, Kansas at the age of 88.
Floyd Cornwell later recorded in his family Bible that they were married on Oct 23, 1857, and used that date on government records later.
In the 1860 census for Indiana, Washington County, Monroe Township, Walnut Ridge Post Office, the Floyd Cornwell family consisted of:
Floyd's real estate was valued at $670 and his personal estate was valued at $100.
Floyd Cornwell's Civil War Union Army records are on file in the National Archives under file designation WC-680-145 Company C, Tenth Indiana Cavalry. Throughout his records, his name was variously spelled Floyd, Floyed, Cornwell, Corwell, and Cornwill.
At age 29, Floyd Cornwell "joined for duty and enrolled" as a private in Captain Swift's Company, Ninth Regiment Indiana Cavalry, on Dec 8, 1863 at Columbus, Indiana, for a period of three years. This organization subsequently became Company C, Tenth Regiment Indiana Cavalry, on Feb 3, 1864. The unit was also designated Company C, 10th Cavalry, 125th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Pace.
At the time of his enlistment, he was recorded in the Regimental Description Book as age 29, 5 foot, 5 inches tall, fair complexion, blue eyes, light hair, born Jefferson, Kentucky, occupation mechanic.
According to the Company Muster-in Roll, his residence was Congressional District 3, Carr Township, Jackson County, Indiana.
According to A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Volume III, Regimental Histories by Frederick H. Dyer, the 10th Regimental Cavalry (125th Regimental Volunteers): "Organized at Columbus, Vincennes, Tere Haute, New Albany and Indianapolis, Ind., Dec 30, 1863, to Apr 30, 1864. Left State for Nashville, Tenn., May 3, 1864; thence moved to Pulaski, Tenn, Jun 1. Attached to District of Northern Alabama, Dept. of the Cumberland, to Nov 1864."
On Oct 26, 1895, Floyd Cornwell applied for a disability pension in Miami, Kansas. Part of the application read as follows: "That his personal description at the time he enlisted was as follows: Age 29 years, height 5 feet, 4 inches, complexion florid, color of hair sandy, color of eyes blue, born at Middletown, Kentucky, occupation when enlisted blacksmith. That he is at this time afflicted with a disability which is not the result of his own vicious habits, and as he varily believes is permanent in character. That said disability is that he was disabled at Gallatin, Tennessee early in the year 1864 by a collision between two railroad trains, which were transporting troops, himself being one. That by reason of said disability he is incapacitated from the performance of manual labor, which renders him unable to earn a support for himself or family."
In support of his application, L. Sullivan of Medora testified that "I was a member of same Company and regiment that claimant was during the war of the rebellion. I was also the chief Blacksmith of the Regiment and claimant was one of my assistants. He was hurt in a Rail road collision near Gallaton, Tennessee. I was not there when he was injured but know he was unable to do any duty or work for three or more months after he was injured which occurred on May 5th 1864." (This was two days after the troop train departed Indiana for Nashville. Gallatin is about 25 miles northeast of Nashville.)
Silas Harris of Medora also testified "that claimant Floyd Cornwell was injured in back in a Rail-Road collision at a tunnel about seven miles from Galleton, Tennessee early in the morning of May 5th 1864. I was detailed as a teamster. About three months later he was not able to perform any duty or work as long as remained with the Company."
He was assigned duties on detached service to a blacksmith shop in Pulaski, Tennessee in August and September of 1864. Floyd's son Ulysses Simpson Cornwell would relate that his father shod General (later President) Ulysses Simpson Grant's horse.
From February through June 1865, he performed regular blacksmith duties, but departed on furlough to Medora on Jul 22, 1865, and subsequently was discharged from the service on Aug 31, 1865 at Indianapolis, Indiana, when his company mustered out of service.
The family moved by covered wagon pulled by "two pairs of mules tandem" to Cuming City Precinct, near Blair, Washington County, Nebraska. They crossed the Missouri River on a ferry near Decatur, Nebraska.
In the 1870 census for Nebraska, Washington County, Cuming City Precinct, Fort Calhoun, the Floyd Cornwall family consisted of the following:
Floyd's real estate was valued at $250 and his personal estate was valued at $175.
He homesteaded in 1871 and established the first blacksmith shop in Blair, Nebraska. He sold his homestead in 1875. He left Blair in 1876 and settled in Burt County, where he purchased 160 acres from James A. Brown.
In the 1880 census for Nebraska, Burt County, Bell Creek Precinct, the Floyd Cornwell family consisted of the following:
Floyd's father's birthplace was shown as Virginia and his mother's as Kentucky. Julia's parents' birthplaces were both shown as Indiana.
In 1883, Julia Cornwell purchased the north quarter of section 12 from Dr. John A. Marsdan.
In the 1885 census for Nebraska, Burt County, Bell Creek Township, the Floyd Cornwell family consisted of the following:
Sophia was shown as being born in February. Cora Robinson was listed as a daughter. She was a granddaughter born of Laura's first marriage.
The family left Burt County in 1885 for Thurston County, Nebraska. They sold their farm in Section 13 to Thomas Henry Mallette on Apr 2, 1885. In 1893, Floyd moved to a farm in Richland Township, Miami County, Kansas.
On Nov 20, 1899, Floyd Cornwell again filed for a pension due to heart disease felt first during 1895. He certified that he did "not drink intoxicating liquors, lives in peace with his neighbors, and thinks it could not be said of him that any of his physical disabilities are results of his vicious or bad habits." However, on Mar 19, 1900, the pension for heart disease was denied because he was "unable to furnish the testimony as to the existance of heart disease from Oct 29, 1895 to Aug 19, 1896, for the reason he was not treated by any physician during that time, and was not himself a judge of said disease."
In the 1900 census for Kansas, Miami County, Richland Township, the F. Cornwell family consisted of the following:
In Feb 1907, Floyd Cornwell was granted a pension of twelve dollars a month, per certificate number 1001.628. At that time he signed an X on the paper for his signature, and the mark was witnessed by his daughter Myrtle A. Weideman and James B. Norton.
On Jan 22, 1909, the Paola, Kansas newspaper Western Spirit carried the following obituary: "Died in His 75th Year. Floyd Cornwell died at his home, in Richland township, last Sunday morning at 5 o'clock, surrounded by his wife and four of his children. For ten years he has been in failing health and when the end came it was no surprise. Although he fought his disease with all the energy of a rugged constitution, he finally succumbed and death came as a relief.
"The deceased was born in Louisville, Kentucky, April 4th, 1834, being in his 75th year when called home. Fifty-two years ago he was united in marriage to Miss Julia McKinney. To this union thirteen children were born, eight of whom are still living. For many years Mr. Cornwell has been a resident of this county and his friends were legion. He was honored and respected by all.
"The funeral services were held from Eden Chapel church, in Richland township, last Tuesday afternoon, at 1 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Wm. F. Robbins, pastor of the Baptist church of this city. The body was brought to Paola for burial.
"Besides a wife, the deceased leaves the following children to mourn his death: William E. Cornwell, of Los Angeles, California; Ulysses S. Cornwell, of Blair, Nebraska; Mrs. Nettie Murray, of Daykin, Nebraska; Mrs. J. A. Murlin, of Oklahoma City; Mrs. C. H. Tillotson, D. Cornwell, Jesse Cornwell and Mrs. W. H. Weidman, all are residents of this county. All the children, with the exception of William, were in attendance at the funeral."
From a Blair, Nebraska, newspaper: "News of the death of Floyd Cornwell in Kansas reached his son, U. S. Cornwell, of this city last week and U. S. went down there to attend the funeral, returning Saturday. Mr. Cornwell was one of the first settlers in Cuming City township, this county, and was the first blacksmith to locate in Blair, leaving here in 1876, and settling in Burt county, where he stayed until 1886. From there he went to Thurston county and in 1893 moved to Kansas, where he farmed. Mr. Cornwell will be remembered by many of our older settlers who will regret very much to learn of his death."
He had been bedfast for the final three months. He was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery in Paola on Jan 19, 1909.
In the 1910 census for Kansas, Miami County, Paola City, East Osage Street, Julia Cornwell was listed, age 70, mother of 13 children, 8 living, born in Indiana, both parents born in Indiana. She was renting her home.
The children of Floyd Cornwell and Julia Maria McKimmey were:
Prepared and dontated by Larry Patrick Cornwell. Aug 16, 1999
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