Home | Battles | Descendants | Find A Soldier | Monuments | Museum | Towns | Units | Site Map
People
The Fairbanks Brothers
By Grant and Lee Fairbanks
of Bethel and Royalton
Alfred D. Fairbanks
Pension Records and ObituaryDeclaration for an Invalid Pension
(May 24, 1870)... Alfred D. Fairbanks ... that while in the service aforesaid, and in the line of his duty, he was taken sick with typhoid fever which resulted in a chronic disease of the heart by reason of which he was on or about the month of April A.D. 1864 transferred to Co. "D," 16th Regt Veterans Reserve Corps -- commanded by Captain Francis Schellings -- that ever since said transfer he has been unable to perform physical labor for his support. That since leaving the said service, this applicant has resided in the County of Windsor, in the State of Vermont, except one year last past, and his occupation has been compulsory idleness from physical incapacity to labor.
Transcript of Records from the
Surgeon General's Office(February 17, 1872) . . . admitted to 3rd Div. 3rd AC Hospital, April 19, 1863, for treatment for: No diagnosis given, and was trans. Apr. 20, 1863. Entered Ravenwoods[?] G.H., Wash. DC Apr. 21, 186 -- with "Irritability of heart," and was trans. June 23, 1863. Entered Satterlee G.H. Phil. Pa. June 24, 1863, with "Hypertrophy of Heart," and was trans. Aug. 17, 1863. Entered Convalescent Hosp, Cor. 16th & Filbert Sts. Phil. Pa. Aug. 17, 1863, with "Funcl.[?] Cardiac disease," and was trans. Oct. 8, 1863. Entered Gen. Hosp. Brattleboro Vt, Oct. 16, 1863, with "Heart disease" and was retd. to duty May 12, 1864.
Affidavit of S.M. Whitehead,
a professional nurse
(December 22, 1898).I have attended Mr. A.D. Fairbanks since Nov. 26, 1897. He has been confined to his bed by reason of disease of heart and [indistinct words] cancer of mouth. In my judgment he would of been around and able to wait on himself if he had not been so feeble before having the cancer. He has frequent faint spells with shortness of breath and spasmodic action of heart intermitting and palpitation. I have given him frequent heart tonic, kept him bolstered in bed etc. He coughs mornings and raises a great deal, and is very immaciated. . .
Declaration of a Widow
for Original Pension
(May 2, 1899). . . Belle A. Fairbanks . . . is the widow of Alfred D. Fairbanks . . . who died at Austin, Minn. on the 4th day of April, 1899, of Heart failure due to Disease of Lungs incurred in the above-named service. That she was married under the name of Belle A. [Baker] Evans to said soldier at Hollydaysburg, Pa. on the 30th day of April 1865 -- That she was previously married to Oswell D. Evans who was a private in Co. C, 110th Regt Pa. Vol Inft and who Died in Washington in Campill Hospital of Ch. Dirrhoea [cholera?] Oct 21st 1864. That she hereby appoints John Fairbanks of Austin, Minn., her true and lawful attorney. . .
Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois
Belle A. Fairbanks, 614 Grunhofan St., Wilmette, Ill., died Sept 22, 1935, at age 88.
Mower County TRANSCRIPT
April 5, 1899, Austin, MNDied.
FAIRBANKSAt his home in this city, Tuesday morning, April 4, 1899, of tuberculosis, Alfred DeCalvus Fairbanks, aged 55 years. He has been sick in bed continuously for sixteen months, and was a great sufferer. For a long time previous he had been steadily failing. He was born in Bethel village, Vermont, October 20, 1843. He was educated in the village school and after the age of ten, worked summers on his father's farm nearby. August 11, 1862, he enlisted at Bethel in company with his brother Charles in Co. E, second U. S. Sharpshooters, which were subsequently known as the famous Berdan's Sharpshooters. It is a notable fact that of the six sons in his father's family, five were worthy soldiers in the war of the rebellion. Alf and his brother went into camp at Woodstock and the company was soon ordered to Washington, arriving there Sept. 18, and joined the regiment at Antietam, marching there from Harper's Ferry. Subsequently they were in camp around Fredericksburg and participated in the first battle there, in which thousands of brave men were sacrificed. During the winter, Mr. Fairbanks was at Falmouth, Va., doing picket duty out on the Rappahannock. In a blizzard, he caught cold which resulted in typhoid pneumonia and he was laid up in the general hospital for a long time. As a result of this fever, heart disease set in rendering him unfit for field duty and subsequently he was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, in which he served out his time. He was married April 30, 1865, to Miss Belle A. Baker at Hollidaysburg, Pa. In July, 1865, he was discharged at Pittsburg and he and his wife went to Vermont and lived in Bethel until March, 1869, when they came west, settling in Windom township, southeast of Austin. His parents and his brother John and his only sister came at the same time. Deceased lived in the Saint's Rest neighborhood until he moved into Austin in July, 1892.
His father died in Windom in October, 1887. His mother, nearly 91 years old, lives in this city. May 1, 1870 Alfred and his wife were baptized by Rev. H. I. Parker and became members of the Baptist church. He was a faithful member and officer of McIntyre post, G. A. R. He was unassuming in his life but was highly regarded by all who knew him. He was a faithful friend, an upright and patriotic citizen and an affectionate husband and brother. The widow and aged mother survive. He has also four brothers living, Alonzo, Luke and John in Austin, and Charles, a pension examiner in Boston. There is one sister, Mrs. A. D. Dennison of this city. Funeral services will be held at the residence Thursday afternoon at two o'clock, Revs. Whitney and Belden officiating. McIntyre post will as act as escort.
(Newspaper clipping; name and date not recorded)
A. D. Fairbanks
The death of Mr. A. D. Fairbanks occurred last Tuesday at his home in this city. For more than two years he has been fighting an ugly ulcer which developed in what was pronounced tuberculosis. For sixteen months he has been practically helpless fighting a most stubborn but losing battle with death. His long residence in this vicinity gave him a large acquaintance and his heroic service on the southern battle fields where he contracted disease which clung to him through life, gave him an honorable place among our country's heroes. More than all, his sturdy manhood and genuine kindness of heart won for him a wide circle of friends. The funeral service was held from the Baptist church on Thursday, Revs. Belden and Whitney officiating. Through the courtesy of the TRANSCRIPT, we are permitted to bring his familiar features before our readers.
Return to The Fairbanks Brothers Homepage