  Verena's binders I recently taught a course entitled Frederick in the Civil War in the historic Francis Scott Key Chapel here on the grounds of Mount Olivet Cemetery. On the night of the first class, one of my students presented me with a khaki-colored, zippered canvas bag. It contained two, large, 3-ring binders, filled with copied documents all clad in transparent sleeve protectors. These documents ranged from old military records and regimental histories to government correspondence and handwritten depositions. Upon handing me the bag, the owner, Ms. Verena Rose, simply said: "Here's the info on Henry and Charlotte...good luck!" I had met Verena, an Olney (MD) resident, one year earlier as she had taken my Frederick History 101 course the previous June of 2023. During a class intermission break for the forementioned 101 offering, I found myself out in front of the chapel talking with a few students. Verena asked if I had contemplated teaching a Civil War class, to which I replied that I was certainly planning to do so in the future. She revealed her interest in the subject and said that she was a member of the Frederick Civil War Roundtable. I was moved to ask Verena if she had any Civil War ancestors from Frederick? She smiled, and said, "Yes, and he is buried right over there." She pointed to a spot about 30 yards away towards the rear of the chapel in Mount Olivet's Area L. Verena followed by saying that his name was Henry and she had learned through research that he was an "unsavory" character who had defrauded his wife. My curiosity now piqued, we both took the opportunity to walk over to the "unsavory" man's final resting place and observe his gravestone closer.  Durfey grave in Area L/Lot 53 On its face, the large marble marker included the names of Henry Durfey (May 15, 1841-March 31, 1913) and "his wife" Charlotte S. Durfey (August 27, 1845-March 13, 1923). Verena had presented me with not just another Union Civil War veteran in Mount Olivet, but more so, a bonafide "mystery man" who had apparently led a second life, plus had an alias to boot—"Hank Miller." Verena and another family member had researched this man thoroughly a few decades back, more than fitting because she certainly knows her way around these types of characters and stories as a member of the "Mystery Writers of America (MWA)." Not only does she possess a passion for the historical mystery, she has written and published several short stories in the sub-genre.
Verena Rose is the Agatha Award nominated co-editor of Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea, An Interesting and Entertaining History of Malice Domestic’s First 25 Years and the Managing Editor of the Malice Domestic anthology series. In addition to serving as Chair of Malice Domestic, Verena is also a member of MWA, a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime-National, a member of Sisters in Crime Chesapeake, a member of the Historical Novel Society and a lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Verena is also the chief financial officer and acquisitions editor for Level Best Books as their representative, and is a member of the American Booksellers Association, the Crime Writers Association, the Historical Novel Society, and the Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association. If that's not enough, she hosts a podcast called "Sunday Tea with V," which can be found on the History Chronicles on Spotify for Podcasters. Henry Durfey So, what's the issue with Henry Durfey? Well, our mysterious "Story in Stone" subject here has more to do with "civil union" than participation in trying to save the "Union" during "the Civil War." He may have been a hapless casualty of war himself, but the true victim in this mystery was "his wife" Charlotte, but I must use that moniker loosely. Actually, I should say "wives."  Officers and enlisted men of the 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery To review, a civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage at the state level, however federal protections and benefits are not guaranteed. Many are familiar with the term "common law marriage" which results from the parties' agreement to consider themselves married, followed by cohabitation, rather than through a statutorily defined process.Not all jurisdictions permit common law marriage, but will typically respect the validity of such a marriage lawfully entered in another state or country. Much to her surprise, shock and dismay, Charlotte S. Durfey would learn late in life that she had not been lawfully married to her supposed husband, at least in the eyes of the federal government. This was exposed when she desperately tried to lay claim to Henry's military pension after his death in 1913. However, the real shocker was learning that she was not alone.  Government Military Pension Record Index Card for Henry Durfey The incredible research done by Verena features a plethora of pages in the aforementioned binders featuring correspondence between the Department of the Interior's Pension Bureau and Mrs. Durfey, a lifelong resident of Frederick. The Durfey surname is spelled a variety of ways (Durfee, Duffee, Duffy), but we will stick to what is "carved in stone" upon the couple's grave —Durfey. The binders' contents also document Henry Durfey's Civil War service with Battery M of the 1st New York Artillery Regiment, along with a medical discharge and a second enlistment with Company H of the 1st Potomac Home Brigade Maryland Infantry. Interestingly, Henry Durfey would have a hard time getting his own pension after the war because past military records were riddled with inconsistencies and errors that in some cases, he, himself, had created. Primary sticking points would be the forementioned spelling of his last name and use of an alias for starters, but deeper problems related to his actual birth year, while other issues involved embellishment of injuries said to have been suffered during the war. Henry's birth dates in the federal military records differ from that carved upon his gravestone (May 17, 1841) here in Mount Olivet, and what can be found in our cemetery records (1839) from his death certificate. Discharge papers from December, 1863 report his age as 23 (which point to a birth in 1840). He claimed his birthday to be April 3rd, 1837. Henry brought up war injuries that had no historical backing in federal military records. He submitted a claim for an Invalid Pension in 1888, starting the process in Frederick County Circuit Court. In this claim, which was ultimately rejected by the Bureau of Pensions, he reported that he was debilitated by epileptic fits contracted through his military service.  1888 Declaration for Invalid Pension by Henry Durfey Mr. Durfey would make a repeated claim for an Invalid Pension in 1890 to which he added to his epilepsy the fact that he had defective eyesight and debilitating wounds from battle. These included the loss of his little finger on his right hand (which had been shot and rendered useless), and an injury to his left arm (above the elbow) had been badly shattered due to shrapnel from an artillery shell hitting near him. This supposedly occurred in battle near Winchester, Virginia during the Civil War. These injuries could not be found in the government records so he was rejected once again. They say "the third time's a charm." Henry would make another Invalid Pension claim in 1891 and added documentation regarding a rupture, or internal hernia, that had continued to hamper him over the years. In August of 1891, he would win his case and started receiving payments of $6/month from the US Government. This began a decade of visiting physicians and surgeons for the federal government in order to track the progress of Durfey's hernia in relation to other problems which would arise such as asthma and heart trouble. His pension would grow to $15 in 1907 at age 70 after skillfully lobbying for his birthday to be recognized as April 3rd, 1837 despite inconsistencies.    Portion of Henry Durfey's affidavit from 1898 which describes various ailments and the origin of his alias "Hank Miller" thanks to a colleague named Samuel Jones at the Independent Hose Company where both served as volunteer fireman All the while, federal reviewers with the Pension Bureau were privy to some interesting information regarding a former claimant for Henry Durfey's pension. We will get to that in a moment, along with plenty more on the confusing life and times of Henry Durfey, but first let's explore the more straightforward existence of Mrs. Charlotte Durfey. Born Charlotte Sophia Hoffman on August 27th, 1845, she was the daughter of Ezra and Mary (Frazier) Hoffman (1823-1885). Her father worked as an upholsterer, and the family can be found living in Frederick in the 1850 census. Relating to the family business, Charlotte's mother was a seamstress and taught her daughters how to skillfully sew as well.  Hoffman family living in Frederick in the 1850 US Census
 Charlotte (shown here as Sophia) living with her widowed mother in the 1860 US Census At the time of the American Civil War, Charlotte was in her late teens, turning 17 just prior to Gen. Robert E. Lee bringing his Confederate Army here to Frederick in early September, 1862. This was mere weeks prior to the nearby Battles of South Mountain and Antietam. It is about this time that Charlotte started performing care duties for sick and wounded soldiers at the Union Army's Hospital center in Frederick. This would also be a collision course with her destiny in meeting Henry Durfey.  Interior view of a Civil War era hospital barracks According to his gravestone, we (at Mount Olivet) have assumed that Henry Durfey was born on May 15th, 1841 in Lockport, New York, a town in Niagara County. This location would come to prominence in the 1820s thanks to the famed Erie Canal. As its name suggests, the community was known for its Flight of Five Locks, and gave work to many Scottish and Irish canal workers brought in as its labor force. Henry Durfey's father is said to have died when Henry was 12 years old, and his mother passed when he was 18. I could not find this individual in the 1850 or 1860 census records living in Niagara County.  Lockport, NY, birthplace of Henry Durfey  Union Army recruiting poster from Lockport, NY  Camp Barry (Washington, DC) Henry Durfey enlisted in the Union Army at Lockport on October 21st, 1861 and was mustered into military service at Rochester, New York a week later on October 28th, 1861. He and his fellow soldiers would soon find themselves at Camp Barry, a temporary artillery camp, in Washington, DC. As mentioned earlier, Henry was originally with Battery M of the 1st New York Light Artillery. In 1862, this unit served under Williams' Division of the 5th Corps of the Union's Army of the Potomac. In January, the battery was ordered to Frederick to help guard transportation lines such as the railroad and canal. In early spring, they were stationed at Point Of Rocks and would soon be ordered to cross the river into Virginia at Harpers Ferry and serve within the Department of the Shenandoah. All the while, a lady named Nancy Jane Lake would play a role in our story, representing a proverbial "monkey wrench" to an otherwise, romantic, local love story. Nancy was a New York gal and a daughter of Bloomer and Elizabeth Lake of Wilson, New York. Wilson is also within the state's Niagara County. The village is northeast of the famed Niagara Falls and positioned on the coast of Lake Ontario.  1860 US Census showing Nancy J. Lake and family living in Wilson, NY  Map of Niagara County, NY showing Wilson and Lockport Nancy would marry a gentleman from Lockport, only 18 miles from Wilson. This was the forementioned Henry Durfey. I'm not certain to the length of the courtship, but the couple had appeared before a Justice of the Peace in Nancy's home town on September 17th, 1860. It appears that the marriage could have been of "the shotgun variety" with the bride-to-be presumably eight months pregnant at the time. Henry enlisted in the Union Army just over 13 months later, and would leave for Rochester in November of 1861. Two daughters would be born to this union: Sarah Elizabeth ("Elizabeth") on October 28th, 1860 and Rhoda Jane "Jennie" on May 11th, 1862.  Winchester in Frederick County, VA  In the spring of 1862, Private Durfey and his unit were under the command of Major General Nathaniel Banks and engaged in fighting Rebel forces under Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson in Frederick County, Virginia and its county seat of Winchester. The First Battle of Winchester occurred on May 25th, 1862 and served as a great victory in what has been classified as Jackson's Valley Campaign. Henry Durfey either became sick or was wounded on the morning of June 18th, and subsequently taken to a place called "Union Hotel Rebel" in Winchester with bruised forehead and stomach. This location was a prominent hotel called the Union. Southern sympathizing citizens removed the U & N at the start of the conflict, causing it to be called the Ion Hotel. Soldiers from both sides would be cared for here, and Union soldiers (eventually taken prisoner) would receive medical assistance from Confederate surgeons and staff. The name "Union Hotel Rebel" comes from a "Memorandum from Prisoner of War Records," and now seems to make better sense to me. I did read that the hotel would collapse in December, 1864 due to a heavy snowfall. In the mishap, seven Yankee soldiers would be crushed by a falling roof. Luckily, our subject Henry Durfey had long since left Winchester. He was sent to Frederick, Maryland's General Hospital #1 on June 22nd, 1862, shortly after his wounding or sickness. Again, documents such as the one pictured below say that our subject was suffering from a bruised forehead and stomach. Was this an injury caused by an attack of epilepsy? It sure sounds plausible. However, why is there no report of a shot finger, or left arm damaged by an exploding shell? Sounds like Henry may have conjured this up over time. Just wait until you see his work resume after the war.  Prisoner of War Records from the US War Department  Frederick's Union Hospital #1, located on the Old Barracks Grounds on S. Market St. For those not familiar with Frederick's General Hospital #1, the main facility was established on the grounds of the Hessian Barracks on South Market Street. This location was practically across the street from Mount Olivet Cemetery's main entrance. The original structures on "the Old Barracks" property consisted of a pair of stone buildings built for the Revolutionary War, and would grow to include at least five frame buildings, set on four acres of ground and enclosed by a board fence. The wooden structures had been built as regimental barracks for the Provost Guard during the Civil war. In June 1862, the hospital was officially designated The United States General Hospital #1. By then, more suitable hospital ward buildings had been added. William W. Keen, an Assistant Surgeon at the hospital, noted that the new barracks were “finely ventilated” using a ridge-ventilation system, and could accommodate eighty patients each. Here's a little aside that connects with Mount Olivet history. Along with Henry Durfey, a wartime adversary named Pvt. J. E. Johnson, was also brought to Frederick and the General Hospital from Winchester. This Confederate fought with the 16th Mississippi and suffered a gunshot wound to the lung. He and Durfey were among 500 patients transferred from the Winchester hospital to Frederick that late June/early July of 1862. Pvt. Johnson would expire from wounds suffered on July 15th, 1862 and afterwards brought to Mount Olivet to be the first Rebel soldier buried in our Confederate Row.  Even with the new buildings, the hospital was still overcrowded. Henry Durfey was here during the month of September (1862) when Gen. Stonewall Jackson came to town and allegedly had a confrontation with our fabled heroine Barbara Fritchie on West Patrick Street. This account, of course, came from the pen of New England poet John Greenleaf Whittier. Just days later, Durfey was visited at the General Hospital by former comrades of his unit, the 1st New York Light Artillery Company as they passed through town in pursuit of the Rebels after fighting engagements during the Virginia Peninsular Campaign over the summer. Following the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, the hospital population here in Frederick swelled tremendously, causing the need for more places to treat the soldiers of both armies. This led to public buildings and churches throughout the city being utilized, along with many townspeople taking soldiers into their own homes as well. On October 29th, 1862, Union Surgeon Robert F. Weir, who was in charge of General Hospital #1, wrote the Quartermaster General requesting that additional hospital wards be built. The enclosure expanded to eighteen acres. It was around this time that Henry Durfey was transferred to the Union's Invalid Corps, under the purview of the Army of the Potomac, and given "cook" and hospital attendant detail at the General Hospital. He apparently earned the nickname of "Hank Miller" through this Army employment by having a bag of flour on his head one day which spilled all over him and making him look like "a miller," one who grinds corn or wheat into flour.  Henry Durfey muster roll records with the 1st NY Light Artillery explaining his whereabouts during the second half of 1862 while in Frederick  Civil War camp cooking Private Durfey would remain in Frederick over the next year until July and August (1863), when he was dispatched to serve as an attendant at a hospital in Newtown, Virginia (northeast of Richmond). He would return to Frederick and his cook detail for the fall months of 1863. On November 16th, 1863, Henry was ordered to report to northern Virginia and the place called Convalescent Camp Virginia. Known also as Camp Misery, the poorly maintained facility had been replaced in February, 1863 with a new hospital camp, situated between Fairfax Seminary and Long Bridge in what is now Arlington County. The old Camp Convalescent was renamed the Rendezvous of Distribution and Auger General Hospital, and was used as a distribution center to send "healed men" now "fit for field service" back to their regiments. However, after inspection by a military surgeon, Private Henry Durfey was found unfit for military service because of epilepsy and frequent seizures, apparently contracted through his enlistment (likely the apparent trauma received at Winchester over a year and a half earlier). He was given a Certificate of Disability which was received by the Adjutant General's Office a few weeks later. All the while, future problems would arise due to a clerical error in which Durfey was inadvertently reported as "a deserter" in 1st New York Light Artillery muster rolls, claiming he skedaddled on his way to Virginia from the hospital of Frederick. This would be corrected upon his discharge at the end of the war.  Muster rolls showing the claim that Henry Durfey had deserted the Army in December, 1863.  Private Durfey's Disability Discharge granted at Camp Convalescent Henry Durfey spent the year 1864 in Frederick by all accounts. He would not return to New York. In February, 1865, he would volunteer for an additional year's service with the 1st Potomac Home Brigade's Company A. This would make him eligible for a government bounty (financial incentives) according to enlistment paperwork filled out in Frederick at the time. As a veteran, he now held the rank of corporal. Durfey would eventually be transferred on April 8th to Company A under the 13th Maryland Infantry Regiment.  Henry Durfey's re-enlistment with the Potomac Home Brigade in February, 1865  Corp. Henry Durfey's company muster rolls with the 13th Maryland Infantry Regiment Henry's supposed one year re-enlistment would only include three months of service due to Gen. Robert E. Lee's unconditional surrender of his Rebel Army in April, 1865. Corporal Durfey had successfully made it through the Civil War and was mustered out in Baltimore in May. He would settle down back in Frederick, the place he spent the majority of the war period. But, hold the phone, or telegraph, keeping things in proper historical context! What about wife Nancy (Lake) Durfey and his two daughters back in Niagara County, NY? I found Nancy Durfey (spelled Duffey), along with Sarah Elizabeth and Rhoda Jane (Jennie), living with Nancy's parents in Wilson in the 1865 and 1875 supplemental state censuses of New York. In 1870, she was living with a sister in Wilson, NY.  1870 Census shows Nancy Durfey and daughters living with Sarah Ann Booram in Lewiston.  1875 State Census of New York showing Nancy and daughters living with her widowed mother in Wilson, NY Many soldiers in the Civil War, both North and South, never returned home because of death. These men, usually buried in far off places, left countless widows who lacked the means to travel and/or bring their beloved husband's bodies back home to family plots in local graveyards. Such is the fate of over 700 Confederate soldiers buried in Mount Olivet's Confederate Row lying beside the earlier mentioned J. E. Johnson of Mississippi. Likewise, many of the Union soldiers buried in Mount Olivet during the war never made it back to places such as New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, etc. Instead, most of the latter were re-interred at the Antietam National Cemetery in Sharpsburg in 1867. Nancy J. Durfey had last heard from her husband through a letter dated December 18th, 1863. Nothing more came from him, and she eventually learned that her husband had been captured at the Battle of the Wilderness in May of 1864. This conflict featured nearly 29,000 casualties, and not hearing from Henry again, she assumed that he had died, and was buried somewhere in the South. We know this today because in September, 1881, Nancy tried desperately to receive a widow's pension to help take care of herself and two daughters. They were living in Lewiston, New York at this time. The process was slow and arduous for Nancy, and she was ultimately denied the pension because proof of her husband's death could not be found.  Nancy Durfey's Widow's Claim  Affidavit from Nancy Durfey (1881) My friend Verena has many copies of correspondence from Nancy Durfey's pension request case courtesy of the Library of Congress. These include official government transcripts and personal affidavits of fellow soldiers and Lake family members assisting the plaintiff. One of the most interesting testimonies comes from Henry Durfey's former commanding officers from the 1st New York Light Artillery's Battery M--Sergeant John H. Gormley and Lieutenant John D. Woodbury (later promoted top captain). In May of 1883, both men put pen to paper recounting the last they saw, and knew, of Private Durfey.  Affidavits above and below from John H. Gormley, Sergeant of the 1st New York Light Artillery (Battery M)   John D. Woodbury (1st New York Light Artillery) affadavit  Testimony of Elizabeth Lake, mother of Nancy. J. Durfey As can be seen, Nancy's mother, Elizabeth Lake, would also attempt to aid her daughter in her time of need. The Second Auditor of the Treasury Department summarized a report of the 1881 attempt by Nancy to claim a widow's pension. The "verdict" of a lengthy investigation which also revealed Durfey was still alive was sent to Mrs. Durfey two years after her claim was opened. Excellent information and correspondence came from the true "eyes and ears" of the nation of the time—individual town postmasters who had helped in locating Henry Durfey in Frederick, Maryland. Unfortunately, this represented nothing but heartache for the jilted Mrs. Henry Durfey, at least the first one.   1883 Report from the Treasury Department explaining rejection of claim It's not just the fact that Henry Durfey did not go back to New York or communicate with his first wife, he actually claimed that he had never married Nancy on military documents. When pressed for answers, he said he "skipped town" after getting her pregnant. So the Treasury Department and Pension Bureau learned Durfey was alive in Frederick, and had deceived this poor woman back home by having her believe he was dead, all the while "living in illicit intercourse with another woman in Maryland." Frederick's postmaster described Henry Durfey as "a poor ignorant fellow, with a fondness for lewd women." As this is information that was used internally by the Pension Bureau, and remains today as part of their records collection, I have no way to know if Nancy Durfey saw this full report and its contents, or learned the whereabouts of Henry. Hopefully, she did not hear of his crass rationale for not coming back or the fact that he was "remarried" with children in Frederick. Usually, in cases of war separation, the grieving or impatient wife or girlfriend remarries after their soldier goes missing, and doesn't come home. This case is certainly a unique turnabout.   Documentation of the rejection of Nancy's claim in Pension Bureau records Now living in Lewiston, NY, Nancy would receive an official rejection letter to her claim in 1883. She would eventually die eight years later on January 13th, 1891 at the age of 49.  An illustration of women washing clothes at a Civil War hospital So, you likely know who "the other woman" is by now. She is none other than Charlotte Hoffman. Charlotte unknowingly married Henry Durfey on February 24th, 1863. She met the soldier while working as a washerwoman and nursing attendant at Frederick's General Hospital in her aid of the sick and wounded during the Civil War. The couple wed at the Methodist Church in New Market. The former Miss Hoffman claims that Henry never mentioned being married before, and the same goes with failing to reveal the fact that he had two daughters living in northern New York. Henry and Charlotte went on to have two daughters as well: Laura Rebecca (born March 24, 1864) and Ida Mae (born 1872). In subsequent census records of the late 19th century, Henry is listed as a laborer and as a farmer. The family can be found living at 466 West South Street.  1870 US Census showing Henry and Charlotte Durfey and family living in Frederick  The house in the center, 466 W. South St., was the former home of Henry and Charlotte Durfey in Frederick  1880 US Census showing Durfey family In perusing old newspaper archives, I saw almost nothing on Henry Durfey. However, I did see countless references to "Hank Miller." He is regularly doing odd jobs ranging from manual labor and hauling to planting trees and digging ditches for sewers. "Hank" can also be found working at Baumgardner's Butcher Shop, Calvin Page's Hinge factory and picked fruit at local orchards. A member of the Independent Hose Company, he was also appointed fireman at the Frederick County Jail for a while.
My favorite employment venture of our subject centered on rat extermination for homeowners, businesses and farmers alike. Hank actually employed a unique labor crew of ferrets for this endeavor.
When Henry Durfey wasn't being productive, he was involved in general mischief, fights and wrong doing. Our veteran soldier (and perennial groom) apparently did not change his deceitful ways throughout life, and was a thorn in the side to municipal leaders. He was asked to leave town on numerous occasions, but always found his way back to Frederick .
 Frederick News (July 11, 1911) I think it's safe to assume that Charlotte Durfey played the role of "long-suffering wife." Henry must have been a handful for a multitude of reasons, including the health problems he would experience, many caused of his own volition. Some of these maladies were mentioned in his claims for his Invalid Pension. I severely question the work projects he engaged in as he certainly doesn't seem to be an OSHA posterchild either. Lifting heavy things can lead to, or exacerbate, a hernia for sure, not to mention taking part in fisticuffs as well. Regardless, I read in the documentation that Charlotte kicked Henry out of the house for good in the late 1890s for his "getting drunk and staying out all night and associating with loose women." The preceding is an exact quote taken from a deposition of daughter Laura Rebecca (Durfey) Cramer in 1914. Laura had issues with her father's behavior, but also stated, "He was a good man when sober." Her husband, Joseph Carty Cramer (1859-1939) did not care for his father-in-law in the least, and that explains why Henry Durfey was not given an opportunity to live with them. It appears as if our subject boarded for a time with a woman living on Bentz Street and also resided at the Frederick Almshouse at Montevue for a year. Henry went to Cumberland (c.1910-1912) for a short time to reside with his other daughter, Ida Mae (Durfey) Gantt. Mrs. Gantt lived at that place with husband Charles Eugene Gantt (1871-1944). I found both of these individuals buried in Cumberland's Hillcrest Burial Park.
As can be seen, Henry Durfey (aka Hank Miller), was a true "Frederick character." The life of the New York native would fittingly come to a dramatic end on the corner of West 5th and Market streets on March 20th, 1913. He wouldn't "go out with a bang," but let's just say the incident was pretty dramatic nonetheless.
 Mount Olivet interment card for Henry Durfey Charlotte's daughter, Laura (Durfey), and husband Joseph C. Cramer would host the wake of her father at their home on South Street. They also made arrangements to have Henry's body buried in their own family plot within Area L and utilizing Lot 53.  Frederick News (March 23, 1913) The story doesn't end here, no sir! Charlotte Durfey now took her turn in trying to claim her rightful share of Henry's military pension. In the process, she would learn the bitter truth that she was not the only widow of Henry Durfey. This was her family's first learning of Henry's other family in New York. In fact, Charlotte would come to find that the US Government did not recognize her (Charlotte) as a widow at all. The Pension Bureau had all the paperwork associated with Nancy J. Durfey's rejected claim as rightful heir to Henry's pension from 30 years earlier. Since Durfey never divorced Nancy, the second "marriage" to Charlotte did not count as a lawful and recognized civil marriage deserving the benefit of a widow's pension from the US government. However, if Nancy had been alive at this time, she would have now been entitled to a widow's pension due to Henry's death.
  Charlotte Durfey's Declaration for Widow's Pension from 1914 Charlotte worked desperately to convince the government of her deserved claim. Unfortunately the Methodist minister from New Market who married her fifty years earlier had long since passed, and any record of the nuptials could not be gotten from the church. Charlotte claims in the documentation that Henry, himself, destroyed their copy of the marriage certificate after a domestic squabble one night. Verena Rose's second binder contains dozens of pages of correspondence with the government, and examples of testimony, including that from Charlotte, daughter Laura, along with several neighbors/Frederick residents. Charlotte had to claim that not only had she legally married Henry Durfey, and that they lived together as man and wife, but also had the responsibility to prove that she had never divorced the man, although they lived apart for the last 16 years of his life. The special examiners at the Pension Bureau believed Charlotte to be an honest individual and upstanding citizen by reputation, and received the local references to back it up, however without proper documentation as Henry's lawful wife, they could not process the claim on her behalf. Charlotte's last chance came with investigating court records in New York in the hopes that Henry had actually secured a divorce from Nancy (Lake) Durfey, or vice-versa. Instead, she would learn of Nancy's death in 1891, with no divorce ever filed. Of most interest to me was a deposition taken on November 24th, 1914 at Niagara Falls, New York involving a Jane Nichols, wife of Alva D. Nichols. This was Henry's second daughter with Nancy J. Lake—the former Rhoda Jane "Jennie" Durfey born May 11, 1862. She stated that her mother, married Henry in 1860 in her hometown of Wilson, but the last name was always spelled Duffee, not Durfey. She also said that her older sister Elizabeth (wife of Alexander Scott, and residing in Lewiston, NY) had died just five weeks earlier. Jane here offers the information that her mother died in 1891 and was buried in the Lewiston, NY Cemetery, however says there is no headstone marking her grave.    Jane (Durfey/Duffee) Nichols Deposition in 1914  Final resting place of Nancy J. Duffee in an unmarked grave at First Presbyterian Church Cemetery (Lewiston, NY)  Rhoda Jane "Jennie" (Duffee) Nichols (1862-1922) in First Presbyterian Church Cemetery (Lewiston, NY) The investigators were given photos of Henry by each family, and these were also shown to both, further proving that they were all connected to the same man in Henry. No such records of divorce were found, and other witnesses (including family members) in New York gave testimony to the fact that Nancy never remarried, or made any effort to obtain a divorce even after learning that Henry was still living through her claim rejection in the early 1880s. Charlotte would learn that Nancy was destitute and crippled at the time of her death, again at the age of 49 as stated earlier. Charlotte saw the writing on the wall and soon realized her attempt was fruitless by the end of 1914. She would receive her rejection letter in late January, 1915.  Charlotte Durfey's claim rejection letter Charlotte's heartbreak must have been two-fold knowing that not only had herself and two children been deceived by Henry Durfey, but so had Nancy and her two daughters as well. The last few pages of Verena's second binder contain documentation in February and March of 1915 in which the heirs of Nancy J. Durfey (Duffee) are inquiring of the the Pension Bureau as to their own opportunity of claiming any money due them past, or present. They were quickly shut down by the government, and all cases involving Henry Durfey were closed. As for Charlotte (Hoffman) Durfey, she passed away on March 14th, 1923. In time, Charlotte would join her "common law" partner here in Mount Olivet Cemetery. I smile in thinking that someone made sure that the grave monument sitting atop the Durfey's gravesites reads, "his wife Charlotte." Naturally, Laura and Joseph Cramer would be laid to rest here in this lot. They are Verena Rose's great-great-grandparents, thus making Henry and Charlotte Durfey her third great-grandparents. I may add that it might be a stretch to use the adjective "great" when referring to Henry Durfey, but without him, we wouldn't have this lengthy "Story in Stone," or more importantly, Verena Rose, now would we? 
 Cramer/Durfey Plot in Mount Olivet (Area L/Lot 53) Author's Note: My sincere thanks and appreciation goes out to Verena Rose for sharing this incredible story and its well-researched documentation with me. The Library of Congress holds boundless treasures for the family historian. This particular odyssey is much more than a Civil War Veteran tale, but a larger story of the struggles of humanity featuring two strong women who demonstrated great resiliency through trying times and circumstances. May they both continue to rest in peace. An Opportunity for a Moonlit History Stroll in Mount Olivet with this author! Join Chris Haugh for the all-new, 2024 edition of the “Unsettling” Candlelight Walking Tour of Frederick’s historic Mount Olivet Cemetery. Five offerings with limited space for Oct 24, 26, 31 & Nov 1, 2 @ 7pm. 2-hour tour $16/person. For more info/registration, click the button below: 
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