John Cruse (1842-1864), possible grandson of Jeremiah Cruse and Elizabeth Harland

A continuing series on the possible children and grandchildren of Jeremiah Cruse of Madison County, Kentucky, and Vigo Couty, Indiana, and his wife Elizabeth Harland. This information courtesy of Marian Kay Abbott.

John Cruse was born about 1842 (1, 2) in Vigo County, Indiana (3) to David Cruse and Jane Jewell. He was the fifth child of seven known children of David and Jane. 

When John was about four or five years old, his father died. His mother continued living on their farm in Honey Creek Township. 

John was nineteen years old when the Civil War broke out. Three years later, on 16 February 1864 at Terra Haute he enlisted as a private in Company C, 31st Regiment of Indiana Volunteers under the command of Captain Thompson. He was mustered into service a week later on 24 February in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is recorded to have had black eyes, black hair, and a dark complexion. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall (3). Older brother Zachariah Cruse was mustered into the same company on the same day also under the command of Captain Thompson (3). Older brother William Cruse also served in Company C, 31st Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, but under Lt. Conover. William also did not enlist until March of 1865 (4). 

John died on 5 August 1864 of fever at Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is buried in the National Cemetery there (4). 

In 1866, John's mother, Jane (Jewell) Cruse, applied for a pension on behalf of her son John's Civil War service. Her son Jeremiah Cruse and her neighbors, S. S. Moore and Mrs. Eliza Jane Evans, provided written testimony in support of her request. They stated that John Cruse died leaving no widow or child, and that for the five years before John's death he worked as a farm hand and regularly supplied 1/2 of his widowed mother's support. He was seen on a number of occasions taking home various articles and groceries for her use. After he enlisted and received his pay, Mrs. Evans saw him give his other $50 for her support. At the time of the application, Jane owned 40 acres of land, a few household items, and one cow. The general consensus was that without his help, his mother would not live comfortably. In May of 1867, Jane Cruse was awarded a pension of $8 per month (5). 

Sources:

(1) 1850 U. S. Federal Census, Jane (Jewell) Cruse's household, Honey Creek Township, Vigo Co IN.

(2) 1860 U. S Federal Census, Jane (Jewell) Cruse's household, Honey Creek Township, Vigo Co IN. 

(3) File in Indiana State Archives regarding Federal Enlistment, transcribed and provided by Marian Kay Abbott.

(4) Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Vol 5, 1861-1865, 1866. 

(5) Civil War Pension Records for Jane Cruse (John Cruse). 

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Zachariah Crews (1838- ), possible grandson of Jeremiah Crews & Elizabeth Harland

This is a continuing series on the possible children and grandchildren of Jeremiah Crews & Elizabeth Harlan of Vigo County, Indiana. Jeremiah was the son of David Crews, Sr., of Madison County, Kentucky. This information is largely the courtesy of Marian Kay Abbott, a descendant of Jeremiah.

Zachariah Crews, the third son born to David Cruse and Jane Jewell, was born in 1838 in Sullivan County, Indiana (1). David, of course, is strongly believed to be a son of Jeremiah Crews & Elizabeth Harland. The 1840 Sullivan County, Indiana census shows a male Zachariah's age in the David Cruse household (2). About 1846, when Zachariah was about eight years old, his father died. Either before or after his father's death, the family moved to Honey Creek Township in Vigo County, Indiana. Jane is found here in the 1850 census with her children, including Zachariah (3).

On 14 January 1858, Zachariah married Rachel Lane in Vigo County, Indiana (4). Rachel's parents are unknown, but in the 1850 census she is found living in Honey Creek Township in Vigo County, Indiana with Thomas Meak, 30 years old, and Orpha Meak, aged 33. There are a number of other children in the household, but the relationship to Thomas and Orpha is not stated on the census (5).

Zachariah and Rachel made their home in Honey Creek Township. In 1859, their first child, a boy they named John, was born (6). 

Zachariah served as a private in the Civil War in the 31st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C (7). This unit saw extensive fighting and served from the beginning of the war until the end. 

During the war and afterwards more children were born - Benjamin Franklin Cruse in 1861 and Joseph Cruse in 1863, Amanda Cruse, and the couple's only daughter, born in 1865, Edward Cruse, born in 1872, Henry Harrison Cruse, born in 1847, and William Thomas Cruse, born in 1876. 

It is believed that Zachariah and Rachel died within two weeks of each other sometime between 1876 and 1880. While John may have been close to 19 when his parents died, the other children were younger, with William Thomas Cruse no older four years. 

Zachariaha and Rachel are believed to be buried in Hull Cemetery in Vigo County, Indiana, where so many other members of the Cruse family are buried. If so, their graves are unmarked.



(1) Civil War Enlistment papers according to Marian Kay Abbott. 
(2) 1840 U. S. Federal Census, Sullivan County, Indiana, David Cruse's household.
(3) 1850 U. S. Federal Census, Honey Creek Township, Jane Cruse's household.
(4) Vigo County, Indiana marriage document, courtesy of Marian Kay Abbott but also found on ancestry.com.
(5) 1850 U. S. Federal Census, Honey Creek Township, Thomas Meak household.
(6) 1860 U. S. Federal Census, Honey Creek Township, Zachariah Cruse's household.
(7) National Park Service. U. S. Civil War Soldiers 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
(8) Ancestry.com. U. S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.