Variant spellings of names is a common problem for genealogists.

At times, it was necessary for people to change their names in order to render them properly in their new language.  For example, the German alphabet includes five characters that are not available in English —  ä, ë ö, ü, and ß.  That last one is an “estset”; it is kind of like a “double-s”.    So “Lüders” in Germany became “Lueders” in America.

Often, our ancestors names appear differently in the records because census takers or those who listed the names of passengers on a ship just wrote down what they heard.  And they may have been hearing names that were altogether unfamiliar to them.

Some folks changed their names as part of a family feud.  I vaguely remember reading somewhere about a branch of Harding’s that dropped the “g” to become Hardin and moved to another state.

And then, of course, there was just plain sloppy handwriting; which I have no right to complain about.

Usually, I just search for all the possible spellings and accept the fact that variants exist.  As long as I am comfortable that I am still looking at the same person. 

But in the case of my 4th Gr-Grandpa Gary, I had to dig a little deeper. I had to be sure I am spelling his name right because HE cared that his name was spelled just right.

He cared so much that when he was 75 years old he appeared in Pension Court in the state of New York and requested a new Certificate “for the purpose of having an error in the Christian name corrected”.  As far as I can determine, he was still receiving his $35 a year pension for his service during the Revolutionary War; but he just wanted his name spelled right.

So which was it? 

• Enos — of Hebrew origin, meaning  “mankind” and belonging to one of Adam and Eve’s grandsons. OR
• Eneas:  of Greek and Latin origin, meaning “to praise” and a variant of Aeneas the Trojan hero prince of Virgil’s Aeneid
  

All the local history books that cover Gary genealogy list him as Enos.  The DAR lineage books all list him as Enos.  Most of the family trees that you find online list him as Enos.

However!

An entry in a Gary Family Bible, which is admittedly very hard to read and therefore inconclusive, looks to me more like Eneas than Enos.  And yes, it also says Geary instead of Gary.  But like I said, that is the nature of this kind of work.

Also, his grave marker at Rushford Cemetery says Eneas Gary Esq.

But the deciding factor for me came as I was searching through his military pension files.  I found four documents that he had personally signed.  

A hundred years from now, a genealogist looking at my signature won’t learn much.  But in the case of Eneas Gary, I think it is pretty clear what he thought his name was.

 

My Sons of the American Revolution certificate for Enos Gary merely describes his service as:  

“Private, Connecticut; Capt. Jeremiah Mason and Capt. John Isham”

There is, of course, so much more to the story.

The following is my transcription of a handwritten document I found in his military records.  This is a clerk’s record of testimony given by Eneas Gary in 1832 when he applied for his Revolutionary War Pension.  I have corrected some spelling and added some paragraph breaks to make it more readable.  (I have also added some comments in Italics).  But for the most part, this is Eneas Gary describing his military service in his own words. 

State of New York

County of Allegany

On this 30 day of October personally appeared in open court before our Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in general session now sitting, Eneas Gary, a resident of Rushford in the County of Allegany and State of New York aged seventy five years according to a record he transcribed from an old Family Bible of his Father’s when he first commenced house-keeping, who being duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832

That he was born on the 23rd day of September, 1757 in the town of Taunton in Bristol County and State of Massachusetts, and when he was about twelve years of age his Father moved with his family to Lebanon in Windom County, State of Connecticut, where he resided until the year 1801 when he, the said Eneas Geary, moved with his family to Weathersfield in the County of Windsor, State of Vermont and in the 1808 he moved to Rushford in Allegany County, State of New York, where he now resides.

He further says that he was first called into the Revolutionary Service from his residence in Lebanon about the last of January or forepart of February 1776. 

That he enlisted under Captain Jeremiah Mason, Lieut. Clark and Ensign Watterman for two months and that he soon marched to Cambridge near Boston.  And that after remaining there some time went to Brooklyn.

And some time about the first of March in the evening a part of his company marched to Roxbury, himself for one, and then joined a large body of troops; and from there to the Heights of Dorchester where they erected a large Fort— And after having been relieved by other troops, they returned to Brooklyn and there remained until after the British army and fleet left Boston and sailed from Nantucket Roads—

Then was dismissed without any written discharge and returned home about the last of March of forepart of April and that he drew pay for two months service according to his enlistment.

That according to the best of his remembrance they had but one Colonel and his name was Sage of Middletown and the Major’s name was Ripley of Windham.

The second engagement of 1776

And further saith that he entered the service of the United States for the second time the last of May or first of June 1776.  That he enlisted for six months under Capt. John Isham, Lieut. Chamberlain and Ensign Ransom— The Col’s name who commanded the Regiment was John Chester and resided Weathersfield —  The second in command was Col. Wills— The Major’s name he has forgotten.  Benjamin Tallmadge, who has since been a Member of Congress was their Adjutant.

They marched, or went part of the way by water to New York—

And that on or about the 26th of August a part of his company was in a detached party for 2 or 3 days to go to the lines towards Flat-Bush on Long Island.

In the forepart of the day they fell in with a column of the British army and commenced firing on them and fought on a retreat until they were like to have been surrounded and then fled with all speed and with much difficulty reached our lines—  And on the next night but one our army left the island and went over to the city of New York—

And that they remained a few days in the city and then marched out over King’s Bridge to a place called Valentine’s Hill where they remained a short time and then went to White Plains and then went to fortifying the place.

And that he was sometimes drawn out and sent with a large party to reconnoiter about West-Chester where they once fell in with a body of the British army, and had a short skirmish, but they soon reinforced, and we were obliged to fall back towards our lines—

Sometime about the last of October the British army attacked them at White Plains and a partial action was fought— Soon after this engagement the British army drew off towards New York  and that he was once more in a large detached party commanded by Gen Lee (as near as he can remember) and followed up their rear until they got back to Valentine’s Hill when the British crossed at King’s-Bridge and then they returned back to White Plains and joined their regiment and took their tents and marched to the North River and crossed at Stoney Point with two or three regiments more, one of which was called the Continental Regiment.  Two of the officers were known to him, Capt. Andrew Fitch and Lieut. Allen both of them were townsmen of his—

From Stoney point they marched to East Town (Easton, PA) at the forks of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, thence to a place where there were some Moravians settled (Bethlehem, PA)  and from there to or near the west bank of the Delaware River a little above Trenton where they remained until his time of service had expired –

On or about the last of November or the forepart of December the Regiment to which he belonged was paraded and the commanding officers informed them that their time of service was out and thanked them for their soldier-like behavior while under their command and dismissed them without written discharges—

And that he went with a part of his company from the west side of the Delaware River to place called Cowels or Corells ferry (probably Coryell’s Ferry – located at what is now Solebury, PA) where they crossed and from there to Hacketstown in New Jersey — from there to  Goshen in New York — from there to New Windsor and crossed the North River (Hudson River) to Fish Kill, from there to Litchfield in Connecticut from there to Hartford — from there to home in Lebanon.  (the trip home was about 302 miles)

And after a long lapse of time received his full pay for six months services.

Third engagement 1777

And further saith that he entered the Service of the United States for the third time about the middle of August, as near as he can now recollect, in the year of 1777.

That he then belonged to a troop of horse.  And although the Captain had orders to draft a number from his company and called them together for that purpose, he and a number of others turned out voluntarily and were soon marched to Hartford where they were met by others from different towns — The Captain’s name was Green of East Haddam, Gamaliel Little of Lebanon was their Lieut. and their Cornet’s (third ranking officer in a cavalry unit) name was Bingham and resides in Canterbury.

That all immediately proceeded to Albany in the State of New York — from there to Bennnington in Vermont, and soon after marched to Manchester where they were divided into small parties and placed on the road from head quarters to Manchester, Pawlet, and Granville up to Lake Champlain, where they remained carrying dispatches from one part of the army to the other until Burgoyne was taken prisoner with his army

A day or two before Burgoyne surrendered he was taken sick and was not able to go home with his Company — From the time he left home until he returned was nearly three months including the time of his sickness and that he drew pay for two months services only.

Being left alone sick, he was neither dismissed nor had he any written discharge —  and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to any of his services

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any agency in any State.

Eneas Gary

 

As a result of this testimony and a few character references, Eneas Gary was awarded a Certificate of Pension on Aug 19, 1833.  He received $87.50 in arrears and began receiving $35 per year until he died in Aug 17, 1844