Although I do not know the birthdate of my maternal great-great-grandfather, Tyre Mutchler, I know that he fought in the Civil War as one of my cousins shared her own treasure trove of information, which included my great-great-grandfather’s Civil War records and pictures of my great-great-grandmother, Lucinda Singleton-Mutchler. Lucinda went blind as a result of caring for her husband who suffered intestinal fever, severe diarrhea and a gunshot wound. He was released on sick leave on January 2, 1864, after having joined the 10th Regiment of the Army in Indiana; he enrolled at Indianapolis on the 18th day of September, 1861.
He died at home on May 2, 1864, still on sick leave from the Army at Clinton County, Indiana. His wife applied for and received not only a Civil War Widows’ pension but a blind pension as well.
Because my great-great-grandmother played her part in the Civil War, it should be noted that she was a determined little woman – an immaculate housekeeper, even after going blind -and measured 4 feet 10 inches tall. Her feet were so tiny that it was almost impossible to fit her with shoes.
Sarah Hudson-Pierce
Plain Dealing, Louisiana
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then CAPPER’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from CAPPER’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.
