MSS 2/0297-01 Acc. 1993-038 Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Military pension papers, 1880-1911. 2 f. (29 items) Box Fol. 1 1 1. Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Declaration for invalid army pension, 1880 Apr. 29. 4 p. With attached memorandum. 2.Orr, George W.P Additional testimony in pension claim ... of William M. Coffin, 1881 Feb. 15. 2 p. 3.Carpenter, Adam. Additional testimony in pension claim ... of William M. Coffin, 1881 Mar. 3. 3 p. 4.Carpenter, David. Additional testimony in pension claim ... of William M. Coffin, 1881 Mar. 3. 3 p. 5.Barnett, Gideon H.P Additional testimony in pension claim ... of William M. Coffin, 1881 Mar. 11. 3 p. 6.Woodward, John K.P Additional testimony ... in case of William M. Coffin, 1881 Mar. 16. 2 p. 7.Bentley, George R.P Additional testimony in pension claim ... of William M. Coffin, 1881 Mar. 17. 3 p. 8. Lawrence, Henry, and David D. Smith.P Additional testimony in pension claim ... of William M. Coffin, 1881 Apr. 5. 3 p. 9. Rust, Herbert L.P Additional testimony in pension claim ... of William M. Coffin, 1881 May 9. 4 p. 10.Hanlon, Thomas. Additional testimony in pension claim ... of William M. Coffin, 1881 June. 2 p. 11.Sterett, Henry. Additional testimony in pension claim ... of William M. Coffin, 1881 Sept. 3 p. 12.Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Affidavit of claimant, 1881 Sept. 19. 9 p. 13.Coffin, W[illiam] M., b. 1833. Autograph letter signed : New Albany, Ind., to Gen[era]l R. C. Drum, Washington, D.C., 1882 Oct. 18. 1 p. Includes response, 1882 Nov. 8. 14.United States. Pension Bureau. Pension certificate of William M. Coffin, 1883 Apr. 14. 1 p. Copy. 15.Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Application for readjudication in case of pension claim, 1883 June 8. 4 p. With attached memorandum. 16.Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Declaration for rerating, reissue and restoration and for the increase of an invalid pension, 1887 Oct. 11. 3 p. Copy. 17.United States. Pension Bureau. Letter : Washington, D.C., to William M. Coffin, Covington, Ky., 1888 June 27. 2 p. 18.[United States. Pension Bureau.] Letter : Washington, D.C., to Lycurgus Dalton, [Washington, D.C.], 1888 Sept. 3. 1 p. Copy. Includes note by William M. Coffin. Box Fol. 1 2 19.Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Declaration for readjudication, restoration, rerating, and the increase of an invalid pension, 1888 Sept. 10. 1 p. 20. Saffin, Wm. Additional evidence in invalid claim ... of Wm. M. Coffin, 1889 June 27. 2 p. 21.Connaty, J. W.P Additional evidence in invalid claim ... of Wm. M. Coffin, 1889 June 29. 2 p. 22.Memorandum of affidavits and evidence in the pension claim of William M. Coffin, [1889?]. 1 p. 23.[Coffin, William M., b. 1833.] Notes concerning disabilities, [ca. 1889]. 2 p. 24.Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Memorandum in regard to the family of William M. Coffin, [1898 Feb.]. 1 p. 25.Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Declaration for the increase of an invalid pension, 1892 Oct. 10. 2 p. 26.Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Note, 1905 Oct. 25. 1 p. 27.Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Autograph letter signed : [Montgomery?], Ohio, to the Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D.C., 1905 Nov. 18. 1 p. Copy. 28. Coffin, William M., b. 1833. A copy of questions and answers concerning the pension claim of Thomas H. Butler, 1906 May 18. 1 p. 29.[Coffin, William M., b. 1833]. Declaration for pension, 1911. 2 p. Incomplete form. 7/20/1993 je MSS 2/0297-01 Acc. 1993-038 Coffin, William M., b. 1833. Military pension papers, 1880-1911. 2 f. (29 items) Biographical William M. Coffin, a New Albany, Indiana, businessman and soldier, was born on 12 October 1833. Before the Civil War, he worked for a wholesale and retail merchant in New Albany. He enlisted in the United States Army in August 1862 and became a lieutenant in the 5th Indiana Cavalry. Coffin was honorably discharged on 31 August 1865 and returned to Indiana; there, despite poor health, he became a traveling clothing salesman, insurance salesman, and real estate dealer. He married Leonora W. Moore in 1880; they had two children, William Marmaduke (b. 1887) and Robert Erastus (b. 1892). Scope and contents The collection contains letters, claim forms, affidavits, memoranda, and other documents, 1880-1911, concerning William M. Coffin's military pension and medical disabilities from his service in the Civil War. The papers describe Coffin's state of health and war related disabilities as well as his experiences with medical care and treatments during and after the war. Coffin suffered from typhoid fever, gunshot wounds, hemorrhoids, chronic diarrhea, and rheumatism. Provenance The William M. Coffin military pension papers were purchased by the Historical Collections of the Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia through a gift of the Samuel Lewis Circle on 15 July 1993. The collection was processed and catalogued in 1993. 7/20/1993 je