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1828 James Mortimer Pulis


Born: Feb. 21, 1828 in Bethany, Wayne County, PA.

Died: Jul. 13, 1913 in Selby, Burdick Township, Perkins County, SD.

He was buried July 15, 1913 in Bangor Cemetery, Walworth Co., SD


His father was 1802 Peter Pulis.

His mother was 1806 Kezia Dodge.


He was married Dec. 30, 1850 to 1833 Jane Brown in 
Wayne County, Pennsylvania.

Children of Jane Brown and James Mortimer Pulis are:
 
  1852 Ellen Isadore Pulis
  1854 Oscar Mortimer Pulis
  1857 Mary (Mae) Pulis      (she married Case V. Conyne)
  1876 Elmer James Pulis (twin)
  1876 Emery Brown Pulis (twin)

All five of their children were born in Wayne County, Pennsylvania.

James was a farmer and a carpenter.  James and his family, including 
Jane's mother, 1807 Mary Babcock, moved to South Dakota in 1884.  

The two photos at right show the gravestone of James Mortimer Pulis 
in Bangor Cemetery near Selby, Walworth County, South Dakota.  His 
grave is marked with a typical government issue stone that gives only 
his name and Civil War unit.

He is listed as living in Dyberry twsp, Wayne County on the 1860 census 
page 241.  In the 1870 Census, he is again listed as living in Dyberry 
twsp, page 129. In the 1900 Federal Census of South Dakota he is listed 
as living in Bangor twsp. Walworth County, page 281. In the 1910 Federal 
Census of South Dakota he is listed living with his son Emery in Burdick 
Township, Perkins County, page 129.

James served in the Civil War from Oct. 10, 1862 to Aug. 14, 1863,
Capt. George W. Hubbells, CO.  Drafted Militia of Wayne County, PA,
Co. E, 179th Regiment, composed entirely of Wayne County men; he 
was mustered into service at Philadelphia Nov.  4, 1862 and served 
ten months, doing guard and provost duty in Philadelphia City and 
County, principally at the Chestnut Hill Hospital. 

It does not appear in Bate's "Pennsylvania Volunteers" but did appear 
in the Honesdale Citizen Newspaper February 9, 1882.  He was Honorably 
Discharged at Philadelphia on the 14th of August 1863 and applied for 
a pension due to advancing age and rheumatism (see application dated 
August 10th, 1890). He was at the time of application, age 62 years. 

He stated on an affidavit dated February 18, 1892 that he had heart 
trouble which started in 1887 when he was frightened by a storm and 
from that time it has been growing worse ever since. He also stated 
that he had never been under the care of a physician because he 
believed he would not materially benefit from it. He was at that 
time now 64 years of age. 

He apparently received the pension of $12.00 per month Pension 
underCertificate # 28742.  James had to re-apply again in 1912, 
under Certificate # 788073.

He was at the time living in Haynes, North Dakota and later in 
South Dakota, as he is listed in the 1905 State Census, Card #264.  
It states that he was a widower and that he could not read or write.

Certificate #3-1081 "Pensioner Dropped" is dated October 20, 1913 
and states that pensioner was last paid on July 4, 1913 $22.50 and 
dropped from the rolls due to death.  Certificate of Death states 
James was 80 years, 1 month and 12 days old at time of death and 
that cause of death was listed as Old Age, and he was a farmer.

He was a charter member of The John Mangen Post No. 150 Grand Army
of the Republic, Organized in 1889 at Bangor, Dakota Territory and 
later moved to Selby, South Dakota in May of 1906.  John Mangen was 
the first soldier to died in combat from Walworth County.

He died at 3:00 PM.  His death certificate states his body was transported 
to Selby, Walworth County, South Dakota, for burial but he is actually 
buried in nearby Bangor Cemetery, Walworth County, South Dakota.


Source information: Pension applications, Death Certificate # 35316, 1913.

Source: "History of Wayne, Pike and Monroe Counties",

South Dakota State Census and family information from: 
  Charles Woodruff, Seoul , Korea and 
  Dept. of History United States Govt. Records.

Information courtesy of Charles Bryce Woodruff and Gary Pulis

Photos courtesy of Charles B. Woodruff.  Here is a letter that
Charlie wrote to me (James Alan Sherman) in August 2010, concerning his
research on James Mortimer Pulis and Jane Brown Pulis.

Charlie is shown in the photo of Bangor Cemetery, below.