George Solifelt(Alias Theodore Sullivan)--Book Mark Document

Looked at the Book Mark documents referenced in George Solifelt's Compiled Military Service Record and wanted to understand more about exactly what it was and why it was created.  I found an excellent article at https://twelvekey.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/ngsmagazine2015-01.pdf    
George had two alias that he used.  The information in his Book Mark file contains statements by others who knew him, and who gave sworn statements that George Solifelt & Theodore Sullivan were the same man. He also used the alias George Sullivan. One affidavit in particular contained some really interesting details.  It is a statement given by George Woomer.  

George Woomer said the following:   

I knew George H. Solifelt from his early youth.  We were boys together drove boat together on the Penns. Canal in the year 1862 and before.  in August of 1862 we left our Boats and went to Camp Curtin at Harrisburg PA and enlisted.  I enlisted in Co K 131st P.V. and he enlisted in Co H 126th Rgt P V. I saw him once in the service only.  it was after we went to the front.  Don't know the date but I know he serves in that company and regiment.  I did not then know he enlisted under the name of Theodore Sullivan--I have known him ever since and I know he is the same man who served in that Co. and Rgt.  I did not know he had served as Theodore Sullivan until he told me he gave as a reason for changing his name that he had been bound out when a boy.  I don't know whether he really knew what his name was or not.  I know his mother was Eliza Solifelt but I don't know who his Father was.

I located the FindAGrave entry for George Woomer & his wife.  Their grave is marked with a stone in First Methodist Cemetery, Lewistown, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, USA.

There are 15 other documents within this Book Mark file.  

Source: 

"General Affidavit on George H Solifelt & alias Theodore Sullivan" by George Woomer, 13 July 1896, witnessed by C M Shull, Justice of the Peace, File 1387-C-1885, Box 3190, Enlisted Branch Letters Received, NAID 607910, RG 94, National Archives, Washington DC.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52104825/george-woomer: accessed 08 December 2022), memorial page for Pvt George Woomer (10 Mar 1844–17 Nov 1924), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52104825, citing First Methodist Cemetery, Lewistown, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by RN (contributor 50495725).

Union Soldier's Letter Home from Danville(Va.)

Gathering information on George Solifelt and found a few new items. One item is a letter home that was published in the Lewistown, PA paper. The letter was written by Union soldier, Joseph Tice who was captured during the Civil War and held at Danville.  The majority of the guys he mentions are part of Co E 20th PA Cavalry.  The only soldier I found by the name of Samuel Wasson for PA was from the 9th PA Infantry.

Danville, C.S.M. Prison

February 2, 1865
Dear Mother:-- This is the first opportuni
ty I have had to write to you since I am a
prisoner, and I hope these few lines will
reach you.  I was captured on the 19th of
July, at Ashby's Gap, along with Geo. Soli-
felt, Larry Brought, John Crawford, James
Summers and Harrison Cupples, from Free
dom Forge.

We are all well and in good spirits, and
expect to be exchanged soon.  Lewis Briner
and John Miller are well also. Samuel Was
son, from Mt. Union, died on the 8th of Nov
1864; please inform his relatives. We all
send much love and expect to hear from you
as soon as you receive this.  Your son,
                            Joseph Tice
P.S. Please inform the boys' friends of 
their welfare.
Direct:--  C.S.M. Prison, No. 1, 
                    Danville, Va.
Care Lt. Col. R.C. Smith

Source:
Lewistown Gazette(Lewistown, Pennsylvania) 1st March 1865 Page 3 Col 1 (at Newspapers.com) 

NARA Catalog Search Reveals Additional Records

While I was thinking of things I need to do and items I need to order, I pulled(at Ancestry) the US Civil War Pension Index Card for Henry F Hill and his wife Tennie(Ferguson) Hill, step-daughter of James Polk Cook. I need to order copies of Henry's pension file and his widow's file. I'd also like to see the service files for Henry. He was a US Pension agent in the Ozark Arkansas area. On a whim I searched the NARA catalog and found a case file containing an investigation about him.

"These records are part of subseries 1. This file contains the oath of allegiance of Henry F. Hill of Huntsville and Ozark, Arkansas, that was required for admission to practice before the Bureau of Pensions, as well as investigative reports and correspondence about procedural matters and misconduct by Mr. Hill in his capacity as a notary public."

So...now I need to get copies of the pension files of Henry and Tennie and also THIS!!

While I'm at it, it would also be a good idea to get a copy of the service records of George H Solifelt. For those who haven't read my previous blog posts about Tennie, this was the man who Tennie(about 5 yrs after Henry's death) moved from Arkansas to Iola Kansas with and lived with him as his niece. I've yet to find any connection to confirm that she was his niece. I've checked George's family which is sketchy at best and I'm pretty familiar with her parents and step-dad's families. So now I'm looking to see if the niece relationship is thru her marriage to Henry. Henry was born in OH but his parents were from Maryland and Vermont. George on the other hand, was from Pennsylvania and served some time in prison. I have little hope that the Niece/Uncle story is valid but I am checking everywhere.