| Notes |
- Thanks to Obed's military service in the civil war, we learn a considerable bit about this man who lived to the remarkable age of 92. The names of his parents, William Sisco and Ruth Fox, were included on the "New York, Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War, ca 1861-1865." His date of birth is somewhat questionable. His gravestone states a date of birth of October 14th, 1805; however, his pension and other documents state his birth as November 14th.
In 1887, 11 years prior to his death, Obed penned a brief history of his life in the autograph book of his granddaughter, Rosalia, whom he called "Malrosa." It is transcribed as written, without correction in grammar or punctuation:
Malrosa you wanted that I should right sumthing in this book and ___. I will give a full histrey of my trvel from first to last in the first place I was born in the toun of farfield franklin co and state of vermont I always remand there I was born on the 14th day of november 1805 until 1843 then I came to moira franklin co state of new york I stade thare until 1862 then I enlisted and went to the war and after I got threw with that in 1875 I went wisconsen and the next July I came hear in 1876 and I am hear yet now I ges that is all that you want to no.
Obed was first married to Mina Wilson in February 1827. (The exact day of the month on the marriage document is illegible.) Sometime after they exchanged vows, the couple crossed the border into Canada where their oldest daughter, Achsa, was born in Sutton. It is unclear when or where Obed married his second wife, Mrs. Emaline (Wilson) Lincoln. We do know he was married before 1841, when his daughter Emily (Sisco) Patterson was born in Jay, VT, and after the birth of Emaline's son Henry Lincoln in 1839. (It is from Emily's obituary we learn that she was the daughter of this second marriage, and the maiden name of her mother.) It seems likely that Mina and Emaline were sisters. However, a bit of conflicting information the date of this second marriage is found in the affidavit of his daughter, Achsa (Sisco) Simpson, provided May 7, 1898, when she provided information to the pension office to assist her step-mother in obtaining a pension after Obed's death. Achsa states, "His first wife name was Emaline Lincoln he married her about 1846 and she died about 1880." Given that 50 years had elapsed, and there was no need for absolute accuracy, it seems likely that the details and specific years were gone from Achsa's memory. One can also assume that given the difficulty in obtaining a widow's pension, Achsa also omitted the fact that Emaline was Obed's second wife, not his first.
In 1840, Obed "Scisco" is enumerated in Jay, Orleans County, VT. Also enumerated on the same page are Asa Willson and William "Scisco," who would be about the right age to be Obed's father.
We know that the Siscos moved from Vermont to the Moira, N.Y. area between 1843-1846. (Daughter Emily's obituary stated she was five when they left Vermont.)
On August 6, 1862, fifty-six year old Obed enlisted in Co. H of the 106th New York Regiment of U.S. Volunteer soldiers at Moira, Franklin Couny, N.Y. He is described as 5' 7", fair complexion with blue eyes and dark hair, occupation farmer. He served nearly 1 1/2 years of his 3-year year enlistment, but had apparently spent nearly five months hospitalized after being injured by an overturned ammunition wagon on July 4, 1863. He returned to duty December 7, 1863, with a discharge on December 31st "because of infirmities of age."
From Obed's entry in his granddaughter's autograph book we know he moved on to Wisconsin, joining other members of his family, including daughter Achsa (Sisco) Simpson. It appears that Emaline did not travel with him, as we learn from an article in the Malone Palladium newspaper that Emaline died in Moira, New York, July 24, 1881, as a result from burns received when lightning struck the room where she was sitting, at the home of her son, Henry Lincoln.
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The Stanwood Family
1805 - 1898 (92 years)
