His Widow (Phebe Phillips)
Phebe Crandall was born on May 26, 1840. She married Amos Phillips, a veteran of the 44th NY Regiment of the Civil War, on June 24, 1867. The couple had no children. During their 37 years of marriage, Amos suffered greatly from medical complications from his war service. At one point, his health was so poor the couple was forced to move to the Women's Relief Corps (WRC) home in Oxford, New York. Amos died of septecemia on February 25, 1904. Phebe applied for a Widow's Pension of $12 per month within days of his death, but was rejected. The Pension Office rejected her claim on the grounds that Amos did not die of wounds directly related to his military service.
The records reflect years of requests and pleadings for this pension. In one letter Phebe cited the "Increased Rate to Certain Widows Pensions for Certain Remarried Widows Act of September 8, 1916" which legislated pensions of $20 per month to widows of any enlisted man of the Army. Navy, or Marine Corps who served in the Civil War, War with Mexico, or the War of 1812. If the widow was not previously on the pension roll, they were immediately qualified if they had reached the age of 70. Based on this legislation, she was granted a monthly pension of $20.
Records also reflect that at the time of her death in 1922, Phebe was receiving a pension of $30 per month. While her death occurred in 1922, the pension drop records indicate she was not dropped from the pension rolls until 1925.