In the following document Mary Ann Wachter, widow of John Wachter

(Son of Samuel, Sr., Grandson of George), applied for a Civil War

pension based on the service and death of her son, Samuel Calvin Wachter.

 The document states that;

Samuel (known as Calvin) served in the 1st Calvary, of the Potomac Home Guard;

other records show that he was in Company A (Cole' Calvary) within that regiment,  

Samuel Calvin was captured at Loundon County, Virginia on January 1. 1864.

(Note; Mary Ann's Son is listed as Calvin S. Wachter in the Andersonville Prisoner Profile.

The profile cites the place of capture as Rectorville (now known as Rector Town).

The profile lists his death as July 16, 1864 of Diarrhea; However, diarrhea was

 only the symptom of the malnutrition, and unsanitary conditions which existed at Andersonville.

Mary Ann was the widow of John Wachter, deceased - this was an important verification

 of one branch of the Wachter family.

In the following deposition Mary Ann Wachter states that;

She is Samuel Calvin's mother,

Samuel Calvin was her only support prior to, and during, his Army service,

She is "in very great need of assistance, old, in needy circumstances and can not procure a living secure living by her own labor".

In the following deposition Cornelius Wachter, who also served in the 1st Potomac Home Guard with Samuel, and who, while he does not admit it here, is the brother of Samuel C. Wachter, states that;

Samuel Calvin Wachter had "no wife, child or children",

Samuel Calvin' father was John Wachter, deceased on 12 April 1844,

Mary Ann does not posses property of greater than one hundred fifty dollars value,

Mary Ann is nearly sixty years old,

She has one old cow and "makes some little butter and sells it at the Frederick Market",

Samuel Calvin was in support of his mother for four years before he entered the U.S. Army, and that he sent his mother money from his Army pay.

Note;  It is interesting that will Mary Ann could only draw an X when a signature was required, Cornelius was able to sign his name, apparently without difficulty.

In the following deposition William Feager and Thomas M. Wachter state that;

Mary Ann was dependent upon Samuel Calvin for support prior to his entering the Amy,

Samuel Calvin worked on Mr. Feager's farm, and gave the wages to his mother,

Samuel Calvin requested his mother's consent to enter the Army and that he would send her his Army wages,

Samuel Calvin had money delivered, by a Sergeant of his company, to his mother,

Samuel Calvin sent his mother about twenty dollars at a time,

In the following deposition William Preston states that;

Mary Ann Wachter is extremely poor and owns no real estate and very little personal property,

Samuel Calvin was her only son (Note; this seems to be incorrect).

The following is Mary Ann Wachter's application for "Arrears of Pension".  The federal government suspended pensions payments from time to time in order to clear the pension rolls of those no longer eligible for the pension.  Therefore, in this document Mary Ann Wachter re-applied - while there is no date on the document, it is know that the application was made after January 25, 1879

On Oct 4, 1888 the U.S. Pension Agency was informed that Mary Ann Wachter had died on Sept 4, 1888.  The document shows that her pension amounted to twelve dollars per month.  Assuming that the pension amount remained constant over the 22 years from 1866 to 1888 she drew only about three thousand dollars, about 40 cents per day, with which to sustain herself.