NARA compiled military service record (21 pp.), invalid pension file certificate 34380 (67 pp.) and medical file (1 p.) for Levi H. Cooper, Private, Company B, 15th Regiment New Jersey Volunteer Infantry — digitized by Gopher Records, order 015339, delivered 16 Sep 2026.

What this document records

The 1862 enlistment verbatim

SERVICE p. 19, Volunteer Enlistment, State of New Jersey, Town of Hackettstown: "I, Levi H Cooper born in Warren Co in the State of N Jersey aged twenty seven years, and by occupation a Labourer Do hereby acknowledge to have volunteered this Fourth day of Aug 1862 …" Sworn at Flemington the 4[?] day of Aug 1862 before Lucius Emerson[?]; signed "Levi his X H Cooper, Mark". "This soldier has Grey eyes, Light hair, Fair complexion, is [5?] feet 10½ inches high." Regiment: Fifteenth N.J.

The 1864 declaration verbatim

PENSION pp. 57-58, State of New Jersey, County of Sussex, 9 September 1864, before James J. Martin, Clerk of the Common Pleas: "Levi H Cooper, aged Twenty nine Years, a resident of the township of Independance in the County of Warren"; enlisted at Allamuchy 5 August 1862, sworn in at Flemington; Company B, Capt. A. J. Burtt[?]; discharged 13 September 1863; at the Battle of Fredericksburg, 13 December 1862, "a wound caused by the entering of a minnie ball near the left groin … shivering the bone of his left thigh"; "That his family consists of himself, Wife and Child"; occupation since discharge "a day labourer at farming &c"; post office Johnsonsburg, Warren County. Witnesses Eli Lundy and Oscar Jeffery, of Independence and Newton. Agent Isaac L. Cook of Johnsonsburg. Signed by mark.

The 1864 brief

PENSION p. 56: post office Johnsonsburg, Warren Co., N.J.; enlisted Aug 5th 1862, discharged Sept 13th 1863; admitted Nov 18th 1864 to a pension of $8 per month from Sept 13th 1863, disability total, gunshot wound of thigh and groin.

The 1870 restoration declaration verbatim

PENSION pp. 12-13, State of Illinois, County of Stark, 13 July 1870, before John M. Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court: "Levi H. Cooper … That the pension certificate numbered 34,380 and bearing date November 21st 1864, and payable at Trenton, New Jersey, is herewith returned. That he removed to Stark County, Illinois, where he now resides, in the Month of March, 1866"; drew his pension up to 4 March 1866; residence and post office West Jersey, Stark County, Illinois; attorney Oliver Whitaker of Toulon. Signed by mark; in presence of Charles H. Dewey and Joseph Flansbugh[?]. "Also personally appeared Levi Eckley residing in West Jersey, in the County of Stark and State of Illinois and George M Cooper, residing in West Jersey, in the County of Stark, and State of Illinois" — who say they saw him make his mark and know him to be the identical Levi H. Cooper. Signed "Levi Eckley" and "George, M, Cooper". Witness block and signature read at 2x.

Later residences from the file

27 Jul 1871 and 30 Dec 1871: West Jersey, Stark Co., Ill. (pension pp. 29, 51). Sept 1873 and 13 Sept 1875: surgeons' examinations at Toulon, Stark Co. (pp. 42-43). 4 Sep 1877: Beloit, Mitchell Co., Kansas (p. 44). 7 March 188[5?]: resident of Mitchell Co., "aged 54" (p. 18, the year's last digit overwritten; header cropped 1x at 200 dpi). 10 Nov 1885: Beloit (p. 16). 17 Oct 1888: examined at Beloit, "age 55", height 6 ft (p. 46, header cropped 1x at 200 dpi). 1892: Asherville, Mitchell Co. 1907: Simpson / Glasco, Cloud Co. (pp. 3, 54). The 1871/1873/1875/1877 values were read at 90-dpi page scale in the survey pass, not cropped.

The death drop

PENSION p. 62, United States Pension Agency, Topeka Kansas, APR 13 1910: Certificate No. 34380, Class INVALID, Pensioner Levi H. Cooper, Service B 15 N.J. Inf.: "the above-named pensioner who was last paid at $15 to NOV 4 1909, has been dropped because of DEATH." P.M. Stafford, Kans. (read at 2x at 200 dpi). Page 50 (index jacket) is stamped DEAD and DROPPED (90-dpi page scale).

The 1888 board note

PENSION p. 47, surgeon's certificate (applicant for increase), date of examination October 17 1888, Beloit board, margin (read at 90-dpi page scale): "Claimant appeared as per date & claims that at time he was ordered he was unable to appear & that neither he nor his wife can read & he did not know what was wanted of him. He lives out on the prairie & no one took interest enough in him to read his papers & tell him what to do."

The 1892 affidavit

PENSION p. 24, General Affidavit, claim 34380: "Levi H Cooper aged 60 years, whose P.O. is Asherville County of Mitchell State of Kansas"; wounded in the left groin near Fredericksburg about 13 Dec 1862; sworn 5 May 1892 before John Rees, notary. Signed by mark.

The 1898 family circular verbatim

PENSION p. 53, Bureau of Pensions circular dated January 15, 1898, "Levi H. Cooper, Asherville, Kan."; reply dated Aug. 4th 1898, signed by mark, witnesses Solon Steere and Wm Everet[?]: First (married? wife's full and maiden name): "Yes Sarah Davison (maiden name Sarah Gross". Second (when, where, by whom): "1883 By John Rees Asherville Kan." Third (record of marriage): "Probate Judge Record". Fourth (previously married?): "Yes Jane Goble Divorced 1873 Stark Co. Ill. / Permelia Lees[?] Dead 1882 Asherville Kan." The Lees[?] was tested against Rees on 2026-10-27 and the query STANDS. The temptation is obvious and worth recording so nobody falls for it twice: the same page, in the same hand, says he was married in 1883 "By John Rees", and the 1892 affidavit (p. 24) was sworn before "John Rees, notary" of the same town — so a reader who wants Permelia to be a Rees has a ready-made family to put her in. She is not demonstrably one. The two capitals were cropped from this one page and stacked at 6x: John Rees has a stem with a closed pointed oval at the baseline; the Permelia surname has a broad flat double-curve with no stem. Different letters, same hand, same page. => the surname is NOT read as Rees, and Lees[?] with its query is the honest reading. (A 3x read earlier the same day DID call it "Rees" — the comparison at 6x is what overturned it.) Fifth (children living, with dates of birth): "John Cooper born 1861. Carrie 1863 / Marvin 18[6?]7" — the third digit of Marvin's year is overwritten (a 6 and a 7 superimposed).

The 1907 declaration verbatim

PENSION p. 54, Act of February 6, 1907, State of Kansas, County of Cloud, 6 March 1907: "Levi Cooper … declares that he is 77 years of age, and a resident of Glasco county of Cloud, State of Kansas"; enrolled at Flemington N.J. 5 August 1862 as Levi H Cooper, private, Co. B, Fifteenth New Jersey Vol. Infantry; discharged Warrenton Va. 13 Sep 1863; "Height, 5 feet 10 inches; complexion, fair; color of eyes, gray; color of hair, light; … occupation was Farmer; that he was born Jan 11, 1830, at Warren Co New Jersey"; residences since leaving the service "New Jersey about 10 yrs. Ill. 16 yrs. since that time have lived here"; post office Simpson, Cloud Co., Kansas. Witnesses L. F. Davidson and E. H. Porter of Glasco, acquainted 20 years. Signed by mark.

The 1907 birth affidavit verbatim

PENSION p. 61, sworn 14 Nov 1907 at Glasco: "Levi H Cooper on oath says that he is unable to furnish any of the evidence as to date of his birth called for for the reason that his people were without education and no record was kept and his only means of knowing his age is the rembrance he has of being told. All his relatives are now dead. he swears however that his birthday is Jan 11 – 1830." Witnesses L. F. Noel[?] of Glasco and Jno. W. Jones of Concordia. Signed by mark.

The 1889 95 reissue

PENSION p. 1: invalid pension reissue claim, P.O. Belvit[?] (Beloit), Mitchell Co., Kansas; attorney P. J. Lockwood; declaration filed 20 Sept 1889 for neuralgia of head, neck and breast — rejected 10 Dec 1895; pension increased to $12 from 17 Oct 1888. Marginal note: "Signs by mark."