Richard H. Cullen, 32 Mass Infantry

[patm3115]

My ancester Richard H. Cullen served in the civil war with the 32nd Mass Volanteer Infantry. He served with his brother James Cullen. He was born in RI, but was living in Maynard Ma. when he enlisted. Wondering if anyone had any information on him or the unit he served in. Also wondering if anyone had any suggestions on where I could go to get more information on him.
Thanks,
Pat

[traveler]

I found his pension card on the Ancestry website, but the numbers are very hard to read. He filed for a pension and his wife filed for a widow's pension. They were both filed from the state of CT, although he did serve in the 32 Mass Infantry. You can write to the National Archives and request they photocopy pages from his file or you can go to DC and look them up yourself. I read somewhere the price for photocopying at the Archives as gone up, but the information you might get from these papers is worth every penny. If some one with younger eyes and an ancestry subscription can read the numbers for you that would greatly help in your search.  Marion

[corky3]

I don't get here much in these other drawers but I found this on Ancestry-not sure if this is your guy but here it is.

 


Name: Richard H Cullen ,   
Residence: Assabet, Massachusetts 
Occupation: Marble Worker 
Enlistment Date: 19 February 1862
Side Served: Union 
State Served: Massachusetts 
Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 19 February 1862 at the age of 18
Enlisted in Company F, 32nd Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 19 February 1862.
Reenlisted in Company F, 32nd Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 01 January 1864
Mustered out Company F, 32nd Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 29 June 1865
 
 

Source Citation: Side served: Union; State served: Massachusetts; Enlistment date: 19 February 1862..

  I did find a pension request from a widow Bridget Cullen but honestly there is virtually no information on the card beyond that. I have done Civil War research at the National Archives and even got to look at the original documents. It is interesting to say the least but not much there beyond what you see here.

   I had a long conversation with one of the caretakers there-I was hoping to discover more personal information and what I was told was that that kind of information was not usually recorded because (to answer my question -what if someone was killed-where and who did they know to notify) that most came from the same town or area and the regiment was kind of a small town-everyone knew everyone and their families. Well that was the response I got.
   
 

[patm3115]

Yes this does sound like my guy, accept that his widow was not named Bridget Cullen, her name was Anna L. Cullen. Everything else seems like it fits though. Thanks for the information!