"...One never knows what will be found in military records. The affidavits filed on behalf of Civil War veterans' widows are especially interesting and usually filled with all sorts of information in their attempts to prove not only that they are the actual widow, but that they are destitute and have not remarried.
The following information appeared in an August 18, 1886 affidavit signed by Mary (Brodhead) Eltinge as explanation for why her last name differed from that of her late husband, Daniel D. Elting. Who would suspect that a comment on the age old 'to E or not to E' dilemma of our family would be found there?
'...that for a number of years prior to the year 1860 nearly every branch of the Elting family wrote and spelled the family name with the final 'E' and which was the original way of writing and spelling the name in English. That Daniel D. Elting the husband of the claimant always wrote and spelled the name without the final 'E' and the only reason why claimant wrote and spelled the name with the final 'E' on Eltinge was that she considered it the correct way and liked it better and the name when written looked more finished and appeared better.'
One would think that the actual descendant of the Elting(e) family would have the final say, but he died first, so I guess she won. To further complicate the issue for the government, Dr. Edgar Eltinge sent an affidavit re Daniel's death, but listed the name as Capt. Daniel D. Eltinge! That caused the paper to be returned with the the question 'Is Dr. Eltinge clmts brother?' scrawled across the bottom of the page. Poor Mary. Adding that final 'E' to her name just increased her problems. "
Originally published in "The Historian" official newsletter of the Bevier-Elting Family Association of New Paltz, NY. June 2003. Page 2. By Grace Elting Castle
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