Thursday, April 23, 2009

What are you all about Harry?

It seems Robinett’s father applied for a pension because his suicide was believed to have been caused by his temporary insanity, a result of a head wound he suffered during the war. I have found no evidence of a wound, none! Officer affidavits reference his head wound and how much he changed as a result, being insane at times! Some send heartfelt letters to his father; one even gives the exact details of his suicide and of the events the night before he shot himself.

The odd thing is in the two boxes of Carded Medical Files there was not a single card on him in either box; there should have been a record of his treatment. And in one of the pension file affidavits they report that an autopsy didn't reveal any evidence of a head wound. So it must have been very slight if any existed at all. They speculate in just one affidavit that it's even possible he was becoming senile and assumed it was the result of a wound.

I have a lot more to read on this man. The court martial records clearly indicate a disturbed man with erratic behavior. Even his handwriting changes markedly in the documents. Time to turn look some at PTSD during the war.

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