There's a new meme for genealogical bloggers: Madness Monday. Rather than go the route of elusive ancestors, I'm starting off with a literally mad (insane) ancestor, my great-great-grandfather. It is rather impossible to diagnose 19th century mania into today's psychological norms. It should be noted that George served in the 8th N.H. Infantry Volunteers in the Civil War from December 20, 1861 to October 28, 1865. He was honorably discharged. So, he served in the harshest of wars for over four years from 18 to 22. He was also a Free-Will Baptist and a shoemaker. He married on February 6, 1869 at Dover, N.H. and had six children. I'm fairly sure that he accidentally killed at least one of them (if not two). Such things were not reported then, but one of his children died of a fractured skull. Perhaps that, and his threats against his other children and wife were enough for him to be institutionalized. His 19th century medical reports are below the fold. They are interesting. Three days of observations and then two months of nothing until his death.
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