Cromwell honorably discharged on June 17th, 1865 and moved back to Baltimore.⁵ Approximately five months after discharge, Cromwell developed malaria fever; he “was sick with chills and fevers for 22 months just after discharge and” developed “head trouble and deafness,” conditions that haunted him for the rest of his life.⁶ Cromwell never fully recovered from his illness; on April 3rd, 1891, Cromwell was examined by Dr. AA White. Dr. White recorded that Cromwell had “pains through the lungs with smothering feeling and palpitation of the heart. [Cromwell also experienced] pains in the head with ringing in the ears. [Cromwell had] pains across the back with difficulty in stooping[..., suffered from severe] diarrhea all the time…[and that his] general condition [was] below par. [Cromwell was] somewhat emaciated and [had a] feeble...badly nourished appearance. [Cromwell’s] muscles [were] flabby[...the] veins of both legs [were] enlarged, slightly tortuous and knotted as high as the middle of the thigh. [Additionally, Cromwell claimed] to have pain and aching in the limbs when standing for any length of time…”⁷

On May 6th, 1868, Cromwell married Sarah R Smith; the couple had five children together.⁸ However, Cromwell was debilitated as a result of his service and needed a way to support his family. Turning to the government for a pension, Cromwell attributed most of his illnesses to his time in the war. In his original declaration for an invalid pension, Cromwell wrote that his “varicose veins [were] from marching...Lungs and heart trouble [developed] in service from heavy marching. Head trouble results of 22 month fever about five months after service. I also claim chronic diarrhea piles and deafness of both ears. The diarrhea piles [developed] in service and deafness from malaria fever.”⁹ On June 23rd, 1890, Cromwell successfully applied for an invalid pension at the rate of $12 per month due to “chronic diarrhea, bronchitis, varicose veins of both legs, and general debility.”¹⁰