Many soldiers were ravaged by chronic ailments stemming from their military service. Thomas Land was treated at the National Soldiers’ Home in Hampton, Virginia and at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, DC. The circumstances surrounding his move to the District of Columbia require investigation.
Invalid — 1, 023,460 / 1,000,889
C — 2,563,239
Deposition, Thomas Land, 14 June 1893
56 years old; laborer; residence and post-office address, 112 Nicholson Street … “I first applied for pension about April 1891 with W.R. Drury. Jacob Odum and Lafayette White went with me to be my witnesses to identify me as they had been in my company. W.R. Drury was the only white man in the office that day. Mr. Drury wrote out my application for me and I signed it by touching the pen and Odum and White signed my paper in the same way.”
Deposition, Jacob Odum, 14 June 1893
about 50 years old; laborer; 51 Fox Lane, Norfolk, Va. … “I have known Thomas Land ever since we were together in the Army and I was a witness for him when he applied for pension with W.R. Drury. I went there with Land that day to identify and Lafayette White went along to be his other witness. W.R. Drury was the only white man there that day. I touched the pen to Land’s application and we were then sworn by W.R. Drury. I am certain that W.R. Drury swore us as he was the only white man there at that time. I did not see anyone put the seal on the application.”
Deposition, Lafayette White, 14 June 1893
60 years old; laborer; residence and post-office address 133 St. Paul St, Norfolk, Va.
“I have known Thomas Land ever since we served together in the Army and I was a witness for him when he applied for pension at W.R. Drury’s office. Jacob Odum went along to be the other witness. W.R. Drury was the only white man there that day We all three signed Land’s application by touching the pen and we were then all sworn by W.R. Drury by holding up on hands. I am certain that W.R. Drury swore us as he was the only white man there.”
General Affidavit, Thomas Land, 20 February 1895
58 years old, post-office address is 112 Nicholson St., Norfolk
Questionnaire, Thomas Land, 6 August 1898
[Married?] Widower, Alice Way, Alice Land … died Aug 1880
[When, where, by whom] 1871, Norfolk, Rev. Tucker
[Record exists] Marriage register, Norfolk City
[Previously married] No
[Living children] None living
Deposition, Thomas Land, 31 December 1901
“I am 65 years of age, a carpet cleaner, and I reside at 296 Princess Anne Ave. … I was born and raised in Norfolk Co., Va. I was a slave: was owned by John J. Peters. Edward Land was my father. I have never gone under any other name than that of Thomas Land.
“I was in two long battles: in Chickahominie [sic] Swamp and Drury’s [sic] Bluff. Henry Tripp of my company was killed at the battle of Chickahominie [sic] less than 20 minutes after the engagement began. I was in a number of skirmishes….
“After enlistment in the army I remained around Va., up and down the James River; went to Gloster [sic], Yorktown, Ft. Powhatton [sic], etc., till the war closed and then they took us on a boat to Texas. We took the boat at City Point and landed at Brazos Santiago, Texas. We went to no other town in Texas. We were in Texas from June 1st and remained there till about the next March.
“Jeptha Garrard was my Col.; Sykes was Lt. Col.; Brown was Major; Charles Dey was my Capt.; William Ricker was 1st; Lt. Brown was 2d Lt.
“Joseph Fuller was Ord. Sgt.; White, was a Duty Sgt.; Ricks, Bent and Fulford were also Sgts.; Isaac King was quartermaster Sgt….
“I get a pension of eight dollars a month under the New Law. I am totally deaf. I also suffer with my kidneys and lungs. I am ruptured; was ruptured while undergoing medical examination at Hampton, Va., in 1895. I was examined so roughly that I was ruptured as a result of same. I have had rheumatism for thirty-eight years. … I was in the hospital for it for three weeks…. I also contracted dysentery; lung trouble and eye trouble in service. … I was as hearty as a buck before I entered the army. I was examined by three doctors before I enlisted in service and was pronounced sound.
“Mr. Hubard was my attorney. He charged me fifty cents for every letter he wrote for me. He also executes my vouchers. He charges me fifty cents for executing each voucher.”
Ancestry.com. U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers,
1866-1938, [database on-line] (accessed 14 October 2011)
Thomas Land admitted 13 October 1905 … 22 March 1906; re-admitted 4 November 1911; disability, deafness; Protestant; upholsterer; nearest relative, brother, Frank Brown, 23 Gordon Ave., Norfolk, Va.
Declaration for Pension, Thomas Land, 17 May 1912
75 years old; resident of Norfolk County, Virginia … born August 15th, 1836 at Norfolk, Va. … His post-office address was 7 Burks Court, City of Norfolk, Va.
Letter from Government Hospital for the Insane to the Pension Bureau,
18 February 1919
“Thomas Land … died in this hospital on the 1 February 1919 … Cause of death; Primary, Senile dementia; Immediate, Broncho-pneumonia…. The hospital records show him to have been widowed.”
Pensioner Dropped, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions,
25 February 1919
“death Feb 1, 1919 … St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Washington, DC”
1st U.S. Colored Cavalry 