Joseph Antoine has a complicated life story. Was he West Indian or born in Philadelphia? Why did he have the letters “A.C.” tattooed on his left arm? Was he a volunteer, draftee, or substitute?
Invalid — 1,117,893 / —-
Widow — 845,479 / —-, Caroline Antoine
General Affidavit, J.A. Nortcutt & Wm. Williams, 24 June 1893
27 years old and 49 years old, respectively; residents, Edenton, Chowan County, NC; “That they have been knowing Joseph Antoine … for 18 or 20 years, and have worked in the same field together with the same Antoine & have worked on same house with him with carpenter tools & having thus been thrown with him in different kinds of work ‘off and on’ for the past twelve years; know that he suffers extremely at times from his lower back which he says he incurred while in U.S. service at Brazos, Texas…”
General Affidavit, Major Warren, 10 March 1894
51 years old; Edenton, Chowan Co., NC; “That he was in same Regt as claimant at or near Santiago, Texas in the fall of 1865 & was standing or working close by claimant when claimant got hurt by a railroad tie falling across his back while claimant & one of his comrades were carrying it from wagon to the track. The fall of the tie was caused by claimant getting a stumble or fall. Affiant has lived in same county as claimant since the war & has seen him on an average of once a month during the intervening years & knows that claimant has complained of his hurting & weak back all along from time to time since the war.”
General Affidavit, Wilson Warren, 2 June 1894
57 years old; Edenton, Chowan Co., NC; “That he was an eyewitness to the fall of claimant while claimant & a fellow comrade were conveying a tie for the railroad; that he knows the character of the injury incurred by the tie falling on the back of claimant in a stumble & fall which claimant incurred.; That he knows of claimant’s being unable after this injury worth anything for the entire period that was spent by the Regt at that place; That he has seen claimant on average once a month during the intervening years”
Request from Willliam Lochren, Commissioner, Bureau of Pensions, to Postmaster, Tynes, Chowan County, North Carolina,
3 April 1895
“Please be so kind as to inform the Bureau, by indorsement on the back of this letter, as to the standing in the community and the general reputation of Allan Boyce and Thomas Wilson [affiants] in [the soldier’s pension claim].”
Reply from J.P. Chappell, Postmaster, Tynes, North Carolina to Commissioner, Bureau of Pensions, 8 April 1895
[The following message was written on the back of the form — Leslie]
“In reply to your letter on other side of this letter. Sorry to say that I can’t believe either of them and think that is as near their standing in the community as I can give.”
[A note was pinned to the back of the form — Leslie]
“I keep store and please keep this to your self as they live in 3/4 of a mile of me and find they will tell any kind of tale to git [sic] anything of me.
Questionnaire, Mrs. Joseph Antoine, 17 May 1899
[wife] Caroline Cockran – Caroline Antoine
[where, when, by whom] Chowan Co., NC; October 18th, 1878; by Elisha Burk, J.P. at his residence
[record] —
[previous wife] Annie Antoine died in Perquimans Co., NC
[living children] Rosetta Antoine born April 1st 1882; George Antoine born Jan 6th 1884
Questionnaire, Joseph Antoine, 14 December 1901
[birthplace] Philadelphia, Pa.
[enlisted at] New York
[residence before enlistment] Wilmington, De and Philadelphia
[occupation] laborer & carriage driver
[were you a slave?] no
[discharge] City Point, Va.
[residence since discharge] Discharge at City Point and went immediately to Norfolk, in 1866 … within a month after I reached Norfolk, Va., I went to Perquimans Co., NC, stayed in Perquimans about 6 years, then moved to Chowan County … have lived here every since
[occupation] Do what work I can in gardens, cleaning up yard, cutting wood
[height / color / marks] 5′ 8″; dark; letters “A.C.” in India ink on left arm & scar in breast caused by sword thrust
[previous service] no
[known by another name other than the one on your pension application] Barrett Fisher as a nickname
[by names you’re known now] Barrett Fisher and Joseph Antoine
[residence] Edenton, Chowan County, NC
Letter from Bureau of Pensions to Allan Rutherford & Co. [attorneys], Washington, DC, 6 February 1902
“You are informed that the claimant is required to state under oath his correct name and by what name he desires to be recognized in his claim for pension and explain why his name appears as Barrett Fisher and his birth place as both West Indies and Philadelphia, Pa. and what the letters are in India ink on the left arm stand for and the same was put on before or since the war. He should also state under oath whether he enlisted as a volunteer, drafted man or a substitute. If a substitute he should state the name in full for whom he is a substitute.”
Declaration for Widow’s Pension, Mrs. Joseph Antoine, 20 March 1906
60 years old; residence, Box 11 RFD Edenton, Chowan Co., North Carolina; “[soldier died] Sep 19, 1904 … that she was married under the name of Caroline Cochrane to said Joseph Antoine March 1877 by E.J. Burke, J.P. at Centre Hill, NC … [soldier] had been previously married to but his first wife was dead.”
1st U.S. Colored Cavalry 