Cicero Hill, Company C

Pension officials considered the witnesses’ interactions with a claimant, the claimant’s reputation/character, and facts/events as the witness knew them. They also considered the length of acquaintance and level of familiarity when evaluating an application.  This application included a statement from the butcher who described Cicero Hill as a “passing acquaintance” but testified “I have contributed to his support every week for the past ten years.”  The former slave owner’s son wrote “I certify that Cornelia Hill & Cicero Hill were owned by my father Capt. W.N. Blow late of Sussex Co., Va., that they lived together as man & wife before the War of the States & after the war were remarried as the law required & lived together till the death of Cicero Hill.”  

 

Invalid — 626,831 / 705,034
Widow — 790,166 / —– , Cornelia Hill

 

Deposition, John Cissell, 26 December 1891
50 years old; oyster shucker; residence and post-office address, No. 20 Salter St., Norfolk, Va. “I served as a Sergeant in Co K 1st USCC during the late war and I knew the claimant Cisero [sic] Hill well during his service in said company and remember that he was never of much account as a soldier on account of sickness.”

 

Deposition James Malbon, 26 December 1891
53 years old; laborer; residence and post-office address, Kelly Ave., No 27, Norfolk, Va. “I served during the late was in Co C 1st USCC and became acquainted with the clt Cisero Hill at the date of our enlistment in same Co & Regt and I have known him well since.”

 

Deposition, Jesse White, 26 December 1891
47 years old; butcher; post-office address, No. 30 Lodge St., Norfolk, Va. “I have known clt Cisero [sic] Hill as a passing acquaintance for the past fifteen years…I think I may safely say that I have contributed to his support every week for the past ten years.”

 

Deposition, William F. Gault, 26 December 1891
63 years old; no occupation (an invalid); residence and post-office address, No. 87 Brewer St., Norfolk, Va. “I have known the clt Cisero [sic] Hill for probably 15 years last past but my acquaintance with him was not of a very intimate character until about three years ago …. No, I have never worked with or visited him. My knowledge of him has simply been that of a passing acquaintance.”

 

Deposition, Jerry Wilkins, 28 December 1891
60 years old; laborer; residence & post-office address, No. 18 Lassiter St., Norfolk, Va. “I have known the clt Cisero [sic] Hill since about Dec 1863 when we enlisted together in the 1st USCC. I was assigned to Co K and clt to Co C of said Regt.
“Q.  Did claimant suffer from any disability during his service in the 1st USCC?
A.Yes, sir. He suffered from rheumatism, and he had a deep-seated cold which was manifest by a hacking cough. I do not know of any specific cause which may have produced the abovenamed and described disability unless it was the exposure to the inclement weather during the first three months of our service.”

 

Deposition, Frank Robinson, 28 December 1891
56 years old; laborer; residence & post-office address, No. 79 Pulaski St., Norfolk, Va. “I have known the clt Cicero Hill since about 1862 and he and I enlisted about the same time in Co C, 1st USCC and we have lived neighbors here in Norfolk ever since our discharge from service. During the year or more before our enlistment clt seemed to be a sound healthy man and I heard no complaint from him until in the late Spring or early Summer of 1865. Then he seemed to be going downhill in point of health. We were then stationed at Getty’s Sta[tion] near Portsmouth, Va. and I think it was while there that clt was sent to hospital and I don’t think I saw him again until he joined us at Brazos Santiago, Texas in Feby 1866.”

 

Deposition David Moore, 28 December 1891
56 years old; no occupation (an invalid); residence and post-office address, No 208 Queen St., Norfolk, Va. “I have known the clt Cisero [sic] Hill since the summer of 1866 and became intimately acquainted with him in the early part of 1867. At that time (1867) he was suffering very much from what appeared to be rheumatism affected his limbs and from what I then thought was consumption of the lungs.”

 

Deposition, Thomas Land, 28 December 1891
52 years old; laborer; residence & post-office address, No. 112 Nickerson St. [or Nicholson St.], Norfolk, Va.  “I have known the claimant Cisero [sic] Hill, since Dec 1863. We were members of the 1st USCC. He in Co. C and I in Co. A of said Regt but I did not know much of this physical condition during service from the fact that I was absent on detached service a good part of service while clt was with his company.”

 

Questionnaire, Cicero Hill, 13 April 1898
[married] yes, Jane Ackey
[when, where, whom] 1864, Norfolk, Va., Bishop Brom[?], ME Church
[record] certificate
[previously married] no
[living children] two: Regis, 1872; Major, 1875

 

General Affidavit, Louis Brown, 14 May 1901
51 years old; resident, Hampton, Elizabeth City County; post-office address, Box 191, Hampton, Va…. “served in the same Company and Regiment as that of Cicero Hill … that I was well acquainted with him at the time of accident – [which] occurred at Camp Hamilton, Elizabeth City Co., Va. – when our regiment was being reviewed by General B.F. Butler and I was drilling with him in the same platoon the said Cicero Hill being at the right of the line and I at the left of the line, and as we were executing the command right wheel, his horse stumbled and fell into a well carrying both rider & horse with the said well he remaining in the well until a detail was sent from the company to get him out.”

 

General Affidavit, Thomas Frost, 9 August 1901
73 years old; resident, Soldiers Home, Elizabeth City County, Va. “[T]hat he is well acquainted with the said [soldier] and served in the same regiment with him .. that he saw [soldier] was in the line while drilling, on General Review, under General B.F. Butler at Camp Hamilton, Elizabeth City Co., Va. and I do know that the horse and rider were thrown into the wall and that the rider was [soldier]. I was a member of Co. D 1st U.S.C. Vol. Cav and my company was stationed at the right of his. It was generally known throughout the camp that such accident had occurred during the review.  I have been acquainted with said [soldier] for thirty odd years & knew him when he was in Norfolk and have known him to be a sober & truthful man and Christian gentleman to the best of my knowledge & belief.”

 

Marriage License [copy], Cicero Hill & Cornelia A. Love, Norfolk, Va., 2 April 1903
Place, Sussex County; husband was 66 years old, wife was 60 years old;  both were born in Sussex County; both resided in Sussex County; husband’s parents, Ned & Ellis Hill; wife’s parents, Chas. & Cherry Parker; husband’s occupation, laborer; officiant, R.E. Givings, pastor of the Baptist Church”

 

Physician’s Affidavit, Dr. C.D. Haas [ward surgeon], National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 14 August 1903
“Hill was admitted to my ward on July 28, 1903…and death ensued August 8, 1903.”

 

Statement, John Q. Johnston, M.D., Surgeon, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Southern Branch, 14 August 1903
“I certify that Cicero Hill late Co. C 1st USC Cav. died in this hospital August 8th 1903 of chronic intestinal nephritis.”
[This statement was written on NHDV letterhead — Leslie]

 

Widow’s Declaration for Pension or Increase of Pension, Cornelia A. Hill, 21 August 1903
80 years old … “she was married under the name of Cornelia A. Love to said Cicero Hill … 1844 by her master Geo. Blow at Sussex Co., Virginia … she was remarried in Sussex Co., Va. by Rev. R.E. Givings, April 5, 1903 … her post office address is Box 191, Hampton, Va.”

 

General Affidavit, Phylis Smith, 11 November 1903
60 years old; resident, Elizabeth City County, post-office address, Hampton, Virginia.  “I hereby certify that Cornelia A. Hill and Cicero Hill lived together as husband and wife up to the time of the death of said Cicero Hill. I am a near neighbor and saw them nearly every day and that Claimant has not re-married since the death of said soldier.”

 

General Affidavit, Seymour Smith, 11 November 1903
about 65 years old; resident, Elizabeth City County, post-office address, Hampton, Virginia. …”I am a near neighbor of said parties.”

 

General Affidavit, W.H. Copeland, 4 March 1904
about 32 years old; resident, Elizabeth City County, Va., post-office address, Hampton, Va. …”I hereby certify … I used to see the parties nearly every day. I first knew them last April.”

 

General Affidavit, Mary Simons, 4 March 1904
about 40 years, resident, Elizabeth City County, post-office address, Hampton, Virginia … I have been a near neighbor of the parties since last April”

 

General Affidavit, Lucy P. Blow, 19 June 1906
post-office address, Chub, Sussex County, Virginia … “[declares] that Cornelia Parker was married to Cicero Hill before the Civil War and lived with him as his wife until he joined the U.S. Army. He then left his wife with seven children for the service of his county. Both were owned by Col. George Blow, of Tower Hill Plantation, Sussex County, Virginia, and lived there as man and wife until the Civil War.”

 

General Affidavit, Caryell Blow, 5 July 1906
post-office address, Chub, Virginia … “I certify that Cornelia Hill & Cicero Hill were owned by my father Capt. W.N. Blow late of Sussex Co., Va., that they lived together as man & wife before the War of the States & after the war were remarried as the law required & lived together till the death of Cicero Hill.”