Jackson Creekmore, Company D

Before he enlisted, Jackson Creekmore lived in Deep Creek, a community in Norfolk County, Virginia close to the Dismal Swamp. He married Sarah Brown in a neighbor’s home on the property of George Wallace whose family fortune was made in the lumbering business. Creekmore attributed his illness to having “to lay on the frozen ground without any tents about Jan. or Feb. 1864.”

 

Minor – 563,345 / — Michael Creekmore etal

 

Declaration for Pension or for Increase of Pension of Children Under Sixteen Years of Age, Jackson Creekmore, 28 October 1892
“left a widow surviving who died Oct 25th 1886 … Joseph and Mary who are dead. Joseph having died July 1889, and Mary died in infancy the date of which there is no record.”

 

General Affidavit, Major Smith, 23 February 1893
46 years old, 50 Liberty St., Norfolk, Va…. “present at the funeral which taken place at St. John’s AME Church in the city of Norfolk Va.”

 

Deposition, Ella B. Wood, 13 October 1896
34 years old; occupation, housework; post-office address, 96 Liberty St., Norfolk, Va.

“I was well acquainted with Michael or rather Mitchell Creekmore, we called him Mike for a short time. I did not know his father. His mother was named Sarah Creekmore or Green. She died in 1886, on this Liberty Street. I saw her body after death. The clmt Mitchell or Mike Creekmore died in this house August 28th, 1895. He left no brother or sister surviving him. He was the last one of the family that I knew anything about. No sir he was never married. I think he was about 28 years old at the time of his death, but he did not really know his age. He was sick about a year before he died, but not confined to his bed until the first week in July 1895 and he died on Aug 28th. He frequently told me that he had property at Deep Creek, Va., left to him by his mother. I do not know the location or value of the property. I know his brother Joseph Creekmore. He died across the street from here between 1887 and 1889. I saw his body after death.

“I and my husband paid all the expenses of his last sickness and burial, what little there was to be paid.”

 

Deposition, Allie Crocker, 14 October 1896
“I am nearly 92 years old, occupation, none, post-office address No. 4 Bottimore St., Norfolk, Va…. I was acquainted with Jackson Creekmure and Sarah Creekmure his wife. They lived next door to me on Dodds Lane, this city, for many years. I became acquainted with them about 25 years ago. At that time, they had two boys named Joe and Mike and a girl named Mary. They are now all dead. I do not know the date of birth of Mike or Michael. I don’t know how old he would be now if living.
“No sir, I do not know that he was born on Oct 25, 1861. I think he was about 8 or 10 years old when I first knew him.
“Jackson Creekmore was not in good health when I first met him, some 4 or 5 years after the war. He seemed to have something like the consumption. He was sick for a year before he died. He died on Dodd Lane. I was present at the time. I think the cause of his death was consumption, he had a very bad cough, was very thin in flesh. He coughed and spit up a good deal of phlegm. Dr. Harris, now dead, attended him. I don’t know when or how he contracted the consumption but he was a lighterman, working in the water, and I believe he got a deep cold in that way, which turned into consumption. I don’t know the date of his death but I think he died about a year after the birth of my grandson Andrew Peeden who was born July 22, 1870, as shown by the family Bible.”

 

Deposition, Miles Creekmore, 20 October 1896
59 years old; occupation, laborer; post-office address is 78 Williamson’s Lane, Norfolk, Va. … “The soldier Jackson Creekmore was my brother … His name was Creekmore not Creekman. I had his discharge certificate and I gave it to Michael J. Creekmore, his son, who died last year.”
“I was here in Norfolk, when he returned from the army, and lived in the same house with him on Freemason St., in the yard of Mrs. Georgeanna Griffin, who married Col. ___ “Stratly” a Yankee and is now living in Washington, DC.

“Q: When did he die?
A: On the 15th day of January 1870. He died on Dodds Lane this city. I lived in the house with him all the time after his return from the army.
Q: When and where did he contract this heavy cold?
A: It must have come from the army, Dr. Harris layed [sic] it to the army. He said that his sleeping in a [illegible] bed not being used to it, caused him to take a heavy cold.
Q: When was the soldier’s son Michael born?
A: On Dec. 10, 1860 near Deep Creek, this county. I am sure that said date is the correct date of his birth …The soldier left three children surviving him, Michael, Joseph, and Mary.
Mary died first, don’t remember the year, it’s been so long ago. Joe died about 7 years ago, and Michael died last year. The soldier’s widow remarried and died about 8 or 10 years ago.

“Q: Did Michael Creekmore leave any property?
A: None that I know of. His grandfather on his mother’s side, Michael Brown, left some property, near Deep Creek. Don’t know how much or what it was worth. About 10 acres of sandy land I think but Michael never got any of it. There were so many children of Michael Brown.
“The soldier and his wife Sarah Brown were married according to slave custom long before the war…The soldier was born in Norfolk Co., Va. and belonged to Arthur Creekmore now dead.”

 

Deposition, James Woodus, 22 October 1896
“I am about 50 years old; occupation laborer; post-office address No. 19 Wilson Ave. (Barboursville), Norfolk, Va.
“I served as Pv.t in Co. D, 1st U.S.C. Cav. From 1863 to 1866. I was present with my Co. all the time until while in Texas and was detached for 5 or 6 months with the Engineer Department, but the Co. was only 3 or 4 hundred yards from where I was and saw them every day. I remember Jackson Creekmore of that Co. and Regt very well. He was a Corp’l & Pvt. I did not know him before enlistment.

“Q: Did he contract any disease or disability in service?
A: I think he did, but I cannot remember now what it was. It’s been so long I have forgotten.
Q: Did he complain of rheumatism or disease of lungs, cold or a cough.
A: I remember that he complained of a pain in his left side, that was in 1864 in front of Petersburg, when he was speaking of it to me.
No, sir, I cannot recall it now what else was the matter with him in the service I know it was something but I don’t remember what it was. …
“He said he contracted the cough and cold at Ft. Monroe, Va., where we had to lay on the frozen ground without any tents about Jan. or Feb. 1864 … He would get stuff from the Dr., Dr. Manley or Dr. Gray which would check it for a day or two but it would come back on him.”
“My name is “Woodus” and not “Woodhouse.”

 

Deposition, David G. Brown, 24 October 1896
“I am about 41 years old, shoemaker, post-office address 529 Church St., Norfolk, Va…. I became acquainted with Jackson Creekmore soon after his return from the army. His wife Sarah was my sister. They were married before the war. I was not present when they were married.

“I lived in the county and he in the city, and therefore I did not see him often. I don’t know when he was taken sick or the cause and date of his death. I don’t know even in what year he died. He left three children surviving him. They are all dead. The first one to die was a daughter named Mary who died 15 or more years ago. Joe died next, about the spring of 1889 and Michael died about a year ago.
“I have paid his funeral expenses.

“All the property that Michael Creekmore owned or possessed was an undivided interest in twenty-eight (28) acres of land left by his grandfather Michael Brown. He left a will devising his property to his children and after their death to his grandchildren. Michael would have gotten the share of his mother about [illegible] acres worth about 15 dollars an acre. I am one of the executors of said will, and said property will revert to the other heirs after his debts have been paid. I expect to be reimbursed out of said property for the funeral expenses. It might not be sufficient.”

 

Deposition, Major Smith, 24 October 1896
“I am in my 50th year, occupation, laborer, post-office address No. 211 Cumberland St., Norfolk, Va.
“I became acquainted with Jackson Creekmore about 40 years ago, he was then living on the late Geo. Wallace’s place, on the little canal, in Norfolk, Va.

“I was present when he was married to a woman named Sarah Brown in Cooper Ferrebe’s parlor on Geo. Wallace’s land. That was before the war. I don’t remember the minister’s name who married them. He was a boy almost then, and had never been previously married, nor had Sarah Brown been married before her marriage to him.”