James Reed, Company G

It appears the soldier deserted as he had not “been seen since he entered service.” People vouching for his mother’s pension application included his brother whose first name was “Africa” and a female neighbor whose occupation was “spiritual doctor.” The family lived in Norfolk County, Virginia.

 

Mother – 426,872 / —–, Losady Reed

 

Declaration for Dependent Mother’s Pension, Losady Reed, 12 July 1890
80 years old; residence, Mt. Pleasant, Norfolk Co., Va. .. “[The soldier] has not been seen since he entered service.”

 

General Affidavit, John N. Hodges & Clarinda Cuffey, 12 January 1892 
[Hodges] 51 years old; residence, Norfolk Co., Va.;
[Cuffey] 55 years old; residence, Norfolk Co., Va
“each of them are well acquainted with the claimant Mrs. Lasady Reed, mother of James Reed … also well acquainted with the soldier in his lifetime … they have been knowing [them] before the war of 1861 … and they further state that the soldier’s father died in the fall of 1862 in Norfolk Co., Va.”

 

Sworn Statement, Clarinda Cartwright, 12 July 1893
65 years old; occupation, spiritual doctor; residence, 143 Princess Anne Ave., Norfolk, Va.  … “That she has been well and intimately acquainted with the entire family of James Reid … and that Andrew Reid and Nancy Reid both of whom are now dead was [sic] brother and sister of the above named soldier and that Africa Reid is the only surviving member of the family and [Lasadia Reid]  died on the 1st day of January 1893 on Percy St. in Norfolk, Va. at the house of Africa Reid and that the said Africa Reid bore her funeral expenses and had her buried in Mt. Pleasant at a cemetery belonging to St. Thomas Church in Norfolk, Va. … has known the entire family for about fifty years and [illegible] at Lasadia Reid’s death she was present when she died and assisted in shrouding her but owing to the fact that the place of burial was so far distant and that together with the bad weather she could not attend the funeral.”

 

Sworn Statement, John N. Hodges, 12 July 1893
53 years old; residence, 38 Princess Anne Ave., Norfolk, Va.  … “That I have known the said Africa Reid and Nancy Reid for about ten years and which period of time Losidia Reid always recognized Africa Reid as being her son and that she always spoke of him in affectionate and loving terms and frequently expressed herself as saying that were it not for her son and her [illegible] she would not know what to do for the necessities of this life … she was buried at Mt. Pleasant, Norfolk Co., Va. in a cemetery belonging to St. Thomas Church of which church she was a member. He did not attend the funeral owing to the fact that stayed at Africa’s house and taken care of the children while Africa and his wife Mary Ann and the remainder of the family attended the funeral of their mother and relatives.”

 

Sworn Statement, Africa Reid, 15 July 1893
45 years old; residence, Percy st on Princess Anne Ave, Norfolk Co., Va.; post-office address, Percy St., Norfolk, Va. … “That he is the only brother of James Reid and that their names were as follows who was his brothers and sisters: Andrew Reid, Africa Reid, and his sister Nancy Reid, and that Andrew Reid died about Twenty Two or Three years ago at Mt. Pleasant, Norfolk Co., Va. and that Nancy Reid died in Princess Anne Co., Va. about the 7th day of June 1886. He further states that when his brother Andrew Reid died he was unmarried having no wife or children and that when his sister Nancy Reid died she was married and that she left surviving her seven head of children. He further declares that his mother whose name was Losadia Reid and that . .. his mother made application before one W.R. Drury of Norfolk, Va. and that from time to time she was called on from time to time by Mr. Drury to introduce evidence which she did … that his mother was entirely dependent on his brother James for support … and that since the death of his brother James his mother has been dependent upon him for support and that he has taken care of his mother during her last illness and defrayed the expenses of her burial.”

 

Sworn Statement, Africa Reid, 14 September 1893
46 years old; residence, Norfolk Co., Va.; post-office address, Percy Street, Norfolk, Va. that his mother whose name is Losada Reid was an applicant for pension on account of her son whose name was James Reid deceased… and that this claim was filed by W.R. Drury, attorney, at Norfolk, Va. and that during his mother’s lifetime she never received a pension and that his mother died on the 1st day of January 1893 and that he has sufficient reason to believe that the pension has been granted and that the same has been drawn by someone who has no right and title to the same and that he makes this declaration for the purpose of asking the Honorable Commissioner of Pensions to cause an investigation.”