John H. Woods alias John Henry, Company L

One of the witnesses reported her occupation as “godmother.” Another described being “carried away from the plantation and neighborhood” where she and the soldier’s family lived.  Street addresses for the soldier’s comrades include Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Through convoluted logic regarding slave marriage the claim was denied. The denial also mentions a soldier whose name is similar to the deceased’s.

 

Father — 501,506 / —– , Cooper Woods

 

General Affidavit, Randy Wright, 14 February 1891
54 [or is it 59]? years old; residence, New Bern, Craven Co., North Carolina; post-office address, New Bern, NC … “I known Cooper Woods every since before the war and I was personally acquainted with his wife and further state that she died sometime before the war and further state that I lived within two hundred yards of him every since the war and also … I know John Henry Woods when he was a boy …”

 

General Affidavit, Miles Spruill, 6 June 1891
66 years old; residence, New Bern, Craven Co., North Carolina; post-office address, New Bern, NC … “I have been acquainted with Cooper Woods for 60 years and was well acquainted with his wife. His wife died four (4) years before the war. I have known Cooper Woods ever since and before and he is the father of John Henry Woods deceased who was a young man grown at the commencement of the war and was never married to my knowledge, and his father Cooper Woods has not married since the death of his wife. I saw John Henry Woods shortly after he came out the service …”

 

Sworn Statement, Michael McCoy, 12 August 1891
74 years old; post-office address, New Bern, NC; … “That he is well and personally acquainted with Cooper Woods for over thirty (30) or more years and know him to be the father of John Henry Woods deceased; that myself, Cooper Woods, and John Henry Woods his son all belonged to one and the same man hence my knowledge of the facts above …”

 

Sworn Statement, Mary Ann Stamp, 12 August 1891
65 years old; occupation, godmother; residence, New Bern, Craven Co., NC. … “She became acquainted with John Henry Woods son of Cooper Woods the very day he returned from the U.S. Service. He came home quite sick and I nursed him for some time. … He returned from the army some time in the spring of the year and died in the fall of the same year. … I know the facts by living in the same house with his family and waiting on him a portion of the time….”

 

Sworn Statement, Miles Spruill, 18 January 1892
65 years old; residence, New Bern, Craven Co., NC; post-office address, New Bern, Craven Co., NC … “That he has been well and personally acquainted with Cooper Woods for sixty (60) years. That about July 12th 1832 he was married to Ellen Mills. That she and Cooper Woods lived together as man and wife until her death about June 1858. That about the 16th day of August 1836 she Ellen Woods gave birth to the above named John Henry Woods who died about the month of Oct. 1865 or 1866.”

 

Sworn Statement, Edna Hayes, 19 January 1892
63 years old; residence, New Bern, Craven Co., N.C; post-office address, New Bern, N.C. … “That she has been well and personally acquainted with Cooper Woods for about 57 years or more; that about the month of July 1832 he was married to Ellen Mills … That sometime after the marriage of Ellen and Cooper Woods I was carried away from the plantation and neighborhood where they lived and when I saw Cooper Woods … [shortly after the soldier’s mother died] he left his father Cooper Woods and enlisted in the U.S. Service. I saw him again at his return from the Service. … I was present at the death and burial of John Henry Woods [who died[ at his father’s house.”

 

General Affidavit, Patsy Sawyer, 20 January 1892
65 [or is it 68?] years old; residence, New Bern, Craven Co., NC; post-office address, New Bern, North Carolina … “That she has been acquainted with Cooper Woods for about 60 years; that they were all raised on one plantation and belonged to one family of people before the war; that she was not present at the marriage of Cooper Woods to Ellen (his wife) but do know that they lived together in the capacity of man and wife; that about August 1836 Ellen Woods gave birth to the above mentioned John Henry Woods who (I was reliably informed) died about the fall of 1865 or 1866. I was not present at the death of Ellen Woods mother of the soldier but heard at the time of her death that she was dead. This was to the best of my recollection about the year of 1858.”

 

General Affidavit, Edna Hayes, 9 February 1892
63 years old; residence, New Bern, Craven Co., NC. … “She was well and personally acquainted with John Henry Woods, son of Cooper Woods prior to his enlistment and that shortly after his discharge (not more than a week) from the U.S. service. She went to see him at his father’s house where she found him very sick with lung trouble and diarrhea. … She saw the soldier about two times a week from discharge to date of his death … She never found the physician there at any of her visits …”

 

General Affidavit, Mary Ann Stamps, 9 February 1892
55 years old; residence, New Bern, Craven Co., NC. … “She has been well and personally acquainted with Cooper Woods for 32 years … and she saw John Henry Woods immediately after his return from the U.S. service. He was at his father’s (Cooper Woods) house and at that time was very sick …”

 

Claimant’s Affidavit, Cooper Woods, 21 April 1892
80 years old; residence, New Bern, Craven Co., NC.; post-office address, New Bern, Craven Co., NC … “That he is the father of [John Henry Woods] who was born in August 1836. That in his former affidavit he unintentionally stated that soldier was born in 1841 whereas he should have stated that soldier was born on the 16th day of August 1836. (Record shows soldier was 20 yrs old in 1865 when he enlisted).”

 

Bureau of Pensions, Department of the Interior, 24 August 1894 

Henry Johnson	Sgt.	2522 15 St. Extended Washington
John Brinkley	Cpl.	728[?] Chester Ave., Phila., Penn.
John T. White	Bugler	Watson, Desha Co., Ark.
Alex Reese	Pvt.	Norristown, Montgomery Co., Penn.
Edward Moore	Pvt.	912 Locust St., Camden, N.J.
Oliver Williams	Pvt.	Ruddell, Hampton Co., N.C.
Chas. H. Reynolds	Pvt.	Warwick, Orange Co., N.Y.
Robt. Brown	Pvt.	126 So. 10th St., Camden, N.J.
London Hurdle	Pvt.	Norfolk, Va.
Daniel Keyes	Pvt.	220 Main St., Buffalo, N.Y.

 

Proof of Disability, Daniel K. Keyes, 5 March 1895
50 years old; residence, Buffalo, Erie Co., NY; post-office address, Buffalo, NY … “he was acquainted with John Henry Woods … he is well acquainted with the claimant, having known him for at least 30 years …”

 

Bureau of Pensions, Department of the Interior, List of Comrades and Officers, 22 January 1896  

Charles Overt	Cpl.	Pablo Beach, Duval Co., Fla.
John Brinkley	Cpl.	728[?] Chester Ave., Phila., Penn.
Edward Moore	Pvt.	912 Locust St., Camden, N.J.
William Morris	Pvt.	25 Rock St., Brooklyn, N.Y.
Daniel Keyes	Pvt.	220 Main St., Buffalo, N.Y.
Ambrose George	Pvt.	506 Clermont Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.
Charles H. Reynolds	Pvt.	Warwick, Orange Co., N.Y.
Lewis Marvin	Pvt.	Newburgh, Orange Co., N.Y.
Alex. Reese	Pvt.	Norristown, Montgomery Co., Pa.
London Hurdle	Pvt.	Norfolk, Va.
Anthony Williams	Pvt.	Cartwright’s Wharf, Nansemond Co., Va.
Loyal F. Frieman alias Wm. Shean	Pvt.	94 Worthington St., Springfield, Mass.

 

Bureau of Pensions, Department of the Interior, 29 January 1896
“Claimant, Cooper Woods; Soldier, John H. Woods alias Jno. Henry, Company L … It is evident that this claimant’s son was born as a slave; therefore the marriage of the parents was not lawful, and the son was illegitimate. This precludes the possibility of title to pension, favor of the father, though the son’s death has been due to his service. Furthermore, it is evident that the soldier John Henry who was born in Jamaica, W.I. and was 20 years of age at enlistment is not identical to claimant’s son born in 1836. Claim should be rejected.”