Albert Shelley, Company B

The soldier referenced his birth date as close to the time of “Nat’s War” in Southampton County, Virginia.

 

Invalid — 985,510 / 946,450

 

General Affidavit, James R. Worrells and J.B. Sugars,  20 November 1893
[Worrells]  22 years old; post-office address, Newsoms, Southampton Co., Va.
“has known Shelley for six years … He lived about 2-1/2 miles from my resident [sic] and moved about 5 miles away and stayed two years and then moved about seven miles further …
[Sugars] 43 years old; post-office address, Worrells, Southampton Co., Va.

 

General Affidavit, James Robert Worrells and Peter Walter Blow, 1 April 1897
[Worrells] 25 years old; post-office address, Worrells, Southampton Co., Va.
[Sugars] 42 years old; post-office address, Worrells, Southampton Co., Va.
“They have known Albert Shelley the claimant … for ten years …”

 

General Affidavit, Jacob Sugars and Howell Jones, 5 April 1897
[Sugars] 64 years old; residence, Worrells, Southampton Co., Va.
[Jones] 55 years old; residence, Worrells, Southampton Co., Va.
“We were Privates in Company I … and knew Albert Shelley who was a member of Co. B …. We were stationed at Brazos Texas and Shelley was taken sick which was sometime the first of the year 1866 and he was in the barracks hospital … and while there attended by Dr. Gray. He was in the hospital, helpless for several weeks. We knew Shelly before he enlisted. He went from the same county, Southampton, Va. as us. He was a strong, healthy man before enlistment but since his discharge has been crippled and incapable of much manual labor. But for his relatives & friends he would not be able to live without becoming a charge on the public.”

 

General Affidavit, James Robert Worrell and Peter Walter Blow, 28 April 1897
[Worrell]  25 years old; post-office address, Worrells, Southampton Co., Va.
[Blow] 42 years old; post-office address, Worrells, Southampton Co., Va.
“We have known Albert Shelly the claimant for many years … Worrell for 12 years …. Blow for 30 years … and during that time he has never been addicted to any vicious habits … In fact he is a sober, quiet, and well-behaved man. Keeps good hours and is steady and regular in all his habits.”

 

Deposition, Edmund Matthews, 4 June 1913
88 years old; occupation, farm work; post-office address, Drewryville, Va.
“I have known Albert Shelley a long time, ever since the war. … I believe that he is all of 10 years younger than I am. …”

 

Deposition, Albert Shelley, 4 June 1913
87 years old; occupation, farm work; post-office address, Drewryville, Va.
“I was born in Southampton Co., Va. on the farm of Chas. Urquhart who was my master on May 20, 1826. If anyone wrote it May 5th
“Q.  How do you know that you were born on May 20, 1826?
A.  After the war my old master gave me my age. He had it on a long book, a list of all the slaves he owned. He gave it to me on a strip and I had it put on my Bible bur my Bible got burned when my house was burned down. … I know that I am over 80 years old. I was five years old in “Nat’s War” that was 1830 or 1835
“Q. What has become of your master’s record?
A.  I don’t know. He, his wife, and all of his sons are dead.
Q.  Who knows about how old you are?
A.  All the old people I knew, mighty near all of them, are dead.  I don’t know of but one and he is Hartwell Brown. He lived in Norfolk Co. somewhere 9 or 10 years ago but I have no idea where he can be found. He was about my age, belonged to Mr. Urquhart … the last I heard from him he lived in Princess Anne Co., Va.

Q.  Are there not some old people in this county somewhere who are sure about your age?
A.  …Old man Edmund Massey, he is about my age. He has known me for some years. There is Peter Daughtry since I think of it. He ought to know more about my age than anyone else living. He has known me from a boy and is a little younger than I am. … My master has some grandchildren but I don’t know their names or where they live. I have been anxious to find some of them.

“I was not married til the second year after the war. Then I married Anna Marie Blow who is now living with me. We were married in Southampton Co. by ——- forget the preacher’s name. She was never married before.”

 

Deposition, Peter Doughtry, 4 June 1913
near 70 years old; occupation, farmer; post-office address, Drewryville, Va.
“I have known Albert Shelley near my whole life. … He is a full piece older than I am….. I don’t know my own age but I don’t think I am less than 70.  In 1866 I was registered for 21. I think that it was in 1866”

 

Deposition, Mrs. Rebecca M. Dillard, 19 June 1913
72 years old; no occupation; post-office, Waverly, Va.
“Albert Shelley belonged to my father Chas. Urquhart of Southampton Co. All my father’s records relative to his slaves have been lost or destroyed. I don’t know the exact age of Albert Shelley. I thought that he was between 65 and 70 but I now recall that he was a little older than I am. He was between my age and a brother two years older. He, Albert Shelley is now about 73 years of age. I don’t know the month of his birth….He is not 87. He is mistaken if he thinks he is. I was born in 1841 and he was probably born in 1840. I am sure that he was not born in 1826  …”

 

Questionnaire (Form 3-389), Albert Shelley, 24 April 1915
[birth place/birth date] May 20, 1826
[post-office at enlistment] Hampton, Va.
[married] Anna Maria Shelley, Anna Maria Black
[when, where, by whom] don’t know date, by Chas. Urquhart, Southampton Co., Va.
[record] no
[previously married] no
[wife living] yes, living with her
[names, birthdates of children] Rosa Shelley (dead), Robert Shelley (dead), Martha Ann Shelley (dead), Harry Shelley (dead), Norfleet Shelley (dead), Anna Shelley (living near Anna Worrell), Louvenia Shelley (living near Louvenia Howell), Susanna Shelley (living near Susanna Eppes), Albert Shelley, Jr. (living), Edward Shelley (living) — dates of birth lost owing to family bible being burned”