The veteran’s widow asked that a longtime family friend be appointed guardian of her infant daughters after their father died in 1880. She re-married in 1883 and the family friend was appointed guardian in 1892.
Note: This pension application folder contained papers for another soldier. I reported it to staff in the Research Room.
Minor — 545,723 / 514,314, Elijah Howard, guardian
Marriage License, Peter Campbell and Jennie Watts, 18 April 1883
Hyde County, North Carolina: “Peter Campbell, of Sladesville, aged 24 years, color, col, the son of Peter Campbell and ‘unknown,’ the father now living, the mother ‘unknown,’ resident of Currituck [County], and ‘Jennie Watts’ of Sladesville, aged 24 years, color, col, daughter of Samuel Collins and ‘unknown,’ the father living, the mother ‘unknown,’ resident of Hyde County …. I, W.H. Howard, a minister of the Missionary Baptist Church, united [the couple] in matrimony on the 19 day of April 1883 at Geo. Campbell‘s house in Currituck Township … Witnesses present at marriage: Edward King, Samuel Gray, W.H. Mann [or Martin?]”
Letter of Guardianship, Elijah Howard, 15 February 1892
“State of North Carolina … Mary Watts and Martha Watts, minor orphans, are without guardians, and Elijah Howard [has applied for and been qualified as such] …”
General Affidavit, David Brown and A.M. Sawyer, 13 June 1892
[Brown] 38 years old; post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
[Sawyer] 46 years old; post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
“We have known Alfred Watts ever since the war. He lived with us. Know he suffered from a disease contracted during the war. Very offensive when near him. His breath was very bad. He could hardly see any at all … Alfred Watts suffered very much during his death sickness.”
General Affidavit, Samuel Gray and Elijah Gray, 11 July 1892
[S. Gray] 36 years old; Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
[E. Gray] 39 years old; Makleyville, NC
“[We] were at his burial … [Elijah Gray] was present at the marriage … [We] were neighbors of the husband and wife and have known the children as theirs ever since…”
General Affidavit, York Howard, 12 October 1892
55[?] years old; post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde Co., North Carolina “present at the marriage of Peter Campbell and Jennie Watts — the mother of the children — Martha Watts & Mary Watts daughters of the soldier Alfred Watts … The remarriage of the widow to Peter Campbell was April 19th 1883 … I was present at the marriage …”
General Affidavit, Matthew H. Freeman, 14 October 1892
34 years old; post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde Co., North Carolina “present at the marriage of Peter Campbell and Jennie Watts. They were married in 1883 but do not know the day of the month….”
General Affidavit, Mariah Sawyer and Saml Gray, 25 August 1893
[Sawyer] 46 years old; residence, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
[Gray] 38 years old; residence, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
“Watts died 8th October 1880 … they were at his burying: and Saml Gray says he knows this to be a true as the next year he gave a mortgage to M. Makley [sp?] for a mule”
General Affidavit, E. Howard and Joseph Eason, 20 August 1894
[Howard] 49 years old; residence, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
[Eason] 60 years old; residence, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
General Affidavit, Elijah Howard, 20 August 1894
52 years old; residence, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC “I have known Alfred Watts ever since the date of 1868. I was with him most of all the time untill [sic] he died in the year of 1880. I have also seen his discharge and to the best of my knolledg [sic] he belonged to Co. E 1st US C Calv. [sic]”
Deposition, Jennifer Campbell, 5 August 1895
about 40 years old; occupation, housekeeper; residence and post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde County, North Carolina
“I never knew him till after the war. I don’t remember the day and month that my husband died but the year was 1880. … Soldier and I were married here at Sladesville by Rev. Fortiscue. I can’t remember the date of our marriage. We had license and they are recorded at Swan Quarter, NC. Elijah Howard and Dave Brown were present at the marriage. My name before I married soldier was Jennie Collins. … I had two children by the soldier under sixteen years of age when he died. Mary Watts born Dec 3 and Martha Ann born June 2 or 3. I can’t remember the year that either of them were born. Dr. Spencer and Bridget Gray were present when they were born, also Betty Lee. All of these people are dead …. I requested that Elijah Howard be appointed guardian of my children. ”
Deposition, Ann Merrick Sawyer, 5 August 1895
about 47 years old; occupation, housekeeping; residence and post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
“I knew Alfred Watts for about fifteen years before he married Jennie Collins. He lived in my house before his marriage and I did his washing …. His breath was very offensive and curruption [sp?] ran from his nose. I remember the time he died but was sick and could not go to the funeral. Don’t remember the date. I have known the mother of the children since she was a little girl ….. I saw both of the children in the week or so after they were born but I don’t remember the dates of their birth.”
Deposition, Richard Oates, 5 August 1895
about 42 years old; occupation, farming; residence and post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
“I knew Alfred Watts from soon after the war till he died. He staid [sic] at my father’s before he married. I have known Jennie Watts now Campbell since she was a girl. I was present when she and Watts were married, was one of the waiters …. was at his burial …..[He] came down here a young man and we used to court together.”
Deposition, David Brown, 5 August 1895
about 45 years old; occupation, farming; residence and post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
“I became acquainted with Alfred Watts soon after I came to this county in 1866 or 1867. I knew him well and worked with him often till the date of his death. … I have known Jennie Watts now Campbell since before she was grown”
General Affidavit, David Brown and Elijah Gray and Moriah Sawyer, 17 September 1895
[Brown] 38 years old; residence, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
[Gray] 40 years old; residence, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
[Sawyer] 46 years old
“Watts did die in Oct 8, 1880 instead of 1881. We found out the mistake by the death of Rev. Mr. Hill as Watts died the same season”
Affidavit, Jennifer Campbell, 2 November 1895
35 years old; residence, Sladesville, Hyde County, North Carolina
“I was born at Sladesville, Hyde Co. also lived at the same place when I first knew my deceased husband Watts. There has been no change in my post-office. I knew the soldier about 1 year before I married him. I was married Jany 13th, 1876 by Rev. Mars Fortescue.
“I was freeborn. My maiden name was Jennie Collins … first child name Mary Watts borned [sic] [illegible] 1877, second child name Martha Watts borned [sic] [illegible] 1879. I don’t know where my husband Watts was borned [sic] only that he told me he was borned [sic] in the western part of Virginia. When I first knew him he was living in Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC.
Deposition, Elijah Howard, 5 November 1895
49 years old; occupation, farming; residence and post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde County, North Carolina
“I was appointed guardian of Mary Watts and Martha Ann Watts Feby 1892 by the Superior Court of Hyde County, Swan Quarter, NC. I gave a bond of $800. I have known these children ever since they were born. Mary was born Dec 3, 1877. Martha Ann was born June 2, 1879. I am not related to them.
“These children have been with their mother and she has had the care and custody of them since the death of her husband. I first became acquainted with Alfred Watts when he came to this county …. He said he was raised in Virginia….. He died Oct 8, 1880. There is no record of the birth of the children. Soldier and the mother of the children were married Jan 13, 1876. I was present at their wedding. I have known the mother all her life. …. Mary Watts has been married about five months. Dr. Sparrow (now dead) attended soldier during his last sickness. I got the dates of the birth of the children from Dr. Jerusha Spencer and Bridget Gray who were present. They are both dead. I got the date of soldier’s death by the death of Mr. O.H. Hill who died the same year. Mr. Hill’s grave has a tombstone and I got the date or the year from that.”
General Affidavit, Willis Warren, 25 May 1896
59 years old; residence, Edenton, Chowan County, NC
“I was acquainted with Alfred Watts for 2 years, and 8 months and that in the latter part of the winter near Christmas 1863. We both enlisted on the same day in Co. E., 1st U.S.C. Calvary [sic] at Fortress Monroe. Was with him all during the war until the end. We both were discharged in Feby 1866 at Brazsells [sic] Texas. We travelled together as far as New Orleans, La. & then we parted & have not seen him since. The Capt. of the Co. was named Emerson, 1st Lieutenant White, Col. Girard.”
General Affidavit, Elijah Gray and Richard Oates, 5 February 1897
[Gray] 39 years old; post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
[Oates] 39 years old; post-office address, Sladesville, Hyde Co., NC
“We were acquainted with Alfred Watts about 10 or 12 years before he died, nursed him in his death sickness, was with him when he died. …we know that he had catarrh, caused by smallpox during the war … Watts was almost blind and was totally blind in one eye caused by the bursting of a bomb shell near him. The above information we got from Alfred Watts.”
General Affidavit, Elijah Howard, 13 October 1898
“I also sent the affidavits of Benj. Burr of Greenville, Miss. and Willis Warn of Edenton, NC to George E. Lemon and if you will look over your papers I think you will find them.”
[NOTE: George E. Lemon was an attorney with offices in Washington, DC — Leslie]
Memo from Geo. W. Brown, Register of Deeds, Hyde County, North Carolina, 17 December 1900
“This is to certify that Edward Delahanty and Mary Watts were married on the 18th day of April 1895.”
Memo from Geo. W. Brown, Register of Deeds, Hyde County, North Carolina, 17 December 1900
“This is to certify that James Blunt and Martha Ann Watts were married on the 25th day of Oct 1896.”
1st U.S. Colored Cavalry 
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