Lewis Luster, Company C

The soldier’s widow said that she was born in Mississippi and brought to Virginia as a child. She and her husband had a ‘slave marriage’ shortly before the Civil War started.  When she initiated her application for a widow’s pension she reported names and birthdates for four children who qualified as minors.   

Widow — 447,550 / 503,152, Sophia Luster

Deposition, Sophia Luster, 27 October 1900
about 85 years old; occupation, housework and attending gardens
“My said husband was near born in this county, where I now live, and was the slave of the late Armistead Booker. I was born in Mississippi, but brought to this county before I was grown. My maiden name was Sophia Mitchell and my parents were Herod and Dancy Mitchell. I belonged to the late James Downey, in Elizabeth City County, Va., near where my husband was raised. I became the wife of Lewis Luster on the 14th or 15th of June, don’t know what year. but just as they were talking about the war coming on. We were both slaves at the time and were married by my master Jas. Downing. He read a portion of the ‘matrimony’ and then John Pierce, colored, after Mr. Downing got through he also read part of the ‘matrimony.’

“I consider that Mr. Downing really married us. Pierce was a speaker at meetings. He is dead. We were married in Mr. Downing’s place, at the house of my aunt. Eliza Fields, now dead. All the folks who saw me married are dead. …

“After my marriage to Lewis Luster I lived with him as his wife until he died on the 24th of Jan’y. and next Jan’y will be 12 years since he died. … died on the 24th & was buried on the 25th by Warren Smith of Hampton. … I had one child by [Luster] before he enlisted, and when he was discharged he came right back to me. He was discharged from a hospital near Ft. Monroe, Va. where he had been sick about 2 months. Saw him in hospital several times. … Some of my friends call me ‘Puss’ Luster for a nickname.

“When I applied for pension I had four children by the soldier under the age of 16 years. They are named as follows:
James Luster, born August 4th, don’t know the year but he was 22 years old, the 4th of August;
Luvinia Luster, born February 19th, year not known, but she was 19 years old last Feb’y, will be 20 next Feb’y;
Agnes Luster, born Jan’y 17th, and was 16 years old last Jan’y;
Sylvia Luster was born June 21st, and was 14 years old last June. I have no record now of the dates of birth of those children.
[NOTE: This gets really snarled viz birthdates of the children: there’s poor penmanship on a lot of documents, bleed-through on some papers, contradictions in dates — Leslie]

Deposition, Jemima Brooks, 20 October 1900
about 45 years old; occupation, housework; residence & post-office address, Hampton, Elizabeth City County, Va.
“I have known the claimant Sophia Luster some 33 or 34 years …. All her youngest children were born near where I live. I know them all.
“Her daughter Luvinia Luster was born in February 1879, don’t know what day. I fix the date from the fact that I have a niece born March 15, 1879 and Luvinia was born the month before, Feb’y 1879. I am certain about that.
“Claimant’s daughter Agnes was born in January, don’t know what day or year, but she will be 19 years old her next birth. I fix her age from that of Julia Chandler who will be 19 on the 29th of next December, and Agnes was born the next month, Jany.
“I can read but not write.”

Deposition, Edward Christian, 27 October 1900
50 years old; residence and post-office address, Hampton, Elizabeth City County, Virginia
“I became acquainted with claimant Sophia Luster over 30 years ago. … She was the wife of Lewis Luster and she continued to live with him until he died some 10 or 12 years ago.”

Deposition, Roselia Walker, 27 October 1900
about 36 years old; address and post-office address, Hampton, Elizabeth City County, Virginia
“I am the widow of Geo. Walker. I lived on the same land with claimant Sophia Luster when her four youngest children were born. … James was born in August 1877. I fix the date because I had my first child in the same year, Dec 1, 1877.
“I cannot tell when the others were born except Agnes, she is about 18 years old. Have forgotten about Lavinia, but I guess she is about twenty-one years old, about the same age as my son Tom.”

Deposition, Agnes Jones, 27 October 1900
about 50 years old; occupation, housework; residence and post-office address, Hampton, Elizabeth City County, Va.
“I have known the claimant Sophia Luster since long before the war. We were raised together and have lived near each other ever since. I have been her nearest neighbor for 255 or 30 years.
“I know her four youngest children, they were little children when their father died. The oldest of them is James Luster, the next is Lavina. The next is Agnes (we call her Aggie) and the last is Sylvia. I was there with her when they were born, helped to wait on her …”

Deposition, Mrs. Colnette Chandler, 29 October 1900
about 50 years old; residence and post-office address, “near Hampton, Elizabeth City County, Va.; “I am the wife of Nimrod Chandler”
“have known [Sophia Luster] for 25 years …
“(Deponent produced a Bible published in 1860, which shows the following among other entries (‘Julia born 12th month, 29th day, 1881’)”

Deposition, Irene Shepherd, 29 October 1900
55 years old; occupation, housekeeper; residence and post-office address, Hampton, Elizabeth City County, Va.
“I have known the claimant about Sophia Luster about 32 years…. We have hired some members of her family for many years past. Yes, I know all of her children but the only one regarding whose age I know anything about is a girl named Agnes. She was born 1882, do not know day or month. but she (clmt) says Agnes was born in Jan’y. I am certain that said Agnes  was born in 1882 because I have a daughter Lelia, born in the same year, August 24, 1882. I have a record of her birth. Agnes was living some months before Lelia.”

Deposition, Warren T. Smith, 29 October 1900
60 years old; residence and post-office address, Hampton, Elizabeth City County, Virginia
“Yes, I know Sophia Luster. I buried her husband Lewis Luster. They lived on Back River near Butler farm.
“My book shows the following regarding said Lewis Luster,
‘Jan’y 24, 1889, one burial of
‘Mr. Lewis Luster on Back River
‘Ordered by Lewis Luster, his son, $20.00

General Affidavit, William Cheesman, date unknown]
residence, Hampton, Elizabeth City County, Virginia; post-office address, Hampton, Virginia
“I William Cheesman certify that I know Lester Lewis … also know Sophia Luster, his wife. I know … [Lewis] was discharged from the General Hospital in New Orleans, La. and got home about 11th of January 1866. When Lewis Luster got hear [sic] Sophia Luster and my house was a little distance apart. I know he went to her house and recognized her as his wife. I have been in the neighborhood with them ever since the war.”